At the centre of Anne Rice's brilliant novel, the beautiful Rowan Mayfair, queen of the coven, must flee from the darkly brutal, yet irresistible demon known as Lasher. With a dreamlike power, this wickedly seductive entity draws us through twilight paths, telling a chillingly hypnotic story of spiritual aspirations and passion. 'Behind all the velvet drapes and gossamer winding sheets, this is an old-fashioned family saga - Rice's descriptive writing is so opulent it almost begs to be read by candlelight' - "The Washington Post Book World".