The Passage / Justin Cronin / 784 pages

"Read this book and the ordinary world disappears."  So says Stephen King about this fantastic novel reminiscent of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Life as we know it has been forever altered by an army experiment gone wrong.  Using a virus to create super soldiers, they have instead created vampire-like monsters who kill or turn humans at night.  A small community of survivors and some unlikely heroes risk all to bring hope back to the world.  Great adventure tale, great characterization, and suspense make this first book in a trilogy a compelling read.