The Fall (The Strain, #2)

Jun 08, 2011 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: signed-first-or-limited-edition, fang-bangers

WARNING: THERE ARE NO VAMPIRE KITTENS IN THIS BOOK

4.0 stars. Let me begin by saying that I seem to be more impressed with this series than some of my friends who find the series to be too formulaic. Personally, I am really enjoying this series and think that this second volume did a great job of moving the story along. I didn’t like this installment quite as much as The Strain which I thought was just superb. I think part of the reason for the lesser rating on this book is that in The Strain,...more

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Nov 10, 2010 Kemper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse-now, horror, vampires

When I read and reviewed The Strain, I took some easy potshots at Twilight and credited Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan with trying to rescue vampires from the clutches of teenage girls and turn them into monsters again. However, the book didn’t wow me, and I was hoping that the next one would be an improvement. After reading The Fall, I’m even less wowed and realize that a book can be much better than Twilight and still be very ‘meh’.

So you’ve got a brand of vampires that are part virus/par...more When I read and reviewed The Strain, I took some easy potshots at Twilight and credited Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan with trying to rescue vampires from the clutches of teenage girls and turn them into monsters again. However, the book didn’t wow me, and I was hoping that the next one would be an improvement. After reading The Fall, I’m even less wowed and realize that a book can be much better than Twilight and still be very ‘meh’.

So you’ve got a brand of vampires that are part virus/part parasitic blood worms with a master vamp who has a plan to bring out about a bloodsucking apocalypse. The Master has been working with this evil old rich bastard who is kind of a hybrid of Dick Cheney and Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. Together, they’ve got a chokehold on the government and media as well as a rapidly growing army of bloodsuckers.

And in this corner, you’ve got the standard pack of adventure horror good guys ready to do battle. There’s the heroic doctor with a failed marriage and a drinking problem to overcome along with his pretty co-worker. I know you’ll be shocked when I tell you that they’re a bit attracted to each other. The doctor also has a teen-age son who is such a ball of fire that all he wants to do is listen to his iPod while the vampires are munching people outside. There’s the standard Van Helsing-type old man who has been hunting vamps for years and instructs the others. You've also got a Hispanic street hustler who forges a gang alliance based on vampire killing. Throw in a pest control expert and a former Mexican wrestling star, and you’ve got your motley crew ready to do battle with the undead.

I’ve liked several of Del Toro’s movies, and I was impressed with Hogan’s work in The Town. But despite a large scale story about a vampire apocalypse going on with tons of action, the whole thing seems curiously listless to me. It just never comes alive and gets me wrapped up in the story.

Part of the problem is that the whole thing feels like a collection of things I’ve seen before. Del Toro has felt free to swipe whole sections of his own movies like Mimic and Blade II with the descriptions of underground New York and the nature of the vampires. Plus, Joss Whedon used the Master concept and name for his main vampire villain on the first season of Buffy. And having one of the primary villains be a rich old guy selling out humanity for immortality doesn’t seem particularly fresh either.

Sadly, instead of trying to build up any true horror by creating characters you care about and then having bad things happen to them, the book just throws vamp attack after vamp attack at these cardboard cutout heroes and then tries to milk a little sentiment with a few dead-wives-turned-bloodsuckers sprinkled in. I almost think that Del Toro just grabbed some old storyboards from some of his movies, threw them to Chuck Hogan and said, “Just write that up. We’ll make a fortune.!”

It’s not a terrible book. I’ve certainly read far worse. But I was expecting a lot more from two talented guys and so far it seems like they’ve just been going through the motions.
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Jul 08, 2012 Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This second book is chilling, the virus is here now and the threat looms. The fate of mankind lies in hand of those who have a certain book and the Hunters, you have mortals, hunters and ancients in the fierce battle against the Masters own plan set out. The story is action packed and really this book leaves you with loads to look forward to the third installment of The Strain trilogy. I have a feeling the third book has been set up to have all the ingredients of a humdinger of battle for mankin...more

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Sep 22, 2010 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the first book, The Strain, the human race was attacked by a weird parasite. The parasite caused an unusual effect on humans turning them into vampires. The first book ended with readers being introduced to the Master. The second book, The Fall continues right on from the first.

The Master is out roaming the world, trying to control the vampires and make more. It appears that there is no one that can stop the Master. Even the “Old” vampires are fighting with the “New” vampires.

Eph Goodweathe...more In the first book, The Strain, the human race was attacked by a weird parasite. The parasite caused an unusual effect on humans turning them into vampires. The first book ended with readers being introduced to the Master. The second book, The Fall continues right on from the first.

The Master is out roaming the world, trying to control the vampires and make more. It appears that there is no one that can stop the Master. Even the “Old” vampires are fighting with the “New” vampires.

Eph Goodweather is the head of the Centers for Disease Control. He along with Setrakian and a few other humans are slaying their way hoping to find a way to stop the Master. Eph is a bit distracted by his ex-wife, Kelly. She was turned into a vampire. Eph fears for his son, Zack, who Kelly wants to, turn him into a vampire. There is only one way to stop the Master…there is a book that describes the ancient ways and all about the history of the vampires. Whoever possesses the book holds great power.

The Fall is book two in the Strain trilogy. I read The Strain the first book last year and finished it in a matter of a few hours. I have to admit that it took me a few to get caught up to speed again regarding who everyone was and what parts they played in this story. Once I got everything straight, I was able to enjoy this book. What I most like about these books is that the vampires are smart but they also have a unique feature about them. They have like this sucker at the end of their tongues that the vampires lash out at humans and attach to their necks. This is how they drink the blood. All of the main characters are intriguing.

While I liked this book, it was missing some of the great sparkle from the first book. There was a few times where I was skimming over the pages. I found it moved a little slowly for me at times. Though, this book ended with unanswered questions that have me anxiously awaiting the last book to see how it all ends. If you like your vampires darker and edgier then Edward from Twilight then you will like this trilogy.
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Feb 11, 2013 Dyuti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, action-or-adventure

I had immensely enjoyed The Strain, which was the first book of the Strain trilogy (review here ) when I had read it late last year. So, I was really excited to see how the story would be moved forward in the second installment. And I'm pretty pleased with what I got.

The Plot:

The vampiric strain which had been unleashed by the Master in the first book has taken over nearly half of NYC. It rests on the hands of a few to stop it's spread before its too late -- before the world gets destroyed. And...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Noodle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first read The Strain, back before I started doing my reviews on Goodreads, I posted about it on my Facebook page, saying something along the lines of "Twilight, this ain't. It's a edge of your seat, find your happy place, whimper in your sleep, kind of vampire story." I even think I gave it a 9/10, a score I reserve for only the very best. So, The Fall, book two in the series, has been on my wishlist for some time now.

Finally, I got around to reading it and perhaps my memories of The Str...more When I first read The Strain, back before I started doing my reviews on Goodreads, I posted about it on my Facebook page, saying something along the lines of "Twilight, this ain't. It's a edge of your seat, find your happy place, whimper in your sleep, kind of vampire story." I even think I gave it a 9/10, a score I reserve for only the very best. So, The Fall, book two in the series, has been on my wishlist for some time now.

Finally, I got around to reading it and perhaps my memories of The Strain have been tainted, popped up on a pedestal, remembered through rose-tinted glasses, or perhaps the fact that I have just finished Justin Cronin's epic novel The Passage, has meant that this time around, Del Torro & Hogan just didn't quite do it for me.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it and even managed to sneak the odd read during the day, something I don't normally do, but it just didn't hold the same fear-factor the first in the series had. It did ramp up a bit at the end, but for the bulk of the book I struggled to remember what had happened in The Strain, and spent most of my time revisiting the lead up to The Fall through the glimpses the author's gave.

The Fall does lead off exactly where The Strain left us. The Master has been weakened by his confrontation with the elderly vampire hunter Setrakian. Dr Ephraim Goodweather's turned ex-wife is still on the hunt for their son, and proving his downfall. And Fet, our rat exterminator has now joined the team, hell-bent on spilling some vampire blood.

I felt the first half of this book revealed very little new. This was not a bad thing, a lot of the time it revisited The Strain, something that I have to admit I needed, having forgotten so much of the story since then. Or perhaps I had pushed it deep, deep down inside, who knows. But the recap was good, just not enthralling. Been there, done that, kind of feel.

It wasn't until well into the last third of the book that I began to get that familiar can't wait to turn the page feeling, and read well into the night.

In the end, I enjoyed this second installment, but I can't say I loved it. It didn't change my world, like The Strain had done, it just filled a gap. Will I read on and find out what happens in The Night Eternal? Yeah, I think I will, but I don't think I'll rush it. One day I'll spot it on the shelf at my local library, like I did The Fall, and find myself reaching out to pick it up.

And just like that, I'll be back in the thick of vampire worms and ammonia reeking excrement.

So, what do I give The Fall, second book in the The Strain Trilogy?

7/10: "Good solid read, something to get your teeth into" on the NBRS.(less)

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Mar 13, 2012 Paul rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, horror

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.

In my review of The Strain, the first book in this series, I said that it started off well but quickly degenerated into an illogical mess. The Fall is the second book in what is planned to be a trilogy, and it starts in the illogical mess phase. Where does it go from there? Into an extended setup for volume number three. Reading The Fall, I felt like the only reason for this book's existence is to keep interest alive for the eventual release of the third book. The backgr...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Cristian Stier rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Two years ago, the magnificent film director, Guillermo del Toro, surprised us with his very first literary work. Now, with its continuation, he shows us why he is one of the most creative minds of the movie industry, and that he can also turn into an extraordinary author.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I read The Strain as soon as it came out in spanish. Del Toro had become one of my favourite movie makers, so I had the need to know what he had to say through my favourite art, literature.
It's clear that he wrote...more Two years ago, the magnificent film director, Guillermo del Toro, surprised us with his very first literary work. Now, with its continuation, he shows us why he is one of the most creative minds of the movie industry, and that he can also turn into an extraordinary author.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I read The Strain as soon as it came out in spanish. Del Toro had become one of my favourite movie makers, so I had the need to know what he had to say through my favourite art, literature.
It's clear that he wrote with the craving for reaching the audience, so, I'm just going to say that the use of language is correct for a massive-public writer. Also, is noteworthy that he is a very good storyteller, along with Chuck Hogan, of course. They were able to create the dark atmosphere of a contemporary horror novel and at the same time give us unforgettable and (most of them) lovable characters.

When The Fall came out, I didn't really prepare. Not even took a look at the first part again, due to my very long list of "to-read" books, so I trusted in the abilities of these both writers and just started the novel. I was so right. They were totally capable of giving glimpses of the characters and their situations in the first installment, so it wasn't hard at all to follow the story again.

It surprised me how well developed were Eph and Nora. The girl became an absolute kick-ass leading lady, not falling in stereotypes, for she also kept her fragility in taking care of her ill mother.

All of the elements introduced seemed to be right, much of them surprising, because the story takes a completely different lead than it did in its predecessor. The whole story of the Occido Lumen might remind to the faithful reader to Lovecraft's Necronomicon, and no wonder, Del Toro is himself a devote follower of the master of horror (aren't we all?).

The other matter that really intrigued me was the analogies that the reader can make between the vampire plague and the Bible's Revelation. I'm absolutely a non-Christian person, but I think that the inclusion of this element was more than correct and might be exploitable in further story arcs.

Many trilogies I've read, and in almost all of them the second book is nothing more than a transition story. It's true that "The Fall" prepares us for the big finale, but it also can stand by its own. There are remarkable storylines such as the ones from Ángel and Gus, and very shocking deaths like Palmer's or the conversion of Setrakian and Zach.

I'm really looking forward for the last installment. I trust blindly in Del Toro and Hogan. I believe that they can bring us something even more surprising than this novel. Everything is starting to fall, so I'm not expecting that the story is going to end up well for the human kind. But hopefully, we will keep our favourite characters with us.(less)

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Oct 26, 2011 Gary D. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I believe the authors are writing to the best of their abilities, but desperately need at least one person who cares about fact-checking and the reader's experience to close-read their manuscripts.

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Apr 24, 2013 Heidi Gonzalez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fast paced and non stop action.The Strain focused on unleashing the virus on humanity The Fall focuses on the fight for humanity. The Master has more than one trick up his sleeve, and turning as many people as he can into vampires is just the tip of the iceberg.

Setrakian, Eph, Fet and some new additions fight to find a way to stop the spread of the vampire virus but their efforts might be in vain. They do however know where some of the secrets to defeating them lie, they just need to get their h...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Tasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, dystopian, e-book, horror, paranormal, purchased, vampires

The second book picks up where the first left off. The world is under siege by a parasite/virus that turns those affected by it into vampires. The Master, considerably weakened from his confrontation with Eph and friends, is roaming around New York City controlling his minions and creating more vampires and is hell bent in destroying the human race. Eldritch Palmer, an aged megalomaniac billionaire (think Donald Trump meets Mr Burns) who is virtually on his deathbed, finances The Master's plan i...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Read2review rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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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Nov 18, 2012 Jana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Fall

For some reason, it took me forever to finish this book. Weirdly enough, Horror seems to make me very sleepy.

The combination of scientists, exterminators, and opposing gangbangers establishing a truce to go vampire hunting should have kept me on my toes at all times. I was never even bored. The storytelling is interspersed with snippets from Fet’s blog, Eph’s diary, and anecdotes from Setrakian’s past, which really make for swift reading. Maybe I could blame the middle-book syndrome, whi...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Master’s vampires are furthering their control over New York City – and not just New York, similar planes are landing throughout the world. On every continent, cities are falling and the vampires are spreading. And that’s before the Master’s plan with the nuclear power plants comes to fruition.

In New York, Fess, Strakarian and Ephraim are reeling from the failure of their attack plan. The Master isn’t dead, sunlight and silver didn’t kill him, he is only injured but still able to move his pl...more The Master’s vampires are furthering their control over New York City – and not just New York, similar planes are landing throughout the world. On every continent, cities are falling and the vampires are spreading. And that’s before the Master’s plan with the nuclear power plants comes to fruition.

In New York, Fess, Strakarian and Ephraim are reeling from the failure of their attack plan. The Master isn’t dead, sunlight and silver didn’t kill him, he is only injured but still able to move his plan forward – with the help of his mortal agents and former Nazi vampires. The number of vampires in the city is growing, fire and smoke are blocking the sun during the day, robbing them of their main weapon and the vampires are using tunnels and the subway to get round the running water, resisting all attempts to be contained.

The mortal authorities, compromised by the Master and reeling in panic, are slow and ineffective to address the threat in any realistic manner.

Even the other Ancients, the other Vampire Masters of the world, seem helpless before the rogue. The only hope they have is a book that is supposed to contain the secrets of vampirism, their origins and, perhaps, a way to stop the plague.

This world is really coming together in this book – the Ancients, how vampires normally work without destroying the world, what vampires are – it’s all being built upon here. If The Strain introduced the world, then The Fall is filling in the details and giving it flesh and form.

And the same applies to the plot – we’re getting the details of the Master’s plan, and the both the scale and power of it, the full scope of human collusion and we’ve even got a semi-long term goal for the survivors. Dystopians can often devolve into a series of events while the main characters try to live – and while survival horror has its charms, it’s nice to have some kind of goal beyond “live to see tomorrow”. But with the book and the codes within it, there’s hope for a lot more. The plot has also tightened on the characters, largely because a lot of them have died, and now they all have a place in the book and the story that is established. There are less hangers on.

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Jun 12, 2012 Tempo de Ler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review: http://tempodler.blogspot.pt/

O primeiro volume tinha a receita para o sucesso: Marillier pegou num belo mito celta e embelezou-o, sem no entanto o alterar em demasia. O potencial da história, unido ao talento exultante da autora construíram uma história apaixonante e cativante, carregada de magia, misticismo e tragédia reunindo em si elementos do fantástico e do histórico sem nunca perder a sua vertente romântica.

A construção de personagens é fenomenal. Cada uma das figuras é memorável...more Review: http://tempodler.blogspot.pt/

O primeiro volume tinha a receita para o sucesso: Marillier pegou num belo mito celta e embelezou-o, sem no entanto o alterar em demasia. O potencial da história, unido ao talento exultante da autora construíram uma história apaixonante e cativante, carregada de magia, misticismo e tragédia reunindo em si elementos do fantástico e do histórico sem nunca perder a sua vertente romântica.

A construção de personagens é fenomenal. Cada uma das figuras é memorável e única, mantendo as suas tão bem delimitadas personalidades ao longo dos três volumes da trilogia. Mesmo entre seis irmãos o leitor facilmente aprende a diferenciá-los, conhecendo-os pelas características capitais dos seus carácteres.

A narração da história está a cargo da própria protagonista (Sorcha) o que enriquece muito a obra, conferindo-lhe uma emotividade e paixão que de outra forma se perderia. A dor de Sorcha é mais do que palpável através das suas simples palavras de menina. Partilha com o leitor as suas mágoas e sofrimento, medo e bravura, felicidade e júbilo. E o mais impressionante é que tudo isto nos é transmitido por uma personagem que não pode falar em quase toda a história!

A sua dedicação aos irmãos e os tormentos que tem que passar para os conseguir salvar são comoventes e tocam o leitor, que muito facilmente de afeiçoará a estas personagens.

Mesmo vítima do seu silêncio, Sorcha filtra-nos tudo o que a envolve, transmitindo-o sob o seu próprio ponto de vista. É certo que a narração pode parecer demasiado pesada em algumas passagens do livro mas, regra geral, está muito bem conseguida, com diálogos ricos a acompanhar.

Apesar de nos familiarizarmos ao longo do livro com uma heroína corajosa, determinada e forte não deixa de ser ligeiramente perturbador que, sendo ela uma menina, retratada com certa infantilidade até, se apaixone e mantenha uma relação romântica com um homem que será consideravelmente mais velho que ela…

Os volumes seguintes da trilogia, ao contrário do que é costume, continuam originais e cativantes sem que se copiem uns aos outros ou se tornem enfadonhos.

O segundo volume é mais previsível que o primeiro, tornando-se um bocadinho repetitivo e, consequentemente, enfadonho na parte do fim. A protagonista (Liadan) é, também ela, relativamente previsível e mais passiva que Sorcha. Um forte ponto a favor deste livro é a rica abundância do folclore irlandês e, mais uma vez, a excelente caracterização das personagens, a distinta capacidade de escrita da autora e uma história de grande qualidade que transporta o leitor para um mundo mágico.

Apesar do terceiro volume ser uma boa conclusão para esta trilogia, este livro foi o mais difícil de ler. O ritmo de leitura é bastante lento e a história centra-se demasiado na personagem principal (Fainne) e na sua constante luta interior entre o bem e o mal. As duas protagonistas dos volumes anteriores, Sorcha e Liadan, eram ambas mulheres fortes e corajosas que sabiam bem o que queriam, guiadas principalmente pelos seus valores morais, de certa forma retratadas com traços demasiado próximos da perfeição. Fainne é, no entanto, muito diferente destas mulheres e, apesar de ser uma personagem bastante mais realista, a sua personalidade confusa e hesitante torna muito difícil o desenvolvimento de afeição por ela e é essa mesma confusão irresoluta que faz com que a história se arraste demasiado. No entanto, esta diferença de caráter faz todo o sentido devido à forma como Fainne foi criada pelo pai, bem longe de Sevenwaters. Não deixa de ser uma personagem muito rica, com diversas vertentes e muito bem caracterizada.

Também ao contrário dos dois volumes anteriores, em A Filha da Profecia a parelha romântica é muito pouco credível, com a vertente romântica do livro praticamente ausente na maior parte da história.

A tradução do título para português (Child of The Prophecy à A Filha da Profecia) arrasa uma componente muito importante do livro: o mistério. Durante todo o livro é suposto sermos levados a acreditar que a personagem responsável pela reconquista das ilhas sagradas, tal como indica a profecia, é o primo de Fainne e não ela … mistério este que permaneceria por revelar até ao fim, não fosse o título do livro estragar tudo já que "A Filha" só poderia ser Fainne, enquanto que no título original "Child" deixa essa hipótese em aberto.(less)

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Nov 20, 2011 Христо Блажев rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Падението” на цивилизацията във втората част на “Напаст” от Гийермо дел Торо и Чък Хоган
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/11/b...

Първата част на трилогията “Напаст” – “Заразата” - ме погълна и унищожи всичките ми предраздъци към вампирските сюжети. Втората част – “Падението” – унищожи в мен идеята, че вече нищо ново не може да се каже по темата, нито да ме изненада. Книгата е още по-добра, още по-шеметна, още по-поглъщаща, а комбинацията между въображението на Гийермо дел Торо и перото на Чък Хо...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Jason Golomb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fiction

"The sunset of humankind is the dawn of the blood harvest."

Authors Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan take the world and their apocalyptic vampire saga to a darker place in the second of their "Strain" trilogy, "The Fall". This second volume is short at less than 300 pages and makes for a satisfying companion when read back-to-back with their first in the series, "The Strain".

At the end of "The Strain", our primary players, pawnbroker/professor/vampire-hunter Abraham Setrakian and CDC disease s...more "The sunset of humankind is the dawn of the blood harvest."

Authors Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan take the world and their apocalyptic vampire saga to a darker place in the second of their "Strain" trilogy, "The Fall". This second volume is short at less than 300 pages and makes for a satisfying companion when read back-to-back with their first in the series, "The Strain".

At the end of "The Strain", our primary players, pawnbroker/professor/vampire-hunter Abraham Setrakian and CDC disease specialist Ephraim Goodweather were left having just injured, but not killed, the Dark Master. Eph's ex-wife had just been turned, and made it clear that she was taking the custody battle over their son Zack to a whole new level.

"The Fall" propels the trilogy's story at a break neck pace. I couldn't help but feel that this middle frame in the series was carved out as a bridge from the creation of the characters, plot and modern vampire myths of the first book, to the world-shaking catalytic conclusion that I assume (and have read) will take place in the final book.

Like the first book, "The Fall" is very dark and weighty. All plot elements and characters are taken with a heavy seriousness – sometimes melodramatic, but contextually appropriate to the story and its themes. The authors write very descriptively, and one can sense the imagery brought to the novel through del Toro's filmmaker's eye.

del Toro and Hogan bring a mix of fictional elements to their story. "The Fall" delves deeper into the historic world-wide power struggle and existence of The Ancients - the world's original Vampires. Not all vampires are alike, and while they don't actually appear in many scenes themselves, one feels the pall of their shadow throughout Setrakian's search for a solution to save humanity. Some scenes play out like the slickest wire-fighting battles from The Matrix. Other scenes play out like the bloodiest of zombie-killing video games.

As 'literature', this book really rates 3-stars, but I love how Hogan and del Toro build their fictional world, and develop their vampire history and myth. As a story this rates 4-stars, and the myth-building of the first two novels, promises a dramatic finish. I can’t wait to dig into the recently released conclusion.
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Oct 31, 2011 Rob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Fall is the middle section of an intended trilogy, so suffers the same obstacles as any such sequel/prequel. It has to somehow build upon the excitement of the highly enjoyable The Strain, come to a satisfying conclusion in its own right whilst setting things in place for a breathtaking climax.

All things considered, it does things pretty well. The vampiric virus that emerged in the first book is now swamping NYC and, presumably, much of the world; meanwhile our plucky heroes find themselves...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Procrastinador Diletante rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quebrei a minha "dieta" de livros de zombies com este livro, que é o segundo da trilogia "The Strain". Mas antes de fazer a crítica, deixem-me falar sobre o anterior (chamado..."The Strain"). Queria tanto lê-lo que acabei por fazer pré-compra assim que saiu o capa dura e li-o em cerca de 2 dias.

Na altura fiquei desapontado com um aspecto - os vampiros. Tudo bem que não são os vampiros que agora habitam os ecrãs (as aberrações do Twilight e outros que tais) aproximando-se mais de animais raivoso...more Quebrei a minha "dieta" de livros de zombies com este livro, que é o segundo da trilogia "The Strain". Mas antes de fazer a crítica, deixem-me falar sobre o anterior (chamado..."The Strain"). Queria tanto lê-lo que acabei por fazer pré-compra assim que saiu o capa dura e li-o em cerca de 2 dias.

Na altura fiquei desapontado com um aspecto - os vampiros. Tudo bem que não são os vampiros que agora habitam os ecrãs (as aberrações do Twilight e outros que tais) aproximando-se mais de animais raivosos, mas ao ler o livro fiquei com a ideia de que eram iguaizinho aos do filme Blade II (realizado pelo Del Toro). E é mesmo isso - ele copiou os vampiros que tinha usado no filme (acho que cá em Portugal lhes chamaram "Ceifeiros") para o livro. Assim sendo, ao ler este segundo título, já sabia o que me esperava nesse aspecto. Dediquei-me então ao resto da história, a ver se ficava mais satisfeito.

Infelizmente tal não aconteceu. Embora tenha gostado do desenvolvimento das personagens (especialmente a do velho caçador de vampiros - Abraham Setrakian- finalmente descobrimos mais sobre o seu passado e sobre a sua "cruzada" contra estes seres) a verdade é que falta algo muito importante ao livro - um senso de urgência.

Há uma ou duas referências aos acontecimentos no resto do mundo (a pandemia de vampirismo é agora global) mas toda a acção desenrola-se em Nova Iorque. Mesmo a situação dos EUA é pouco explicada e os autores refugiam-se na estratégia de dizer que a comunicação social, o Governo, etc estão a ser manipuladas pelos aliados dos vampiros, de forma a ignorar a gravidade da situação.

Percebo que as personagens principais são apenas aquelas...mas acho que mesmo assim seria muito interessante os autores darem a entender (ou mostrarem mesmo ao leitor) que se estão a viver as últimas horas da Humanidade. Se calhar o livro ganharia em conteúdo se tivesse mais páginas...

Outro aspecto que não gostei foi o aparecimento de outros vampiros poderosos (não é spoiler, basta ler na parte traseira do livro, lol). Para o poder que aparentam ter, acabam por se revelar personagens quase que secundárias e perfeitamente inócuas...

Enfim. Tudo isto não me vai impedir de comprar o terceiro e último capítulo da trilogia. Sai dia 25 deste mês e já vou fazer pré-compra. Só espero é que esse livro redima os erros todos destes. Assim que o ler, irei postar nova crítica. (less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-strain, the-fall, guillermo-del-toro, chuck-hogan, vampires

I’m all in favor of romanticizing the vampire, but let’s be honest, it’s a trope: a familiar and often overused character. Overused so much that it’s lost its ability to terrify and be a good subject for Horror writing. I think the watershed moment was “sparkly vampires”. Don’t misunderstand my criticism. I enjoy what True Blood has done with Charlene Harris’ universe and I do enjoy watching Kate Beckinsale slink around in black, oil-slick, skin tight outfits. Who doesn’t love a smoldering brun...more I’m all in favor of romanticizing the vampire, but let’s be honest, it’s a trope: a familiar and often overused character. Overused so much that it’s lost its ability to terrify and be a good subject for Horror writing. I think the watershed moment was “sparkly vampires”. Don’t misunderstand my criticism. I enjoy what True Blood has done with Charlene Harris’ universe and I do enjoy watching Kate Beckinsale slink around in black, oil-slick, skin tight outfits. Who doesn’t love a smoldering brunette with pouty and bloody good lips? But aren’t vampires supposed to be the stuff of nightmares?

That’s why I was a little more than impressed with what Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan have done with this series. It’s hard to take a concept so watered down by decades of cliché and make it terrifying again.

I was not impressed with the first book in this series, The Strain. Too much exposition and technical minutia about biology and technology. It was however, compelling enough to read the second book. I suppose that in any work that is marketed as a trilogy that first book is going to be mostly introductory in spirit. This is required in order to create the stage by which the entire conflict will play out. Understood. But I was deadened by the amount of exposition in The Strain so much that the truly horrifying aspect of Del Toro/Hogan’s vision was lost in the details. Their re-vision of the vampire is much more clear and monstrous in The Fall. Now that the parameters of the universe have been set it’s time for Del Toro/Hogan to have some bloody fun.

Because the novel is populated with many characters experiencing the apocalypse from different perspectives, motives, and geography, Del Toro/Hogan can really indulge their dark fantasies. Take for instance the New York City area gangbangers who approach this crisis as an opportunity to live out real life Grand Theft Auto fantasies amidst the chaos. Take Setrakian (one of the primary characters) who approaches this chaos as a dreadful prophecy eons in the making. Setrakian’s flashbacks to earlier times as a vampire/Nazi hunter are particularly good, specifically his treatment of a vampire in Amsterdam. That scene is so well crafted in demonstrating his contempt for these creatures. The other scene that was so effective involved mother-turned-vampire, Kelly, her son Zach, her ex-husband’s new girlfriend, and a train. It’s written so well, it’s pace so perfect, and the imagery so stark that you know that these characters are in Hell.

This mother-son relationship is particularly interesting because it takes apart the expectations we have with the trope and finds something new to explore. Douglas E. Winter talks about “originality” in his article Darkness Absolute: The Standards of Excellence in Horror Fiction, which can be found in On Writing Horror, a great handbook by The Horror Writers Association. He describes originality of ideas in Horror fiction by saying:

“Horror is not a genre. It is an emotion. It can be seen in all of great literature. Read Conrad. Read Faulkner. Read Kosinski. Read Ballard, Cormier, Fuentes, McGuane, Stone, Whittemore. Read and read and read of the ways in which writers relate horrors without strictures of genre.”

That is what Del Toro/Hogan have done with this well worn universe, make the terror emotional again whether it’s Setrakian’s contempt for vampires or Kelly’s twisted love for her son. I was very impressed with this second book. That makes me hopeful and bit leery of how Del Toro/Hogan can tie things up to the satisfaction of their readers in the third book. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.(less)

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Oct 04, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the video game Dead Rising 2, Chuck Greene has a daughter who is infected with a zombific disease where if she isn’t treated daily, she will turn into a zombie. This relates to The Fall by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro because the main character, Eph has a son who is infected with a vampiric disease in which he will become a vampire. In both stories, the main characters are fathers fighting for their kid’s lives. In The Fall, the story is based around Eph and others fighting loads of vam...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Todd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-foklore-legends-mytholog, horror, thrillers-supernatural-alternativ

Guillermo Del Toro is a freaking mad scientist! He is a true alchemist of dark dreams. I just finished, The Fall, the second in the Strain trilogy, that he has co-authored with writer, Chuck Hogan, and I am delirious with sleep deprivation. Once I started I couldn’t put it down.

The entire vampire genre is frankly overwrought teeny bopper bullshit. I enjoyed Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but since the demise of that program everything has followed has been immature tripe. But, Del Toro...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Chariti King Canny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(same as The STrain, because the books flow so well together, it's almost like one book).

This is a fast-paced story. I wouldn't necessarily group it with EASY read. By fast-paced I mean stuff is always happening, and in very "believable" ways. The authors have this way of moving-moving-moving you through exciting stuff, but for breif moments (5 pages or 10 pages) pulling off the wicked treacherous torrent to examine the beauty of life that the apocoplyse is taking down. It is REALLY important th...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Sérgio Marcondes rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasia-terror

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The book has some creative ideas and moments of fun, enjoyable reading. But it has all the problems that "The Strain" had and lost some of the qualities of the first, like the alternance of characters being turned! I´m not even talking of the poor writing, the cliché dialogues, and the pretense dramatic moments that instead become pathetic, but even if you suspend belief very, very much, there are some flaws within the book´s own logic... First, it seems that everyone (an old man plus 80 with a...more

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May 25, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Strain" and "The Fall" by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

This week's review is another two-for-one deal as I'll be looking at the first two books in the Del Toro/Hogan vampire trilogy. The third is coming out this year and I can't wait!

First of all, let me confess my adoration for Guillermo Del Toro. Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favourite movies of all time and when I found out that its director had co-written a vampire trilogy, I felt all shiny inside! I knew that Del Toro and Hogan wo...more "The Strain" and "The Fall" by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

This week's review is another two-for-one deal as I'll be looking at the first two books in the Del Toro/Hogan vampire trilogy. The third is coming out this year and I can't wait!

First of all, let me confess my adoration for Guillermo Del Toro. Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favourite movies of all time and when I found out that its director had co-written a vampire trilogy, I felt all shiny inside! I knew that Del Toro and Hogan wouldn't be presenting me with any more angst-ridden, heart-of-gold-but-terribly-scarred vamps that have become so popular. Don't get me wrong, I actually quite like the Twilight books! I'm just sick to death of the whole fan-girl obsession that it has ensued. I don't care if you're "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob". I really, really don't. How about you all join "Team Shut-The-Hell-Up"? I'm not bitter...

No. Del Toro and Hogan pay homage to the original terror that the vampire myth began with. The Strain begins with the haunting image of a Boeing 777 on the runway of JFK Airport. Nobody is communicating from it, the lights are out and the shutters are down. At this point we are introduced to the hero of the story: Dr Ephraim Goodweather. On some levels Eph's character is somewhat typical: he's a brilliant scientist whose genius turned him to alcohol and away from his wife. All he wants is to gain custody of his son and live happily ever after. Typical in outline, but Eph is rounded and his frustration with the powers that be will have you empathising to a degree that will make your blood itch.

Book One, The Strain, deals with vampirism as a disease. The Boeing 777 carried a coffin full of dirt... but the body is missing. Jusef Sardu should be in that coffin. And yes, Jusef Sardu is a vampire. A bad ass vampire who has no desire to be loved or understood or turned into some boy-band lookalike wannabe... Sardu just wants blood. Blood and power.

All but three of the passengers on the Boeing are dead, pale, and bloodless. As soon as the few survivors are let out into the world, life as we know it is doomed, because each of them carries the disease. Del Toro and Hogan envisage vampirism as a parasitic invader of the body. It acts like the cordyceps fungi: a fungus which can control its hosts in order to get food for itself. In this case, the vampiric disease takes over the human hosts in order to get blood and continued contagion.

So how does Eph hope to save the world and, of course, his family and friends from the inevitable destruction of mankind? With the help of Van Helsing of course! Except his name isn't Van Helsing, it's Abraham Setrakian. The old, wise pawn-shop owner who has a long history with Sardu. He is the one who guides Eph to the conclusion which needs to be made: a virus is spreading throughout New York. That virus is vampirism.

I won't say too much about The Fall as I don't want to be too spoilerific. So, I'll keep it short. In book two, mankind's "fall" is highlighted in two ways. First there is the obvious fall into the hands of the disease. As soon as those three survivors went home to their families, the disease spread. Then to friends and neighbours. Then those friends and neighbours went home the their families, friends and neighbours. The dominoes just keep falling. The second fall is one which has already happened. The world might be doomed because of the virus, but it's allowed to happen because of the greed and corruptability of some of those in power in the book. This isn't dealt with in a heavy handed way...but it will leave you gritting your teeth in rage and frustration as only a good book can.

The third book in the trilogy is out this year thank goodness! I'm on the edge of my sofa to find out how and if the world can be saved. I'm rooting for the characters and mourning them already as it just seems so hopeless! I thoroughly recommend you pick these up, especially if you like the good old SCARY vampire stories. Oh! And if you liked Justin Cronin's The Passage I think you'll love this. Cronin wrote the beginning and the end of the world war with vampires, but he didn't go into much detail about the middle (I guess his book was over 1000 pages so we won't blame him for this).

Del Toro and Hogan create suspense, fear and an utter sense of hopelessness in the first two books of this trilogy and I just bet you'll be hankering after the third as much as I am.

Lx(less)

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Apr 18, 2011 Harrison rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been a while since I read the first book, The Strain, and I remember liking it well enough. There was an interesting plot and vampire lore mixed in with some zombie characteristics. I feel like the second installment really fell short, though.

The Good:
Vampires are weak against sunlight... check.

Some decent background story through flashbacks and whatnot. Also, some of the side characters had some fun storylines. I guess that also brings me to my next point...

The Bad:
I really didn't care abo...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Tricia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Fall: Book Two of the Strain Trilogy

By Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
After reading The Strain, I couldn't wait to continue the trilogy. The Fall is the second installment in this in vampire trilogy and picks up where The Strain leaves off.
The Fall continues the story of Eph, Fet, Nora, Gus and Setrakian in their quest to locate and kill the Master. Along with the plague of vampires, discord and disorder abound and the primary focus is once again NYC.
Grab some silver: silver bullets,...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Lindsay Stares rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Fall suffers a little from being the middle book in a trilogy. It's interesting and exciting, but a lot of the middle feels like just setting pieces in motion so they can come into play later. It's still good, but I anticipate the third will be a more satisfying read.

It continues to be a great take on vampires. Science and magic and other things I won't name because it would be a spoiler all come together to create vampires that feel both fresh, and like a natural step from earlier versions....more

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Feb 19, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

They're Baaaccck!!!! And they're nastier than ever.

"The Fall" is the second book in the vampire trilogy that began with "The Strain". If you are looking for something different for your vampire collection, and want some down to earth stories of the "real" Dracula type vampires than this trilogy is for you.

In the first book, the reader discovered how the "strain" got to the United States and how they began to take over New York City. We were also introduced to the characters that were fighting th...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, horror

I'm probably rating this a star higher than it deserves, but I was a little excited to get it and was happy for the most part. However, it left a bad taste in my non-tentacle filled mouth when I was done with it. Trying to pinpoint the problems in the book with my brother, his comment was, "He made Blade 3 into a book." And this isn't necessarily a bad thing (and my brother is spot on) but I had hopes for an epic trilogy and Blade 4: Attack of the Wormy Vampires wasn't what I had in mind.

I over...more I'm probably rating this a star higher than it deserves, but I was a little excited to get it and was happy for the most part. However, it left a bad taste in my non-tentacle filled mouth when I was done with it. Trying to pinpoint the problems in the book with my brother, his comment was, "He made Blade 3 into a book." And this isn't necessarily a bad thing (and my brother is spot on) but I had hopes for an epic trilogy and Blade 4: Attack of the Wormy Vampires wasn't what I had in mind.

I overlooked the weaknesses in the first one, because lots of starter books are usually the lesser of the series, but I expect the subsequent ones to hit the ground running, and this didn't happen. My brother didn't like the first one because it skipped around too much from character to character--I actually like when books do this since it gives multiple perspectives to the events, however, in this one, many of the characters from first were completely abandoned. Instead, the authors did a little of both (and it felt rushed and incomplete), leaving us both unsatisfied with the results.

Like what happened to the maid/nanny? She was a pretty big chunk of the first book, but not seen again in this one whatsoever. And she was my favorite in the first book! Maybe she'll be back for the third, but where the first book had a tendency to feel a little padded, this one felt rushed and rather slim. The characters race from one vampire related emergency to the next, allllllmost saving the day multiple times.

Now, in this book the vampires have taken over the city, are plentiful, incredibly powerful, and super contagious. Yet, an 80 year old man with messed up hands and a sword is running around decapitating them with a single blow. I'd expect it to be difficult for the typical muscle bound action hero to be swiping off head after head while running down a staircase being pursued by packs of bloodthirsty fiends, but this old man does it with ease. There are huge gun battles between hundreds of vampires and the incompetent doctor, his preteen son, the lady love interest, and the exterminator. The hordes die, they make escapes.

So the action scenes are a little unbelievable and made me think of a bad Sci-Fi movie. If you're going to have the vampires so easily mowed down BUT at the same time have them be the unstoppable evil force, then you need to also establish that vampire = total babbling idiot. Like how zombies are usually portrayed. But no, the evil arch vampire Master has control over his pack and many are shown displaying Salem's Lot cunning, so this is never really balanced.

I'll read the final book when it comes out because I want to know how this finally winds up, but I'll wait till it comes out in paperback and there won't be much fervor behind my purchase. (less)

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The Fall (The Strain Trilogy #2)

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