August 16, 2011

Children of the Night by Dan Simmons

Title:  Children of the Night
Author:  Dan Simmons
Format:  PB
Pages:  451
Genre:  Horror
Publisher:  Grand Central, 1993
ISBN-13:  978-0446364751
Series:  Stand Alone

Favorite Quote:  "I swear upon the Blood of Christ and the Blood of the Chalice," I cried, my voice not breaking, "that Vlad Dracul will be avenged, that I will personally drain and drink the blood of Vladislav, and that those who planned and committed this treachery will lament the day when they murdered Vlad Dracul and earned the enmity of Vlad Dracula, Son of the Dragon."

Synopsis (Back Flap):  In a desolate orphanage in what remains of post-Communist Romania, a desperately ill infant is given the wrong blood transfusion -- and flourishes when he's supposed to die.  The discovery of his unique immune system may hold the key to the long awaited cure for cancer and AIDS.  For a dedicated American doctor, he promises the medical breakthrough of a lifetime, as well as a very special love she's never been able to find.  But he also conceals a shockingly intimate link to a clan of vampires and their legendary leader -- the fiend the world calls Vlad Dracula, who, for centuries, has triumphed over countless rival tyrants, including death itself....

Review:  I'd really consider this story more of a Medical Thriller than Horror.  Just because there are vampires in it does not make it Horror.  These vampires are not from legends.  They are normal people with a genetic disease that forces them to consume blood to survive.  A good bit of the book is spent with Dr. Kate Neuman and her efforts to identify and cure this disease before it kills her adopted son.  Even during the more exciting portions of the book, there is quite a bit of medical jargon being tossed around.  This is not to say that it wasn't a good thriller.  It was.  It just wasn't scary.

I will say that I was enthralled by the historical facts about Vlad Dracula.  But, while this was a thrilling read, it was not quite what I expected.

Rating:  6.5 / 10

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