The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce
I picked up The Darkangel the first time at my school library when I was 13 and I stayed up past three in the morning trying to finish it; It was that captivating. It has all the components of a fairytale, and yet is worked into a fantasy novel that includes vampires, gargoyles and other strange and macabre creatures.
Don’t be put off by the word ‘vampire’ though; this book isn’t yet another vampire book of that most over-used genre, but an incredible story with a huge scope and scale that stretches from a small village, to the vampire’s forbidden castle, to a seemingly endless desert.
It begins when a young Aerial’s mistress is kidnapped upon the hills by a dark angel, or a vampire. Taking it upon herself to rescue her, she sets off on a wonderful journey that includes characters you’ve only ever seen in myths and legends. With her bravery, kindness and story-telling abilities, Aerial gradually begins to lighten the darkangel’s world and teach him of his own dark heritage.
Darkangel — (1982-1989) Young adult. Publisher: The Darkangel, a vampire of astounding beauty and youth, can only summon his full power when he finds his 14th and final bride. But for Aeriel, whom he kidnaps to serve his brides, there is something about him — something beyond his obvious evil — that makes her want to save him rather than destroy him. The Darkangel — Pierce’s first book, originally released in 1982 — was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a New York Times Notable Children’s Book, a Parent’s Choice Award Superbook, and a Booklist Best Book of the Decade.
No, Paul, sorry, I don't believe I've read any books by Aickman; perhaps the odd story. I'm generally not a…
I like the ambiguities when the story leading up to them has inserted various dreadful possibilities in the back of…
COMMENT Marion, I expect that my half-hearted praise here (at best) will not exactly endear me to all of Ramsey…
Ramsay Campbell was all the rage in my circle of horror-reading/writing friends in the 1980s, and they extolled the ambiguity.…
Oh boy, I wish I could escape that Neil Gaiman article, too. I knew already he’d done reprehensible things but…