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It's the summer of 1960 and in the small town of Elm Haven, Illinois, five twelve-year-old boys are forging the powerful bonds that a lifetime of change will not break. From sunset bike rides to shaded hiding places in the woods, the boys' days are marked by all of the secrets and silences of an idyllic childhood. But amid the sun-drenched cornfields, their loyalty will be pitilessly tested. When a long-silent bell peals in the middle of the night, the townsfolk know it marks the end of their carefree days. From the depths of the Old Central School, a hulking fortress tinged with the mahogany scent of coffins, an invisible evil is rising. Strange and horrifying events begin to overtake everyday life, spreading terror through the once-peaceful town. Determined to exorcize this ancient plague, Mike, Duane, Dale, Harlen, and Kevin must wage a war of blood--against an arcane abomination who owns the night.

It stands with the best of King and Straub in the traditional modern horror genre. --Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Impressive.combines beautiful writing and suspense into a book for which Dan Simmons deserves the bestseller status of King and Koontz. --The Denver Post

One can only wonder what Simmons will do next, now that he's shown us he can do everything the best writers in horror and science fiction can do. --The Philadelphia Inquirer