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Day Boy Hardcover – August 23, 2022

by Trent Jamieson (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 82 ratings
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Winner of the Aurealis Awards for Best Fantasy and Best Horror Novel

With brilliantly evocative, hypnotic prose, Trent Jamieson crafts a coming-of-age, elevated horror story about a headstrong boy—and the monstrous vampire who taught him to be a man.

The Masters, dreadful and severe, rule the Red City and the lands far beyond it. By night, they politic and feast, drinking from townsfolk resigned to their fates. By day, the Masters must rely on their human servants, their Day Boys, to fulfill their every need and carry out their will. 

Mark is a Day Boy, practically raised by his Master, Dain. It’s grueling, often dangerous work, but Mark neither knows nor wants any other life. And, if a Day Boy proves himself worthy, the nightmarish, all-seeing Council of Teeth may choose to offer him a rare gift: the opportunity to forsake his humanity for monstrous power and near-immortality, like the Masters transformed before him. 

But in the crackling heat of the Red City, widespread discontent among his fellow humans threatens to fracture Mark's allegiances. As manhood draws near, so too does the end of Mark's tenure as a Day Boy, and he cannot stay suspended between the worlds of man and Master for much longer.

“Poetic and meditative—at times frightening, visceral and bloody—this is a dark journey worth making.” —Aurealis
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Erewhon Books
  4. Publication date
    August 23, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    5.7 x 1.1 x 8.79 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1645660265
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1645660262
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“At the fingertips of a gifted writer there will always be new and interesting takes on the vampire tale and happily, Day Boy is one of them. . . . At times touching, at times frightening, and always interesting. The ideas are fresh and new, and by the end of the novel there is still so much left to be said.” —Melbourne Review of Books

“Jamieson has kept all of the central facets of vampire mythology while fashioning something new and often riveting. Poetic and meditative—at times frightening, visceral and bloody—this is a dark journey worth making.” —Aurealis

“Dry, rolling heat flows from the page in waves of long days and even longer nights. . . . A poetic story of humanity, of monsters living in the Shadow of the Mountain, bitter cold and open to the burning of the clear night sky.” —Fantasy Book Review

“A beautifully written and surprisingly tender novel about fathers and sons, and what it may mean to become a man.” —Good Reading

About the Author

Trent Jamieson is a multi-award winning Australian novelist and short story writer. He is the author of Day Boy, The Stone Road, the Death Works series, and the Nightbound Land duology. His picture book The Giant and the Sea won the 2021 Environment Award for Children’s Literature. When he’s not writing, Trent works as a bookseller at Avid Reader in Brisbane.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Erewhon Books (August 23, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1645660265
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1645660262
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.7 x 1.1 x 8.79 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 82 ratings

About the author

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Trent Jamieson

Trent Jamieson

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Trent Jamieson is the Award-winning author of the novels The Stone Road (Erewhon, 2022), and Day Boy (Erewhon, 2022), as well as the Death Works Trilogy, and Roil Duology.

Day Boy was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award in 2015 and won the Aurealis Awards for Fantasy and Horror.

The Stone Road was shortlisted for an Australian Shadows Award and Ditmar Award, and won the 2022 Aurealis Award for Horror.

His children's book The Giant and the Sea, illustrated by Rovina Cai, won the 2021 Environment Award for Children's Literature Picture Fiction.

His latest book is Mr Impoppable, illustrated by Brent Wilson. Brent and Trent are currently working on a graphic novel series for children due to be released in Australia by Puffin Books in 2025.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
82 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dave O
5.0 out of 5 stars A coming of age tale mixed with horror
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
Wonderful and well written. Very few books grab me and pull me in to make not want to stop reading. This is one of them. The Masters are truly a force of nature and it gives you just enough on them to show you both how they’re monsters but also have growth and human strength to them. The main character is well thought out and I loved seeing life from his point of view. It’s definitely one book I’ll come back to read over and over. I’d love a follow up novel.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Poetic Storytelling
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2023
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This book was so good in it's original story line and thought provoking humanity. The vampire theme eventually just became the backdrop for a great story!
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S
5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal! Heart wrenching! Beautiful!
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2023
This is easily the best book I’ve read in YEARS! The writing is exquisite - unique and poetic at the same time. I could identify with almost all of the characters, but particularly Mark. If you are interested in pushing your boundaries and exploring old stories made new again, this is the book for you!

I won’t get into details, as I do not want to create spoilers, but if you have gone so far as to read this review, this is a book you should read!

I could barely put this book down, and I was sad to see it end. And I know I will return to read it again. I look for future works.
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A_Mac
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2022
In a post-apocalyptic Australia, there are beings who rule the civilized world known as Masters. These Masters are immortal and have a symbiotic relationship with their territories – they protect the humans in the area but also feed upon them. Each Master has a Day Boy, and Mark is one of these boys. His Master isn’t as cruel as others, and Mark finds plenty of time to get into trouble. But as Mark is getting older, it’s time for him to discover his fate – will he be subjected to the Change and become a Master, or remain a human and fight to survive?

I was completely blown away by this book. This take on vampirism was phenomenal, and the way the author used some classical elements of the myths but introduced new elements was wonderfully done. While this setting is post-apocalyptic, there was no real discussion of what the apocalypse was or what happened to most technology – I didn’t mind this, but it would be interesting to see if future books discuss this more.

The worldbuilding was excellent. Reading this work transported me into the setting and I was completely immersed; the author wove details and meaningful descriptions throughout the prose that created a beautiful and memorable read. Towards the beginning of the book, there were a few instances where I wanted a bit more explanation for some things, usually setting related, but the more I read, the more these details came to light.

Mark was a well written protagonist. I enjoyed his sass and need to find trouble, which made for some interesting plot hooks. He underwent some serious character growth, making his journey fantastic to watch. His relationship with his Master was relatable and realistic and made the characters feel alive. The secondary characters were just as well written, with plenty of depth, development, and growth.

My review can in no way do this book justice. I highly recommend this work, and it’s one of the best I’ve read in a long while. My thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Y’ALL GO READ THIS.
5 people found this helpful
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Cloggie Downunder
4.0 out of 5 stars an excellent read
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2015
“It’s bitter cold and a sky so clear that the stars burn. Breath streams from us, and no matter that we’re dressed warm, it’s still a shock, like jumping into water that’s colder than you expected. The moon’s a sliver in the sky, but everything is so clear. Land looms around us blue and hulking, drawing in and receding, and you suddenly get a sense of how big everything is and how little you are, but it’s still wonderful, because small and brief you’re still here and breathing plumes in the dark: defiant and proud. And there is no one more defiant than us.”

Day Boy is the first stand-alone novel by teacher, bookseller and prize-winning Australian author of science fiction and fantasy, Trent Jamieson. Mark is a Day Boy. He has been in the service (and under the patronage) of his Master, Dain, since he was small. From the accounts of the other Day Boys in the town, Mark knows he is fortunate to be with Dain. His Master is fair, looks out for his welfare and teaches him well. In return, Mark looks after his Master’s needs, watches over Dain when he is most vulnerable and tries (often unsuccessfully) to win his Master’s esteem.

His time as a Day Boy is coming to an end, and, while his predecessor, Dav, has followed the path to himself becoming a Master, Mark is fairly certain his own transgressions will preclude this destiny. But he has been offered a position locally, and is not dissatisfied to stay in Midfield, this town to the east of the City in the Shadow of the Mountains, especially if the lovely Anne stays. However, the tenuous peace between the Masters and the townsfolk is under threat, the Hunters outside the town are an ever-present danger, and Mark’s first trip to the City almost ends in disaster.

Jamieson has set his story in a (possibly post-apocalyptic) future Australia where Masters exist in a symbiotic relationship with the human population, protecting them from Monsters in exchange for blood feeds and the service of a Day Boy. Jamieson builds his world gradually and leaves parts of it (perhaps purposefully) vague: there is plenty of scope for a sequel. His characters are believable and their dialogue is a cross between contemporary Australian and eighteenth century English. He gives some of his characters words of wisdom: “Truths said or not are still true”.

Mark develops and matures over the course of the story, and his narrative voice is both superbly descriptive and succinct: “Rob spits at the constable’s feet and turns nice and slow, and I can see that Mick is battling with the urge to hit him. Hard. But sense prevails, I guess, or fear, which is just another sort of sense. I can almost respect that. Strike an auditor and you might as well strike Death herself”. Jamieson gives the reader beautiful prose and a very original plot, making for an excellent read.
4.5 stars
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars very original
Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
I liked the writing style and the mad world conjured up. Well written piece of a time past our own with a unique story of what life might be like if vampires ruled. A fun read.
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lynette
5.0 out of 5 stars Very readable
Reviewed in Australia on February 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
The story takes the reader into the heart of the tale. The reader feels they are living Mark's life with his small wins and his problems. The people in the town, the Masters and the Day Boys become three dimensional and real. There were points in the narrative when I did gasp out loud, pulse racing and breathing rapidly living the story. I would recommend the story to anyone who likes a fast paced narrative with relatable and emphatic characters. The book contains quite a few surprises while it travels inexorably to a completion that, while surprising, is by the end of the book apparently unavoidable. Surprising and satisfying. Don't expect a classic vampire story. These Masters have little semblance to Bram Stoker's tale. I will have to check further titles by this author.
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Megan T
5.0 out of 5 stars A striking, excellent book.
Reviewed in Canada on July 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
I started following Trent Jamieson after reading the "Death Works" books (may there be more of them!), but this one is in a slightly different vein: serious, lyrical, and sharply-written. It's also a juxtaposition between a poignant boy-coming-of-age story and a post-apocalyptic horror-survival tale. Think youthful hijinks and grisly murders, with all the mistakes, injustices, and striving towards responsibility in between. This is one of the more original and fascinating stories I've read in a while.

There ARE vampires ... but they definitely aren't love interests. These vampires exist well within the horror end of the spectrum.

My only complaint about this book is the price of the ebook: $17 (CAD) when I bought it, and now $31?! For a book first published 2 years ago?! Yikes. I don't know why the publisher (I assume this was the publisher) wants to discourage people from reading the book, but if it's working, that's a huge shame. This one is worth reading, if you can find a price you can stomach.
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Felicity Banks
5.0 out of 5 stars Language as rich as Death by Chocolate
Reviewed in Australia on July 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
The central pillars of this world are interesting; monsters of all kinds keeping the world going. But the writing is thick as golden syrup. Don't read it quickly, but do read it.
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Barbara Mcguire
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Australia on August 26, 2015
Verified Purchase
Truly amazing, never stops and unpredictable. A good read
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