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The Fall

(The Strain Trilogy #2)

Guillermo del Toro,

Chuck Hogan

3.81 · Rating details · 33,996 ratings · 2,296 reviews

The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City. It is spreading across the country and soon, the world. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather—head of the Center for Disease Control’s team—leads a small band out to stop these bloodthirsty monsters. But it may be too late.

Ignited by the Master’s horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World vampire ...more

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Hardcover, 308 pages

Published September 21st 2010 by William Morrow (first published September 16th 2010)

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3.81 ·

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· 33,996 ratings · 2,296 reviews

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Sep 21, 2010 Stephen rated it really liked it

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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Oct 16, 2010 Kemper rated it liked it

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 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.
...more

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May 15, 2015 Char rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fiction, from-library, series, vampires

3.5 stars!
The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan (Audio) I liked this second entry in "The Strain" series!

This is the first book I've listened to narrated by Daniel Oreskes and he was fantastic.

I was worried that it would affect my enjoyment listening to the second book after reading the first, but it was for naught. First off, I probably couldn't have read this one right now, due to this stupid slump that won't let me get into anything. Second, I've been very busy at work with a lo ...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Char rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-library, audio-book, dark-fiction, series

3.5 stars!

I liked this second entry in "The Strain" series!

This is the first book I've listened to narrated by Daniel Oreskes and he was fantastic.

I was worried that it would affect my enjoyment listening to the second book after reading the first, but it was for naught. First off, I probably couldn't have read this one right now, due to this stupid slump that won't let me get into anything. Second, I've been very busy at work with a lot of mundane paperwork that doesn't require too much brain ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Melki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

At first this seemed like one colossal boner - reading a book upon which the series I just finished watching is based. BUT, there were enough differences (some major!) to keep things interesting.

There is much I love here - big, ugly, NASTY vampires - the way vampires are meant to be. And no fangs are necessary; they have disgusting, eel-like appendages that shoot out, dispensing vile, infectious worms into the victims they are feeding from.

Yuck!

I also love the urban setting for this series. The ...more

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Sep 29, 2017 Eliasdgian rated it liked it · review of another edition

Εξήντα μέρες. Μόλις τόσες χρειάστηκαν για να φτάσει ο κόσμος στο τέλος του.

Το κακό εξαπλώθηκε. Η πόλη παραδόθηκε στον όλεθρο. Κι ο κόσμος ολάκερος μαζί. Κανείς δεν θεώρησε πιθανό να συμβεί ό,τι τελικά συνέβη. Στην εμφάνιση της πανδημίας η κοινή γνώμη αντέδρασε με άρνηση. Ό,τι διαφεύγει των σταθερών και υπερβαίνει τους φυσικούς νόμους ή την ανθρώπινη λογική απλώς δεν μπορεί να υπάρχει. Κι όσο οι άνθρωποι αρνούνταν να αντιμετωπίσουν τη νέα πραγματικότητα, είτε από δυσπιστία, είτε από παραπληροφόρ Εξήντα μέρες. Μόλις τόσες χρειάστηκαν για να φτάσει ο κόσμος στο τέλος του.

Το κακό εξαπλώθηκε. Η πόλη παραδόθηκε στον όλεθρο. Κι ο κόσμος ολάκερος μαζί. Κανείς δεν θεώρησε πιθανό να συμβεί ό,τι τελικά συνέβη. Στην εμφάνιση της πανδημίας η κοινή γνώμη αντέδρασε με άρνηση. Ό,τι διαφεύγει των σταθερών και υπερβαίνει τους φυσικούς νόμους ή την ανθρώπινη λογική απλώς δεν μπορεί να υπάρχει. Κι όσο οι άνθρωποι αρνούνταν να αντιμετωπίσουν τη νέα πραγματικότητα, είτε από δυσπιστία, είτε από παραπληροφόρηση, ο κόσμος άλλαζε ραγδαία.

Η Πτώση συντελέστηκε και θα ακολουθήσει η Αιώνια Νύχτα. Ο ίσκιος του Αφέντη θα καταπλακώσει το ανθρώπινο είδος και ένα μόνιμο, ακατάλυτο λυκόφως πρόκειται να επικρατήσει. Η δύση της ανθρωπότητας είναι προ των πυλών. Μια δράκα αγωνιστών θα συνεχίσει να ελπίζει, ωστόσο, ότι το τέλος δεν γράφτηκε ακόμη∙ ότι ο ήλιος θα ανατείλει ξανά και ο Αφέντης θα επιστρέψει εκεί που κρυβόταν για αιώνες: στις σκιές και στο περιθώριο της ιστορίας.

Το δεύτερο βιβλίο της τριλογίας των Guillermo Del Toro και Chuck Hogan είναι σαφώς κατώτερο του πρώτου. Ένιωσα να απουσιάζει η δραματουργική ένταση του Ίχνους κι η εξιστόρηση να βραδύνει μάλλον αδικαιολόγητα. Αντίθετα με το Ίχνος, όμως, τα πράγματα δεν συμβαίνουν όπως ακριβώς στην τηλεοπτική σειρά. Οι διαφοροποιήσεις σε σχέση με όσα διάλεξε ο G. Del Toro να μεταφέρει στην οθόνη είναι πλέον σημαντικές και ευδιάκριτες∙ κι αυτό το τελευταίο ήταν που τελικά κράτησε αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον μου μέχρι το τέλος.

3 αστέρια. Μέχρι να σβήσουν κι αυτά κάτω από το εβένινο πέπλο της Αιώνιας Νύχτας που θα ακολουθήσει.
...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Paul rated it it was ok

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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Apr 12, 2018 Evelina | AvalinahsBooks rated it it was ok

Shelves: biblioteka, books-of-2018, dark-tbr, dystopia-tbr, fiction, horror-tbr, problematic

This series was very problematic, in my opinion. Please read the full review for the series here on my blog.

Part two starts going downhill. It gives way too much power to the baddies too quickly to keep your interest in the series. You're reading about the resistance, when you already know they're definitely not going to win. Where's the fun in that?

Book two uses the underground passages of the speakeasies which I thought was cool, and it also uses cultural and historical element like the hobo This series was very problematic, in my opinion. Please read the full review for the series here on my blog.

Part two starts going downhill. It gives way too much power to the baddies too quickly to keep your interest in the series. You're reading about the resistance, when you already know they're definitely not going to win. Where's the fun in that?

Book two uses the underground passages of the speakeasies which I thought was cool, and it also uses cultural and historical element like the hobo symbols underground and whatnot. It grows Setrakian's character somewhat, with the backstory, and that was well done too. I also liked how they used the biohazard symbol and all the lore behind that to make it work. But... that's about it. With these little details making it fun, there's really nothing else driving it.

Now you know what I would have liked to see? (view spoiler) But there's something WAY more serious that's the problem with this series at this point.

It's the surprising lack of any real female characters??? The Fall suffers from an incredibly, incredibly strong case of Strictly Male Writing. There are no women whatsoever who get more than a few lines. More than that, there are barely just a few secondary character women. They all either serve a purpose of being there to be turned, to be a mother, or to be the vehicle for The Male Conversation for the audience. There's seriously NOTHING more than that. It's been a long, long while since I've read a book like that, and I believe it was hard scifi written in the 60s, which this is not, so you should be able to see what a sorry example of the phenomenon this is.

And if you're going to say the researcher, Eff's partner, Nora? You know, I should have counted the sentences she uttered in the books. Wouldn't have made more than a hundred. Not that she does much of anything, aside from being talked to, following, listening, being kissed or f*cked every now and then, and finally, crying when she is told to leave with the kid, like a good woman does. (She does get her own segment in book 3, but for me, it was much too late and much too little. Pathetic.) This was BY FAR the worst part of the entire otherwise good series – something that could have been easily edited. This is ridiculous. It's hard to even imagine two guys who live in a world where you can write a book with literally no functional women characters in the 21st century. What world do you live in, people??

Then... There's another thing. I just noticed this around the middle of book three, actually, but... It's not just the women. ALL at least somewhat diverse characters are plainly erased in this series. It took me a while to notice cause I actually do live in a historically all-white country (post-soviet), but hello – Mr del Toro and Mr Hogan, did you not write this book about the US? Do you own any sort of magical racist glasses that blot out any person of color..?? I am absolutely shocked to realize that three books in, I could not detect even a passer-by that is black. About the only non-white person was a Latino. ONE person. We've got ONE woman. And ONE Latino. In three books. WE'RE DOING GREAT HERE, GUYS. (I'm always first to blame myself for 'not noticing', but in this case – if I've got to THINK to remember if there were any..? Probably means there are problems here. Still, feel free to tell me I missed something here. I was super fast-reading books 2 and 3 cause they were boring the hell out of me.)

Again. I cannot believe the kind of world these authors live in. You've got to be kidding me.

Read Post On My Blog | My Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter ...more

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May 20, 2010 Lou rated it really liked it

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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Jul 12, 2011 Chris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Wow. Just wow.

I wanted to give this 5-stars, as the ending is powerful. But I only gave The Strain 4-stars, and this isn't better overall. The ending of this book is much better, but The Strain is better from cover to cover, despite its own weak ending.

Definitely looking forward to The Night Eternal. I could see the series getting a 5-star out of me though the individual books are getting 4. More than the sum of its parts, and all that. But that will depend on how the authors wrap up the trilo ...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Heidi rated it it was ok

I'm not even sure why I read this, since the first book (The Strain) was mediocre at best. I guess I'm just a sucker (heh) for anything that combines vampires with apocalytpic plagues (my two favorite things!). In a nutshell, an ancient parasite resurfaces and takes the world by storm, turning people into vampires (of a sort), while a ragtag group of good guys forms a resistance and tries to save the world. In this book, the planet's infrastructure begins to collapse as the parasite takes hold. ...more

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Jul 07, 2016 Aleshanee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire, horror

--- Achtung! Evtl. kleine Spoiler zu Band 1! ---

"Das Blut" schließt direkt an den ersten Band an.
60 Tage sind seit den Ereignissen im Flugzeug vergangen und die Stadt New York verfällt immer mehr dem Chaos.
In den Nachrichten wird die Katastrophe noch immer als gefährlicher Virus eingestuft, doch der Epidemiologe Ephraim, der Kammerjäger Vasiliy und der alte Pfandleiher Abraham wissen genau, dass dieser Virus von Vampiren verbreitet wird: die Saat des Meisters scheint aufzugehen.

Meine Meinung

Man ...more

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Nov 21, 2013 Stuart rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: survival, apocalypse, ya-fiction

"New York has gone bye-bye and the rest of the world, apart from Britain. Vampires can't cross water... obviously"

Here we are with book two of The Strain series called The Fall. Aptly named as civilisation is screwed. A famous philosopher once said that during a symposium you know! The second book has improved, there's a lot more for the reader to get their teeth into. A lot more background fluff is introduced into the characters past, such as Eph and Abraham Setrakian is explored further. The o "New York has gone bye-bye and the rest of the world, apart from Britain. Vampires can't cross water... obviously"

Here we are with book two of The Strain series called The Fall. Aptly named as civilisation is screwed. A famous philosopher once said that during a symposium you know! The second book has improved, there's a lot more for the reader to get their teeth into. A lot more background fluff is introduced into the characters past, such as Eph and Abraham Setrakian is explored further. The old Polish professors tale reveals to us how he stubbornly pursued The Master (as you might of guessed, this guy is the leader of the vampire herd) is fairly interesting.

I've jump on ahead as per usual. The Fall continues a few years after the first book leaves us, when Eph, Setrakian and Vasily Fet combated The Master. Eph is trying to protect the group, especially his son (Zack) and Nora. As well as keeping Setrakian alive. Fet who was a rat exterminator previously (always a good trade to have if you want to be the best vampire hunter - transferable skills you see! They don't mention that at rat catching school I'm sure) becomes close to Setrakian and really turns into his bodyguard. While this is going on, Gus finds himself ensnared into a deal with The Ancients (the first vampires). Christ this is so cliché it's laughable.

Cliché is the problem with the entire series so far. There really isn't any unique ideas or characters that make The Strain series stand out, for me anyway. It's all operating under a previously used archetypal template. Which is surprising given the authors creative talent (Del Toro's anyway). I've gone into this in my review of the first book The Strain. So far the series has been a mash-up of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blade II (those reaper vampires) and the A-Team. Now you gather where the cliché tag has come from.

One real problem for me (from the beginning) was that everyone feared and were terrified of these vampires, all apart from the main characters. Lucky that really. The ponderous waffling during the mid-section of the novel had me précis reading my way through until something of note happened. There is at times, too much explanation by the authors and not actually a lot of doing. What I mean is that standing around talking about a problem, not offering alternatives and doing absolutely fuck all, well, makes for dull reading. It's like a old car, sometimes it starts fine, other's not. The pace of the novel fluctuates and is all over the place, this was also apparent in the first book.

There's a few new characters. The Silver Angel being the first. A broken down Mexican ex-wrestler turns into a vampire killing machine. The ending actually had me rooting for him to... well, if you read it then your know. Not strictly a new character, Kelly, Eph's ex-wife now vampiric bitch is chasing Zack her son. There is still a bond between family members it appears which pushes Kelly on to hunt her son, attempting to turn him. During this, Eph is struggling with Zack and trying to keep that from happening.

I apologise for the short review folks, I'm just not enthused with this one. It is improved slightly, but overall is a fairly flat read due to the amount of similarity to other works of fiction and films.
...more

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Aug 06, 2017 Sud666 rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

Book Two of the Strain is a lot of fun to read. It is, in my opinion, better than the first book.

The Vampire Outbreak has turned into a plague in New York. Book Two continues the story of our intrepid heroes and their struggle against this modern day vampire plague. Book Two delves more deeply into this vampire lore and I really enjoyed Chuck Hogan fleshing out the bare bones background of the first book. Now it starts to make sense why the Master's thinking might have become warped, and his vis Book Two of the Strain is a lot of fun to read. It is, in my opinion, better than the first book.

The Vampire Outbreak has turned into a plague in New York. Book Two continues the story of our intrepid heroes and their struggle against this modern day vampire plague. Book Two delves more deeply into this vampire lore and I really enjoyed Chuck Hogan fleshing out the bare bones background of the first book. Now it starts to make sense why the Master's thinking might have become warped, and his vision of the future inspired, by the sheer surfeit (from a vampire's way of thinking) of food supply.
The Book also helps explain the multiple reasons Dr. Setrakian has for hating the Master and his brood in particular. The confluence of events that starts in Treblinka in 1942 and ends up on the streets of New York "currently" give a deep meaning to Setrakian-Sardu (the Master's human name) conflict.
I like the new twist on vampires. Del Torro and Hogan have created a vampire that is not attractive. The process of turning ,the underlying bloodworm, and the final vampire itself is the antithesis of the sexy, metrosexual, Calvin-Kelin models who tend to slink around in glitter laced ,designer, slim-line clothes seducing all and sundry with their smoking, lusty looks,magnificently undeniable charisma and sheer physical attraction. Witness True Blood or Twilight.

These vampires look disdainfully at that sterotype and declare "Fuck that shit." These vampires are disgusting. They are filthy, foul, feces spewing (not making this up), undead bloodworm-human host hybrid. Yes they are killed instantly by sunlight and silver. Garlic, religion and the rest of the typical responses won't work. They also bleed a white plasma that is loaded with bloodworms and can infect you if they get into your bloodstream. No known cure save death.

The comparison to a virus is apt. I tend to root for the bad guys. I actually appreciate them, for the most part. These creatures? No. This is a style of vampires few would find attractive. I think that is why the humans who do serve the Master tend to strike a more visceral dislike from the reader. It is one thing to make a deal with a well-dressed, wealthy, Brad Pitt True Blood vampire. I get it. I would do that. In a heartbeat. These things? Nope. I'll pass. That makes these vampires some of the most disgusting I've seen. Even the ones from "30 Days of Night" had some measure of class compared to this version. Though, to be fair, I am speaking of the Master's Brood.

I won't give any spoilers. SO I'll avoid the plot. That is the point for reading this, isn't it? Was it fun? Yes. The story is exciting. It is certainly dark and grim. Humanity is not winning this battle. There are quite a few surprises in this volume (since the shows seems to have deviated in terms of plot) for me in terms of character deaths. So overall- I highly recommend this fun, fast paced vampire outbreak. This book was an improvement over the first book and I certainly look forwards to reading Book 3. If you like vampires or would enjoy a science themed "outbreak" story-check out the Strain. IT is easy to read and flows well (except for the painful "emotional" scenes which Hogan excels at butchering) making for a quick read. ...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Twobusy rated it did not like it

Here's something that almost never happens to me: I gave up on this book. Why? Because, quite simply, it is one of the worst-written novels I've ever encountered, regardless of genre. Honestly... it's horrifying, and not even a little bit in the sense that you'd hope a global vampire apocalypse novel would be. I could try to explain (in painful detail) just how awful it is, telling you about the amateurish plotting, the paper-thin characters, the abject lack of subtlety and grace and elegance in ...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Katy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of horror, vampires, apocalyptic situations

Recommended to Katy by: Amazon.com Vine

Shelves: vine-book

Disclosure: Review based on book I received from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review. I've read this book twice.

My Synopsis: The vampires are spreading; the government is denying any problems in an attempt to avoid “panic.” Ephraim, Nora, Vasiliy and Dr. Setrakian continue to work together to try to stop the Master, and to keep Zach safe from Kelly, Ephraim’s ex-wife, who is focused on claiming the boy as her Dear One. Meanwhile, Eldritch Palmer continues to plot and plan, entirely focu ...more

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Jun 09, 2015 Donna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I am really enjoying this series! Very good second book in a series.

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Mar 14, 2012 Kevin Bessey rated it did not like it

If you're thinking of reading "The Fall" then you probably already know about "The Strain"...and if you've read "The Strain" and are thinking of reading "The Fall" my only advice would be that you would read it only if you're the type of person who likes to watch B-movies and figures, "I've already watched half an hour, I might as well finish it to see how it ends." I'm that type of person...and because I love B-movies, it probably has a lot to do with why I'm still reading this series.

**SPOILER If you're thinking of reading "The Fall" then you probably already know about "The Strain"...and if you've read "The Strain" and are thinking of reading "The Fall" my only advice would be that you would read it only if you're the type of person who likes to watch B-movies and figures, "I've already watched half an hour, I might as well finish it to see how it ends." I'm that type of person...and because I love B-movies, it probably has a lot to do with why I'm still reading this series.

**SPOILERS** My review below contains spoilers, but I only mention these things to defend my POV:

1."The Fall" carries much of the bad dialogue that "The Strain" introduced. For example, the line "my sword sings of silver" has to be one of the worst battle cries ever penned, and of course it bleeds it's way into the sequel (no pun intended). Other lines such as "silver blinged killer" and "he understood the man's pain. He understood the pain of this world" just seem cliche and over dramatic. There are some scenes and other portions of dialogue that are just plain eye-rolling at times.

2. Another problem that I had with "The Strain" also carries over into "The Fall" - which is probably my biggest problem - the `biology' of the vampires mixed with myth and fantasy. I have a strong background in biology and at times during "The Strain" could somewhat follow where Guillermo del Toro & Co. were going with the whole re-invention of the vampire transmission via biological means (i.e. blood worms and viruses). After trying to "scientifically" butter-up their vampire transmission through biological means, you discover that there is a mythical aspect to their existence, such as having to sleep in earth or coffin, the head vampire(s) able to speak telepathically and also `see' through their minions, **spoiler** upon the death of a head vampire the minions vanish into dust (keep in mind we're running with a biological theme here), and **another spoiler** by destroying the head vampire's birth/origin place, it will kill the head vampire. All too weird and all too lame. If they wanted a biological theme, they should've stuck with it before they introduced a basket of non-scientific elements. Choose one, or the other...which brings me to my next point:

3. The dichotomy made the story a hard sell and fully buy in to. What I mean by that is:

a. Was this trilogy to be a "re-invention" or a "re-telling" of the vampire mythos? It seems as if it was trying to be both and needed to stick with one or the other. Otherwise it is confusing and disheartening.
b. Was the hero (Goodweather) a humane scientist/dad or a vampire killer? I had a hard time trying to figure out (even from the first book) if this was to be a gradual change and development of character or just write in his actions for whatever fit the scene (I need to love my son and remorse for humanity or slice `n dice this vamp?).
c. Was the "Van-Helsing" as everyone has aptly identified of the novels (Setrakian) supposed to be this tough "Van-Helsing" character or this crumbling, dying man? C'mon - the guy is in his eighties with crippled hands and fingers (that gets mentioned multiple times) with a bad heart condition and he is supposed to be running around and cutting up vampires...even if he were both - a dying man and vampire hunter - it would seem an odd combination...something like Abe Vigoda meets Michael Phelps.
d. Was Gus a hard-core gang-banger or loner, street trash? In the first book it seemed like Gus was a lonely street rat and in the second he's a gang leader? Either I missed something, or someone changed their mind as to how Gus should've been written and what his role in the "fellowship" should've been.
e. Is it Doomsday or Business-As-Usual? If two months have passed since the initial infection and half of Manhattan has burned to the ground along with thousands of people missing across the globe, I'm not sure one's day-to-day routine would still be in place. At this point in the saga, it seems that half of the time everything is in chaos and other times like nothing is going on. Which makes it really hard to believe when they show up for the book auction (that apparently hasn't taken place in 200 years) in the midst of world-wide chaos.

4. Editing. Like most people mentioned in the review of "The Strain", there is much reason to believe that this trilogy could've been reduced to a single novel. For example, "Phade - the vampyric vandalist" served no point to the overall plot - up to and including the side story of the cop who has been in search of Phade. If there are any LOST fans reading this, it reminds me of the episode of the couple who were after the diamonds. A single episode that served no plot development or purpose to the general story. Just a B-side that made it's way into the final cut.

5. This touches on my other problem with the writing - character development and purpose. I had a huge problem with the "feelers." Let me get this straight - kids go blind by the occultation from the first book and then two months later in the second book they are supposed to have highly refined senses...so then I guess the writers felt like "let's have the Master convert these kids to vampires - and for the hell of it, let's have their hands grow large so they can crawl around on all fours." L-A-M-E; why should their development and transformation be different than that of the adults. At one point, Nora strikes a flare with these guys (and I'm guessing they are the feelers, otherwise I take this comment back) and they all jump back...but wait...they're blind right? Or...afraid of light, wait...they sense light? But not UV light? Just terrible. The other character I had a problem with was Phade as mentioned before and also the elderly, retired Mexican wrestler Angel. Similar to my point on Setrakian, it's hard to imagine an old man motioning through some of the scenes that he was written in to.

6. For those that have read the book (and if you're still reading and plan on reading it will find out), did you think it was odd for two instances where Gus blew up the pawn shop and the helicopter. It's like they guy pulls the trigger first and asks questions later. If he thought they were in the pawn shop, why would he play McGuyver and blow up the pawn shop. And with the helicopter (leaving the nuclear power plant) why would he just assume who the helicopter was for and grab a rocket launcher (handy) to blow it up. Very strange for a character to act that way - let's leave the `splosions to Michael Bay.

I know at this point, it has become more rambling than review, but most of it was just to vent a little. If I had to sum my review up in one line it would be: "The Fall" was clunky and poorly developed. And yes, I will read "The Eternal Night" just to see how this B-movie ends. ...more

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Mar 24, 2019 Chrissa Vasileiou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Ελαφρώς κατώτερο του πρώτου, όμως και πάλι τα αξίζει τα πέντε αστεράκια του.

Γνωρίζοντας πως ακολουθεί και τρίτο βιβλίο (και πως τα πράγματα όσο πάνε και δυσκολεύουν για το ανθρώπινο είδος), νομίζω πως εδώ απλά θέλεις να δεις πώς θα εξελιχθούν τα πράγματα, χωρίς να περιμένεις τίποτα τετελεσμένο. Οι ήρωες -και από τις δύο πλευρές- μοιάζουν αποφασισμένοι να παλέψουν μέχρι τέλους. Ο Αφέντης για να εδραιώσει τη σκοτεινή του κυριαρχία και οι άνθρωποι για να σώσουν ό,τι μπορεί να σωθεί από το είδος το Ελαφρώς κατώτερο του πρώτου, όμως και πάλι τα αξίζει τα πέντε αστεράκια του.

Γνωρίζοντας πως ακολουθεί και τρίτο βιβλίο (και πως τα πράγματα όσο πάνε και δυσκολεύουν για το ανθρώπινο είδος), νομίζω πως εδώ απλά θέλεις να δεις πώς θα εξελιχθούν τα πράγματα, χωρίς να περιμένεις τίποτα τετελεσμένο. Οι ήρωες -και από τις δύο πλευρές- μοιάζουν αποφασισμένοι να παλέψουν μέχρι τέλους. Ο Αφέντης για να εδραιώσει τη σκοτεινή του κυριαρχία και οι άνθρωποι για να σώσουν ό,τι μπορεί να σωθεί από το είδος τους και τη ζωή που ήξεραν μέχρι τώρα. Σίγουρα υπάρχει ενδιαφέρον για την τύχη όλων τους. Και σίγουρα οι συγγραφείς έχουν πλέξει με ιδιαίτερη προσοχή και ενδιαφέρον το κουβάρι της μοίρας του καθενός τους, για όσο θα συνεχίσει καθένας από αυτούς να μας απασχολεί εντός της αφήγησης.
Προσωπικά, βρήκα ενδιαφέρον περισσότερο την προετοιμασία της επερχόμενης 'μάχης' του Σετρακιάν, του Εφ και της υπόλοιπης ομάδας με τον Αφέντη. Προφανώς δεν θα έχει τα αποτελέσματα που θέλουν (μιας και είπαμε, έπεται και τρίτο βιβλίο), αλλά για εκείνους φαντάζει ό,τι σημαντικότερο και αυτή η αίσθηση περνάει και στον αναγνώστη. Το όποιο ειδύλλιο, για παράδειγμα, σίγουρα δεν θα είχε/δεν έχει επ' ουδενί το ίδιο ενδιαφέρον τη δεδομένη στιγμή. Εδώ ο κόσμος χάνεται, κυριολεκτικά...
Το καλύτερο όλων είναι πως κι αυτό το βιβλίο, όπως και το προηγούμενο, διαβάζεται εξίσου γρήγορα, δεν κάνει κοιλιά και οι εξελίξεις κυλούν με τέτοιον τρόπο, που σε κρατάνε προσηλωμένο στην αφήγηση. ...more

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Apr 10, 2018 Книжни Криле rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Трилогията „Напаст” на Гийермо дел Торо и Чък Хоган продължава адски настървено. „Падението” всъщност е истински възход за вампирските истории, чиито зъби май се бяха поизпилили през последните години. И в пряк, и в преносен смисъл, авторското дуо предоставя на жанра свежата кръв, за която той така жадува! Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":

https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

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Feb 20, 2011 Becky rated it liked it

Shelves: apocalyptic-types, fantasy, bad-shit-and-atrocities, horror, mystery-and-thrillers, ebook_nook, reviewed, vampires, science-fiction, ww2

Low to mid 3 stars.

This continuation of the story from The Strain definitely provided more insight into a lot of different aspects of the story, and, if one extrapolates a bit, explains some things that were left unexplained in the first book. There was a lot of action, and a lot of gore and a lot of tension, and a whole lot of things-not-going-well-for-humanity-in-general, but all that being said, I didn't like this one quite as much as the last one.

I felt like some things were very... incons Low to mid 3 stars.

This continuation of the story from The Strain definitely provided more insight into a lot of different aspects of the story, and, if one extrapolates a bit, explains some things that were left unexplained in the first book. There was a lot of action, and a lot of gore and a lot of tension, and a whole lot of things-not-going-well-for-humanity-in-general, but all that being said, I didn't like this one quite as much as the last one.

I felt like some things were very... inconsistently convenient in this book. Things mainly pertaining to Z. I like the kid, but by the end of this book, I kind of feel like he's a big ol' plot device. I feel like he's there to move certain pieces of the story into place, and pull at our heartstrings at the same time. Since when did he have asthma? Never. But in this book, because it would make him more vulnerable, he did. The knife he carries explains a certain quirky naming convention in the books as well. It just kind of felt convenient, rather than realistic or true to the character.

And then this book, seemingly because I said in my review of the last one how I liked that this was a scientific and plausible virulent event, is now heading in the other direction... *sigh* Why couldn't it just be evolution, that some creepy little leech found out that hijacking a human makes for a much bigger feast than just latching onto one? I guess I'll have to see what the next book holds, to see where this goes, but right now, I'm disappointed in this causality shift. BAH!

But then, I liked it... I like the big-picture views we get from Eph's journal entries, and I liked the concept of the Ancients, and their role in this book. It didn't annoy me (well, other than the slight annoyance due to the stuff listed above), and I had no desire to throw it at the wall (not like I would, my Nook is my Precious!) and I finished it pretty quickly, so it did hold my attention and my curiosity, so that's a plus. I just feel like... so far, overall, this trilogy could be a stronger story than it is...

Horror October 2011: #7 ...more

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Nov 27, 2014 Rade rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I tried like crazy to care about the people in the book, to care about their families, their friends, and hope for the best. Unfortunately, I felt the writing was a bit on a half-assed side. The entire book read like it was a mediocre half price bin thriller. I was never completely engrossed into the story. In fact, some pages I can say that I skipped. Mostly the pep talk Eph gave his son Zach which is nice but it did not move the story forward one ...more

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Dec 29, 2017 Scott Rhee rated it liked it

Shelves: vampires, science-fiction, horror

Vampires haven’t had a very good decade. Not naming names or anything, but Stephenie Meyer is completely to blame. I’m a 40-something heterosexual male, so right there that tells you a lot about me, I’m sure. First of all, I’m nowhere near the intended demographic for Meyer’s ridiculously popular Young Adult series of books about teen vampires and the vapid emo-girls who love them, Twilight. Second of all, (based on the market research, anyway) I shouldn’t be reading much of anything, let alone ...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Dyuti rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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. An ...more

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Jun 09, 2015 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

La historia sigue siendo atrapante, la tensión x saber q ocurre no decae en ningún momento...
Los personajes están bien definidos, incluso los malos...
Excelente historia!!
Recomiendo toda la saga

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Jun 26, 2016 Dan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Yes, this is different from the show, and yes it is way better too. Don't know how soon I will read the 3rd and final book, but I am not sure how that will be considering how this one ended.

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Sep 08, 2017 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books, fiction-vampires

8/9 - I'm sorry, book, it's me, not you. I still liked the continuing story of the fall of Manhattan to the vampire plague, but I lost interest in the middle and ended up taking a month to finish it (three weeks longer than the first book in the series). I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I had in the first book. It also felt like Eph, Sertrakian, Fet, and Nora (and the new guys) were fighting a losing battle - what can four adults and a teenager really do against almost all the res 8/9 - I'm sorry, book, it's me, not you. I still liked the continuing story of the fall of Manhattan to the vampire plague, but I lost interest in the middle and ended up taking a month to finish it (three weeks longer than the first book in the series). I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I had in the first book. It also felt like Eph, Sertrakian, Fet, and Nora (and the new guys) were fighting a losing battle - what can four adults and a teenager really do against almost all the rest of humanity? No one with any authority believes the unexplained absences are anything more than a bad case of the flu and then when they finally get a clue it's too late and they get slaughtered - it all felt pointless and disheartening. At the moment I'm imagining the end of the third book shows whatever characters remain as living in a vampire apocalypse world where the darkness never recedes and The Master's grand plan of human farms is only days away from success. I will read the conclusion, but I think I'd better give it a while before I get it from the library, otherwise I might feel similarly burnt out on vampire apocalypses as I am now.

In case I don't read The Night Eternal for ages I'm going to add in a quick recap under a spoiler tag for my own use (I don't want to have to reread both of these books in preparation for finally reading the third book) (view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Noodle TheNaughtyNightOwl rated it really liked it

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 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. ...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Cheryl rated it really liked it

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 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.
...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Zwaantina De Graven rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Het boek kwam wat langzaam op gang, vooral in vergelijking met het eerste deel. Even was ik bang voor second book syndrome, maar naarmate het boek vorderde kwam er ook weer wat vaart in het verhaal. Eigenlijk wilde ik het boek 3* geven, maar het einde zorgt ervoor dat ik het toch 4* geef.

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Challenge Fac...: Lulu and Alana - The Fall	7	13	Apr 24, 2015 10:15AM
The Ancient Ones? (Spoilers)	2	59	Aug 27, 2014 12:52AM
Goodreads Librari...: Please correct page count for 9786071106759	3	25	Aug 05, 2014 11:32PM
Madison Mega-Mara...: The Fall (The Strain Trilogy, #2)	1	2	Apr 30, 2013 05:54AM
Book to get a modern vocabulary in a motion	4	58	Dec 20, 2011 10:08AM

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About Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro

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Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director mostly known for his acclaimed films Pan's Labyrinth, The Devils Backbone, Crimson Peak 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 s ...more