About this title: There's a new drug on the street: Glow. Said to heal almost any illness, its main ingredient is blood--the blood of immortals. A small but powerful underground railroad of immortals is distributing the blood, slowly wiping out the AIDS epidemic.
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Description: Good. 0743287355 Fast Shipping. Cover is torn, wrinkled, missing or book is otherwise damaged. Customer Service is our #1 priority. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Atria
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780743287357ISBN:0743287355
Description: Very Good. Unread publisher overstock copy! ! Pages are crisp and clean! Remainder mark on one end. Very light shelf wear to cover. Orders shipped next business day. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Date Published: 2009-07-07
ISBN-13:9780743287364ISBN:0743287363
Description: New. New, unread, unused & in perfect condition with no damaged or missing pages. Pre-release book with different cover and publisher stickers. Great Copy. Ships Lightning Fast. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: ATRIA BOOKS
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780743287357ISBN:0743287355
Description: Very Good in Minor damage to edges jacket. A few bumps and possible slight tear to dustcover, otherwise brand new & unread. Next working day dispatch from the UK. Please contact us with any queries. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780743287364ISBN:0743287363
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Atria Books
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780743287364ISBN:0743287363
Description: Fine. AS NEW BOOK WITH MISSING TITLE PAGE-COVER WITH LIGHT DAMAGE-COMPLETELY UNREAD-EXCELLENT CONDITION-READ ONCE CAREFULLY-TRUSTED DEVON (UK) BASED SELLER-IN STOCK-SENT WITHIN 1 WORKING DAY-AVAILABLE BY EMAIL FOR QUERIES-NO QUIBBLE REFUND IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED- read more
Edition: 1st Atria Books Hard
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Atria
Date Published: 6/3/2008
ISBN-13:9780743287357ISBN:0743287355
Description: Good. 0743287355 Ex-library book with usual markings. Clean text. SATISF GNTD + SHIPS W/IN 24 HRS. Sorry, no APO deliveries. Ships in a padded envelope with free tracking. 25, 250r. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Atria
Date Published: 2008-06-03
ISBN-13:9780743287357ISBN:0743287355
Description: Like New. NEVER OWNED OR READ! LIKE NEW! MAY HAVE A PUBLISHERS REMAINDER MARK! NEW CONDITION OTHER THAN PUBLISHERS REMAINDER MARK! read more
Description: New. Acclaimed writer Due imagines the story of an ancient group of immortals--a hidden African clan that has survived for more than a thousand years--facing one of the most challenging issues of modern times: the AIDS/HIV pandemic. read more
"Based on the positive reception and number of raving reviews for Tananarive Due's latest novel, Blood Colony, it is quite evident that my commentary will be in the minority based on my "3-star," middle of the road rating for the book. It is the first time I have ever applied an average rating to one of her novels, especially when I am a fan of the Immortal series. Like others, I pre-ordered my copy to ensure I would have it as soon as it dropped. While I LOVED My Soul To Keep and liked The Living Blood, I found Blood Colony to be just "OK" -- a good novel, but not of exceptional caliber.
The novel opens with an alert 17-year-old Fana fully emerged from the seemingly self-induced years-long trance finally participating in the "world" as secluded as it may be. The Wolde clan, along with selected friends and life brother supporters, have sequestered themselves within the Washington forest and secretly share the "living" blood with third world, remote countries under the guise of it being an experimental pharmaceutical drug. However, there is evidence that an underground distribution network exists in North America. With the blood as its catalyst, an illegal drug called Glow, is in demand with a high street value making it the target of governmental crackdowns with harsh penalties and punishments to those involved with its manufacture and distribution. It does not take long to figure out that Fana (without her parent's permission or knowledge) is the primary source of the blood that fuels Glow's production. Without divulging too much of the plot, Fana runs away from the safety of the complex with good guys, bad guys, and the government hot on her tail. The chase is afoot and we follow along and watch the body count increase at nearly every turn.
It is difficult for me to explain what did not quite work for me with this otherwise well-written and well-conceived novel. Perhaps it is the shift to Fana and away from one of my favorite characters, Dawit, who, in this episode, was relegated to a seemingly perfunctory role of neutered husband. It might have been the continued emphasis on Fana. I suppose it was time for her light to shine (no pun intended) and there is no doubt that everyone (including the reader) is supposed to love Fana as the enlightened one with extraordinary skills who holds the future of mankind in her veins. I "got" that this novel showed her as less monster, more human: she is a vulnerable, typical, confused, misguided teenager who throws caution to the wind and lives dangerously with no clue regarding the life-threatening consequences of her actions. In the span of one novel, she zooms through first crush, first kiss, to a ten-year engagement rooted in a questionable, antediluvian prophecy. Unfortunately, I failed to be enamored or empathetic with her in The Living Blood and still did not really connect with her or her friends (do-gooders to a fault) in this novel. Maybe it was the familiarity of themes used in other novels: the telepathic, humanitarian aspects elicited vibes from Octavia Butler's Patternmaster series, the evil Sanctus Cruor seemed akin to the misunderstood Opus Dei of The DaVinci Code fame.
Another annoyance is Jessica's (and now Fana's) overbearing, blinding insistence to share the blood (regardless of the ramifications to their friends and family) comes off as near fanaticism. Following the "like mother, like daughter" mantra, it is now both the Jessica and Fana's decisions that continue to endanger everyone around them while trying to save the innocent masses from disease, suffering, and death. I know that the light and goodness will prevail (or at least I hope so), but in order to pull it off, this hodgepodge family/team really needs to get it together because throughout this novel, it was more than apparent that they could barely save themselves let alone humanity. Last, buried in the pages, there is the banter and discussions from previous novels surrounding the social and philosophical arguments that continue to buoy the plot: Who does the blood really belong to? Who should benefit from it? Who decides who gets it? Should it be rationed? What is the cost of immortality? Is it really worth it? Where did it really come from?
Despite the shortcomings I have with the novel, I am still a fan of the author and will no doubt purchase and read anything she releases, however I am not nearly as anxious for the next installment of the Immortal Series as I was for previous releases - especially if Fana and Michel are at the center of it. YAWN! Here is hoping the trek back to Lalibela will focus more on the Life Brothers and their collective and individual histories, maybe a reappearance of Khaldun, or other supporting characters that seem to have fallen off the pages during this latest episode.
"In Blood Colony, Tananarive Due plops a mysterious sect into the latest drama surrounding involving the blood of Jesus and jumps 14 years into the not-too-distant future 17-year-old Fana -- introduced in as a 3-years-old in The Living Blood -- is part of an underground movement to heal the sick.
As the story unfolds to reveal the origin of the mysterious sect and the basis for its existence, it seems that Due draws parallels -- once again -- to the splintering of Christianity as she did in My Soul to Keep, the first book of this trilogy. The difference, however, is that the splintering occurs because of the sect's interpretation of a letter, just as differing interpretations of biblical scripture have resulted in different Christian religions. The sect's interpretation leads them to view the Blood's purpose contrary to the purpose determined by Jessica and continued by Fana and creates the source of conflict for the novel.
Readers of the both the predecessors to Blood Colony will certainly agree that this book is much more stronger in delivering a theme."
"A good vampire sort of story - though the immortal "givers of the blood" are not ever called vampires. The main sect of them use their blood for good - to cure any blood-born illness (HIV, sickle cell anemia, etc). There is another sect who is very catholic-esque and wants to "cleanse" the world of the sinners, aka those who do not have "the blood." And of course this is all played out through the teenage main characters."
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