A Taint in the Blood, S. M. Stirling
A Taint in the Blood, S. M. Stirling
1 Rating(s)
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A Taint in the Blood

Author: S. M. Stirling

Narrator: Todd McLaren

Unabridged: 13 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/17/2010


Synopsis

Long ago, homo nocturnus ruled the Earth, able to manipulate the forces of nature at their most basic level. Before the dawn of recorded history they were overthrown, leaving behind them only legends—our legends of shapeshifters and blood-drinkers, of cruel gods and evil magicians, of ogres and goblins, succubi and incubi. But a strain of their blood lives on in humanity, the genes themselves bending the forces of probability to reunite. Secret clans used their half-understood abilities to hide from the witch-finders and the normal humans; occasionally one would be detected, a Giles de Rais or an Elizabeth Bathory. Then, in the nineteenth century, the discoveries of Mendel and Darwin enabled them to understand what they were and to breed back the full range of their dark powers.

Now, in the twenty-first century, they rule the world again in secret; only the Brotherhood fights them, in a clandestine war of terror and assassination, of Wreaking and silver-inlaid knives. Adrian Breze was born into that war, but he defected to the side of humanity, and for decades he was the Brotherhood's most effective fighter, just as his twin sister Adrienne is the Council of Shadow's strongest. Now he has retired, weary of the endless struggle, but Adrienne has her own purposes, and they don't include letting her brother live quietly in his mountaintop retreat near Santa Fe. To force him out, she kidnaps his human lover, Ellen Tarnowski, and the war is on again—with the future of humanity at stake. For the Council of Shadows is ready to emerge into the light, with a plan that will reduce humans once again to the harried prey of the creatures of darkness.

About S. M. Stirling

S. M. Stirling is the author of numerous science fiction and fantasy novels, including the popular Nantucket series that began with Island in the Sea of Time and, more recently, Dies the Fire and The Protector's War. A former lawyer and an amateur historian, he lives in the Southwest with his wife, Jan.


Reviews

Goodreads review by K.

This book has so much going for it; readable prose, interesting characters, well thought out magic system, the tantalizing themes of dominance and submission in relationships...and yet I had to force myself to finish it. The reviews seem to all focus on Adrian Breze as the main character, but truly,......more

Goodreads review by Craig

This is the first in a series about a rather conventional society of evil powerful supernaturals who secretly control the world and a splinter group of their order who oppose them. It's the first of a series, and there's not much of a conclusion to this book, but I doubt that I'll go any further. Th......more

Goodreads review by Annette

Several months back we saw SM Stirling at the local bookstore: he was reading the first few pages of this book. As I gradually realized that it was a *vampire* novel, my first reaction was "Oh, No, you've sold out! The shelves are already filled with this dreck. Can't you give us another Change nove......more

I wish I could give this 1.5 stars because while it was garbage, I have definitely read worse garbage.......more