Les Fils des ténèbres

Seasons of Horror #2

by Simmons Dan,

Jeune et brillante hématologiste américaine, Kate Neuman débarque à Bucarest afin de se consacrer aux orphelins atteints du sida. Là, elle découvre l'étrange cas d'un bébé, Joshua, qui, à chaque transfusion, développe pendant un court laps de temps, une formidable résistance à la maladie... Kate ne se doute pas encore que le cas de Joshua l'amènera à s'aventurer dans les mystères d'un pays encore marqué par les légendes de vampires, et le souvenir du terrible Vlad Tepes, dont la férocité sanguinaire n'eut d'égale que celle du dictateur Ceaucescu, fusillé peu de temps plus tôt...

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Science Fiction, Audiobook

472 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Simmons takes a fascinating re-look at the vampire mythos, by deep dive focusing on the pseudo (blood) science and the Eastern European roots of it all, and doing a damn fine job, possibly to the distraction of the overall story and characterisations? Set mostly in Romania, the book follows a top American blood specialist as she starts to uncover some really weird, yet wonderful things about the blood of a discarded orphan in Romania. 6 out of 12.

2017 read

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt bravo and a cap tip to Danny Simmons for breathing fresh air into the crowded, stale world of the vampire.

Overall I am giving this one a solid 4 stars, but there are aspects here that are easily 5 star (or even 6 star) worthy making this a must read for fans of "classic" vampire fiction. The basic plot involves an American research team that travels to post-Ceaucescu Romania to investigate AIDS cases in orphanages and discovers a child whose unique blood chemistry may hold the cure for both AIDS and cancer.

While I'm not someone who consumes a steady diet of vampire fiction, I have read quite a bit of fang banger fare over the years, including a number of the classics. Now, for purposes of discussing "classic" vampire stories, I am discounting for purposes of this review (1) YA books like the Twilight series and (2) the very popular paranormal romance/urban fantasy novels that may have vampires as characters. Instead, I am referring to stories that explore the origin and evolution of vampires or provide a new/fresh insight into the vampire mythos.

With the above in mind, coming into this book I had 4 books/series that I referred to as the “benchmark books” for quality vampire fiction for the reasons mentioned below:

1. Dracula by Bram Stoker: The first (and arguably the best) vampire story ever written.

2. Agyar by Steven Brust: Arguably the most unique vampire story I have ever read and the only one in which the word vampire is never used. This book shows the vampire as a tragic, lonely figure in a contemporary setting and is truly an exceptional work.

3. Complete Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice: I read these books when they first came out and while I would not rate them as highly today, they were undoubtedly revolutionary in creating the popular image of vampires as “sex symbols” while maintaing a dark, violent and very unique mythos regarding their origin and behavior. I would say that these books were the blueprint from which the watered down and commercialized Twilightish stories come from.

4. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro: I know a lot of people didn’t like this book but this novel was unique in that it was the very first time I ever came across a vampire story that showed the “transformation” from normal to vampire through the tragic eyes of the newly turned vampire as he/she struggled against the compulsion to kill their loved ones in order to satisfy their bloodlust. I thought these scenes were incredibly compelling and brought a brand new perspective to the vampire mythos.

Honorable mention to I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (see my recent review), Some of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon, DRACULAS and Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons (which may actually need to become a benchmark book at some point as it is certainly a one of a kind vampire tale).

Children of the Night now joins this pantheon of benchmarks for classic vampire novels for two big reasons. First, is the treatment of the vampire virus as a scientifically explained phenomenon that actually makes sense. The description of everything from how one becomes a vampire to why they must drink blood to why they live so long and have “unique” abilities are all dealt with from a medical/biological viewpoint that I found unique and compelling. Second, and my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART OF THE BOOK, are the interlude sections told from the viewpoint of Vlad Tepes (historical basis for Dracula). I thought this was the most viciously seductive and brutaltastic portrayal of Dracula that I have ever seen (and yes, that includes the original by Bram Stoker). The “voice” of Vlad is just oozing with power and sadism and his casual manner of explaining his life and his actions (often filled with atrocities that stagger the mind) is both disturbing and riveting. In addition, Vlad, while exploring his past spends significant time discounting the “fairly tales” told by Stoker and Michael Beheim (who wrote in the 15th century a poem called “Story of a Bloodthirsty Madman Called Dracula of Wallachia”) which had a big impact on creating the legend of Vlad. These sections are easily the best part of this novel and had there been more of them, this book would have easily garnered 5 stars from me. As it is these sections, and this amazing depiction of Vlad Tepes, are enough to make an otherwise good novel “very” good.

So why “only” 4 stars? Well, there are a few gripe worthy offenses in the book, The plot, while fairly interesting, is not as compelling as I would have liked and drags a bit under its own weight. Having counted several of Dan Simmons novels among my all time favorites (most notably, the Hyperion series), I was expecting to be blown away by his take on the vampire. While I certainly felt the hurricane with regards to the two aspects mentioned above, there were large sections of the plot that were just too plodding with nary a gust of wind to move me from momma Earth. Plus, except for Vlad Tepes, the rest of the characters were fairly two dimensional and so I wasn’t as invested in their fate as I would have liked. That lack of deep connection with characters always kills some of the dramatic tension and thus reduces enjoyment.

Still, this is a novel that I highly recommend. The book is certainly a good read and the sections dealing with Dracula are stuffed full of amazing.

4.0 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Nominee: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel
Winner: Locus Award for Best Dark Fantasy/Horror novel.

P.S. I listened to the audio version of this book read by “George Ralph” and I thought he did a good job overall and thought his reading of the “Vlad” sections were truly inspired.

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And the carefully honed legend of Vlad Dracula grew sharper, and extended it's reach to the hearts of my enemies."

3.75 ⭐

Initial Thoughts

If there's one thing this world needs it's more vampire novels. I'm not talking those awful, sparkly Twilight vampires. I'm talking the blood thirsty killers of old. Step forward Mr Dan Simmons.

Put simply, Dan Simmons is a wonderful writer who I've been a huge fan of since reading Summer of Night , The Terror and the absolutely astonishing Hyperion . So I've decided to set myself the mission of reading a good chunk of his bibliography. After reading and really enjoying his debut horror novel Song of Kali it was time for another of his early horror novels... Children of the Night...oh what sweet music they make. Sorry couldn't help myself.

Much like the aforementioned Song of Kali, this one scooped Simmons another award. This time the 1993 Locus award for best horror. The guy has more awards that I've got books on my TBR. Ok, maybe not quite that many. But certainly a high accolade that had my expectations set high going in.

The Story

In Children of the Night we get a very unique and original take on vampires. It revolves around a rare blood disorder and their not the fanged creatures of the night you're expecting. But fear not, they are just as bloodthirsty.

The story begins in post-communist Romania where an American foreign aid party is traveling the hospital's witnessing the horrors surrounding the orphaned babies being treated there, particularly those that are suffering from the AIDS virus. These state run facilities are little more than places for these poor little souls to slowly die. It's absolutely harrowing and it is from these children that the book could just get it's title.

We then jump forward to the central character, Kate Neuman, a brilliant American hematologist who is working in those same Romanian hospitals trying her hardest to fix a system that is broken beyond belief. During her struggle she becomes enamored with a sickly infant with a rare condition and from this point she is desperate to get him back to the States where she can properly treat him. To do this she is going to need the help of priest Mike O'Rourke who has returned to Romania after the original aid mission.

That's the basic set up and as much as you're getting out of me.

The Writing

I've already said that I think Simmons is a fantastic writer. But I do have a few negative aspects with this one. But I'll start on a positive because that's the type of guy I am.

The book starts strongly and the descriptions of the towns and villages were absolutely on the money. There's an introduction to Children of the Night in which Simmons details his personal travels through Romania and you can definitely tell he invested his time here. It's a dark and cold environment, rich in the detail, absolutely perfect for this story to play itself out in.

Interspersed with the main story are flashbacks to the times of Vlad Tepes, that's Count Dracula for those not in the know. For me personally these were without question the best parts. They were as brutal and disturbing as they were beautifully written, delving into the past behind the vampires and the nature of their affliction. It ramped up the stakes (no pun intended) and expanded upon the threat posed in the current timeline.

Now for the bad stuff. First off, there is a lot of complex technical discussions regarding blood diseases and viruses. Now I didn't mind this so much and really started to get into it. I loved the scientific approach to explaining vampires. But I can completely understand how some readers would be turned off by this.

Next up this book seems to be written in two distinct parts. The first half was fantastic. Well written, creepy and certainly engaging. However, in the second half it became almost like a Hollywood action movie with car chases galore and the obligatory forced romance and the story definitely suffered for it as I started to loose interest. It reminded me a lot of F Paul Wilson's The Keep where it seemed at the behest of a horny publisher a great premise was ruined by a trashy love story. Oh the humanity!

"Blackened corpses, flesh that scaled like ashes of a log. Their bodies smaller, shrunken by flame. Brittle arms raised in a boxer's stance. The gleem of teeth in a lipless smile."

The Characters

The main issue for me with Children of the Night though was the characters. What I mean by that is that they were rubbish. I'll concede that Simmons' reimagining of Vlad Tepes was very well done and I enjoyed it wholeheartedly. But that was it. For me a book lives and does by it's characters and in this one they were at best forgettable.

Don't get me started on the main character of Kate Neuman. She starts off well enough, but at the halfway point morphs into an action hero who's survival skills put Jason Bourne to shame. She is completely unflinching in some absolutely terrifying scenes. It's very hard to swallow and not supported at all in her character development. A perfect example of a Mary Sue if ever there was one.

Then we have the returning character of Michael O'Rourke who was featured in Summer of Night, which was a far superior book while we're on the subject. Again, his character started well but at the midpoint completely dropped off. This was again largely due to a forced romance that came out of absolutely nowhere and felt very unnatural. Or maybe I'm just a complete prude. Who knows?

"We joke about everything that scare the shit out of us or makes us want to cry. Don't you?"

Final Thoughts

Don't get me wrong I absolutely love Dan Simmons and have been gobsmacked by his very best writing, in books like Hyperion and The Terror. But Children of the Night was very mediocre.

It started off great, presenting us with a genuinely fascinating scientific explanation for our blood-sucking friends. I was invested in the characters, the tension was high and I was fully engaged in the plot. It really was heading for a five star book. But in the second half the narrative started to unravel and although it didn't completely fall off a cliff I definitely lost interest and started thinking of my next read. Not a good thing!

After loving Summer of Night, Children of the Night was a bit of a disappointment. But it was certainly worth a read, particularly for that interesting take on the science behind vampires. I'd love to see this continued with a more composed narrative.

And on that note, thanks for reading and...cheers!


Dan Simmons

[Sadie Hartmann]

I quit. Almost 200 pages in and I just can’t with this one anymore. Too boring. Too much science and medical jargon. I’m sure lab rats and science junkies would get off on all the research Dan Simmons did for this one but I’m in the back of the room like, NO MORE! I quit. Bye.

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had an issue over the years remembering which Dan Simmons book I liked and which one I didn't. Summer of Night or Children of the Night? I had a chance to download a free audiobook, and I chose Children. I wish I hadn't.

I first read both of these books as a teen, after ripping through the Hyperion series. A number of years has passed since then and because the titles are so similar I couldn't remember which book was which. Well, after about an hour of listening, I realized that this was the book that I did not like. All these years later and I still don't like it. I tried...I really did, but I just cannot take all this medical jargon; it's boring.

The narrator is fine and I thought he did very well- especially when reading the portions that were from Dracula's point of view. The fault with this audio-book is due to the story, not the narrator.

I am changing my rating of this book down to three stars. It's Dan Simmons, so it's obviously well written. I just think it could have been trimmed a LOT more and then the pacing would have picked up. As it stands, I cannot even listen to anymore of this tale, I'm throwing in the towel.

[David Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
I keep fluctuating between a score of either 4-or-5, because this is a tough cookie to rank accurately.

Children of the Night presents an interesting take on vampires (and to be honest it is one worthy of its own mythos). It also features an excellent introduction by Simmons himself, in which he recounts a visit to post-Ceauşescu Romania in search of the real Dracula (Vlad Tepes). During this same visit he comes to understand the true plight facing the Romanian people - and none are imperiled more so than the thousands of sickly and unwanted orphans filling untold numbers of hospital wards and orphanages.
It is the brutality of this life which Dan Simmons so expertly places onto the pages as he paints his story of a mother's fight to recover her stolen child.

Kate Neuman is a thirty-something immunologist working the grim halls of Bucharest's District One Hospital, and it is fair to say the grind is bringing her down. Kate 'cares' about every patient she encounters, but the corrupt and unsympathetic still hold sway in Romania, and the supplying of adequate medical resources is considered secondary to the needs of the Baroni and their immediate puppets.

Kate's work brings her into contact with a sickly infant, and by chance it is discovered that blood transfusions (even when given the wrong blood) reverse the child's crippling illness - at least in the short term.

Circumstances lead to Kate adopting the child, and then returning home to the United States with her 'new' son. At the CDC center in Boulder Colorado, it is discovered that baby Joshua has a mutant growth on the wall of his stomach, and it is this strange tumor that enables him to digest and flourish on blood. Further investigation shows that Joshua has a recessive gene illness, and it seems likely this flawed gene may be a familial trait. Joshua is not one of a kind.

Shortly after learning the bizarre nature of her son's illness, Kate is attacked and Joshua stolen away from her. And so, aided by some old friends (including Mike O'Rourke from Simmons' earlier Summer of Night) the hunt begins for her child's abductors. It is a journey that will pull Kate halfway across the world, leading her through ancient towns and cities towards a confrontation with a figure marked by history, a man who should not, cannot still be alive. A man who was once feared, but equally revered by his people. Even though they knew him to be strigio.

Dan Simmons is very literate, and so this is always a smooth read. The opening 2/3rds of the book is excellent, although anyone with an adversity to being bombarded with scientific facts may disagree. But the science didn't bother me. Neither did the overly descriptive prose identifying various routes through, and settlements of the beaten down Romania.

I can forgive such minor blips, because the book is interspersed with chapters titled Dreams of Blood And Iron, and these first person narratives are beautifully written accounts of historical violence. Well done, Mr. Simmons.

Unfortunately, one area in which the book does fall down is that D.S. paints the protagonists into such a tight spot that things have to get a little ridiculous. Yes, I know, militarized gangs of fangsters ruling over Eastern Europe is ridiculous - but there is ridiculous, and then there's ridiculous, ok?
Seriously, dis' bitch Neuman, she's more kick-ass than Bourne, Bond, and Bauer combined, stoked on amphetamines and tooled to the nines.

Even allowing for the slightly hooky ending, Children of the Night is a very good read about vampires. While presenting us with a genuinely fascinating scientific explanation for such creatures, it leaves more than enough meat on the bones to satisfy fang fans.
With tension filled scenes, and characters who are both flawed and believable, I'd say it is definitely worth picking up a copy of this novel.

[Lone rider 1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Iskreno, ovo je za jednu zvezdicu al bilo je par momenata koji su mi se svideli pa ajd da ne budem baš toliko strog, dve zvezdice...

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, traditional vampire novel (Vlad's about as traditional as you can get, right?), told with a quite a bit of political intrigue and suspense/medical/thriller elements thrown in. It hasn't aged as well as many of his other "contemporary" novels, but it's still a fine and fangy fun-for-all. It has a slight connection to three of his other books, loosely called the Seasons of Horror series, but can be appreciated entirely on its own.

[Corey Woodcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampires! Romania! Vlad the Impaler! You’ve heard it all before. Or have you? Dan Simmons returns to the Summer of Night universe, or as it’s called on here, “Seasons of Horror”, to take on the vampire mythos. It isn’t really a sequel, and the vibe of this book is far different than Summer, but it does contain a few characters from and references to that fateful summer of 1963.

This is not a coming of age tale; the story involves a doctor, Kate Neuman, working at a children’s hospital in Romania, late 1989-immediately after the deposition and execution of Ceausescu and the Romanian Revolution. She ends up adopting a sick child, who miraculously seems to get better after blood transfusions and takes him back to her home in Colorado. This is when the story gets a bit darker and the chase is on.

I really enjoyed this one, and it was dangerously close to 4.5 stars, but I have seen what Dan Simmons is capable of, and while this is an excellent read, he does have better. I enjoyed the update on Mike O’Rourke and the incorporation of history that was all throughout this story. Simmons is a man who definitely does his research-this didn’t bother me at all when it came to the historical stuff, though it did become a bit mind-numbing with some of the dialogue between the doctors. However this only happens in a few chapters, so don’t let it deter you.

You don’t necessarily have to have read Summer of Night to enjoy this one, but you should because it’s awesome. Overall this was a fresh and interesting take on the sometimes tired and stale world of the vampire, with tons of interesting twists and turns. There’s no doubt I enjoyed this significantly more than A Winter Haunting, another episode is the Seasons of Horror series, and I’m looking forward to finishing it up sometime soon with Fires of Eden. Solid 4/5.

[Latasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. Just no. The story didn’t do it for me, the characters didn’t. I give Dan Simmons 1 Star for his take on vampires. Good for you for something new. (To me) but it wasn’t enough.

[Jadranka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ne računajući samu priču o Vladu Cepešu, roman obiluje klišeima.
Ocena: ipak samo 2⭐

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first read this 20 years ago or so, I loved it. It felt so cutting edge, briefly exploring the break down of the USSR (most specifically Romania), references to the US invasion of Iraq, you know, the major news events around the early 1990s and this was first published in 1993, all wrapped up in a 'scientific' explanation of Dracula. I was on a major Simmons kick, having read his excellent Hyperion series, Song of Kali, and other works; the guy is an amazing writer! After rereading this novel, however, I felt disappointed. For some reasons, this one just does not stand the test of time like his science fiction or other horror stories.

CofN starts off with a deeply depressing tour of several people from the US touring Romania, looking for investment opportunities, humanitarian issues and so forth after the overthrow of Ceaușescu in 1989. We visit horrible factory towns ('cheap labor', no environmental controls, etc., good investments!) and huge orphanages with thousands of children living and dying in squalor. Brutal. Then we find out that the US business tycoon on the tour is actually Vald, or Dracula!

Simmons then takes us on a journey primarily through the eyes of Kate, a blood researcher from the States who was helping out in Romanian hospitals for a few months in 1990. She adopted a small child there, a sickly child, and after some trials and so forth, brought him back to the states. This kid has some very strange illness, or genetic issues rather, that she and others isolate, and find an even stranger mutation. I will not go into the details here-- my god Simmons gives us enough-- but this mutation and the related retrovirus just might be a cure for HIV and cancer! But the strangest thing was that the mutation needed human blood to work; other people's blood. Simmons here tries to give us basically a scientific explanation of vampires!

Interspersed with the main narrative we are treated to some rather long flashbacks of Vald's memories and his current status. Yes, he is still alive, but finally on the wane. Further, it seems his chosen child, the one that will be the next 'prince' or such, was the one Kate adopted!

Even though this novel focuses upon Vald, it is more of a thriller than a straight up horror novel. These vampires need blood to live, but there is nothing supernatural about them. The main story concerns Kate and her research, and then her quest to get the little guy back after he was kidnapped.

My issues with this upon the reread are several. First, while it seemed very cutting edge at the time, it now feels rather dated. I find this dated feel over and over with thrillers-- they just do not tend to age well. Secondly, the scientific details regarding the mutation and the implications are spelled out in great detail; almost mind-numbing detail. I can excuse this as it directly concerns HIV and that was the massive pandemic of the era then, but who does Simmons think his audience is here? I think most horror readers would find this aspect terribly boring, and most 'scientific types' would probably not be reading a book on vampires. Third, the entire last half of the book was rather beyond belief. So Kate hooks up with a priest (who was on the tour the book starts with), flies to Austria, and then heads to Romania with the plan to get her adopted child back. No real plan, just determination. There follows an incredibly unbelievable race to get the kid back. I know, against the odds and so forth, but please. You can only strain a reader's imagination so far. Kate, after being held in a dungeon for half a day, with no food or water, manages to scale the walls of the castle. It was just too much!

This did give us a very believable account of Romania just after the 1989 revolution and some insights to the corrupt regime that had existed there. For me, that was the novel's biggest strength. The scientific explanation of vampires was interesting, but I felt like I was reading a textbook at times. Some good drama, but the main protagonist Kate was a little over the top. Downgrading my star rating from 5 to 3.

[Иван Величков · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ми Симънс.
Една лекарка заминава за Румъния за да помага доброволно с проблемните сираци, веднага след падането на режима там. Открива дете с рядко срещано кръвно заболяване и решава да го осинови, за да спаси живота му. Детето не се оказва каквото тя си мисли и много скоро е отвлечено обратно. Тя ще направи всичко за да си го върне.
Много силна книга, ама не разбрах защо е част от Сезоните.
Описанията на Румъния след падането на Челушеску правят Калкута от "Песента на Кали" да прилича на детски лагер, а главите със спомените на Влад Цепеш, изкарани от достоверни исторически източници, те карат да настръхнеш. Пълната медицинска обосновка на вампиризма също звучеше доста реално, макар и да имах проблеми с терминологията на места.
Изпипан до дупка роман, където всяка страница натрупва напрежение за финалния конфликт. Всеки път, когато обясненията стават повече, обрат в сюжета ме заковаваше отново към книгата. Типичният за автора огромен поток от информация отново ме накара да прочета сума странични неща, а някой бяха доста трудно намираеми.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be forewarned that Children of the Night starts out with a brutally realistic description of post Communist Romania and the inhumane treatment of thousands of babies that is quite disturbing. Once beyond that, beware of the sections interspersed throughout the book written with the voice of "Vlad the Impaler" (the original Dracula) as they are gruesome, gory and scary as hell. A few parts of the book, including the ending, was a bit James Bondish, but overall, a fast-moving and entertaining read with an important scientific twist.

As a new fan of Dan Simmons, The Terror is next!

[Noel (noelreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read the introduction to this book, I was really excited. And when I read the first handful of chapters, I was horrified and intrigued. But from there, it went downhill pretty quickly.

The characterization in this book is awful. Just bad. I didn't care at all about any of the characters. Kate was written so badly I was cringing almost the whole time. Mike wasn't much better. It was also too long. So much of the middle was dull. And it's a shame, because the premise of this book is great. And the setting was incredibly interesting. But I just couldn't get myself to enjoy reading it.

[Jon Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leave it to Dan Simmons to take the legend of the vampire back to it's roots, and restore the man/monster who was once known as Vlad the Impaler and will forever be the monster known as Dracula to his dark throne.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simmons did a masterful job with the vampire legend. This novel has a hard sci-fi approach to horror. For the averag, non-lab, chemistry,blood analysis person some of the science can be tough as he establishes verisimilitude. I understood some of it, but I was able to get the idea.
Either you enjoy the technical aspect, and the authenticity therein, or you don't. If you don't, it is not a painfully long process to read through and is done early in the story. If you do, it makes this book work on many levels.
After establishing the plausibility, he creates several tense scenes and likable characters before beginning a journey with them that had me reading this book non-stop. The pace and intensity pick up as the book nears the climax, proving that this author does indeed know how to finish a book well. Certain authors write with the end game in mind from page one and this reads like it.
This title made me a Dan Simmons fan. I liked his sci-fi novels, but I like hard sci-fi in general if it is well written, so for me this was a good fit.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I started out reading this with a group, and the medical jargon was just too heavy to follow. I was going to leave it at that, but the "completist" in me decided to stay up until 3 am to finish it.

The story itself--that is, the part I wished the entire book were about--was an interesting take on the Dracula legend. Unfortunately, it was so "heavy" in terms of the scientific descriptions, labs, etc., that this completely took me out of the story. It was like a sudden jolt to find the actual "story that I cared about" interspersed within it. I'm giving it two stars for the "main story", but it could have been so much higher without all of the distracting details of scientific results, etc, to sloth through.

[Jon Von · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 More spy adventure than horror novel. This finds a woman who, as an American medical doctor doing work in Romania, adopts a somewhat sickly child and brings him back to the states. Turns out this baby has connections to powerful vampires and the woman is terrorized as the infant is kidnapped. What follows is a globetrotting adventure back into the wilds of Romania with a handsome priest who happens to be one of the kids from the first book grown up (the other story’s only connection). The setting is particularly interesting as the nation is shown to be in a period of rebuilding after the dead of a fascist dictator, with extensive detail of the misunderstood Eastern European nation. There isn’t much action though, and it’s a little confusing because an exciting sequence in the beginning leads the reader to think there will be. But it’s mostly driving and priestly romance and Romanian travelogue. Well written for the most part and an interesting blend of adventure, detailed medical science and vampire lore. But feels like the author forgot the crucial element of excitement in what would otherwise be a perfect action vehicle.

[Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really like vampire stories, most of them are cheesy and/or unoriginal and trite, but if one has to read a vampire novel, one really can't do much better than Children of the Night. Originally my intention was simply to find out what happened to one of the characters from the equally terrific Summer of Night. Nice to see that Mike O'Rourke grows up and has a very interesting and adventurous life. Dangerous too. But that's just one of the great things about this book and there are so many more, it's just an all around awesome read. It's obvious without even reading the introduction (more on that later) how much research, thought and attention to detail went into it, the book cleverly interweaves the horrors of post Ceaușescu Romania with the horrors of Vlad Dracula (real one, not the Bram Stoker version). It's uncertain which was more intense, because there is no horror quite like a country fallen, torn apart, damaged beyond repair and forced to live in inhuman and inhumane conditions that those privileged enough to live in a civilized world can scarcely imagine. The author's take on vampirism is one of the most original and clever ones that I have ever read, although he gets insanely technical about it in what could be perceived as one of the book's minor faults. Another one of those might possibly be the fact that its main characters seem to develop nearly superhuman powers as they draw toward the absolutely cinematic summertime blockbuster ending. But it works, it all works and so well, even if all the strings are tied so nicely in the end. Absolutely great read.
Few words about the introduction. As with Summer of Night I would highly recommend reading it after the book, it is very informative, but serves better as an afterword. Very impressive that the author dared a trip to Romania at that time. Also shows off his quite considerable talent as a sketch artist. The introduction tends to extensively and quite unnecessarily quote the novel itself. And also, mentions the movie script for the book...what happened? This book would make a terrific movie. Does anyone know?
Great edition, excellent cover art, a must for any collector.
Highly recommended.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the vampire genre has become oversaturated and tired recently, it's good to go back and read writers who know what they're doing. Dan Simmons's "Children of the Night" has a unique and fascinating take on vampirism.

Written and published in the early-'90s, "COTN" is based on the premise that what we have historically called "vampires" are simply a very small segment of the population that have a genetic mutation. Much like AIDS, a disease which weakens our immune system, the genetic mutation in these people strengthens their immune system, but only by digesting blood, which is broken down in the system into digestible and nutritious parts. In essence, they need human blood to survive. Simmons makes a very plausible case, and he has fun with the idea by setting his novel in Romania, home of Transylvania, home of Castle Dracula.

One of the only-known photographs of Count Dracula, a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler

Yes, Count Dracula is a character in this novel, but don't expect the charismatic and handsome figure drawn by Bram Stoker. Simmons takes the real history of Dracula, a.k.a Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler, a very real historical figure who lived during the 15th-century, and creates a very believable vampire novel.

The vampires in this novel are ruthless, yes, but not the fanged, flying monsters of Hollywood. Think Romanian vampire mafia, and Count Dracula is their Don. Simmons cleverly blends vampire legends, hard science, and mafia crime fiction in a thoroughly enjoyable thriller.

[Mars]

abgebrochen nach ca. 250 Seiten. Der Anfang in Rumänien konnte mich noch packen, aber dann wurde es für mich leider immer langweiliger und auch sehr vorhersehbar.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Dan's best work, it was a bit too 'thriller-y' for me. I liked that he tried to do something different with vamps and give us a medical explanation, but I'm actually pretty happy with vamps just being bad-arsed blood suckers.

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 5 out of 5]

Образът на вампирите вълнува авторите на остросюжетната литература вече почти 122 години, откакто Брам Стокър "нарежда арматурата, сковава кофража и налива бетона в основите" с каноничния си роман Дракула (първо издание 26 май 1897); знайни и незнайни творци дават своята трактовка по темата, а жанрът набъбва и придобива страховити измерения за радост на верните фенове. В моето читателско дневниче (импровизираното класиране е плод, разбира се, на лично мнение) се срещат заглавия, които не ми се понравиха особено (Здрач, Чирак на вампира), вписах и прилични неща (Интервю с вампир, Историкът, Покани ме да вляза, Заразата, Трескав блян), а блестят и шедьоври (Аз съм легенда, Сейлъмс Лот). Дори аз, скромният драскач, съм острил перо, за да се разходя из тази необятна Вселена с Клиника в средата на нощта...

Но да се върнем на "Децата на нощта", роман, нареждащ се в колонката на шедьорите не толкова със задъхания си сюжет (такъв наистина има, но такъв има и всеки трилър), колкото с превъзходното научно подковано обяснение на вампирския въпрос и любопитната историческа фактология. Пунктуален, както сме свикнали да го виждаме, Дан Симънс създава мрачна приказка, ситуирана в посткомунистическа Румъния, верен на принципа, че няма по-брутален хорър автор от самия живот. А режимът на Чаушеско наистина е бил човеконенавистен. Сатрапът обезлюдява цели села, в опит за т.нар. систематизация - концентриране на хората в градски панелени гета, забранява на същите тези хора абортите и контрацепцията, и в определен момент стотици хиляди излишни деца се пръкват на белия свят. Деца, отглеждани в сиропиталища без всякакви хигиенни условия, деца, инжектирани с кръв за подсилване и в резултат на това, заразени с хепатит и вируса на СПИН... Четейки всички тези ужасяващи подробности се убедих, че заглавието на романа съвсем не е визирало само вампирите...

Научно-изследователската основа на книгата, също бе брилянтно положена. Професията на главната героиня - хематолог - даде възможност на енциклопедиста Симънс да се развихри, макар в определен момент (лично мнение) да се удави в имунологичните подробности. Интерлюдиите със спомените на Влад Цепеш, Сънища за кръв и желязо, плод на, не се съмнявайте, стотици часове проучвания, добавиха щипката историческа достоверност, която много, ама много ми се понрави. Не мога да не спомена и Предговора на автора - беше ми любопитно да надникна в ума на Дан Симънс и да разбера, че е също така талантлив художник... Абе човек-оркестър, дет се вика :) В заключение, трябва да отбележа, че в този роман нямаше от онези сякаш безкрайни изречения, които срещах в Илион и Ужас, а това направи четенето му още по-лесно.

"Децата на нощта" съвсем не е роман без кусури. Някои сюжетни решения (дори самата завръзка с осиновяването на болно румънско дете от американска лекарка, макар американци наистина да са осиновявали деца по онова време, ама...) ми прозвучаха леко недостоверно, открих тук-там и дребни логически пукнатини (един пример - в бедно румънско селце героите пият скоч и ядат шоколадови бисквити), но кой автор не допуска такива, и кой съм аз, че да съдя един от ГОЛЕМИТЕ?

[Tressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is up with some of the low ratings for this book? I'm not necessarily an avid vampire fan, but this book is a doozy of a page turner.

Romania, AIDS, and an adopted baby update the vampire legend in a very satisfying way. I read this book years ago--half of it lying in a hammock on a warm summer day--so sorry I can't remember the specifics. Read the other reviews for those. I just remember that I really dug this book!

[Addy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The aspects i enjoyed from this book were the characters, hands down. For me, if the characters weren't so likeable, it would have taken me longer to finish. I enjoyed the beginning of the story most and learning about the old vampire. I didn't care much for the medical jargon or for the long, dragged out chase scenes. With that said, the story was enjoyable and entertaining.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Ahtims · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book with great potential in the beginning that turns out to be extremely outlandish and boring, towards the end.
This one deals with the Dracula family, and the reason behind their blood sucking.
In my undergraduate days, my Biochem professor had mentioned the Dracula family of Transylvania while teaching us about Porphyrias, the rare group of inherited Heme disorders, wherein there is photosensitivity , red teeth, hirsuitism , and the deformed people avoid sunlight and cover themselves with black capes and travel only after sundown - thus being mistakenly thought to be of as vampires . Here, I read a novel, which suggests an imaginary, though plausible mechanism which make them suck blood.
Kate, a hematologist at CDC is drawn into the controversial affairs in Romania as she is mysteriously appointed to work in a hospital there. Luke, is the friendly medical student who is assisting her a lot. Kate sees a dying infant there , is somehow drawn to him, adopts him and takes him to her native US. Soon problems arise and Kate, the child and her close friends are threatened and harmed. And she has to illegally enter Romania again, to find out the mystery behind the adopted child.
From herein, the book deteriorated.
This book is in 2 viewpoints
1. the reminiscences of Vlad Tepes ( possibly the oldest "human" alive). Loved his tale much much more...than...
2. the doings of Kate and co. narrated in 3rd person - the entire second half of which was boring.
The ending was too bizarre.

the things I liked in this book were the various medical theories and Vlad's narrative.


why I chose this book - BR with Manju.

whom would I recommend it to? - if anyone is interested in knowing the theory proposed behind blood sucking and longevity of the so called vampires, they are welcome to read this book. The first half really deserves 3.5 to 4 stars.

Will I continue with the series? probably yes, just to sate my curiosity, but most probably, no.

[thefogweaver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Ben Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I think about it, the more I like it. Definitely has a lot of flaws but overall 4 stars.

Kind of messy book, it feels like it doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a horror novel? A medical novel? A historical thriller? A conspiracy thriller? It seems like the tone and genre style changed a lot and in the second half it felt kind of slow. If you’re not a doctor who speaks Romanian, you’ll be confused and overwhelmed a couple of times.

With that being said, this has some great moments and pretty good character development. My favorite sections were with Vlad the Impaler’s memories of his reign of terror. What a sick bastard. It also had one of my favorite moments in a horror novel involving a tank filled with body parts. So terrifying. Overall a good book.