The Initiation

Twilight: Where Darkness Begins #3

by Robert Brunn

The horror begins when Adam discovers the body in a gym locker. What is happening at Blair Prep? Adam knows he doesn't belong. Many of the students are secretive and seem to feel they are part of an elite group.

Then Adam meets Loren, who wins his trust, and together they search for clues to explain the strange disappearances and gruesome deaths they have witnessed. But when they are chosen for initiation into a secret society, their investigation becomes a nightmare. Must they pay for their quest for truth with an invitation to living death?

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Paranormal, Childrens, Vampires

154 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1982

Reviews

[Jeffrey Canino]

The third entry in the OG Twilight series tips towards the gruesome in this tale of blood, slobber, and awkward Friday night social mixers. Adam and Loren are two lovey-dovey teen transfers to elite brother-sister prep schools who start to think something's awry when they notice that corpses keep dropping around campus and that some of the wealthier, snobbier students only come out after dark.

THE INITIATION is not the first nor last horror story to make the comparison between the ruthless capitalist ethos of America's upper class and the bloodsucking proclivities of certain children of the night, but it's the only one I can think of that makes fun of them for this fact by likening them to brutish beasts desperate to project social sophistication. Moreover, when's the last time you've seen a cabal of vampires plot to steal the nation's nuclear arsenal?

Cheeky social satire, a shockingly high and goopy body count, gobs and gobs of dripping saliva: five bloody stars.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what? I actually enjoyed reading this book. It's creepy af because you can actually feel that there's a threat! Not just to the main characters, but to humanity as a whole. I like the premise of the story and how the author ties it all together. Interested in knowing more about this book?

Same approach as R.L. Stine's One Last Kiss, but I liked this one a lot better. I'm rating this based on how this book compares to the 80s to 90s books I've been reading so far!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD THESE WERE MY FAVORITE!

[Erica Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your typical preppy rich kid secret society

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ... was a lot better than I expected it to be. It's not perfect, by any means -- the two main characters declare their love for each other on their second date, and the two boarding schools were founded by a couple from Romania, so even without the cover art, you know where the story's going -- but I was hooked. The characterization isn't deep, but it's done well enough to keep me engaged.

This was one of the two books my sister owned when we were kids, so this is a re-read for me, but it actually holds up pretty well, despite some fat-shaming and sexist roles.

[Paula Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat little vampire story! It sticks to traditional vampire lore, and manages to fit in a believable love story within its unfortunately brief page count. Vampire books are so overdone these days; I enjoyed this one for its simple spookiness!

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam and Loren find out that their boarding schools are filled with vampires looking to recruit students with influential parents. Its up to them to race until the vampires get them. This was one awesome Twilight entry.

[Grace Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better Twilights I've read, this one is bloody good fun with a high body count, taking place at a prep school overrun with vampires 😈 And the grand finale is a bonkers freak out of a good time!

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this book as a kid (it kept me up all night the first time i read it!) and love rereading it around halloween for kicks.

[S.T. Harker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teenage vampires who actually kill people. Sorta. What will they think of next?

[Eric]

Are these books (Twilight) available as eBooks?

[Ray Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished The Initiation, Dell Publishing's third book in their Twilight series. I really like where they're going with this. I've never heard of Robert Brunn before, which means they're making sure each book is written by a different author. The settings are also different. While the first book was set in Scotland, this one is set in New England, at a pair of prep schools. What could be a better setting for the genre than that?

I won't go into any description of the evil in the book, as I don't want to give anything away. I'll just say that I like the characters, and like the other books, it is a quick read but good. While Brunn could have gone into more detail on some things, nothing was really missing, and considering all the books I've seen in the series are about the same size, he may have been given a maximum size to work with. All in all, I quite liked it.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book holds up pretty well for a pulp horror treat I read as a kid. Short, well-paced, and far less overblown than Twilight. Read again in one quick sitting at the mechanics.

[Mell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as a teen, and it fed my fascination with vampires. Still reading about them today . . .

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was eleven years old! It was such a good book and started me on my love of all things vampire :D