Child of An Ancient City (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author), Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up-- An Arabian Nights flavor adds a twist to this supernatural tale. After a hearty meal, Masrur settles back with his friends to share stories. He tells a tale of how his caravan was once attacked by bandits, leaving the survivors to find their way home from the north lands. Suddenly, one night, someone--or something--begins killing off their men. A young boy who is familiar with the territory tells them they've been attacked by a vampyr. Sure enough, they begin to notice a shadowy figure lurking near their campsite in the evening. At a loss to stop the murders, the travelers decide to put an old folk legend to the test. If they can entertain the vampyr all night with their tales, they can prevent him from killing one of them. The legend is true, it turns out; too true, for the beast challenges them to a storytelling contest. If they win, they can pass through the north lands unheeded. But if he wins, they become his lunch. This story avoids the stereotypes of Transylvania, only to reiterate cliches of the Middle East. The tale drags its feet in introducing the protagonist--the vampyr--and the development of its character seems almost an afterthought. Also, the stories told are mundane, and don't come close to being as memorable as the tales of Scheherazade. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library Junior High Up
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

During the reign of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, a caravan of soldiers sets forth from Baghdad on a dangerous mission to the lands of the north. Bandits fall upon them in the night, scattering their horses and stranding the party in the desolate mountains. But the worst is yet to come. For these hills are stalked by an ancient and powerful vampyr.

One by one, the men are slain by the monster. Then, surprisingly, the vampyr challenges the survivors to a contest: Whomever tells the saddest story shall go free. Only this way can any of them hope to escape alive.

But the vampyr has a story of his own to tell...

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy; 1st edition (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812572114
• ISBN-13: 978-0812572117
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #531,832 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Caution, March 6, 2001

By	Eric A. Rioux (Windsor, CT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hi all,

I'm an absolutely _huge_ fan of Tad Williams. I've read everything out there from Talechaser's Song to Mountain of Black Glass (and read MST three times). I've read both of his shorter works: Child of an Ancient City and Caliban's Hour. In reading Child, I found the prose weaker than what I was accustomed to with Tad: perhaps this was due to the condensed nature or perhaps it was that much of the text was actually written by Nina? I'm undecided. On the whole I enjoyed it more than Caliban's Hour. I would recommend this book to fans of Tad but not to the uninitiated.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great little read, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

I am a big fan of Tad Williams Dragonbone chair series. This is different but still very good a nice variation on the traditional vampire story.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Most Unique Volume!, December 31, 1998

By A Customer

I was first drawn to "Child of an Ancient City" while awaiting the last installment of Memory Sorrow and Thorn, and found myself intially apprehensive, but later enthralled. This book is indeed a worthwhile read. Set in a world that could very well have existed 200yrs or 2000yrs in the past, this tale begins with a raid on a merchants caracan, whereby a lucky few are thrown together, companions by necessity now more than choice. Then, as they make their way back to civilization, they are followed by a mysterious lurking presence. One by one they are lost, until they finally realise what they face, a creature of a nocturnal, blood craving nature, who is immortal, and invincible. Their only sure way of surviving is to sit around camp fires by night, each taking turns to tell tales to keep this creature entertained until the daylight hours. All goes well until they must compete against each other for their very lives. Overall the story is quite entertaining, and the addition of a whole series of smaller stories of mythos and legends, add to make a book with great depth of character. My favourite being of the Holy-man whose very ability to perform miracles depended on his impurity of spirit. Well worth a read.