The Queen of Darkness

I and my wife are both big fans of the Vampire genre, and we both thoroughly enjoyed Queen Of Darkness by Miguel Conner. The main character, Byron, is both believeable and sympathetic. Meaning, one can relate to him on a human level, despite the fact that he's a vampire. The world that Miguel Conner has created is both surreal and real. There's nothing hokey or silly here. One believes this world is very real while one is reading. There are shocking surprises aplenty here, including unexpected deaths. Very gritty, much like reality only "writ large." The ending left me wanting more. A sequel. Mr Conner, a sequel please! This would be an excellent movie. NJM Author of JEHOVAH UNMASKED and I WAS A TEENAGE JEHOVAH'S WITNESS.

This unique, science fiction-fantasy novel completely absorbs the reader. The author paints vivid, unforgettable images. Surprises lurk around every corner. Surrealism abounds. There is a mystery which gradually unfolds surrounding the life of the protagonist Byron Solsbury. From the shocking opening pages, where the reader learns that Byron is a vampire, to the epilog, there is one fantastic event after another, which, because of Conner's brilliant writing, seem plausible. It soon becomes apparent that this is a love story and a story of heroism - a story of high principles, a desire to do what is right even when trapped in base circumstances. It is a story of searching for one's identity, and finding that there is more than one. Byron's human memory was erased by the Queen of Darkness, the epitome of evil, who led the Stargazers, as the vampires were called, to trigger the atomic destruction that rained down on the former civilization, blotting out the sun (the bane of all vampires) allowing them to rise to supremacy. Humans were branded and kept as little more than cattle waiting for slaughter to provide blood for the vampires. The story is set in new cities built by the Stargazers after the nuclear war. Byron is a vampire with no memory (except in his dreams) of his life before as a human leader of the opposition to the Queen of Darkness. There is no dearth of action. Our hero, impelled from one crisis to another, measures up each time. He is often wounded and battered, but never surrenders. The Queen of Darkness, although the title character, plays a lesser role than Medea, a Warm One (human), who becomes the object of Byron's affections. He took this human with him one night when he flew, as a vampire, to a distant place. The flight is one of the best scenes in the book, awakening latent desires, which I believe everyone has, to be able to fly. This is not a book for children, but for the rest of us who enjoy imaginative writing, it is one of the best - the kind that begs for another by the same author. I am surprised it does not have a cult following. Or does it?

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!!!!!

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.

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