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Blood Family: Quest for the Vampire Key
Seventeen-year-old Daniel Dark is a dhampir - a half vampire. After a mysterious message reveals the truth about his origins, his superhuman powers and craving for blood begin to manifest with frightening speed.
On a desperate journey across America, Mexico, and mist-shrouded moors of England, Daniel searches for his birth mother, held captive by his real father - a master vampire named Dominus.
Hiding his dhampir identity, he teams up with Logan DuPris, a young English vampire hunter as deadly as she is beautiful.
To make matters worse, he is hunted by Pastor Nathan Dark, the man who adopted him... and now determined to destroy him.
On a desperate journey across America, Mexico, and mist-shrouded moors of England, Daniel searches for his birth mother, held captive by his real father - a master vampire named Dominus.
Hiding his dhampir identity, he teams up with Logan DuPris, a young English vampire hunter as deadly as she is beautiful.
To make matters worse, he is hunted by Pastor Nathan Dark, the man who adopted him... and now determined to destroy him.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2013
23 people want to read
About the author
Mark Knight
112 books17 followersMark Knight grew up in Massachusetts, USA, and wrote his first novel at the age of 16. Settling in the UK, Mark continued to write stories of differing genres, including horror and television scripts. As well as working as a scriptwriter for children's television, Mark has scripted two horror speculative screenplays for Hollywood’s Little Slices of Death production company and one for Illusion Studios for which he has signed an Option Agreement.
Mark has won several short story competitions, and has had his work featured in published anthologies. Mark now concentrates on Young Adult urban fantasy novels.
Mark has won several short story competitions, and has had his work featured in published anthologies. Mark now concentrates on Young Adult urban fantasy novels.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 14, 2013
Blood Family: Quest for the Vampire Key is an awesome, awesome, awesome book. Did I say awesome? I read a lot and believe me, I’ve not read anything like this since I read Anne Rice novels back in the 90’s. I originally read just the sample of this story on the Author’s website. I was so intrigued that I bugged and bugged him for the full novel. It far exceeded my expectations and I had already had high hopes for it after the sample.
Young Daniel finds out from his family that he is a Dhampir and the blood package he received in the mail further confirmed what he feared. He was adopted from his ‘mom’s’ sister, Celeste and his father was Dominus, Lord of the Shadow World. Daniel leaves his home and everyone he knows in search of his biological mother. After visiting Xochil, a shaman, he learns much of what he’s going to need to know to battle to keep himself from succumbing to his fathers’ twisted world. He meets a young paranormal investigator whose father was killed by Dominus and takes her along on his journey reluctantly. Read the story to follow his journey. Will he find his mother? Will he keep himself from the snares of his father? There’s so much to this story that it will keep you guessing.
The Author, Mark Knight, takes you on a twisting and turning journey with his main character. Just when you think you have things figured out and how much more could possibly happen, he adds another aspect to the story that sucks you in. He’s created a world where you really feel like you are going through this journey with Daniel yourself and envelopes you in a world of insane, cunning and manipulative characters. He is an excellent storyteller and paints the picture so well for you that you can actually see it in your mind. His attention to detail and creativity is leaps and bounds beyond anything I’ve ever read. The story is simply creative, well thought out and just crazy good! It is a must read for anyone who loves paranormal, mind blowing, dark fantasy. I just can’t say enough to give this book its proper justice. If this were a movie, which it would be awesome if taken on, it would break all the blockbuster records out there and win all the Oscars if the right people were cast. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, it is a 100! If there was a grade above an A+, it would be used for this book! You will not be disappointed with this book. It was worth every minute I spent reading it and I’m already looking forward to a sequel. “Behind every door, and down every alleyway, we will be watching.”
Young Daniel finds out from his family that he is a Dhampir and the blood package he received in the mail further confirmed what he feared. He was adopted from his ‘mom’s’ sister, Celeste and his father was Dominus, Lord of the Shadow World. Daniel leaves his home and everyone he knows in search of his biological mother. After visiting Xochil, a shaman, he learns much of what he’s going to need to know to battle to keep himself from succumbing to his fathers’ twisted world. He meets a young paranormal investigator whose father was killed by Dominus and takes her along on his journey reluctantly. Read the story to follow his journey. Will he find his mother? Will he keep himself from the snares of his father? There’s so much to this story that it will keep you guessing.
The Author, Mark Knight, takes you on a twisting and turning journey with his main character. Just when you think you have things figured out and how much more could possibly happen, he adds another aspect to the story that sucks you in. He’s created a world where you really feel like you are going through this journey with Daniel yourself and envelopes you in a world of insane, cunning and manipulative characters. He is an excellent storyteller and paints the picture so well for you that you can actually see it in your mind. His attention to detail and creativity is leaps and bounds beyond anything I’ve ever read. The story is simply creative, well thought out and just crazy good! It is a must read for anyone who loves paranormal, mind blowing, dark fantasy. I just can’t say enough to give this book its proper justice. If this were a movie, which it would be awesome if taken on, it would break all the blockbuster records out there and win all the Oscars if the right people were cast. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, it is a 100! If there was a grade above an A+, it would be used for this book! You will not be disappointed with this book. It was worth every minute I spent reading it and I’m already looking forward to a sequel. “Behind every door, and down every alleyway, we will be watching.”
April 25, 2013
Daniel Dark is a typical teenage boy until one day he receives a package and his whole world flips upside-down. From there, he sets out on a journey to find his family, but ends up discovering himself.
I enjoyed the exorcist portions of the book. I would have liked to have seen more of what works in terms of successful attacks against evil rather than simply what does not work. I felt the blending of Christianity and the beliefs of native Americans worked well. As a Christian, I was not offended.
The characters were a little choppy at times. Daniel could have been accepting of all of his parents, yet he was not and there was little explanation. Daniel’s father also took curious actions. It is difficult to believe that a man of the cloth would have such a hard time adopting a child. How could he be so wrapped up in his own ideals that he is ultimately shown to have little feelings for the son he raised? I can’t help but wonder if the author did this on purpose to show a possible metaphor for homosexuality: A son born a particular, unacceptable way and raised in a loving, Christian home yet who cannot be accepted as anything but evil by his father.
Many short chapters filled this book. Many books arbitrarily divide the story into sections, but not necessarily chapters. Here, however, most chapters contained real complete scenes within. Although some chapters were not longer than a couple of pages, the length was more than adequate to convey the scene which was the focus of the chapter. This was refreshing.
The ending left a central conflict unresolved. The door is wide open for a sequel. This is very welcomed. Bring it on!
The book could benefit from another round of editing and then polishing. There were problems with descriptions, points of view, and rather hollow scenes lacking depth. These should all be smoothed over.
The book shows an interesting take on ghosts, realms, and vampiric creatures. This was my first dhampir story. The concepts and theories introduced were intriguing. There is definitely something here. Hopefully, technical issues will be fixed and the text reworked before the next edition. I would be willing to see what else the author had up his sleeve.
This book is totally PG-13. No sex. Violence consists of vanquishing evil creatures and entities. Only one notable profane word in the whole book. However, the subject matter with respect to parental relationships may be an aspect to consider since it might warrant a more mature young adult audience.
I enjoyed the exorcist portions of the book. I would have liked to have seen more of what works in terms of successful attacks against evil rather than simply what does not work. I felt the blending of Christianity and the beliefs of native Americans worked well. As a Christian, I was not offended.
The characters were a little choppy at times. Daniel could have been accepting of all of his parents, yet he was not and there was little explanation. Daniel’s father also took curious actions. It is difficult to believe that a man of the cloth would have such a hard time adopting a child. How could he be so wrapped up in his own ideals that he is ultimately shown to have little feelings for the son he raised? I can’t help but wonder if the author did this on purpose to show a possible metaphor for homosexuality: A son born a particular, unacceptable way and raised in a loving, Christian home yet who cannot be accepted as anything but evil by his father.
Many short chapters filled this book. Many books arbitrarily divide the story into sections, but not necessarily chapters. Here, however, most chapters contained real complete scenes within. Although some chapters were not longer than a couple of pages, the length was more than adequate to convey the scene which was the focus of the chapter. This was refreshing.
The ending left a central conflict unresolved. The door is wide open for a sequel. This is very welcomed. Bring it on!
The book could benefit from another round of editing and then polishing. There were problems with descriptions, points of view, and rather hollow scenes lacking depth. These should all be smoothed over.
The book shows an interesting take on ghosts, realms, and vampiric creatures. This was my first dhampir story. The concepts and theories introduced were intriguing. There is definitely something here. Hopefully, technical issues will be fixed and the text reworked before the next edition. I would be willing to see what else the author had up his sleeve.
This book is totally PG-13. No sex. Violence consists of vanquishing evil creatures and entities. Only one notable profane word in the whole book. However, the subject matter with respect to parental relationships may be an aspect to consider since it might warrant a more mature young adult audience.
July 30, 2013
This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review
I love vampires! I loved them long before they were cool, and I'm one of those that roots for the vampire to win! That's why books like this or movies like Blade are difficult for me...I battle with myself on which team to root for, and even though I will eventually side with the 'good' vampire, there is still a little part of me cheering for a mutual win.
When I was asked to read this book I was super excited because although it is YA by definition, it seemed a bit edgier than the other YA books I've been reading and I1/2 vampire 1/2 human - what's not to love?!?!
What I liked about the book: The characters! Well developed, and consistent in their actions (important to me). Daniel Dark really has a growth spurt, but it isn't in a physical sense but rather in maturity. He has some mind blowing facts thrown at him, things that would make most people go a bit nuts. Try finding out in one day that not only were you adopted, your 'mother' is actually your aunt, and oh by the way you are 1/2 vampire. On the upside, you can now understand why the man you've called 'dad' for the last 17 years has done some pretty horrific things to you in the name of Christianity.
Nathan Dark is my least favorite character in this story, but it may be by design. He is a fanatic. At one time, he was a devout Christian, but at some point he went over the edge and lost he ever loving mind. He clearly did not have a grasp on reality, nor did he have a grasp on what Daniel's biological father really was. If he had of really understood, he would have handled Daniel's upbringing entirely different. That, however, would have made for an entirely different story.
The story is just really well written.
What I didn't like about the book: I had a small problem with Daniel not being a little savvier about Graye, it was truly minute. I would not necessarily expect him to see through her but he really had no reason to trust her as much as he seemed to. I also was not a fan of the rabbit scene (sorry no details you'll know what I mean when you get there).
Would I recommend this book: Yes, but I will warn you the first part is may take a little to get into. It isn't so much that it is boring, but there is a lot of ground work that has to be laid in order for the story to work. If you find yourself having trouble getting through that, just keep at it. Once the foundation has been built, the story really gets going. It can be a little graphic at times, but nothing too bad.
I love vampires! I loved them long before they were cool, and I'm one of those that roots for the vampire to win! That's why books like this or movies like Blade are difficult for me...I battle with myself on which team to root for, and even though I will eventually side with the 'good' vampire, there is still a little part of me cheering for a mutual win.
When I was asked to read this book I was super excited because although it is YA by definition, it seemed a bit edgier than the other YA books I've been reading and I1/2 vampire 1/2 human - what's not to love?!?!
What I liked about the book: The characters! Well developed, and consistent in their actions (important to me). Daniel Dark really has a growth spurt, but it isn't in a physical sense but rather in maturity. He has some mind blowing facts thrown at him, things that would make most people go a bit nuts. Try finding out in one day that not only were you adopted, your 'mother' is actually your aunt, and oh by the way you are 1/2 vampire. On the upside, you can now understand why the man you've called 'dad' for the last 17 years has done some pretty horrific things to you in the name of Christianity.
Nathan Dark is my least favorite character in this story, but it may be by design. He is a fanatic. At one time, he was a devout Christian, but at some point he went over the edge and lost he ever loving mind. He clearly did not have a grasp on reality, nor did he have a grasp on what Daniel's biological father really was. If he had of really understood, he would have handled Daniel's upbringing entirely different. That, however, would have made for an entirely different story.
The story is just really well written.
What I didn't like about the book: I had a small problem with Daniel not being a little savvier about Graye, it was truly minute. I would not necessarily expect him to see through her but he really had no reason to trust her as much as he seemed to. I also was not a fan of the rabbit scene (sorry no details you'll know what I mean when you get there).
Would I recommend this book: Yes, but I will warn you the first part is may take a little to get into. It isn't so much that it is boring, but there is a lot of ground work that has to be laid in order for the story to work. If you find yourself having trouble getting through that, just keep at it. Once the foundation has been built, the story really gets going. It can be a little graphic at times, but nothing too bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2013
I had the privilege of reading Blood Family Quest for the Vampire Key. The book starts out with an awesome and creeptastic scene involving Daniel Dark and his father who is a reverend. From that point on the book takes you on a roller coaster ride of excitement, wicked twists, and you easily become a part of the world of the One Family. The author really is "in the head" of his characters. Forget EVERYTHING you knew about vampires this is a new, fresh, and exciting take on the vampire world. The author paints a gorgeous picture in your head of what is going on and I found myself having to say. "Put it down go to bed" and I had to read, just one more chapter.... I really enjoyed where the author took the story and his well planned backstory to Daniel Dark and his lineage. My favorite character was the witch woman Xochil. She was wicked awesome, wise, strong, and what Daniel needed to bring him to control his 1/2 vampire side. I like the look that the author described of the vampires themselves and how they obtained their power. The author creates strong and varied characters and is super talented. I will be a big fan of Mark Knight from now on! Reviewed by Lee Ryder of Fae Books.
April 14, 2013
This was a great read, so full of so much! The writing was excellent, and the story kept me reading. Daniel struggles to find himself, or rather, what he is. He's coming into powers and fighting urges he never expected. After a horrifying childhood of repeat exorcisms by his preacher father (or so he thought), he's lead on a journey to find his biological mother. It starts with a powerful shaman, Xochil, and goes from there! Lots of adventure and doubts and an all around great book.
I will say that this isn't my normal type of read, but I was thoroughly drug in from the very beginning. So, thank you Mr. Knight for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll be watching for the next one.
Review by Kendra of FaeBooks
I will say that this isn't my normal type of read, but I was thoroughly drug in from the very beginning. So, thank you Mr. Knight for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll be watching for the next one.
Review by Kendra of FaeBooks
July 13, 2013
If you like vampires and supernatural situations, you'll enjoy this book. The character building was really well done. You definitely find yourself rooting for Daniel as the book progresses. I look forward to reading more by Mark Knight!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews