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Children of the Night (Bookcassette(r) Edition)

Children of the Night (Bookcassette(r) Edition)

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A new and improved (?) Vampire story....
Review: After reading Summer of Night, retroactively by the publication date, I could not wait to jump into another Dan Simmons novel, Children of the Night...

Much more a page-turning thriller than Summer was (although that by no means denotes 'better,' just different) this book catapults readers into the world of Romanian refugee children, who as we find, are 'farmed' at the local orphanages, which are bursting at the seams, as the private blood-bank for local vampires...now THERE'S a drive up teller you might want to avoid....

But Kate Neuman, a skilled hematologist and Father Mike O' Rourke (the adult incarnation of a Summer of Night character) change the face of Romania drastically when Kate adopts one of the children, 'Joshua,' whom Count Vlad Dracula has determined as successor to the blood soaked legacy he leaves behind, weary of it all, having been alive for centuries.

Kate and Mike are pursued to the States, where Kate brings her recently adopted son home to try and study his remarkable immune system, which requires blood transfusions every two weeks...and perhaps find a cure for cancer and aids in the process of saving his life. When Joshua is taken back to Romania by the Count's minions, Kate and Mike race frantically back to save him from the dark destiny the Count has prescribed for the boy.

A wonderful, tighty woven, thunderbolt of a story, Dan Simmons proved himself a major powerhouse of a new writer with this story. Highly recommended to anyone who is a fan of the Vampire genre....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A thrilling time with or without your medical dictionary!
Review: Dan Simmons writes a modern twist on the old vampire story here. A hematologist working for the CDCs and a young orphan at the center of her focus take this story across two continents. A brilliant immersion into contemporary (to the tale) politics. Some of the medical terminology might be a little heady, but no more so than the average science fiction read concerning fictitious/not-yet-developed science.

The end of this tale is not particularly surprising, but then again this tale is centuries old so no complaints. Simmons is dealing with Vlad Ţepeş as subject matter, and spins an exciting yarn as grandiose as the characters at hand. Readers annoyed with the ending of this book were probably also annoyed that their 11th grade English teacher and his 'silly' reading requirements spoiled "Oh Brother Where Art Thou".

When I read this book for the first time, I didn't put it down until well after my bedtime each night. If you are looking for the classic vampire tale couched in / affected by 20th Century medicine and politics â€" this book is a serious page-turner!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Makes one wonder about the reality of the undead
Review: Dan Simmons wrote a novel taken from Bram Stokers "Dracula", and using it as the title: "Children of the Night". This novel is an epic on Vlad Tsepes, the Impaler, Dracula (Son of Dracul-- or Order of the Dragon). One cannot put the story down easily as it continues to move through time itself from past to present without leaving any place to really put down the book for a break. If you are a fan of Dracula, or any real historical data on the life of Dracula, as seen through the eyes of many, then this book is indeed a primary source. And if you are not a fan of Dracula, or the idea of, and reality of, the idea of such a person, you will become a Vlad/Dracula fanatic and will spend hours researching the character yourself and find that Dan Simmons left very few leafs unturned. And those left unturned, I believe, were intentional. I could write about what occurs in the novel, but what's the point? Read it for yourself and make sure that your keep the light on while you do so.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: if Hyperion is bliss, this is competent.
Review: let me preface this reviewlet with general praise: Dan Simmons is a contemporary storyteller i very-much adore. Hyperion is one of those books i recommend to _everyone_, regardless of what they usually read.

this novel, then, was a disappointment. i was hoping that it would posit a scientific explanation of vampires, tie that in with the some juicy Romanian/Eastern European history, then delve deep into the sub-society vampires have crafted for themselves, play with the myths, toy with the characteristics of vampirism.

instead, this novel dealt with a heroine who stumbles under the fist of a despotic, Eastern European government and fights for her freedom and her family. along the way she finds a friend/lover, and suffers _a lot_!

the vampiric elements felt very secondary, and the Big Revelations were out of place in the general context of the novel. without those trappings, this would have been a decent thriller that does an excellent job of portraying how harsh Eastern Europe can be.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spellbinding
Review: Reading "Children of the Night" by Dan Simmons was spellbinding for me. I tire easily with the same, simplistic vampire biting storylines, and was unsure as to whether or not I would enjoy this book, but once I read the first page, my mind changed. I followed all that the characters had done down to the tee, and was especially thrilled by the thoughts of Vlad himself. This isn't the usual 'bite on the neck' story. Dan Simmons actually delves into the past of Vlad, what really happened, and even what his thoughts might have been. I read this book in one day and wanted more. This is an excellent book to read, and Dan Simmons did an exquisite job.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: great suspense book!
Review: This pseudo-sequel to SUMMER OF NIGHT (Father O'Roarke and several minor characters loosely tie into the other book) is a fine example of what a suspense-slash-horror writer can be capable of. Ever since the magnificant CARRION COMFORT, Mr. Simmons has not disappointed me yet!

This has all of the markings of a great book - well developed characters, interesting plot (you'll also get a lesson or two on Romanian culture), twisted villians (corrupt politicians, lurking men dressed in black, etc.) and excellent stylings told through Kate (the heroine) and a series of dreams/flashbacks from Vlad Dracula himself!

The story is a hard-nosed, quick read about a hematologist (re: blood doctor) wrestling with the cure for AIDS as she also seeks to unravel the "myth" of vampirism from medically. It is an excellent idea, executed beautifully, and although it crumbles in a few places, the story will open up the imagination and stick with you long after you've turned the final page.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Vladdy good show, old boy!
Review: Unlike many reviewers, I've not read everything Simmons has written. "Song of Kali' was, for me, a bust. It was too turgid. the rest of the world loved it - so what does that tell you about me?

"Summer of Night" I started reading. Honest. It got so that I dreaded turning the next page. That is one scary book!

This is a romp. It's great fun. It lets you know a lot more about the legend of Vlad than you've ever known before, and I - for one - was impaled by the story.

Read it. You'll enjoy it. And if it does end up like an adventure novel / flick, so what? It's fun!


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