The Queen of Darkness [Mass Market Paperback]

Miguel Conner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

After living in the shadows for centuries vampires have finally gained dominance over the Earth by instigating a nuclear holocaust that has blotted out the sun. Humans are now treated as animals, kept in concentration camp-like farms. Byron, the Moon Queen's favorite "creation", is assigned the task of stopping an insurrection at one of the human farms. But while investigating a religious cult among the humans, he begins to question his own reality. As he digs deeper for the truth, he becomes a renegade outcast among his own--and humanity's last chance for salvation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

I was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on April 24, 1968, to a Portuguese mother and an American father. Coming from an oil family, my childhood was spent moving around the globe, from Tanzania to Brazil, from Jackson, Mississippi, to Mexico City, and many places in between. We finally set down in Houston in order for my brothers and I to receive an American education. I went to high school for a while and then spent the next five years banging out a degree in Communications at a Liberal Arts Catholic university. By then, in 1992, I was starting my own family, obtained a job as a technical writer for an Oil company, and was ready to start a normal, adult life. It was at that moment that I decided to become a novelist. I left the job, returned to my college profession of bartending, and spent the next five years writing. Through much rejection and much growth, I finally landed an agent who opened doors at Warner Books for my novel, The Queen of Darkness. Queen of Darkness started out as a short story about a vampire having a drink at a bar. I envisioned it similar to a human bar, except with different types of blood in each tab instead of beer. As the protagonist left the bar, I continued the story for the next two hundred plus pages. A society and plot evolved into what would be the full novel. I made sure to breed both sci-fi and horror into Queen of Darkness, adding a faint Noire/mystery style to it while the protagonist was led through a maze of discovery and self-discovery.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446605069
• ISBN-13: 978-0446605069
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,324,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vampires seen in a different Vein, April 27, 1998

By 

Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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

In the movie Contact, one of the researchers commented: "Who would make the best Astronomers...(followed by a string of reasoning)?" Answer: Vampires.

The Queen of Darkness extrapolates this to the extreme. Sparked by global nuclear war, which blotted out the sun, the glorious new rulers of Earth are the Vampires -- now known as Stargazers. With this premise, I immediately could see only "camp" possibilities for a storyline, but Miguel Conner did something really wonderful and fascinating. He created a well plotted, intriguing and suspenseful novel -- filled with memorable characters of distinction -- and making a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly Recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great new view of vampires, March 30, 1998

By A Customer

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

Two centuries have passed since the Stargazers conquered the earth. To the victors go the spoils and the ability to rewrite history in their image. The Stragazers breed the conquered humans so that they can suck their blood as nourishment.

The MoonQueen assigns the eccentric Byron to travel to the farms to investigate any recent threats that have arisen among their food supply. However, Byron meets one of the "Warm Ones, a beautiful Shaman Appointed who heads up a new religion. The Shaman Appointed begins to convince Byron that all the Stargazers were once humans. He also learns that at one time, he was the biggest threat to the MoonQueen as the leader of the last major human revolt. Will Byron choose to travel the path of rebellious leader or remain on the path of loyalty to his queen?

THE QUEEN OF DARKNESS is a fantastic fantasy novel about a future earth that is not a good place for humans to reside. Byron is a first rate character, who Miguel Connor brilliantly and effortlessly switches back and forth between human savior and cold-blooded monster. This novel is one of the best fantasies in several years because the story line feels real, making vampires seem like another species on the planet. Great opening work by Mr. Connor, who with more novels like this one, could be the next genre superstar.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rilli Rilli KOOL, October 20, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (California) - See all my reviews

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

ummm.... im just a 8th grader , but it doesnt take much intelligence to know that this book is good. The plot , the characters , and pretty much everything of this book is great.The ending could be better and more suspensful, but overall the book is a winner. I hope there is a sequel!!!!!