This book is 240 pages of background regurgitation from the rulebooks describing the world of the undead, as created by Mark ("I'm the guy who made all this shit up!") Rein-dot-Hagen. it also includes some fiction from White Wolf's fiction line. If you've got even a few of the game books, you've already got all the text that's included here.

I can't really come up with a reason why someone would want to shell out their hard-won cash for this thing. Certainly, some lazy storyteller might not have time to clue in a newbie player as to the salient points of the game -- this book would be perfect for that situation. While WW would love it if the storytellers and players of their games bought this book, it seems that the Book of the Kindred is meant to be a vehicle to mainstream America.

For those fans of the show "Kindred the Embraced" this book is supposed to tell you all you need to know. I'm not really sure but it seems to be more of a vehicle for Rein Hagen's ego as we are informed that Rein Hagen is "Co-Producer of TV's Kindred: the Embraced" no less than four times on the cover alone! He goes on to rant and ramble about how he can't believe that people really like his ideas and how he's made sooo much money. If you really like the TV show and want to know more, yet somehow can't figure out what's going on, this book won't help you since the TV show has been changed enough by Hollywood that the outtakes from the rule books won't help you much (though if you really like the show enough that you want to buy show-related drivel ... ).

Game Reviews Fantasy Role Playing

Mage: The Ascension Tarot
Chicago Chronicles: Volume 3
Oblivion
Constantinople By Night
The Shadow Court
A World of Darkness 2nd Edition
Trolls, Masquers, Silent Striders, and Shadow Lords
Rage: Warriors of the Apocalypse
Axis Mundi: The Book of Spirits
Book of the Kindred
The Risen