Underworld

Underworld #1

by Greg Cox, Marcello Jatosti (translator)

Selene è un'Agente di Morte, prima linea di sterminio in conflitto interminabile e diabolico. Il suo compito: snidare e uccidere i lycan con le armi più micidiali della stregoneria e della tecnologia. Michael è un medico, ma anche preda di un morbo ancestrale e terribile. Una donna divenuta vampiro, un uomo troppo vicino ai lupi. Destinati a fiutarsi. Destinati a scontrarsi, forse a uccidersi nella guerra senza fine fra due razze delle tenebre in lotta per il possesso della Terra. Primo volume di una grande trilogia dell'oscuro, Underworld è basato sul film interpretato da Kate Beckinsale e Scott Speedman per la regia di Len Wiseman.

* supplemento a Urania # 1523

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Werewolves

330 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t give me that look! I know what you’re all thinking. Yes, I know it’s an adaptation. Yes, I know on a list of top ten things guaranteed to cause pain, a book based on the movie is situated right above colonoscopy. Yes, I’m as shocked as you that I even read this book. Want to hear something even more life altering? I completely enjoyed it!

The plot captivates you from the first page. Taking two of horrors most legendary creatures and pitting them against each other, Underworld grabs an old idea and adds an element fans have been wondering for years. Who would win in a fight, Dracula or the Wolfman? What would be the repercussions if the strengths of both villains were combined into one individual? Another fear of mine was that there would be more action than story. Not so. Although the action is constant throughout the book, there is significantly more dialogue. Which would be a plus in any book, but in an adaptation it’s a gold star. What I will say though is that for a complete overall enjoyment, read the book and watch the movie. Keep the balance and share the love.

The pace in the book is hypersonic. You are constantly moving and shifting with just a brief pause in between. The atmosphere is dark, dank and heated. The location constantly shifts between a centuries old castle and an underground hideout. Both carry an air of desperation and the smell of decay. Cox’s style of writing is both generous and sympathetic. He pens his tales with compassion, as though this battle existed inside him. Be it the screenplay or his own identity shining through, the man creates a world that is hauntingly alluring.

The characters come off as cold, vengeful monsters. With loyalty the only tie that binds them, each one screams villain. That is the biggest twist in the book. Granted, they have barely any morals, kill daily and regret very little and yet, they still manage to extract sympathy. Even gaining love and understanding. Also just for the record, the book clearly explains the development of the attraction between Selene and Michael.

-As posted on Horror-Web

[Emiilia HelloBookLovers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I promise to give a review for Underworld so here it goes.

This book is just like the movie. Everything from what they said to what they did. I was interested in this book because I saw the movie Underworld Awakening, thought it be fantastic to read all the books. I love the Book. I couldn't believe how much chemistry there was between Selene and Michael. The characters felt so real and they didn't feel forced upon each other. The author did a great job on each character given pieces of history and not too much to the point of boredom. There was non-STOP action and little pinch of love and romance.

Selene is fantastic. I never fell upon a book that had the female character saving a MALE'S LIFE multiple times. It rocked!!!! I mean the literally guys, Michael stay behind while she takes on wolves and even vampires. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I couldn't STOP reading the book until the odd hours of the morning 5:00 am. The plot idea is great the book didn't focus that much on love but you somehow knew that the love was there. Even if they just met you knew they had it for each other the moment they saw one another. I tend to laugh at authors who write about characters who meet each other and the next SECOND there in love and they can't live without one another that just sounds fake to me, for some reason. I see now that if you write a book WELL ENOUGH it is a possibility for love at FIRST SIGHT. The love was believable. I never thought in my life of reading that love at first sight would be well written by an author. They guy did it. I mean, he REALLY WROTE A MASTER PIECE. WELL DONE GREG!!!!!

[Sheralyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read such a high vocabulary in a contemporary novel that actually didn't come across as pretentious. Loved it for that reason alone.

[Syahira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had read this years ago but I remember it quite well. This book made me want to watch the movie later (it was banned in the cinema of my country, figures)

The first movie is fascinating with its casts and the body bending and twists but the book is a stand-alone book that could stand on its own.

In the movie, Selene was a silent huntress who preys lycan for centuries. She was in an elite group of vampires called Death Dealers who stalks Lycans to near extinction. She was a woman with fewer words and was passionate with her work and loyal to her coven. Then there was a man called Micheal, an american doctor who was stalked by the lycans. Selene was curious enough that she managed to trace him but a lycan managed to bite Micheal before Selene could escaped with him and the rest you can watch the movie.

The book was another hand provide a more depths from the characters. Selene was thoughtful and often analytical in her silence and she was often confuse with her feelings for Micheal, the human doctor with an unknown role between the wars of vampires and lycans. Nathaniel who had a short screentime but the book provide a brief detail before his death. Kraven's narcissistic obsession with Selene and his sly cunning manipulative way that he had as he controls the coven. Erika's jealousy and her desires for Kraven. Lucian with his long time grudge against the vampires. Viktor's awakening and his motives.

Greg Cox provide what the movie didn't have. A detailed literature to accompany the book. An outlet that gave the reader an insight to the romance that occurred between Selene and Micheal. A medium-light reading for those who didnt like vampires who sparkles and love machine guns. Bloody gory and darkly paranormal, this is the pocket book that satisfies both female and male reader to savour the movie long enough than a mere 121 minutes.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am biased, the movie of this novelization is one of my favourite films of all time, so it's hard to make this disappointing if you stick to the story. This was more than I expected, it was amazing.

While reading this I remembered my obsession with this movie so vividly, which happened in early 2014. I loved it back then, I remember walking through my neighbourhood and thinking about nothing but Underworld. Later I realized that this would be one of the main works about vampires that would shape me into the vampire obsessed person I am now.

Although it might not deserve 5 stars, because the writing is not very memorable and the story is sometimes a little bit convenient, I cannot give this a lower rating. This book made me realize again why I love vampire stories so much, and I promise you that not every vampire book I read makes me realize this.

I loved that this is a more extensive take on the movie, much more is explained and although I knew what would happen because of the movie, it made me want to keep reading and not stop until I finished it. The multiple perspectives really added to the pacing of this book and it made me more interested in the characters that didn't mean much in the movie to me. I haven't watched the movie in a few years, so I could be wrong, but there was a certain plotline in the book which wasn't in the movie which I was really surprised by.

So if you are a fan of the movie, you will love this book. Don't even question your decision, just read it. I might even say that this is better than the movie. This is for sure my favourite book I've read so far in 2017.

[Gela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. It's one of my favorite vampire movies besides the BDB series that plays in my head. Lol

[Ev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soundtrack:

“Bring Me To Life” Evanescence
“O Fortuna” Carl Orff
“Cool Vibes”. Vanilla Ninja
“Hero” Toni Braxton
“Papercut”. Linkin Park
“Wearing The Inside Out” Pink Floyd
“Comfortably Numb”. Pink Floyd
“Who Wants To Live Forever?” Queen
“Good Enough” Evanescence
“Monster” Imagine Dragons
“Take My Breath Away” (Berlin)
“Broken” Seether ft. Amy Lee
“No More Sorrow” Linkin Park
“Battle Cry” Imagine Dragons
"Morning After" Dead By Sunrise



Not your typical vampire story but just as entertaining. I never expected to like this series so much. This installment steers away from some conventional aspects of the vampire stereotype, yet that uniqueness in imagination on the part of the author is a big part of why I enjoy this series.

-Evil vs. evil (as opposed to good vs. evil)
-Vampires can see their reflections in mirrors
-Vampires abstain from drinking human blood and stick to bags of cloned blood.
-Vampires are very high-tech: cell phones, digital cameras, and laptops all come in handy
-Vampires have their own preferred firearms
-Vampires drive expensive cars

Moral of the story: Not all vampires are created equally.

[Twila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that a book based off a movie was the most ridiculous thing ever, but the book was actually very enjoyable.
It stayed very true to the movie. Only one thing really bothered me.
I did not in any way imagine Michael to be how he was. In the movies, he was quiet and guarded and thoughtful. In this book, he was always referencing movies and thinking like a teenager. He annoyed me, sad because he is my favourite character in the movie. Only for this reason, I gave the book 4 stars instead of five.
Other than that though, this book was a very very good read.

[Quintin Zimmermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I began with low expectations. This is after all a novelisation of the popular movie. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised. Nothing earth shattering, but solid none the less.

Sound writing, but Greg Cox is clearly obsessed with adjectives. His nouns would feel lonely if not accompanied by adjectives.

The story unfolds at a frenetic pace, but my biggest complaint is the rapid switching of scenes and POV's every three pages or so. This is so disruptive and impedes the flow of the book. In one case, we literally jump mid-sentence to another scene and a few pages later jump right back to complete to the sentence. Seriously!

That aside, the real strength that underpins Underworld is Selene with her perfect blend of power and coolness, and the reason that Underworld successful spawned so many movie sequels.

[Rey Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

do not judge my questionable methods to read these novelizations.

i never like reading books online, as it just doesn't feel right to me, but this novelization of the first underworld movie had me not minding the pdf struggles i had to face to read it. i adore this style of writing and how well it fits with the gothic tone of the movies, and the little details/inner thoughts that we don't get to see on screen make me so happy every time i come across them. i like novelizations because of their abilities to give the characters just an extra layer of depth.

i adore my campy little vampire movies and this made me want to watch them again. even if you haven't watched them, i recommend at least reading this book because it's so good.

[Whoknows · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected better. It was exactly like the movie... Word for word. The style of writing however, made it really hard to get into the world and characters. It felt detached.


P. S. Selene still rocks.

[Ivan Kapiter]

1

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha gustado un montón, pero no se lleva las 5 estrellitas por el mero hecho de que en el libro hay bastantes fallos de texto y contexto (ortografía, cambio de nombre de personajes, etc...)
Por lo demás una experiencia fantástica. Me siento una "friki" de Underworld tras leerlo puesto que en esta novelización hay más detalles y escenas que en la película no aparecen (quizás en una versión extendida...).
Volví a ver la peli y la verdad es que noté la falta de todas esas escenas, dejándome la sensación de que la trama en la película iba a trompicones.

Eso sí, tras ver el resto de la serie, paso de leerme el resto de los libros.
Underworld me gustó en su momento, más por las escenas visuales (el principio con Selene en lo alto de la torre y su tremendo salto y alguna mas).
Pero el resto de la serie, excepto la tercera que se salva por los pelos son bastante patateras y no merecen mi atención. La cuarta sobre todo, en la que me quedé dormida y por lo que me soltó mi marido era una ensalada de tiros sin sentido.

[Shar · Rating 3 out of 5]

2015 BOOK CHALLENGE: non-human characters

this one felt a bit like cheating since its a novelization of a film, but #YOLO. as a result i wasn't expecting much from the writing and i got what i paid for with that one - still, it was better than i was expecting, and it was fun to get some detailed filled in where the movie left it open. i wasn't a huge fan of the way michael and selene felt a draw to each other for literally no reason but the action and, as i said, the added detail made up for it. the writing was just so cringeworthy sometimes though that it brought down the rating quite a bit for me. fun and quick read though!

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid novelization with little interesting tidbits I didn't know simply from watching the movie. I can either like or really dislike a novelization. I guess it depends on the film that the novelization is typically based on. Yet I feel I will enjoy Rise of the Lycans a lot more. But it was, like I said, a solid read.

[James Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another of the three books I've been unable to stop reading till the end. It was absolutely thrilling and engrossing. Non-stop action.

[Abdul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book, gives so much more than the movie (as is usually the case)

[Yunus Özgür · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's has a deepness about the story that the movie lacks,also it show us the feelings of the main charachters in a much more detailed way

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good novelization. Only a few added parts that weren't in the movie. But still great.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mai intromettersi col volere della Luna!

Ecco cosa vuol dire leggere un libro che rispecchia tutto e per tutto il suo omonimo film. Certo il fatto che sia nato prima il film e poi il libro è tutto dire ma testimonia comunque quello che è il piacere di leggere nero su bianco scene, sentimenti silenziosi e quant'altro la pellicola riesce ad esprimere. Pagine su pagine che entusiasmano come un film!!!
Selene è il nome arcaico della Luna, Selene è il nome di una vampira divenuta tale dopo essere rimasta in vita come unica superstite alla carneficina che ha afflitto la propria famiglia. Selene è bella come luna, fredda esteriormente e con un unico scopo nella vita: uccidere i lycan. Selene è un agente di morte che non conosce nulla da 600 anni a questa parte che il suono delle sue beretta e il sapore del sangue sulle labbra. Selene non sa però che presto qualcuno le farà battere il cuore senza volerlo e che qualcuno rimescolerà nuovamente le carte in tavola nella battaglia che sembrava stare per finire ed invece è solo ad uno stallo, tra lycan e vampiri.
Michael invece è un comune mortale, un medico novello che si ritroverà capo e collo immischiato in questa faida secolare fin dentro al sangue...il suo!!!
Storia incredibile, che già dal film mi ha entusiasmato come non mai, assumendo i connotati realistici di quello che io penso debba essere il volto di vampiri e lupi mannari. Poter leggere il libro scritto sulla sceneggiatura del film, non ha fatto che rafforzare la mia personale stima per questa storia, questi personaggi che senza smielature ma con la dura legge della sopravvivenza mi hanno coinvolto ed ammaliato. Il legame che si instaura tra Selene (nome che io adoro particolarmente *_*) e Michael non è un legame scialbo sentimentale, ma nasce nel muto silenzio degli eventi, come un colpo di fulmine non dichiarato, contrastato ma soprattutto celato fino all'ultimo dove i soli baci riescono a infiammare e legare i due personaggi l'uno all'altro. Nel silenzio degli scontri che si susseguono riemergono passione, forza e volontà di due figure che con muti sguardi e con i soli sentimenti riescono a sopravvivere e trovare finalmente quello che meritano: Selene uno scopo più romantico di vita, qualcuno che la faccia realmente vivere come vampira e non essere una morta vivente; Michael invece trova tanti guai, tanto mistero ma anche il piccante dell'eroismo al quale sembra tanto pronto pur di proteggere l'oggetto della sua neo infatuatio.
La particolarità del libro non è l'arricchimento dei personaggi, con pagine di approfondita analisi mentale di quelli che sono i loro pensieri celati sullo schermo, ma anche la doppia faccia della realtà visiva e di quella scritta...un connubio perfetto tra quello che il lettore immagina mentre vede un film e quello che il lettore scopre leggendo e immaginando il film nella propria mente. Questa si che è una vera storia vamp/lica!

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once upon a time, I loved tie-in novels. In the dark days before home video, these books were often the best or at times, only way (I'm looking at you, Target Doctor Who novelizations) to revisit these properties. Early Star Wars fans thrilled to an early appearance of Jabba the Hutt 6 years before we met him ROTJ and 20 yeasr before the Special (ahem!) Editions. What does this have to do with Underworld, you ask. Well, I just wanted to put it in perspective when, I say about the sainted tie-in novel, how the mighty have fallen.
Underworld follows the paths of two would be star-crossed lovers- Selene and Michael. Michael is a young doctor in training, running to Budapest to escape the memory of the one person he couldn't save. Selene is a vampire, one of an elite cadre of warriors called death dealers, on the front line of a long running war between vampires and their former slaves, the beastial Lycans (werewolves.) The Lycans and their mysterious leader Lucian have targeted Michael for an unknown purpose. But when Michael himself is turned into a lycan, the two find themselves rushing to prevent an apocalypse that threatens both their worlds.
Sounds cool, huh? And it is. I loved the original Underworld film and back when it came out in the early 2000's, I was all about it's dark, rain-swept, leather clad, goth-metal aesthetic. The book adds little details that were left on the cutting room floor, like Michael's backstory, as well as little touches about the Hungarian setting and culture. But the story ultimately felt like it was trying to fill a page count. I didn't really feel any real attraction between Michael and Selene. They fall for each other because the story requires them to. I've read other books by Greg Cox (Star Trek stuff) and found them enjoyable so I know he can do better than this.
I actually reread this in a bit of research on a setting for either a D&D adventure or a novel (I haven't decided which.) The movie is cool; I liked it then and I like it now. It's a great setting with a lot of story potential. I guess I was hoping the novel would let loose a little more, maybe take us a little further into the underworld than what we actually got.

[Abigail Weh · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars
Ah I love this world! The vibe, the story, the characters are all so interesting!

I do wish this book had been written by a better author. There were plot holes and distinct changes from the movie, and several unchecked writing errors. However, it retained enough similarities and atmosphere to the movie that I still enjoyed it fully.

I liked that there was some insight into why characters did certain things which weren’t explained fully in the movie. But other characters were way different than shown in Rise of the Lycans: both the movie and the book. For example Lucian and Raze were changed quite a bit, which I didn’t love.

I get it, it was written before there was more backstory for both of them in the third installment, but it’s bothers me that Raze is so heartless and dim-witted in this book, where he is clearly brave, kind and smart in The Rise of the Lycans. Lucian is a bit narrow-minded and harsh, given his history with Sonja.

But if you watch the first movie and read this before you move to the rest of the series, it works. Over half of my issues with this book have to do with the fact that I got into the series well after the last movie came out, so I already had my perspective changed about the events of movies one and two by movie three.

Moving on: I love this series too much! That’s why this has such a high rating. I love Selene and Michael, their story and character development. I love the grungy gothic vibe of this book and movie. There is nothing quite like a good dark vampire/werewolf/lycanthrope book! Especially if it has that late 90’s/early 2000’s vibe.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)


First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even Vampires had egos.

Underworld(2002) i must confess is a movie I cannot think the highest of, and it's mainly because of the robotic dialogue written by Danny McBride, and perhaps it's classlesss mean-spirited nature. This book however is much, MUCH better.Greg Cox not only adds layers' worth of character to the protagonists, but also a flair of fun to the story. Reading this book felt like watching a much superior version of a movie i had seen already, and though I was familiar with the plot beats, i greatly anticipated Cox's description and style. A problem i had was the more frequent vulgarity in language, which i didn't mind too much reading, but it did make the vampires and lycans seem more human and less mythic.

[Emi-Wan Kenobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better film novelizations I’ve read. Instead of just rehashing the script it actually explained things that I feel the final film didn’t, and expanded on several scenes—such as Michael’s flashbacks of Sonja’s death. These are different from what we see in later films, but are really good little scenes. It also was clearly written with reference to what must have been pretty close to the final script, because it didn’t wildly vary from the film in any way.

-1 star because just about every character except Michael repeatedly referred to Selene as a b*tch and I’m not down for that.

4 stars, 8/10, enjoyable read. Would read again. Would recommend to anyone who likes the movies.

[Gretel Hernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es la mejor historia de la vida; pero, aún así, es una historia muy entretenida, y con un buen ritmo; difícilmente, habrá un momento en el que te aburras; los personajes son bastante interesantes, dejando de lado al insulso protagonista masculino/interés romántico de la protagonista principal; recomiendo mucho este libro.

[BuzzBuzz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essendo una traposizione letteraria del film, va visto prima quest'ultimo.Personalmente mi è piaciuto molto, una buonissima resa in prosa di un lungometraggio non eccellente, ma brillante a suo modo.

[Terry Marine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed descriptions of the environment. Lots of obscure adjectives will send you for your dictionary. Written in sort of a gothic horror style. The lack of description of actual tactics used in the fight sequences; sort of weakens the story. Worth three stars.

[Lizzy w · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read but very entertaining and enjoyable, I had watched the movie before and totally forgot that there was a book so I read it a year after watching the movie and it really came back to me just how much I enjoy the underworld movies ! 💙

[Lais · Rating 3 out of 5]

Assim, é um livro bem escrito? Não, passa longe. O romance me passou menos verdade do que o do filme e olha que no filme é tudo rápido. Mas acho que vale a pena pra ter uma ideia maior do que tá rolando. Mas é aquilo, se for escolher entre ler e ver o filme -> veja o filme.