by far my favorite "By Night" setting in both official and unofficial material. This book is full of interesting, memorable, well-researched characters with skeletons in their closet and secrets to be exploited by cunning players and PCs. A treasure trove for any ST wanting to run a "behind closed doors" personal horror tale and weave their characters intothe gripping narrative of the city. There is so many ways to bring Bordeaux crumbling down. Do you dare to open Pandora's Box? Lift the silk blanket off the rotten carcass? Or do you prefer stability over justice?

I give it 5 Stars, one of the best fiction content to come out of STVault and VTM at large.

This is the player's guide to a series of two books, meant to introduce players to the culture and life of the southern French city of Bordeaux, and how to faithfully portray a person who lived their entire life there. It also has a primer on the history, politics and intrigues of the city's Kindred populace, the major power plays, some notables, their known personalities and goals and agendas, with a huge diversity of character worldviews and beliefs, written in an unbiased manner. The book is littered with gorgeous art and excellent art direction. And while it's not really enough to play a game on its own, it's definitely worth a read out of the sheer quality of the content alone.

Five stars.

I gave this book five stars for very good reasons.

First, the layout, Secrets of the Masquerade has made a commendable job as far as art direction goes, with a mixture of some familiar pieces from previous editions as well as new and exclusive art. It is readable, easy on the eyes and well designed.

Second, the content, the book include a header on the impact of games in our day, as well as a few points on how role-playing games in particular are an excellent tool for fun and education, if done right. It contain some tips on role-playing delicate topics such as religion and politics, which are pervasive theme in a game such as Vampire. There are tips and insight on creating long-lasting and short stories, the structure of a role playing game, and creating a setting that is true to the real places, not to mention a deep look at the psychology of kindred. And a lot more.

Overall, the book is a must have for any ST looking for helpful tips on enriching their games.

It is rare for me to see a campaign that lives up to the "personal horror" tagline of Vampire: The Masquerade, this is certainly one of these cases. An interesting story with a great twist and compelling characters and scenarios that would make for a memorable short game.

The art inside might be familiar to players who read previous White Wolf books and I personally would've preferred if the author used updated character sheets, though it's definitely worth the price if you're looking for some real personal horror.