Daughter of Darkness [Hardcover]

Steven Spruill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 1997

Dr. Jenn Hrluska is young, beautiful, and everyone's choice for best intern at Washington, D.C.'s Adams Memorial hospital.  When she finds the freshly killed body of a stranger on her doorstep, her initial shock turns to an irresistible thirst for the blood surrounding the body, for Jenn is a hemophage: her life depends on feeding on the blood of "normals."  Until now, Jenn has survived by transfusing blood from sleeping victims, harmlessly.  With bone-chilling certainty, she recognizes that this body has been left as an invitation to reclaim her destiny of taking blood by deadly force.  And only one person would have left the body for her--her father, Zane.

Jenn's grandfather, Merrick, sealed Zane in a tomb ten years ago to end his murderous rampages.  Since then, Jenn has pursued her life, ignoring her true nature.  But now Zane has escaped and begun to insinuate himself into Jenn's world.  Beginning with cruel pranks to remind her of his powers, Zane soon commits a murder that brings Jenn to the brink of exposure--or death.  Unjustly imprisoned for murder, and facing the possibility of dying without a supply of fresh blood, Jenn decides she must escape and use her unearthly powers to defeat Zane once and for all.

As father and daughter confront each other, however, Jenn realizes that the love that links them might just be as imperishable as the deadly curse they share.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA. Fans of both the horror and medical suspense genres will enjoy this tale. Dr. Jenn Hrluska, a beautiful, talented intern at a Washington, DC, hospital, is a hemophage: a genetic defect requires that she feed on human blood to survive. In this sequel to Rulers of Darkness, Spruill tells the riveting story of Jenn's affection for her grandfather, Merrick, who raised her to transfuse blood harmlessly from sleeping victims to feed her hunger. He has decided that he no longer wishes to live the immortal life of a hemophage, so he takes special transfusions that will allow him to grow old with his present wife. As a police detective, Merrick hunted the deadly hemophages, including his own son, but now he is no longer a match for Zane's powers. When Zane escapes from his father's underground prison and vows revenge, Jenn must choose between them. YAs will enjoy this fast-moving variation on the traditional vampire tale and its many subplots. One of Jenn's young patients is dying of leukemia; a fellow intern plants drugs in her locker to get her fired; Jenn's new boyfriend experiences odd hallucinations that make her fear he may be "phage" as well; and an overly curious television reporter stalks Jenn and almost reveals her family's secret to the world. Perhaps, most of all, YAs will identify with Jenn's emotional turmoil as she untangles her complex feelings for a father who asks her to return to a "natural" but deadly life with him; and a grandfather who believes that she can transcend that life and care for the children of the world.?Pat Bangs, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This sequel to Rulers of Darkness (LJ 7/95) focuses on Jenn Hrluska, a young resident physician in Washington, D.C., who is a "hemophaege"?an immortal being with human strength who must subsist on human blood. Jenn's father, Zane, from whom she inherited the gene that allowed her transformation from human to hemophaege, turned her into this vampiric being. With the help of her grandfather, a retired police detective (and fellow hemophaege), she chooses to take blood through a transfusion process that does not harm mortals. But Zane wants her to be like him and most other "phaeges"?a killer who enjoys the thrill of taking human life through drinking the victim's blood. Much of this novel revolves around the bitter contest between Jenn and Zane, but the tension that made Rulers of Darkness such fast-paced reading is less strong here. The first part of the book moves slowly, although things pick up toward the end. Recommended where Spruill is popular.?Patricia Altner, Information Seekers, Bowie, Md.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (May 19, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385484321
• ISBN-13: 978-0385484329
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,626,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

1968: Andrews University. Graduated with B.A. in biology.
1969: Married Nancy Lyon

1969-1974: Hazleton Laboratories. Laboratory technician, technical writer.

1974-1981: The Catholic University.
While studying for a doctorate in clinical psychology, Spruill sold his first novel, Keepers of the Gate, to Doubleday in 1976. Five more of his novels were published while he completed graduate school. During this period, Spruill also served as an adjunct professor at Catholic University, teaching creative writing to students in the drama program at Catholic U. In 1980, Spruill completed his doctoral dissertation on Creativity, and was awarded the Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1981.

1981-present: After completing a year's internship at Mount Vernon Hospital in Virginia, Spruill turned to writing, full time. Fifteen of his novels, two novellas, and one non-fiction book have been published by Doubleday, Playboy Press, St. Martin's Press, TOR, Berkley, and Dell. His pseudonyms include Steve Morgan (UK), Steve Lyon, and Steven Harriman (Berkley). His work has sold in over twenty foreign countries. Several of his novels were selections of The Literary Guild and the Doubleday Book Club. Three of his medical thrillers were condensed in Good Housekeeping Magazine and one in Reader's Digest Books. Both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly have awarded starred reviews to his novels. Spruill's novel Rulers of Darkness was nominated for the British Fantasy Award. It was this novel that, in 1995, coined the term "Hemophage" to describe the "reality" behind the vampire myth. In 1995, the Catholic University of America conferred upon Spruill its award for "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Literature." Other recipients of this award in the arts include Susan Sarandon and Jon Voight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic sequel, June 2, 2000

By 

sallyann - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughter of Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

The whole idea of hemophages is such a brilliant explanation for vampires that I'm sure the author could write about 10 more in this series and I'd read them all!

The story picks up 10 years after where Rulers of Darkness left off. Jenn is now an intern, studying to save lives, despite the call of her nature. Grandfather Merrick helps her control her urges, together they make a great team. Then one day Zane, Jenn's father and Merrick's son appears, altering Jenn's life and urging her to accept what she is, a killer.

This is a sequel which is just as good as the first!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent characters and intriguing story., August 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Daughter of Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a die hard vampyre fan, but often you only find books to terrify, not entertain. By page 15 of this book, I had my husband look up "Rulers of Darkness" so I can get it ordered. I try to stay away from sequels, but not this time!!! I have to read them all!! I'll be sharing this one with my friends and I'm sure I'll read it again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Fine Work by Steven Spruill!, November 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Daughter of Darkness (Hardcover)

Steven Spruill has done it again, with a gripping book the reader can't put down. My first Spruill novel was PAINKILLER, and I haven't been disappointed since. I always look forward to his next book. Rumor has it that it's called LORDS OF LIGHT, and I'm ready!