Personal Darkness (Blood Opera Sequence, Book 2) [Paperback]

Lee Tanith (Author)

Book Description

Series: Blood Opera Sequence, Book 2 | Publication Date: June 1, 1994

Emerging from the burned remains of their old home, the ancient, elegant Scarabae ready themselves for a new life of seduction and feasting, until little Ruth ignites a blaze of chaos through the streets of London that threatens them all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As World Fantasy Award-winning author Lee ( Dark Dance ) imagines Scarabae, they are men and women of elegance and dark mystery, seductive creatures of few words and many secrets. Among them and yet set apart are Rachaela and her daughter Ruth, each unsure of her place in this lost tribe. Ruth's inner torment has exploded in violence against strangers and, shockingly, against her own kind. Their story, set in modern London, unfolds slowly, with grace and freshness, as Lee avoids cliches and weaves her own vision of the life and, perhaps most intriguing, the morality of the Scarabae. Fabulous scenes of death and destruction mingle with moments of astonishing sensuality. Images leap off the page by virtue of the author's evocative descriptions, though in spots she seems to take a false step, with writing that fails to evoke the desired image ("wolf brown day"). One is left wanting to know much more about this strange, complicated and compelling clan. But this is only the second book in Lee's Blood Opera Sequence, and she presumably will build from here.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dell (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044021470X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440214700
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,404,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid and beautifully dark..., June 25, 2000

By 

J. Freedman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Personal Darkness (Blood Opera Sequence, Book 2) (Paperback)

It took me over three months to get ahold of this book, but it was WELL worth the effort. The ending of "Dark Dance" dissapointed me, because I wished for more of the story. "Personal Darkness" picks up right where it left off, which pleased me extremely much.

Let's just say that I've never in my entire life read a better author than Tanith Lee. Her writing is exemplary, managing to be dark without being melodramatic. Her skill with words is unsurpassable -- she creates SUCH vivid images that everything else looks dull in comparison. Her characters are rich and exotic, the storylines of her books are beautifully dark.

Read "Dark Dance" first, but then by all means, read "Personal Darkness." It's perfect for vampire lovers that can't seem to find a good enough book. I'm half in-love with Malach (one of the characters that premieres in Personal Darkness), and can't see why they'd categorize this book as horror when you've got such a gorgeously yummy character like that. My only advice is to set aside alot of your spare time for this book -- it's meant to be read in one sitting, or you'll go insane from the suspense. And this is the kind of book that leaves you thinking for awhile after reading it. You really just can't be disapointed after reading anything by Tanith Lee. This is the kind of book that I can see satisfying everyone. It's morbid enough for the horror readers, fantastic enough for the fantasy readers, and erotic enough for the romance readers. As for everyone else, well, you really can't hate this writing style, it's magnificent. ;)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Book in The Blood Opera Sequence, January 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Personal Darkness (Blood Opera Sequence, Book 2) (Paperback)

While "Dark Dance" (the first and previous book in this series) was told from Rachaela's point of view, "Personal Darkness" is split between her and her homicidal daughter, Ruth. It begins shortly after 12-year-old Ruth has slaughtered and burned several of their family members. She is now free to roam London, searching for an elusive woman nobody remembers (Mrs. Watt, Ruth's nanny) and murdering those who invite her into their home. (Remember, readers: never welcome a vampire into your home unless you intend to have your blood sucked. ;)

The Scarabae soon hear about Ruth's heedless killings on the news, and they realize she must be stopped for good. Malach takes the responsibility of locating Ruth, and upon finding her, keeps her as a prisoner until he decides to release her--if he ever chooses to do so.

Meanwhile, Rachaela has been seduced by another Scarabae: a beautiful young woman named Althene who has a lot more in common with Rachaela's late father/lover (Adamus) than she realizes. This whole situation is quite shocking, and I should warn you now: if you're offended by incest and/or cross-dressing, then maybe this book isn't for you. But if you could care less or are even more interested, then I highly recommend this book and series--"Personal Darkness" being the second installment, "Dark Dance" the first and "Darkness, I" the third.

"Personal Darkness" was the first book I ever read by Tanith Lee (after being hooked by her writing in a short story, "Bite-Me-Not", in "The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories" edited by Alan Ryan) and is still my favorite book in this trilogy. I loved the seemingly randomness of this story, and, of course, I loved the subtle vampire presence. This is definitely a must-read for all gothic vampire-lovers. You'll love it!

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good For A Horror Novel, Poor For A Tanith Lee Novel, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Personal Darkness (Blood Opera Sequence, Book 2) (Paperback)

Rachaela our heroine from the first book in this series bears a child named Ruth who grows to become an abstracted murderer on a serial rampage through London. Few of the characters in this book really grab you because there are just too many of them to properly develop. For me this book spoiled the lovely mood of Dark Dance.