| |
I
really like this cover’s design. It incorporates the scroll used
in the first cover, the symbol of the cross in the title, and the painting
of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians.
Several critics have written that the sequel to The Book of Common Dread
is as good as or better than the original. Actually, I conceived of
them both at once, but a single novel would have rivaled War and Peace.
In BotC, I had to backfill a bit for the reader who had not begun with
The Book of Common Dread, but the pace really picks up as protagonists
Simon Penn and Frederika Vanderveen (named Frederika after one of my
favorite singers, Frederika Von Stade, to whom I gave a copy of Satan’s
Serenade) flee to Europe to find one of the few men who can translate
the Akkadian scrolls and bring their dire prophecy to light. Frederika
had been hypnotized and fed an ersatz formula of the life-prolonging
powder taken by vampires in the first novel, and she willingly continues
(needing to drink human blood as well) to “fight fire with fire.”
Pursuing them both is the world’s oldest vampire, the most amoral,
vicious of his kind. Even the Vatican gets involved, with an ex-cop
turned ancient scroll expert.
Several people have wondered when the “obvious third book”
in this trilogy will appear. I have little desire to write it. I have
taken the world to the edge of chaos; let them sort it out.
The paperback version had a good cover also:
Editor
Gordon Van Gelder chose the Blair Arch at Princeton University (their
Triangle Club show one year was entitled The Blair Arch Project).
Some
quotes:
“Chilling, thrilling…” USA Today
“Monahan succeeds admirably at producing an intelligent page-turner
and a vampire yarn with as much originality as you may reasonably expect
at this point in the history of the subgenre.” Booklist
“A heaven-sent vampire novel set in Princeton University, sequel
to the smartly amusing The Book of Common Dread, which featured a 500-year-old,piano-playing
bloodsucker whose great love was Bach…Vampire vitamins for the
intelligently bloodthirsty.” Kirkus Reviews
“The adventure and intrigue here are well done and fast paced.”
Library Journal
"Monahan has borrowed extensively from the vampiric traditions
but has added enough of his own invention, including making them servants
of Satan, to produce a new and exciting mythos. There is more lively
fun in these books than in the entire gloom drenched, self-serious oeuvre
of Anne Rice & her ilk. They make for diverting escapist fare."
BrothersJudddotcom
Amazon reader reviews:
 Just as good as
the first!, August 28, 2005
Reviewer: Belus "xy" (asteroid b612)
Once again, Monahan scores with this dark and wonderful novel. It picks
up where the first left off, taking the reader on an action-filled ride
to the finish. If you want to escape the dreadful, angsty clutches of
Anne Rice and similar authors, pick these books up!
To understand this book, you'd first have to read The Book of Common
Dread, and if that one doesn't get you to love it, then keep to your
stereotypical vampire stories.
I'm hoping they'll make movies out of these two books! That would make
for some entertaining cinema. ^^
Hot-blooded
Stuff, June 13, 2005
Reviewer: Voracious
I agree with the other reviewers. This is every bit as good as its predecessor,
The Book of Common Dread. That's rare for a sequel. A truly original
take on the vampire tradition. The pace is excellent. Several nice twists
don't hurt either. I'd love to see this become a movie.
The
Blood of the Covenant, October 17, 2001
Reviewer: Alec
This was an amazing and gripping story. it caught me up in it right
from the start.
Erotically
stimulating!, August 19, 1998
Reviewer: Michelle Lobato (taxman@rt66.com) "taxman128" (Santa
Fe, NM)
This novel was extremely excellent. It is one of the most amazing vampire
stories ever written. The dark humor and blazing real-ness make this
book a very entertaining piece of art! It stimulates the senses with
lust and death and extreme erotic evilness. The story is one of the
battle between the dark and the light, the good and evil, and the human
race and the vampire race that hopes to take over the world with it's
blood hungry kind. I highly recommend this novel to ANY one who enjoys
a great horror story!
A
good, fast read., June 13, 1997
Reviewer: A reader
Brent Monahan's follow up to "Book of Common Dread" is as
good as the original. Basically, its a tale between good and evil, human
versus super human (Vampires) and the devil. Fast read, nothing too
thought provoking though but occasionally, one starts to think, hey,
yeah, that could happen!
|
