Publishers Weekly, June 25, 2001

"Most readers know Strieber for his best-selling books about his alleged contacts with aliens (Communion, etc.). Yet before he met the saucerians, Strieber wrote immensely popular horror novels, some of them filmed (as was Communion-- which, nonfiction or not, is a horror classic). The most imaginative was The Hunger (1980), which posited an ancient race of vampires that created humanity and has directed our species' history. In his first novel in seven years, Strieber returns to the opulent, ferocious world of Miriam Blaylock, the beautiful, powerful and rapacious vampire who dominated The Hunger (and was played by Catherine Deneuve in the film version). It's time again for the vampires' centennial conclaves, and Miriam is in Thailand, hoping to find a mate at the Asian gathering. Instead she encounters a possibly mortal enemy, Paul Ward, a CIA operative heading up a hush-hush team dedicated to wiping out the vampires. The novel's first two-thirds offers a tour de force of mythmaking (as Strieber redefines the world through vampiric eyes) and emotionally intense action (as Ward's team stalks Miriam and her ilk)... There's much here to admire, not least Strieber's expert modulation of tone and dialogue as POV shifts from Miriam (fluid, refined) to Paul (muscular, slangy)... this bloody, lush and gripping novel trumpets a welcome return to fiction by Strieber and could win award nominations. Expect this one to bite into bestseller lists."

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