Product Description

Police officer Donal Riordan, killed and brought back to life with the heart of his undead lover beating in his chest, is getting used to a bizarre and frightening new existence. As one of the undead the living citizens of Tristopolis distrust and fear him. But death has its advantages. He can sense the presence, the thoughts the feelings of his fellow zombies, he is tireless, he can see better, hear more acutely. But none of this will necessarily save him as he begins to investigate who is behind a plot to ensorcel the entire population of Tristopolis. The plot goes right to the top and anyway who gets in the way will be killed again. And all the time the members of the Unity party are stoking the fires of hatred towards the undead. John Meaney's new series is a superb melding of the science fiction and horror genres and is perfectly timed for the resurgance of horror in the market.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #276134 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Lisa Tuttle, THE TIMES
"John Meaney's city of Tristopolis is a vivid and fascinating creation. Meaney entertainingly merges the police procedural with science fantasy in its most gothic mode."

Review
"John Meaney's city of Tristopolis is a vivid and fascinating creation. Meaney entertainingly merges the police procedural with science fantasy in its most gothic mode." (Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES )

"Dark Blood is highly entertaining, more action driven and seasoned with splatters of the titular liquid." (Andrew Osbourne SFX )

"As John Meaney follows his take on magic's equivalent of nuclear technology through to its logical conclusion he creates one of the most satisfying border crossing fusions of Dark Fantasy, Horror and hard Science Fiction in years... before hitting us with a twist ending straight out of Edgar Allan Poe." (STARBURST )

"Dark Blood is a sardonic but emotionally complex tale of ambition, politics, ruthlessness and other traits we identify as human." (LOCUS )

STARBURST
"As John Meaney follows his take on magic's equivalent of nuclear technology through to its logical conclusion he creates one of the most satisfying border crossing fusions of Dark Fantasy, Horror and hard Science Fiction in years... before hitting us with a twist ending straight out of Edgar Allan Poe."

Customer Reviews

Can you hear the bones???? Repairman Jack meets Underworld.
This guy KNOWS how to end his books!!! The follow up to "Bone Song", which you really have to read first, starts a little slowly, which is why it just missed 5*. Bone Song was so packed with the building materials - location, atmosphere and characters - that maybe Book 2 was inevitably going to spend a little more time on emotional creation. Its difficult to say which characters live on in this sequel when so many of them are dead (? or not living) anyway. But it builds and builds and builds to a most horrifyingly exciting finish. Or is it? I don't think so. Dark scifi/horror, unpredictable and original. Go get it!

John Meaney snapping at the heels of "China Mieville"
Having begun my readership of John Meaney with his SciFi books, I am extremely pleased to have followed him to Tristopolis. One caveat associated with this review is this book should, in my opinion, have been noted as a continuence of "Bone Song", Mr. Meaney's introduction to this truely fantastic death-infused world. While not a requirement for reading "Dark Blood", it will add to the experience.
My reference to Mr. Mieville is intended to be a great compliment to this book and its author. If you admire Mr. Mieville's world-building masterpieces, you'll love these books.
Others will surely do a better job of detailing the plot, leaving me to share a few comments on the reading experience.
From the first word to the last, with no slackening in the middle, you will be "ensorcelled" into a world of bizarre and finely draw beings. The mystery plot serves as a suitable stage on which to showcase the maturing talents of an outstanding SciFi/Fantasy author.
I hope to visit this world again, but will definitly keep an eye out and a step ahead of its more dangerous inhabitants.
Great writing and a terrific read!

Outstanding follow up to Bone Song
If you read the first novel in this series you will want to read this one too. Equal parts science fiction and dark fantasy blended into a unique and highly detailed new world. Can't wait for the next one!