The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy, #3)

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The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy #3)

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 7,558 ratings · 961 reviews

It's been two years since the vampiric virus was unleashed in The Strain and the entire world now lies on the brink of annihilation. There has been a mass extermination of humans orchestrated by the Master—an ancient vampire possessed of unparalleled powers. The future of humankind lies in the hands of a ragtag band of freedom fighters—Dr. Eph Goodweather, Dr. Nora Martine...more

Hardcover, 371 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by HarperCollins Publishers (first published 2011)

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Dec 28, 2011 Kristina rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one because it sucks

Shelves: hated-em, fiction, nook-book, brain-candy, horror, suck, vamps-werewolves-zombies-angels

I am amazed a series that started so well with The Strain ended so badly. The second book was disappointing, but sometimes the middle book of a trilogy is, but The Night Eternal is simply awful. Mostly I was bored because not much happened in the book. Not only is it not scary or interesting, but it didn't make any kind of logical sense, and yes, even vampire apocalyptic novels should follow some sort of logic. So much is wrong with this novel I'm not sure where to start. Let's see. First, our l...more I am amazed a series that started so well with The Strain ended so badly. The second book was disappointing, but sometimes the middle book of a trilogy is, but The Night Eternal is simply awful. Mostly I was bored because not much happened in the book. Not only is it not scary or interesting, but it didn't make any kind of logical sense, and yes, even vampire apocalyptic novels should follow some sort of logic. So much is wrong with this novel I'm not sure where to start. Let's see. First, our little gang of survivors/vampire hunters/so-called hope for the human race are fighting with each other. Eph has turned into some kind of alcoholic druggie due to his son being kidnapped by his vamp wife. Everyone's irritated with him because he's never where he's supposed to be. Which begs the question: why would you all be separated anyway? Everyone has his own little hide-out, which I thought was weird. If vamps are looking for you, why would you split up? Isn't there strength in numbers? Who guards your back while you're sleeping if everyone is hanging out at his own hidey-hole in different areas of NYC?

Two years have passed since the nuclear explosions took place in the second book. I don't know what our intrepid vamp hunters were doing during that time (other than Eph who raiding pharmacies and hospitals for drugs) apparently because the authors have no idea either. The vamps are busy turning humans into cattle for their feedings and setting up different camps. Also, which made no sense to me, apparently whatever humans aren't in camps as food or being used as labor are allowed to go about their daily lives and go to work and there is still electricity and limited internet and tv broadcasts (all reruns). Huh? What jobs? This is explained by the authors as a way of keeping the humans in line--the vamps give them some semblance of their old lives as a way of keeping them under control. That makes no damn sense. Why would the vamps have to cater to humans? It's quite clear the vamps are physically more advanced and can suck a human dry quickly. Also, now that there's very little sunlight due to the destroyed environment, the vamps are pretty much out all the time. So where are these humans going on the subways? What jobs are they working? Are they getting paid? Is there still a government? All questions worthy of being asked but do not get answered.

Also extremely annoying is the Harlequin romance that crops up almost immediately. Nora and Eph used to be a couple, but ever since he turned druggie, she and Fet have been making goo-goo eyes at each other. Okay, fine, but this turns into a weirdo love triangle with Eph finding out and getting jealous and there's an absolutely ridiculous scene in which Fet and Nora are reunited (after something stupid happens) and the passage goes something like this: "Nora knew now was not the time to give into her feelings for Fet, but she couldn't help herself and they kissed." Really? Oh, gag. And of course Eph is lurking in the shadows and when he sees them kiss he vows revenge. WTF. How much more awful could this book be? A whole lotta nothing happens in this book. Nothing makes sense and I skimmed a lot of it, just reading enough to keep track of the plot (such as it was).

There's a whole senseless subplot in which Nora needs to escape her hiding place where she's been keeping her mother with her. This makes NO SENSE AT ALL. Supposedly the future of the human race depends on their actions yet this woman keeps her mother with her. Mom has dementia and can't do much except be a burden. If Nora (and the authors) had half a brain, they would have allowed Nora to euthanize Mom. Her death by Nora's hand would be more peaceful and painless than what would happen if the vamps caught her (old people are useless & the vamps drain them and then kill them). But oh no, Nora drags Mom around with her while trying to escape the vamps tracking her--and you can guess how well that turns out. I figure the authors allowed this to happen because they needed Nora to get captured so she could be sent to the camp so what happens there can happen (which is dumb, but again the whole book is dumb). Eph's son has been hanging with The Master and he's turned into a little shithead (he was more or less brain-washed but still I can't forgive him for killing the zoo animals) and I don't care what happens to him. I actually hoped a vamp would get mad and eat him.

The book ends just as stupidly as it began and I'm beginning to think authors who get lost in their plots and can't figure a way out turn to religion, specifically Christianity, and even more specifically, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah from the Bible. I don't really know how that story and these different angels connected to the plot because I didn't care enough to read those parts of the book (the infamous "interludes"). Suffice it to say the authors wrapped it neatly with a bow by borrowing Christian theology and somehow working vampires into it. I won't comment on the end of the novel except to say it smacked of being written in a hurry just to finish off the book and be done with it. And that's how I read it--quickly so I could be done with it. Awful, boring, dumb, horrible book. I will be deleting it from my Nook library.(less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, october-reading, paranormal, other-beings, horror

A great cataclysmic finale to a story of biblical proportions, a story thats unearths a history as old as mankind.
A father and a son separated across the Atlantic, are two important characters in this third and grand finale of a book. The father Dr Ephraim Goodweather, once a prominent epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has a very important role, for the end of times is near either for the humans or the vampire race. For some reason, which will be unveiled in th...more A great cataclysmic finale to a story of biblical proportions, a story thats unearths a history as old as mankind.
A father and a son separated across the Atlantic, are two important characters in this third and grand finale of a book. The father Dr Ephraim Goodweather, once a prominent epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has a very important role, for the end of times is near either for the humans or the vampire race. For some reason, which will be unveiled in the book, Ephraim is drawn to the deciphering of the 'Lumen.'
The Occido Lumen is an important book, a wanted book by 'The Master'(the evil leader of the vampires), it is a book of revelations to the vampires, just like the holy books of the humans. It contains the creation and history of the worlds vampire race.
The son, Zack has also a vital role in the darkness ensuing, he is being controlled in the old art of the vampires of telepathic mind control, groomed into a vessel that the Master the one vampire who wishes to soon inhabit his body. The boy Zack lived like a prince under the watchful eye of the evil Master, In a real castle in the center of a giant city. He was given anything he wanted and was handed a zoo to own. But, here is the big but! It all came at a price, a price Zack was not aware of due to the mind control. The price was he is to be the next body host for the master who at present is in possession of a rock stars body. Zack has been lied to his father he was told was dead and his mother a turned vampire in service of the master. The master was controlling his actions and thoughts and emulating the darkness of his heart, to make him more evil. The master gets kicks out acts of decadence and brutality. The boys young mind was an agreeable lump of dough, one the Master continued to knead. There is one scene that stays with you where the boy is placed in a position where he has to kill one animal, on orders from the master, to save the other animals and to keep and own the zoo.

The father races against time in saving the planet and his son from complete human extinction. The others on his side is 'the born' Mr Quinlan another ancient vampire who's against the master, and a band of people courageous souls who mostly have lost loved ones to the vampires.
They are against the master and his band of vampires (strigoi), feelers(four legged blood suckers), and humans that work in his service.

This proved, where many have failed! that a trilogy can really work and the third book can be one of the strongest stories. I don't really have nightmares after reading books but this gave me one hell of a nightmare last night. The two authors really take you back to the beginning with this book and answer all the questions you were left in doubt about in the first and second book, it tells the story of the genesis of the vampires, the ancients, the first few. Their are powers more greater than you can fathom at play in the order of the things that will or will not save humanity, time will tell.
Let me say that this, that the tale of Sodom and Gomorrah play and important role to the vampires history.
I don't want to spoil the story but he has really plotted deep and added some real darkness to this story and genre on a whole, he has rewritten the script on vampires. Forget romance and the now vampire fluffiness ever present in novels, this is darkness true and true a real engrossing tale of humanities perilous battle for survival from the first novel to the third and grand finale.
I am in awe of the kind of movie Del Toro could make from these epic stories!

"Eph wondered what time it was. Sometime o'clock in the morning, he figured, judging by his own failing circadian rhythm. It was summer-at least according to the old calendar-and so the sun should have been high and hot in the sky.
Instead, darkness prevailed. The natural order of the night and day had been shattered, presumably forever. The sun was obliterated by a murky veil of ash floating in the sky. The new atmosphere was comprised of the detritus of nuclear explosions and volcanic eruptions distributed around the globe, a ball of blue-green candy wrapped inside a crust of poisonous chocolate. It had cured into a thick, insulating cowl, sealing in darkness and cold and sealing out the sun.
Perennial nightfall. The planet turned into a pale, rotting netherworld of rime and torment
The perfect ecology for vampires."

"For the Master, it is best to consider the whole of recorded human history as a series of test runs. A set of experiments carried out over time, in preparation for the final master stroke. The Master was there during the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. He learned from the French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars. He nested in the concentration camps. He lived among you like a deviant sociologist, learning everything he could from and about you, in order to engineer your collapse. Patterns over time. The Master learned to align himself with influential power brokers, such as Eldritch Palmer, and corrupt them. He devised a formula for the mathematics of power. The perfect balance of vampires, cattle, and wardens."

New video with Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan discussing THE STRAIN Trilogy Here (less)

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Nov 22, 2011 Jay F rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-united-states

The Strain Trilogy is comprised of three separate volumes published between 2009 and 2011: The Strain (2009); The Fall (2010); and The Night Eternal (2011). Written by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, it chronicles a vampiric takeover of the world and the efforts of a band of humans to resist.

The trilogy as a whole is entertaining. Certainly not with great literary quality but it will make, under Guillermo del Toro’s direction, a heart-stopping movie. The writing is not bad. I presume that th...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Silvana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, audiobooks

A bit spoilerish but not too dangerous...

Disappointing end. Not just the ending of the trilogy but the whole book. It tasted so different if compared with the predecessors. I don't even know where to start pointing out the things I dislike from this book. The archangels and Sodom & Gomora & Old Testament tales are so ridiculous I spent much time frowning and shaking my head. Too much deus ex machina here and there. Why can't the authors make an original tale of the vampire creation? And...more

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Nosocialize I can see how this book differed from the two previous, namely the flash backs and the more biblical vein, but I found it good. I think as a whole the...more
Nov 07, 2011 12:14pm

Silvana Nosocialize wrote: "I can see how this book differed from the two previous, namely the flash backs and the more biblical vein, but I found it good. I...more
Nov 07, 2011 08:06pm

Feb 11, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires-witches

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 18, 2012 Nosocialize rated it 4 of 5 stars

TO see this review with pictures and have it duel with another book review, look here: http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/...

This series does monsters right by sticking them in a coherent and plausible world. The vampires are realistic, made plausible because of the history the previous books built up, and the occasional explanation of the science behind vampirism. For instance the protagonist is a virus specialist and at one point cracks open a vampire and discovers vampires drink not by suck...more TO see this review with pictures and have it duel with another book review, look here: http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/...

This series does monsters right by sticking them in a coherent and plausible world. The vampires are realistic, made plausible because of the history the previous books built up, and the occasional explanation of the science behind vampirism. For instance the protagonist is a virus specialist and at one point cracks open a vampire and discovers vampires drink not by sucking but through physics. This all makes your imagination, however smug and intolerant to monsters, believe these creatures could exist. Which of course makes it much more scary.

Taking place in America in the near future, vampires have taken over the world, the master plan of The Master, the oldest living vampire who dates back to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Super villain? Check.

Dr. Eph Goodweather is part of a team that is the only remaining threat to The Master, with only an ancient book to guide them. The team has slowly developed over the three books, but if character development is what you’re after look elsewhere.

Ragtag group of heroes? Check.

The book reads like a bombastic action flick and instead of quiet moments between romancing characters, has quiet moments of inspection of the monsters. Twilight drop dead and die.

As a satisfying conclusion to the strain I have to say the book delivers. Answers are there, and it even throws in some surprises. The vampires are realistic, the plot strong, and the characters, while for the most part thin, are realistic enough. Basically put, this is reading that keeps you on the edge of your seat and begging for more.

The book does take a left turn in its scope from the previous books moving away from the science of vampirism and into a strictly biblical realm. Personally I liked this turn, as it makes the entire series more mythological.

The only problem I found with this book and really the series as a whole is that the books't could be fleshed out further. This is probably due to the authors' goal of making it exciting and action packed, cutting back on the humans and giving the reader a ton of action set pieces. You might follow a character minute by minute for half a day, but then the book cuts to a full week later. This keeps you on your toes, but also begs the reader to fill in details that could have made the book more enjoyable. I felt a few times there were missed opportunities the book could have taken. But then again, this could be seen as the authors giving the reader the opportunity to let their imagination run wild. (less)

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May 09, 2013 Mark Wilkerson rated it 2 of 5 stars

While this is a fitting conclusion to Guillermo del Toro's vampire trilogy "The Strain," there are problems that I have with it. This book is plagued with what plagues most final books in many series. It's bogged down with too many twists and turns that the first two books avoided (one reason I enjoyed the first two). Additionally, the characters, almost to a person, stop developing, and the characters that are introduced are pretty much just fated to be vampire fodder. Altogether, the book feel...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Христо Блажев rated it 4 of 5 stars

Бунтът на малцината във “Вечната нощ” на Торо и Хоган: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/v...

“This is the end. My only friend, the end.” Doors звучаха в главата ми в края на “Вечната нощ”, последната книга от трилогията “Напаст” на Гиймермо дел Торо и Чък Хоган, отпочната със “Заразата” и “Падението”. Жанрово пиршество, в което каквито и да е дълбини са в общи линии ненужни – всичко се случва пред очите ти, директна вакханлия на действието и внушението, дълбаещо в най-първичните страхове – кр...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Read2review rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-for-read-2-review

Ok people tell me who is in the mood for a real horror story? Who is ready for the real deal page turning nonstop thriller?? I have to warn all that I am not liable for nightmares after reading!! You will go to sleep with the lights on and double check everything after reading this! Believe me reader’s Lady Journal would never steer you wrong? Trust me when I say, I am the Queen of horror! So when I tell you this is Real Horror, it is. Now if you haven’t read this yet, get it now!! Guillermo is...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Disclosure: I love Guillermo Del Toro's work so much I am too biased to say anything bad about this trilogy. After LONG waiting for The Strain to be released in english, I finally a version on audio book. Of course, to be followed with more waiting on translation. The series was shelved in my mind for the last couple years until I happened across the second installment in B&N 3 weeks ago. This led to prompt devouring of the 2nd and 3rd books.

That said, it is a fun mixture of horror, philosp...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Greyson Marcotte rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Night Eternal is the final installment of authors Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro's virus vampire trilogy. Taking place some two years after the events of the first book, The Night Eternal gives us a dystopian view of what our world would become if over taken by a sadistic and totalitarian monster Hell-bent on world domination.
Apart from the real world monsters of our own history, the creature in question here is The Master - the vampiric overlord who has devastated the planet with atomi...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Clark Hallman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-supernatural

I’m writing this review after reading The Night Eternal, book three of the Strain Trilogy (2011), written by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. However my review covers the entire trilogy instead of focusing on the third book. The Strain, book one of the Strain Trilogy (2009), began with a plane landing in New York. However, the plane stopped on the tarmac and no one disembarked. When officials boarded the plane they found everyone, i.e., all passengers and crew, to be dead. However, all the bo...more I’m writing this review after reading The Night Eternal, book three of the Strain Trilogy (2011), written by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. However my review covers the entire trilogy instead of focusing on the third book. The Strain, book one of the Strain Trilogy (2009), began with a plane landing in New York. However, the plane stopped on the tarmac and no one disembarked. When officials boarded the plane they found everyone, i.e., all passengers and crew, to be dead. However, all the bodies reanimated later at the morgue and walked out. So began Del Toro’s and Hogan’s unique, gruesome, and gripping tale of apocalypse by vampires. Their vampires are not the vampires that we have seen in movies and television, i.e., they are not sexy, well groomed, or delicate blood suckers. They are also not the vampires of the Twilight series (not that I have any idea what those would be like). Del Torro’s and Hogan’s vampires are totally ruthless beasts that have blood worms, which can infect humans, crawling under their skin. These vampires also have stingers that explode from their throats to infect, and turn, humans. They also tear human beings apart when they don’t want to turn them. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of these vampires is that they don’t act independently. Instead they are controlled by an incredibly evil and powerful Master, who telepathically communicates with each and every one of his worldwide undead army of occupation, oppression, and terror. The Master also sees through the eyes of his strigoi to keep informed about the pathetic human resistance efforts. The Strain (book one of the trilogy) and The Fall (book two of the trilogy, 2010) provide a fascinating and complex tale of apocalypse by vampires. The Night Eternal (book 3 of the trilogy) portrays a seemingly hopeless post-apocalyptic struggle by a small group of human survivors from the previous two books who continue a guerilla resistance against the Master and his undead army. Most of the story takes place in New York City, and the authors adeptly exploit many well-known locations and buildings in the city. In addition, the authors have populated these books with many very interesting characters, from different walks of life, who must work together to survive. Some of the protagonists do not survive until the third book, and not many survive that third book. Overall, it is a well-written, very interesting plot with lots of unusual (but appealing) protagonists and really creepy, disgusting villains (both human and vampire). I enjoyed book one the most, but I couldn’t imagine reading the first book and not the other two. Each book advances the complex story and increases the desperation of the human protagonists. In addition, book three provided a very satisfying conclusion for me. I highly recommend reading the entire series to all readers who like apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, or vampire books.
(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Robert Haines rated it 2 of 5 stars

After finishing The Fall I felt compelled to start reading this book, the last of the trilogy. Overall, I liked the story but was hampered by thoughts that it could have been a lot better. The lack of depth within the writing prevents it from being a truly epic tale.
By the end of the second book you know where The Night Eternal is headed. Unfortunately the story moves too slowly for me, relying heavily on retelling the elements of the first two books (knowledge readers already possess from the...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am a HUGE vampire fan (real vampires, not those glittery pieces of crap that are in those dumb ass twilight books), and found this series to be a great read. I like the twist on the traditional vampire story with some old legendy stuff thrown in.

In my life I have bought less than a dozen brand new books in hardcover (when they first came out) and this series (after reading the first book) was one in which I just couldn't wait for the paperback version to come out because I had to buy it. I ra...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Jeepz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, vampires

The third in the series, I expected The Night Eternal to ramp up the tension and terror all the way to a mind-blowing climax. Unfortunately, rather than mind-blowing, I felt like the book bombed. It wasn't terrible, no, it just wasn't much of anything really.

I think there was some real potential here to have the humans be the new terror of the book. Barnes is definitely creepy and dangerous, but not competent enough to feel like a real threat. del Toro teases with the bond between The Master an...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Winskillfull rated it 1 of 5 stars

One of the worst books I've ever read. Be warned, the following is full of spoilers!

This book is FULL of plot holes - like suddenly, an epidemiologist is a freaking ninja, able to wield a sword against tens of vampires at the same time (even though said vampires have 6-foot long stingers, so...). The vampire blood is now caustic (since when??) and vampires frow wattles (???) even though the Ancients didn't have these...

Also, apparently the UK is largely vampire-free, due to being an island. FYI,...more One of the worst books I've ever read. Be warned, the following is full of spoilers!

This book is FULL of plot holes - like suddenly, an epidemiologist is a freaking ninja, able to wield a sword against tens of vampires at the same time (even though said vampires have 6-foot long stingers, so...). The vampire blood is now caustic (since when??) and vampires frow wattles (???) even though the Ancients didn't have these...

Also, apparently the UK is largely vampire-free, due to being an island. FYI, geography fans, the United Kingdom is England, Scotland, Wales...and Northern Ireland. So to be clear, Del Torro is trying to tell us that the island of England, Scotland and Wales (that would be Great Britain) PLUS Northern Ireland (on a separate island) are vamp-free, which presumably means that the Republic of Ireland is full of vampires, who don't like to cross the border into Northern Ireland. Maybe they don't like Protestants.

Also, why would the UK, a global power with advanced weaponry, just leave the rest of the world to be run by vampires? What, did we just decide everyone else could go fuck themselves?

Speaking of everyone else, what about New Zealand, Australia, Hawii, Madagascar and all the other hundreds and thousands of islands in the world? Did the vampires get them? The UK is singled out as being different, so it would appear so.

Then we get to the planes - I think this was mentioned in The Fall, but I'm ranting here to stick with it. I can suspend my disbelief & allow for the Master to arrive in New York and infect passengers on a place - but how did he manage doing this in airports around the globe?! Did he have an army of other master-level vampires all able to do his bidding?

Also the religion. The first book was genius in using science to add an element of reality to the vampire myth and it worked brilliantly; this book feels like a massive step backward by suddenly trying to explain vampires via the Bible (sidenote, in the second book we get mention of this mysterious "Sadam and Gamrah" - I'm not even freaking Christian and I could guess that was Soddom and Gomorrah). If vampires came from the blood of angels and were accursed by God, then why doesn't Holy Water and crosses work against them?

The light at the end, over the bomb - was that meant to be God setting off the bomb, or just a coincidence? Why was the "murdered" angel suddenly okay? Why was an angel who went nuts & murdered another allowed to resurrect and go to Heaven? Why did ACTUAL ANGELS appear at the end? DAMN but that was stupid.

It seemed weird that Zack would also become a total sociopath; he was such a nice kid in the first and second books, had a strong relationship with his dad and yet in this book he's identifying with the Master and starving zoo animals trapped in cages, shooting at strangers. Seemed utterly out of character.

The grinding lack of charicterisation continues in this book, too. There were frequent occasions when I genuinely forgot who was meant to be talking, because they all sound the damn same. Also suddenly Setrakian was this big father-figure to Fet. And Fet is Ukranian instead of Russian.

Basically, the second and third books were just error after error after error. Don't bother.(less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Nicolemauerman rated it 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to the undead, I tend to favor Zombies as opposed to Vampires. Then the Twilight Series happened and everyone seemed to be obsessed with vampires and I swore I wouldn’t fall into the same trap. I saw the Night Eternal on an NPR list and decided to give it a try. I loved Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and seeing that he was co-author I was excited to give this book a try. I surprisingly really loved this book; vampires and all. So the premise of the book is that vampires have taken over...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Kira rated it 4 of 5 stars

One thing I’ve loved about this trilogoy is Guillermo/Hogan’s (Guillermogan’s) interpretation of a vampire tale, which in this case includes elements of science fiction, fantasy, mythology and, in this most recent book, the dystopian post-apocalyptic world I imagine would result from a global takeover by the undead. A world so blighted by pollution and nuclear waste that the sun is only visible for a few hours a day, and a world where people would rather exist under the thumb of a mutant dictato...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Rick Urban rated it 2 of 5 stars

I will add my voice to the chorus who found this final book in the Strain Trilogy to be a great disappointment. One of my major complaints regards the Biblical origin story that Guillermo and Hogan have concocted, since it cheapens one of the great premises on which the original book rests: that the vampires have a detailed, real-world biology. Additionally, the plot is sloppily constructed, as with the chapter that, late in the game, describes how Eph's son is developing OCD; in no previous cha...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this conclusion to the vampire trilogy. Mixed feelings. The first book "The Strain" was too detail focused, but I forgave that because Hogan and Del Toro were creating the rules of the Universe for the other books. The second book "The Fall" was a great read. As a reader I now knew the rules and the stage was set for some bloody good story and imaginative horror and it did not disappoint. Perhaps that's why I didn't completely dislike "The Night Eternal". I was already along for...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Dee rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 29, 2011 Jason Golomb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

The finale to del Toro and Hogan's "Strain" trilogy was simply inconsistent. I enjoyed the conclusion to the mythology of where and how the strain began, but I was disappointed in the conclusions to the various plot threads.

The dark and serious mythology really drove the first two books, followed closely by development of the characters. While the myth drove my excitement to finish the trilogy, the flat characterizations made it more of a chore. Something was lost at the conclusion of "The Fall...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Ann Collette rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a tough one for me... Overall, I thought the trilogy rocked -- if, like me, you don't think there's anything remotely sexy about vampires and instead, find them terrifying, then these books are for you. The first book was so scary I literally put it down at one point and wondered if I ought to keep reading, I was so terrified and grossed out. But I overcame my fears and kept on reading straight through to the end of the second book. I love the way Chuck Hogan writes -- he's talky, for la...more

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Nov 21, 2011 David rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Nov 17, 2011 Belinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: braincandy, fantasy, kindle, intrigue, sci-fi, spooky

NOW WE GET DOWN TO IT. Finally, this trilogy pays off. Did we really need those first two books full of mush? I think one would've been plenty, personally. But anyway, this is "the good one." By the time you get here, the entire planet has been changed, rapidly and forever, divided between the new superior class, the Strigoi, and the humans, who, if they have type-B blood, are used as breeders, and all are used for labor and food... we're no longer at the top of the food chain.

There is just so m...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Daniel Duron rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The Night Eternal", the end of the Strain Trilogy by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan is a fine read. Taken on it's own, it's actually quite a good novel about a post-apocalyptic New York City ruled by the iron first of an ancient vampire. However, when the two novels of the trilogy that preceded this one are taken into consideration, it is quite obvious that this is the weakest of the three.

Still, one cannot overlook the good and what this book does good, it does quite well; for instance, th...more "The Night Eternal", the end of the Strain Trilogy by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan is a fine read. Taken on it's own, it's actually quite a good novel about a post-apocalyptic New York City ruled by the iron first of an ancient vampire. However, when the two novels of the trilogy that preceded this one are taken into consideration, it is quite obvious that this is the weakest of the three.

Still, one cannot overlook the good and what this book does good, it does quite well; for instance, the characters of Nora Martinez and Vasiliy Fet are given bigger roles and blossom into quite the likable pair. The development of their relationship in the ruins of society is at times touching and makes sense in the context of the story. Also, Mr. Quinlan, the "Born" and son of the Master is an interesting, solemn figure. His contribution is perhaps a bit small in terms of page length, but in the grand scheme of things, he's one of the most important characters and it's nice to see his story given room to breathe.

However, the arcs of the characters mentioned above come at the expense of that of Ephraim Goodweather, the trilogy's main character. Where in the first two books he was a man of science who cared deeply about his family and friends, he is now a former shell of himself. It's understandable that with the abduction of his son at the end of "The Fall" he would be distraught, but Guillermo Del Toro went a little too far; Eph is no longer an intelligent and resourceful leader, he is a selfish and unreliable drug addict. He is supposed to be a sympathetic father who lost the person most important to him, but he comes across as nothing but a creep. He is supposed to be the heart of the story, but his parts are some of the worst in the whole story. Also, what the heck happened to Zack? He was a cute little kid and now he's a little jerk with OCD (yeah... wait, what?). Fortunately, Fet saves the book from being a total disaster.

Speaking of disaster, what happened with the back story of the Master? As many of you may have already heard, the interesting and unique portrayal of the vampire as a biological virus from the first two books is completely forgotten in favor of a cliched biblical source. Where in the first two books, the Master was a biological intruder and a species looking to overtake man as the top of the food chain, now he is a fallen angel doomed to wander the earth... ::yawn:: It's not that biblical spin can't work, it's just that it comes so out of left field that it almost feels like Del Toro was writing two different vampire novels and then mixed them up. There is absolutely no trace of the scientific approach from the first two novels and frankly, those were what made them interesting in the first place.

Still, all is not lost; the other characters are all interesting in their own ways and there were some really good scenes such as Gus and his mother-turned-vampire. The final battle is full of action and for a moment there, it looks as if all is lost. It was never going to shock anyone when the humans defeated the Master as almost all stories have a happy ending, but Eph finally redeeming himself was a bit of a surprise. The whole novel he was a depressed chore of a character and at the end he finally did what was right and saved the world. The ending is what really made me go with 4-stars over 3, though if possible, a 3.5-star score would have been more appropriate.

All in all, "The Night Eternal" was a good, if flawed, book. I would have made several changes myself, but I can't argue with the overall product. I look forward to Del Toro's next project and at the end of the day, that's a pretty damn good compliment in my book.(less)

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Nov 10, 2011 Candace rated it 4 of 5 stars

I do really enjoy this vampire take being thrown out there. It's a lot different than the other hiding in the shadows Anne Rice-esque or the "sparkly" ones. The vampires are still scary but still follow a sort of monarchy between there kind, following and doing the bidding of the master. In The Night Eternal the master has transferred himself into another body since Abraham sacrificed his life to attempt to end the life of the master. The beginning takes place two years into the future and a lit...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh, was I excited to get this book! I loved the first book in the series, The Strain – recommended it to everyone who was tired of sparkly vampires. The Fall was a little less successful (often the case with the middle book in a series), but still a very good read. I have been anxiously awaiting the final installment, in part because I figure the movie can’t be far behind.

The Night Eternal begins two years after The Fall ends. The Master has orchestrated the end of the human race and instituted...more Oh, was I excited to get this book! I loved the first book in the series, The Strain – recommended it to everyone who was tired of sparkly vampires. The Fall was a little less successful (often the case with the middle book in a series), but still a very good read. I have been anxiously awaiting the final installment, in part because I figure the movie can’t be far behind.

The Night Eternal begins two years after The Fall ends. The Master has orchestrated the end of the human race and instituted a new vampire world order. There are still humans around; after all, the vampires could not survive without them; but most of them are completely subjugated. The size of the vampire population is closely controlled, so that it does not outstrip the available humans, and some of the surviving humans are similarly monitored. (Let’s just say that having B-positive blood is not a good thing.) The Master has used his psychic connection to the vampires he created to control the human population, which lives in nearly perpetual darkness thanks to the nuclear holocaust of the last book.

Ephraim Goodweather, Nora Martinez, Vasily Fet and Gus Elizade are still fighting the good fight. They have ways of undermining the Master and at the same time, they are working to discover the secret of the Occido Lumen, the book that holds the secret of the Master’s origins. In The Fall, the Master destroyed the other Ancients by destroying their birthplace, the site where they first rose as vampires. The book holds clues, but they are subtle and complex, and they will not reveal themselves easily.

Ephraim is not much good to his colleagues these days. He is obsessed with the fate of his son, Zach, who was captured by his mother, a vampire working closely with the Master. He is unstable and unreliable, but still part of the key to the mystery.

Del Toro and Hogan do an interesting job of weaving vampire mythology and Old Testament stories to create a really original vampire canon. Their vampires are unlike any others in recent memory. And they are not afraid to take the story to the extreme — in The Fall, they call down a nuclear holocaust — to see the story through. This third book is full of plot twists, unlikely allies and surprising enemies. In some ways, the book went far further than I expected, and I love a book that can truly surprise me. This is full of action and suspense and heartbreak; it’s a terrific end to the series.

All the same, I have to say that I hope this isn’t exactly the end. I thought from the very first scene in The Strain that this would make a great movie. The Strain has so much atmosphere and is so visual that you can almost see the movie in your ahead. (Exactly the sort of novel I would expect from such a great director.) There’s a lot of great material here that I believe would be great on the big screen. At least, a girl can dream…(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fantasy-horror-fiction, supense-thriller-fiction

When the unthinkable happens to the entire world, chaos will soon reign and humans will be farmed and hunted. So is the premise behind the latest novel from Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan in The Night Eternal.

For just two hours a day, a faint muted light falls upon the earth as sunlight, leaving the rest of the day in darkness. This is the result of nuclear fallout that now blankets the earth and creates prime living conditions for a new race called strigoi, a type of vampire that is infecte...more When the unthinkable happens to the entire world, chaos will soon reign and humans will be farmed and hunted. So is the premise behind the latest novel from Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan in The Night Eternal.

For just two hours a day, a faint muted light falls upon the earth as sunlight, leaving the rest of the day in darkness. This is the result of nuclear fallout that now blankets the earth and creates prime living conditions for a new race called strigoi, a type of vampire that is infected with a worm like virus. The Master, as he is called, has formed a new race on earth, the strigoi, that live only to feed and with the only way to kill them being the use of silver weapons and nuclear devices, the strigoi have been collecting them as a way to ensure their own survival from the remaining humans who would like to see them destroyed.

The humans that remain that are unwilling or unable to fight back are kept in collective farms, herded like livestock, throughout the world in various cities, as a way to ensure that the strigoi will always have enough food. B+ blood being the most sought after are treated far better than the rest of the human race and the elderly are dispatched quickly. Only a handful of humans seek to uncover the secret that lies within a silver bound book called the Occido Lumen entrusted to them by a man called Setrakian. In it contains the way to destroy the Master and the muted race of strigoi and hopefully restore the world before all hope is lost. Will they be able to decipher the book before they are all hunted down and eliminated?

I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I saw this book comparable to the movie I Am Legend but with more in depth story content. A warning to some of my readers that this book does contain a fair amount of profanity but overall the story is well written and thought out. I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars and for those the like a story that pits good against evil, then this is definitely a book for you. This is book 3 in The Strain Trilogy.(less)

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Feb 16, 2013 Rich Tate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

This series had such potential from the very start and promptly went downhill after book one. Sadly the second book suffered a huge lull, but the ending was enough to grab my attention and reengage me in the series.

I could not be sorrier that was the case.

Most of this book is spent devolving most of the fine character work that was done in book one. It becomes so painful to read at times, and not because of the woe is me mentality that one of the primary characters goes through either. You find...more

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About Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director mostly known for his acclaimed films Pan's Labyrinth, The Devils Backbone and the Hellboy film franchise. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction, fantasy, horror, and war. In 2009, Del Toro released his debut novel, The Strain, co-authored with Chuck Hogan, as the first part of The Strain Trilogy, an apocalyptic horror series featurin...more

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“Awareness of insanity does not make one any less insane. Awareness of drowning does not make one any less of a drowning person--it only adds the burden of panic” — 7 people liked it

“In jail you learn that there are two kinds of guys in this world - and I don't care if they're human or bloodsuckers - there's the ones that take it and the ones that hand it out. And this guy, man - this guy gives it out like fucking candy . . .” — 2 people liked it

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The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy #3)

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