The Fall: Book Two of the Strain Trilogy

Del Toro's trilogy is a great addition to the genre, I just wish the books were better written. In The Strain, book 1 in the series, the first 100 pages are excellent. Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's intro to the series is as suspenseful and scary as Ive read. But then it seems as if they get bored with the process of writing and rushed through the rest of the book stringing the plot together. There are memorable atmospheric moments and characters here and there, but they are stitched together in a way that feels rushed. This feeling of an unfinished product is even more glaring in The Fall, book 2 in the series. While I was reading I noticed inconsistencies and typos that just seemed sloppy. For example, a character is said to enter a store just before dawn, only to then see the sun setting through a window. It's a minor detail, but it creates a dissonance that damages the overall feel of the book. Del Toro is a phenomenal story teller, but his medium is visual (watch any of his excellent movies). I wish the team had spent more time on the writing and the editing. It would have made for a much more memorable product.

So far i have read the first two books in this series. The fall reeks of, this should be a movie. this is one of the best series since Twilight. I hope a movie is in the works. I would see it at the theater, and buy the DVD. This series totally rocks.

Surprisingly I enjoyed this book even more than the first. The pace was much faster, there was more back story, and a lot more action. It seemed like there was a great deal more suspense and surprises as well...I found myself gasping and putting my hand over my mouth in shock at several scenes toward the end...and what an intense ending it was! I cannot WAIT for The Night Eternal...this is going to be a really long year! Highly recommended!

Surprisingly I enjoyed this book even more than the first. The pace was much faster, there was more back story, and a lot more action. It seemed like there was a great deal more suspense and surprises as well...I found myself gasping and putting my hand over my mouth in shock at several scenes toward the end...and what an intense ending it was! I cannot WAIT for The Night Eternal...this is going to be a really long year! Highly recommended!

The book is good, I mean as much as you can expect from the third book in a series. The only problem I had was with the condition. The book was listed as 'Good'. however, upon arrival, the book's spine was bent and broken and multiple pages were rumpled so that the book didn't close properly. But, it was inexpensive, so I guess that's a plus.

I just loved this second book as much as the first one. It is very well written, a real page-turner. I have just started reading the third and last book of the trilogy and I am pretty sure it is going to be great.

Predictable, but not exactly in a boring way. So far, the series has read like a script. The whole time I was reading it, and the first volume for that matter, I could see the not very imaginative made for TV version playing in my head. Not good, not terrible, just not great.

second book of a trilogy,great book,creepy,moves along fairly quickly.i picked this up because of guillermo del toro and i was not disappointed.i cant wait for the 3rd book to come out,2011 is too long to wait.

I was eagerly waiting for this sequel; unfortunately I was a bit disappointed. The story lacked the action and intensity of the first book, "The Strain". The characters- in my opinion lacked the emotion and passion that was developed in the first book- with the exception of Vasily Fet. One thing that kept me intrigued was the slight twist used by bringing into the story, the rag tag gang of street warriors and the mysterious Mr.Quinlan. I certainly hope that the third installment to this series will be - well more attractive.

The first book of this trilogy floated to the good category on the account of introducing the basic concepts of its characters. This, his second book, is slow, repetitive, and mediocre. The authors could have exercised literary wisdom by converting the trilogy into a duology and use the erase side of the pencil more frequently.

I actually purchased this by accident when meaning to purchase The Strain, otherwise I would probably never have read this book - and I really wouldn't have been missing much. The logical inconsistencies in this book are so terrible that it spoils the whole thing. I just don't know whether to blame Guillermo or Chuck. I am so glad I didn't purchase book 3 by accident too. I'm never going to find out what happened and it's never going to bother me.

It took me 3 weeks to read this because I would fall asleep after 2 pages. It actually conditioned me to fall asleep while reading. If you want to read a good vampire novel, try just about anything else. Including Twilight.

I just loved this second book as much as the first one. It is very well written, a real page-turner. I have just started reading the third and last book of the trilogy and I am pretty sure it is going to be great.

Predictable, but not exactly in a boring way. So far, the series has read like a script. The whole time I was reading it, and the first volume for that matter, I could see the not very imaginative made for TV version playing in my head. Not good, not terrible, just not great.

second book of a trilogy,great book,creepy,moves along fairly quickly.i picked this up because of guillermo del toro and i was not disappointed.i cant wait for the 3rd book to come out,2011 is too long to wait.

I was eagerly waiting for this sequel; unfortunately I was a bit disappointed. The story lacked the action and intensity of the first book, "The Strain". The characters- in my opinion lacked the emotion and passion that was developed in the first book- with the exception of Vasily Fet. One thing that kept me intrigued was the slight twist used by bringing into the story, the rag tag gang of street warriors and the mysterious Mr.Quinlan. I certainly hope that the third installment to this series will be - well more attractive.

The first book of this trilogy floated to the good category on the account of introducing the basic concepts of its characters. This, his second book, is slow, repetitive, and mediocre. The authors could have exercised literary wisdom by converting the trilogy into a duology and use the erase side of the pencil more frequently.

I actually purchased this by accident when meaning to purchase The Strain, otherwise I would probably never have read this book - and I really wouldn't have been missing much. The logical inconsistencies in this book are so terrible that it spoils the whole thing. I just don't know whether to blame Guillermo or Chuck. I am so glad I didn't purchase book 3 by accident too. I'm never going to find out what happened and it's never going to bother me.

It took me 3 weeks to read this because I would fall asleep after 2 pages. It actually conditioned me to fall asleep while reading. If you want to read a good vampire novel, try just about anything else. Including Twilight.

This was the second book in the series and I must say that it was pretty good. This book does require however that you read the first book in order to fallow anything that is happening. Looking forward to see how the series wraps up with all thats going on.

This was a terrible book. The first one in the series had a good intro with the idea of vampires and the eclipse, but this one clearly derailed. I believe this book was printed because the authors are well known. The story had so many holes and the plot just kind of lingered along. It was a book I look forward to finishing so I didn't have to read it anymore. Once I start a book I have to finish it no matter how bad it is. This one was a real stinker.

I stopped caring about the characters, the so called peril they were in, and the fate of the world. My recommendation to all readers on this one is take a pass, and read something more enjoyable.

I'm almost 300 pages in and I'm still reading chapters taken verbatim from the first book. I have come across hardly any new material thus far. What a complete rip off! They basically put a new cover on "The Strain." I'm guessing the last 30 pages or so will actually develop the storyline.

I ordered this trilogy based upon Del Toro's work, like Pan's Labyrinth. I think he lent his name to the books and maybe came up with some of the more scary ideas, but I think the coauthor actually did the writing, and not very well. The first book starts out pretty well, and the ideas are pretty good, but the writing is so childish that I didn't bother reading the other two.
This will make a good movie if the dialogue gets rewritten because it IS a scary idea.

Received instantly. I enjoyed the book but can only read my kindle inside, I currently can't buy an additional updated version. I will continue ordering books from the store, pleased with the choices and services.

The authors threw out the window a great concept and created a poor story. The first book does not stand alone and you have to buy the other two books of the trilogy. It is all made to take your money away, wast your time and dull you with poor story telling. Stay away.

Well - I know it's a reader's disaster when I start to do the "dreaded SKIP" thru the pages and this is what just happened with The Fall. Sorry Dudes - the first in the trilogy - The Strain - completely captivated me, kept my attention from beginning to end. Not so with The Fall. I felt so let down with this - the 2nd in the trilogy - that I doubt that I will buy the last - The Night Eternal. None of the major characters entralled me anymore, except for FET - I was in yawns-ville by the 3rd chapter. There were a few good moments near the end that gave me a good page or two of "hey - this is getting better" - til I realized I was a few pages from the end. So - with the next not due until sometime in 2011 - I am not thinking of wasting my money - pure dud.

the mother trying to get her child thru a steel bar window? wow! vampire book? more like this earth alien made of killer worms. first book got me to buy the second but have not finished second one 4 books ago now.

I cannot believe how bad this book is compared to the Strain. The Strain had you from the first page. The Fall had me skipping pages to see if there was ever going to be a story worth reading.I never just quit a book. This is the first and I feel really ripped off.VERY DISAPPOINTED.

This was the first time I have been so disappointed with an order from the store. Didn't get "The Fall". Instead a 'Second' copy of the The Night Eternal. This was for my granddaughter and she is special to me. Very bad experience!!!!

In "The Fall", humanity has lost the war against the vampire plague. The virus has spread across the world and the undead outnumber the living on a global scale. Humans are no longer at the top of the food chain. They are now the food.

Once again, it's up to Eph, Nora, Fett, Gus, and Professor Setrakian, the handful of humans who truly know what is at stake, to prevent the Master and his collective hive of vampires from further tearing down the world order. But not all is lost.

The Master has other enemies who wish to see him fall. Enemies of humanity as well but allies in a time of crisis. Between these three factions lays a book called the Occido Lumen which could possibly hold the secret of turning the tide against the Master.

"The Fall" setups up the pieces for the final book of the trilogy by revealing the true plans of the Master, giving the audience a hint of the origins of the vampires existence, and closing the door on several character story arcs and expanding further upon others.

Being exposed to the television series first, the difference between both is like night and day with certain characters never having existed, characters who died in end up living, and a wholly better explanation for events, character motivations, and better characterization, especially for the character of Zac, who the television show butchered.

Cannot wait to finish the series with "The Night Eternal".

This second book in Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's vampire trilogy certainly improved as far as editing issues or clumsy paragraphs or structure, and for the most part, the book was highly entertaining and fast paced. I ended no sooner when I had just picked the book up to read. Mostly I think because of the way the chapters were set up and that there were more action scenes this go around. There were only two hard hitting hang ups I found with this tale. One, it was missing that sort of charm from the first book, the historical backdrop to the modern chaos going on. Now, my own flaw is preferring apocalyptic tales as they are taking place, and not as an enduring obstacle. Second, the ending to The Fall is as true to the title as one can get; however, it left me no desire to pick up the third book as the first book had galvanized me into the second. It was well written and action oriented, and I enjoyed Goodweather's journal entries as an added bonus. Be that is it may, I finished this book, technically, something in Feb 2017, and I am just now getting to my review and have yet to pick up the third book.

There appears to be little to no hope of containing the vampires to Manhattan at this point as reports of strange riots and related incidents are now cropping up all over the world. The confrontation between The Master and our little band of heroes did not end as well as hoped but at the very least they were able to hurt him. And now their best bet is to try to locate the Master as quickly as possible in the hopes of delivering the killing blow against him. But Dr. Ephraim Goodweather is more and more concerned about the safety of his son Zach, especially since they now know for sure that his wife Kelly has been turned into a vampire.

The elderly Abraham Setrakian also has another angle of investigation he hopes to pursue - that regarding an almost mythical tome known as the Occido Lumen. This book bound in silver is said to contain ancient histories regarding the vampires and the elusive Massive that they hope to defeat, but the silver bindings ironically keep it out of vampiric hands. And it seems that the book has been found and is going up for auction despite the madness going on around the city - a rather strange coincidence given everything that has happened so far. But Setrakian firmly believes that this book is a major key to finding a way to defeat the Master.

As is the challenge of middle books in trilogies, at first it seems like our protagonists don't have all that much to do. There's a lot of shuffling around and moments of tension that lead to nowhere. We even have some annoying incidents of characters doing stupid things because the group includes an older woman and a young boy. But one has to deal with such challenges in order to get to the better parts of the story.

But this book also included some strange innovations that I don't think really fit well with the narrative. There was some effort to be a bit more creative in presenting the story beyond mere basic narrative paragraphs, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. But to have a more or less action-oriented character like the rat catcher Vasiliy put up a blog about his thoughts as a really weight move. I think I would have been a bit more okay with Zach posting his thoughts on the internet since he's largely bonded to his phone this whole time, but Vasiliy? Really? And did having us read these blog posts really move the story forward? These asides just struck me as odd and just didn't quite fit the overall narrative.

Zach has become a really annoying character this time around. He wasn't too bad in the first book and at least felt like he had something to contribute. This time around he mostly felt like one of those characters that you need to keep safe in a video game. He barely speaks, spends most of his time listening to music on his iPod (and who still has iPods?) and seems to just get shuffled from plot point to plot point. It goes without saying that it's pretty clear he's going to get lost sooner or later. It's only a question of time.

There's a side plot regarding the other Ancients and their response to the incursion by the Master, but that didn't quite get as addressed as I had hoped. Instead we get mostly scenes of generic vampire vs human combat and little else. There are very few scenes with the Ancients themselves and you'd think that they'd take a slightly more active role in things given all the chaos going on around the world.

And of course there's the Eldrithc Palmer angle that wasn't too great in the first book and really got muddy this time around. The Master's big plan involving Palmer was always a little strange and it was never immediately apparent why the Master let him live this long. He never really appeared to be all that useful and spends most of his scenes whining about his looming death or demanding that he get what he is due.

On the whole, the book is still okay and there are far worse titles out there, but it just doesn't accomplish much. The first book was exciting as it set the stage and presented vampires in a very clinical fashion. But now that we know what works in terms of killing them, it seems the old lore has triumphed and it's back to using silver bullets and decapitating the vampires instead of any larger solution. Eph seems to have given up being a doctor and instead is trying to keep pace with more experienced killers like Vassiliy.

The Fall suffers from all the challenges of being a middle book with the added struggles of weird narrative decisions and poor characterization for background players. There's definitely a certain "visual" appeal to all the scenes involving fighting the vampires, but too much can be a bad thing.

I really wanted to like this book more. I loved the first one and I was excited to read this one. The first thing I noticed is it's much shorter than the other two. I can see why. There's no story! The first 50 pages or so give you way too much recap on what happened in the first book even though it picks up right after it. You should supposedly already know what happened so it's a waste of space. The whole Kelly storyline is more annoying in this one in the last, which makes it pretty annoying haha. I'm glad Gus finally got his story going, and his is definitely the most interesting but they hardly spend any time on it. It's a slow moving pace overall until the last 70 pages but by that time the book is ending. I was pretty disappointed with how much actually happened in the story to shift from the end of the first book to the end of this one. Hopefully things get better for the third, but this was a weak effort for a second installment in what could have been a pretty strong arc.

The Second book in the trilogy picks up almost immediately after the conclusion of `The Strain', and chronicles the horrendous manifestations of the following three weeks or so (with added back story, told through flashbacks concerning Setrakian) as the vampires take Manhattan --- and beyond like a pandemic, the likes of which Mankind has never seen--- and civilization begins to crumble. Our modern day Vampire enabler and top Corporate CEO Palmer uses his quiet influence to compel a news blackout concerning the true nature of what is really going on. The disappearances and deaths are blamed on a virus, and there is no meaningful resistance to the ever-growing number of vampires. Setrakian is confident that a legendary ancient book, long lost to history, will contain the answer to defeating the Master once and for all. Goodweather, has other ideas, as he plots an assassination attempt that he believes will upset the uneasy 'force multiplier' of Palmer and the Master. For the rest, you will have to read the book!

The real narrative, however; for me, takes place in the streets of New York, in the shuttered tenements, and other vacated buildings, and in subway tunnels where vampires, use them like `rat runs' and emerge to hunt for food. For those that try to fight, they are scattered valiant but doomed. THE FALL is believable and frightening.

** spoiler alert ** Oh dear god, just when I thought it couldn't get any more trite.

I got the whole trilogy for Christmas and so I finished it, but I have to say now that if you are not in this position, please don't do it to yourself. For the love of whatever you hold dear, turn around...go grab a Jonathan Maberry book instead. They have serious problems too, but they're a lot more palatable and orders of magnitude more exciting and fun.

At any rate, Eph's (the main character) stupidity continues unabated in this book, but that's really not the worst offense. The world is never coherently displayed. At times, it's the apocalypse with no one really capable of living seemingly normal lives and at others, people seem to have no idea anything overtly strange is happening.

The book is significantly more fun than the first for most of its length, though the action sequences for mass vampire slaying are lifeless, essentially scenes written just because they seemed necessary. The slayers never encounter any real threat to their lives. Those that die never have names and I think it was only like 2 of them anyway. These types of scenes would work a lot better on a screen.

The biggest problem though, is what I feared in the first book: this story has no teeth.

Oh sure there are nuclear explosions, the murder of unfathomably old beings en masse, and the brutal death of at least one major character... When push comes to shove though, Hogan just doesn't deliver a satisfying horror or even thriller story. It's just tepid write-by-numbers. He almost got me twice near the end of this book, but the prose itself made me relatively certain of the outcome. I was right both times.

Nora's moment builds and then expires with a sigh, Eph gains magical vampire-slaying abilities by way of 'paternal need', and Zack is immune to the entire premise laid out in the preceding 600+ pages due merely to writer fiat. It's not that Hogan won't cross that line (he has done it several times in this series) but the protagonists are specialer than the rest of the world. Yes. I said specialer.

I don't mind that protagonists survive, but make me believe it's because of them, not because the writer decided it should be so in spite of the story he sets up. I'm not asking for Martin levels of protagonist lethality, but come on...it's a vampire apocalypse. Set your stakes with something other than disposable supporting characters and heroic meaningful sacrifices. Make the protagonists bleed a bit.

I suppose I should just accept it for the popcorn read it is, but the reviews and hype had me set for something truly special: apocalyptic horror adventure. It just doesn't quite deliver.

New York is falling fast under the power of the head vampire known as the Master. His minions control New York City at night and their numbers are increasing every hour. Eph, Fet, Nora, and Setrackian have fought their way through the city and they are joined by gang bangers and an ex professional wrestler in the battle against evil. Setrackian has figured out the Master's plans and it means the end of the world as mankind knows it. Can they stop the tide of the undead vampires or is mankind doomed..........

This is an excellent second book of the series. Some parts of this book have already appeared in the TV series's first season. The story is fast paced and both sides have to figure out how to battle each other as New York City and the world collapse into a vampire apocalypse.

This is a very good horror story and I read it and listened to it using Audible's book option. I played it on my car's bluetooth system and my wife and I enjoyed the storyline and the action. If you are a fan of horror stories then I recommend this series of books to you. I have enjoyed the two that I have read and I am just starting the third book. They are entertaining and well written. The audio book is well done with a professional narrator.

I recommend these books to you and the Audible feature is very good. I brought it when they were selling it for an additional $2.00 but now they have dramatically raised the prices online.

***Potential spoilers if you've not read The Strain***

The Fall picks up right where The Strain left off. The vampire strain is spreading through New York at a rampant pace. Eph, Fet, and Setrakian are all doing their best to keep the vampires at bay. They (along with Eph's son Zach) have holed up in Setrakian's store to strategize. Kelly, Zach's mom, has found them as she is drawn to Zach; she needs to turn him into a vampire like herself. Since the Master sees through the eyes of all that have been turned, he knows where they are hiding as well. They must move and figure out the next part of their plan...how to get the Occio Lumen...a mysterious book that purports to have the secret of the origins of the Ancients within its covers. The Ancients are at war with the New World vampires. The Ancients liked the status quo and were selective about those that entered their ranks. The Master is spreading his line throughout the world and the Ancients are on the defensive to keep him in check. Human life hangs in the balance, caught in the middle of the war between old and new.

This was another fun ride in The Strain trilogy. The first book was all about introduction to the vampire strain, how it's transmitted and what that means. This book picks up in the 'acceptance of a new reality' phase. Humans realize that the world as they knew it is no longer. Those that can fight are, those that can't are turned. It seems Setrakian has been holding out on Fet and Eph all the knowledge that he has of the vampires. What seems like the Master's ultimate goal may not really be what he's after. There were a couple interesting twists in this book, especially towards the end. I'm interested to see where it lands in the last book.

Some quotes:
"It took the world just sixty days to end. And we were there to account for it - our omissions, our arrogance ... By the time the crisis went to Congress, and was analyzed, legislated, and ultimately vetoed, we had already lost. The night belonged to them."

"The first stage of public response to any epidemic is always Denial. The second, Search For Blame. All the usual scarecrows were trotted out as distractions: economic woes, social unrest, the racial scapegoating, terrorist threats. But in the end, it was just us. All of us. We allowed it to happen because we never believed it could happen. We were too smart. Too advanced. Too strong. And now the darkness is complete."

"The dinosaurs left behind almost no trace of themselves. A few bones preserved in amber, the contents of their stomachs, their waste. I only hope that we may leave behind something more than they did."

"... as we all know, time is sand now and the hourglass is no longer being turned by human hands."

Among the many artistic and practical challenges that novelists face, one of the more frustrating must be this: writing the second novel of a trilogy that can stand on its own rather than as a bridge from the first novel to the concluding novel. Del Toro and Hogan confront that challenge with “The Fall,” the second novel in their trilogy, and they succeed better than most.

The story picks up immediately after the conclusion of “The Strain,” the first book in the trilogy, and the remaining band of vampire hunters fight the good fight against the Master and his vampire and human minions. The action is fast-paced, the plotting is quick, and the death and destruction are relentless. In the course of the story, we learn more about Setrakian’s past, and a new plot element is introduced—an ancient book that contains the secrets of the strigoi’s origins. The novel concludes with the death of a major character, another character in dire jeopardy, and the world on the brink of nuclear winter—all of which points clearly to a thrilling conclusion in “The Night Eternal,” the final book in the trilogy.

I suspect that the concluding volume (which I’ve not yet read) will be just as enjoyable as the first and somewhat better than this one—a serviceable and better-than-average “bridge” between the first and the last.

I feel slightly odd writing a book review for a novel I didn't really finish, but I wanted to sort out my feelings about this. I liked the first novel for the most part, but this one just didn't grab my attention for some reason.

What I did like about this book is that the authors tried very hard to keep the concept of "vicious vampires" alive, mixing in just enough back story for the big reveal in the next book. I'd snuck a glimpse at the TV Tropes entry and with that knowledge in mind, I can see where Hogan and del Toro were building up to that somewhat. The characters are also relatively well done in this book, as much of their reactions are fairly realistic for the most part. I know that this is a fantasy and all that, but I always appreciate it when authors try to decide how people would actually react to a scenario and stage the novel's actions based upon that. That's part of what made me keep going with this book as much as I did. Some of the interactions might seem slightly unrealistic, but you should never really underestimate the ability and determination of the human population to remain ignorant in bad situations. That's played upon here, which I liked.

The big problem is that this just didn't spark my interest. I had to really push myself to keep listening to this. I can't really place my finger on any one thing that impeded my fun. The plot movements here are pretty much done at the same pace as the first novel and the narration is good. For all of its pomp and fanfare, the book is relatively understated when you compare it to how it could have been written. It's both overrated and underrated by its audience, as I can acknowledge that it's a decent story but I think that part of why I'm so disappointed is that I expected more from this. It's just sort of "meh" as far as I'm concerned. It's better than much of the gritty "vampires as cold blooded killers" fare out there, but neither is it a "Midnight Mass" type of book.

If the TV series ever gets made I'll probably watch it, as this book continues with some pretty novel ideas brought up in the first entry, but I think I'm pretty much done with the books. They're OK and I'd recommend them to readers who want their vampires to be bad guys and not emo pretty boys, but for the rest I'd recommend this as a library read. You're either going to love this or you're going to kind of shrug your shoulders in ambivalence.

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 so good he is right up with the all time Legend Stephen King! This guy also wrote don't be Afraid of the Dark that is in the Theaters' now! He is the visionary creator of The Academy Award-winning Pan's Labyrinth. (For those of you who aren't familiar)

This awesome novel is about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all of humanity!! In just one week Manhattan will be gone!

In one month the country!

In two the whole entire world! ! !

When a plane is lands at JFK airport, everyone noticed all the blinds in the windows are shut tight. There is no sign of anyone coming out, no communication at all. Everyone is clueless is to what had happened here! Suddenly when an alert goes out about some biological threat? Then they began to try to board the plane, to see what has happened. What they discover is something to make anyone's blood curl.

On another side of the city a character named Abraham senses something is changing within the city rapidly, I bet he never imagined in his dreams that a virus is breaking out among the city that is rapidly spreading threw mankind!! That virus causes you to turn ........ Into a vampire!

This Vampire is unlike that sexy smart alluring vamp like in twilight, we all love! Let's say it's really horrifying, almost zombie like. With this spreading everywhere in to everyone! All that you know is gone and changed!! There is nowhere to hide; you must get out there & fight back to survive!

5/5

What I did like about the book:

This book is incredibly fast paced. I love how both authors write so fluidly and not a moment on the page is wasted. You spend the entire time you're reading the book on the edge of your seat and your heart pumping to find out what happens next.
The images both authors paint are descriptive and horrifying! Some of them literally gave me goose bumps. The vampires are pretty disgusting creatures and the imagination that went into creating them must have been great. To say it kept me sacred with my skin crawling the entire time is an understatement. The violence was gruesome but exactly like it should be in a book dealing with such a gruesome story.
I enjoyed the multiple points of view. Sometimes this doesn't work so well but in this book it does. I'm always amazed at how they can bring back characters you haven't read about for a few chapters and you still are like "oh my God, what is going to happen now?" The characters are so in-depth. Their personalities are all different, some good and so bad! But I cared about what happened to them and that to me says the author did their job pretty well. The little bit of romance between Nora and Eph was enough to keep things hot but not enough to drown the story in it.
My emotions went up and down with this book from fear to sorrow to rooting for the main character. A book that makes me feel different kinds of emotions are my favorite.

What I didn't like about the book:
There was a pocket of slowness in the middle but when it did pick up I was blown away!

Overall: I recommend this to anyone who loves vampire horror books but please read book one first!

Rated: R: Language, brutal, violence, sexuality
Rating 5/5 Stars

The attempts by Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, Abraham Setrakian and their various allies to stop the vampires from spreading across New York City have failed, and the city is now falling into darkness. The plans of the evil 'Master' and his pawn Eldritch Palmer are becoming clearer, spelling doom not just for humanity but for those vampire clans opposed to the Master's will. With little choice, Setrakian forges an alliance of convenience with his ancient enemies to bring down their mutual foe.

The Fall is the sequel to last year's well-received The Strain and the middle volume of a trilogy (the finale, Eternal Night, is due late next year). Conceived and developed for television by Guillermo del Toro (the director of Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy series) before he decided to retask it is a literary project, the book mixes his trademark action sequences and visual imagery with co-writer Chuck Hogan's thriller sensibilities, resulting in another tight and fast-moving novel.

This is not high literature, but The Fall remains a well-paced and action-packed read. This is much more of an undemanding airport novel than say Justin Cronin's more weighty The Passage, but there are some nice horror flourishes in the book, most notably the twisted relationship between the newly-turned vampires and their 'Dear Ones', their loved ones in life whom they are driven to turn above all others. There are other, deeper moments of characterisation (particularly revelations about Setrakian's history) but this is a book more about the action than deep and meaningful characters and themes. It succeeds in its aims, but as such risks being a fun but forgettable book, particularly when the corn starts kicking in (the feuding criminal gangs of NYC joining forces to become elite vampire-killers is ridiculous but also fun to read). There is a strong cliffhanger ending, however, where the stakes and scale of the story are ramped up to new and more impressive levels.

The Fall (***½) lacks the growing sense of horror of the first volume in the trilogy, with much more emphasis on action. It's a fast-moving story, but I can't help feeling that del Toro would have made much more of this story if he was in Pan's Labyrinth mode rather than Hellboy. As such it's fun, but lacks depth. The novel is available now in the UK and US.

This is the second novel in Guillermo Del Toro's The Strain trilogy.

This sequel sees New York being taken over by vampires and a corrupt government and officials covering up the true nature of the disaster facing mankind. Once again, Del Toro and co-write Chuck Hogan show their eye for a movie and this novel reads very much like it is geared towards screen adaptation. However, it would seem that the authors have stepped up their game considerably after setting the scene with The Strain. The Fall really delivers the goods, is not as derivative as its predecessor and takes a vampire tale to a level I have never seen on the big or small screen.

Much like The Strain, The Fall reads very much as a high paced action horror but has a distinctly gloomier tone than most vampire stories. Hell, the vampires are winning here! Some say that this tone is depressing. I would suggest that if you are reading horror novels then you aren't particularly in the market for something lighthearted and ought to have read the book sleeve before you cracked the spine.

Perhaps due to the fact that this is the second novel in the trilogy, I felt that overall the character development was much better in The Fall. New characters were introduced that I genuinely felt compassion for and think many of the characters are not the tired clichés seen in so much vampire fiction. My personal favourite and one worth watching out for (who doesn't get near enough page space!) is Angel Guzman Hurtado. I'll leave it to you to find out more!

The Fall is a superior sequel to The Strain but with hindsight, The Strain set this up nicely.

In the 2nd book in the Del Toro & Hogan "Strain" trilogy, the authors continue their story of vampire hunters in an NYC overrun by bloodsuckers. The first book detailed the arrival of The Master, one of seven Ancient vampires, new to the Big Apple and bringing a contagion along with him. In The Fall, the unlikely band of vamp hunters composed of an elderly Holocaust survivor (Setrakian), a CDC doctor (Eph) and an exterminator (Fet), together with some cohorts, are in search of a very old book that may contain the secret to fighting the Ancients. Meanwhile, widespread chaos is enveloping the City as the vampire plague spreads, and The Master is setting his own greater and more deadly plot in motion.

The Fall is a fast-paced novel that builds toward a thrilling conclusion that's explosive (literally) and also sets the stage for the concluding volume of this trilogy. Even more than the first book, this one seems to have "movie" written all over it, perhaps not surprising considering Mr. Del Toro's day job. There are dozens of action sequences with cinematic potential, especially a train tunnel scene where Nora, Eph's colleague and lover, tries to evade vamps while fleeing a crashed train and protecting her elderly mom and Zach, Eph's teenaged son.

There are many vampire novels out there in the publishing world. To me, what distinguishes these Strain books from the rest are three things: (1) the unique vampire creature, perhaps shaped more by Guillermo Del Toro's imagination than Mr. Hogan's; (2) well constructed action scenes (Hogan's forte); and (3) the now-apocalyptic scale of the story as it moves relentlessly along.

The Fall....
It seems like Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan have found there ultimate niche! Team writer! Lets get this straight... Take Blade II and remove all the enemies of the Vampires.... and we have the Strain Series! The vampires here have NO natural predators! We just hit rock bottom of the food chain!

Okay here we go...
The Fall picks up right where The Strain left off. This section shows The Masters full plan complete with total Biblical reportions! The rapture is the only thing missing! No more heroes! How do we win. Its so hard to talk about this book without spoiling it. So many sensible twist so many deaths, its as though the heroes from the original Strain were temporary! Not a whole new cast just a total feeling of helplessness! Hope is lost in this book.... it makes you want Eternal Night (The supposed final chapter in this trilogy) like a fish wants water! This book moves everything forward in hyper-fast paced fashion! No regrets about this book sept the scene by scene changes were a bit sudden but leave you hanging onto your seat just enough to turn the next page. You realize quickly on that Guilloermo and Chuck have both infected you the reader with The Strain because you read page to page faster and faster devouring each page! Warning, read The Strain first, The Fall is incomplete without it!

Bottom line... As the Strain is the Setting, the Fall is the fighting.... at this pace Eternal Night (The Final Book) will be the KNOCKOUT! I'm already trying to hold out till May 2011!!! Goodness such a long wait! Get this book if you like scary-non-sexcrazed-abercrombie-vampires that have nothing good in them! Buy this book... its a Killer Read!

"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.

I started off this series really enjoying book 1, The Strain, because I enjoyed the procedural novel aspects coupled with the vampire story. I enjoyed reading about the CDC and the ways in which this vampire plague was a virus. Or at least I did for the first half of book 1. But then when it slipped into more expected vampire tropes, and when too many inconsistencies showed up and the point of view changed too many times with characters who were ultimately not important to the plot, I started to lose interest and even thought of not reading this next book.

But I read a review here from someone who liked this book better, and decided to give it a try.

I'm glad I did. I found this second book in the series much more interesting. The characters are compelling to me, and the story kept my interest. While there was shifting point of views, all the point of view characters in this book were important. It was good seeing the familiar characters from book 1, and also getting some new ones: loved the Mexican wrestler! I also thought the apocalyptic feel of this book was well done--and vampire's dastardly plan for world domination was chilling and intriguing--blending two different tropes of horror literature (vampires) with science fiction (the post-apocalypse world).

I'm now looking forward to reading book three! Great job getting the series back together after a bit of a stumble in the first book.

In, The Fall, the second book of The Strain Trilogy, the clock is still ticking as the world as we know it continues to unravel while the deadly vampire virus spreads. This book goes back in time and explains the history of the vampires as well as the old vampire hunter, Setrakian's, past. The ploy of the vampires is explained and it includes a lot of historical events worked into it that worked fairly well, albeit, a little grossly overdone.

This was a good second book to the trilogy and it is a pretty fast read with lots of gruesome details. The story is good and moves with a lot of steam and action. I liked the history thrown in with the present details. It seemed to me that while The Strain was gory in parts, The Fall is pretty gory throughout the entire book. Horror fans will love this tale of mayhem.

I would recommend this book if you like a good horror story and if you like your vampires mean, ugly, and brutal. In, The Fall, the vampires are gross and evil and they have a master who plans to take over the world any way he can and he has a huge master plan that only a few people know about and have the wits and knowledge to stop him and the spread of the virus to save mankind.

The book ends with a lot to look forward to in the last installment. It's a satisfying read in itself but it will definately have you looking forward to the third book. I thought it resembled a Preston/Douglas book with horrid monsters and harried heroes racing against the clock to stop a most determined evil.

I waited for all these books to be out before I read them so I could plow through all three in one go. Good move on my part. These novels are great and really move, I wouldn’t want to take a six month break in between.

What I like best about this story is the fresh take on vampires. Nothing about these things is what we have seen before, it makes this subject exciting again. This would make a fantastic mini-series on TV if it could be pulled off. Memorable characters, exciting action, surprises, a great mystery, and most importantly, the scares! For my money, they could have left out the religious connections, but I admit that does fit in pretty good as far as vampires are concerned.

I’m not sure how two people write a book together, it must be tricky. This reminds me a bit of when George Lucas and Chris Claremont collaborated on the sequels to Willow (Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn, Shadow Star) to equally great effect. Maybe more directors should do this? Well whatever magic sauce is going on here, I hope it keeps going. Great books, they deserve more attention, like yours.

A horrific virus has been unleashed in New York, creating savage vampires that hunt indiscriminately. Civilization has pretty much crumbled, leaving anarchy in the vampires' wake. There is only a small group of people that oppose these powerful creatures, including former CDC employee Ephraim Goodweather and his son, elderly Abraham Setrakian, Nora Martinez, and exterminator Vasiliy Fet. They are the only thing in between the strigoi and total human annihilation. The story continues just after the group failed to destroy the Master, the powerful vampire behind the epidemic. Setrakian hopes to obtain a book from the 17th century that could give him the key to destroying all the vampires, but every time this book has surfaced, disaster has followed, and it costs millions of dollars. To make things worse, Eldritch Palmer, a very rich and sickly man, is giving the Master his full support and Ephraim's ex-wife turned vampire is stalking the small group of heroes to turn her loved ones. Through all these obstacles, can Ephraim and his hodgepodge group save the human race?

Usually, the second book of a trilogy drags and falls flat, simply succeeding in setting up the characters for the grand finale. The Fall is not the typical second book. It is just as compelling as the first book, but very bleak. The vampires Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan created aren't your standard tall, dark, handsome, or sparkling types that have become popular in recent years. They are disgusting and their only interest in humans is for food and transmitting the virus so it will spread as far as possible. This view of vampires is refreshing since there are so few truly dangerous vampire stories out there. I like that the physiological changes from human to vampire are described in detail. It lends a sense of realism to a usually fantastical creature.

There are a few new things in this novel that I found particularly interesting and made the novel compelling. The first is the concept that human love is corrupted and changed in the conversion from human to vampire, leading the new vampire to infect their loved ones with the virus. It makes the epidemic all that more devastating that even love isn't safe from these brutal vampires. This theme recurs throughout the novel and proves to be toxic to the protagonists. Vampire children are introduced when children blinded by the eclipse are kidnapped and turned to be troops that don't rely on eyesight to fight the enemy. These creatures are incredibly disturbing and difficult for the humans to deal with since they still appear to be children. Another new addition is the small group of original ancient vampires that oppose the Master because they view vampirism as a great gift to be given with discretion to only the most deserving. They gather and fund a small army of gang members and other random people to join the fight against the Master. It makes sense that vampires wouldn't want to overtake humans because their food source would be extremely depleted and a situation like in the film Daybreakers may ensue. In that group of fighters is an interesting character named Angel, who is a retired wrestler. He goes from an old, washed up has-been to a fierce fighter again. He experiences a kind of rebirth. His interesting past and drive to fight despite his age made him my favorite new character.

The Strain Trilogy brings vampires from the romance genre they've settled in back to their true horror roots. The Fall is a worthy follow-up to The Strain. This series is addictive and I seriously can't wait for the final installment, Eternal Night, to come out.

I don't want to offend anyone here, but THE FALL, the second installment in the Strain Trilogy by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, is a real vampire book. Don't get me wrong; I love seeing teenagers with books of any sort, and that includes the Twilight series and The Southern Vampire Mysteries, and all the authors and books those have inspired. But when you're dealing with vampires, you don't choose teams or peacefully co-exist in Louisiana hamlets. You watch 30 Days of Night, start melting down the silver, and sharpen anything that looks like a spear. And read THE FALL.

If you read 2009's THE STRAIN, you don't need an introduction to THE FALL. If you haven't, here is all you need to know. On September 24th, a plane on an intercontinental flight from Europe lands at JFK Airport, taxis to the tarmac and stops. The aircraft is very cautiously approached, and it's soon discovered that almost everyone aboard is dead, or worse. Soon vampires are running amok in New York. Officials are in denial, and the social infrastructure is crumbling. There are only a few people who are aware of what is going on. They include Abraham Setrakian, a Holocaust survivor who has been hunting vampires for decades; Ephraim Goodweather, an epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Control; and Vasiliy Fet, a Ukrainian-born exterminator whose skill set has suddenly become extremely handy. None of what is occurring is happenstance. One of seven Ancient Ones --- vampires who have existed for centuries --- has come to the United States, determined to be far more than an equal with his brother vampires. He is aided by Eldritch Palmer, one of the three wealthiest men in the world. Palmer wants to leave his frail, chronically ill body by being turned (into a vampire, that is) and thus exchange his mortality for eternal life, and is willing to sacrifice humanity to do this. By the end of THE STRAIN, Manhattan as we know it is fundamentally changed.

THE FALL picks up almost immediately after the conclusion of THE STRAIN, and chronicles the horrific occurrences of the following three weeks or so (with some remote flashbacks concerning Setrakian) as the vampires take Manhattan --- and beyond --- and civilization begins to fall. It starts with a neat trick, a document indicating that the end of the novel is going to bring very, very bad news. As you read the book, it's difficult to imagine it ending any other way. Palmer uses his quiet influence to institute a news blackout concerning the true nature of what is really going on. The disappearances and deaths are blamed on a virus, and resistance to the ever-growing number of vampires is practically non-existent. Setrakian is hopeful that a legendary book, long lost to history, will contain the answer to defeating the Master once and for all. Goodweather plots an assassination attempt that he believes will upset the uneasy equation of the alliance between Palmer and the Master.

At the same time, Goodweather attempts to protect his son Zach from Kelly, Zach's mother, who has been turned and whose maternal instincts demand that Zach join her at any cost. The Ancient Ones, meanwhile, are extremely unhappy with the Master. They utilize Gus Elizade, a hardened criminal who loves killing, to do their bidding. The unholy alliance between the Master and Palmer begins to fray. Palmer is impatient to be turned, an occurrence that the Master has been delaying, for reasons of his own, even as Palmer lays his own plans for wresting control of things from the Master.

The real story, however, takes place in the streets of New York, in the shuttered bodegas, in vacated apartment buildings, and in subway tunnels where vampires hunt for food and scattered resisters fight a valiant, bloody and ultimately futile battle against them. If the number of subway riders on the New York transit system drops over the next several weeks, THE FALL might be one reason. I will tell you in no uncertain terms that the novel is believable and terrifying. I have been reading this type of literature for over a half-century, and I have never had nightmares like I had last night after reading it.

THE FALL should come with a defibrillator, wrapped in crime scene tape, and bound in garlic (which doesn't work as vampire repellant, by the way). It's still a little early to be talking about it, but this might be the book of the year.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I liked this book, but not nearly as well as the first one. It seemed quite slow in the beginning. Yes, we know that society is falling apart, but scene after scene of just killing vampires does get old after a while. We find out more about the vast conspiracy to let the Master take over the world here, which is only vaguely interesting. Only vaguely because...well, no one involved is particularly likeable. It feels very cliche-bad-guy in some ways, and while I understand the main bad guy's motivations it just feels shallow to me.

The book does pick up significantly towards the end, but I'd say only in the last hundred or less pages. In a book that's almost three hundred pages long, that's a lot of almost-interesting filler. Too much for me, really. I had to force myself through the first half or more of the book, though the last seventy pages or so kept me up late finishing.

Worth a read, but not as good as the first. That sense of creeping dread is gone, too. Toro manages to convey a very gritty, very violent atmosphere but he just doesn't manage to evoke any of the dread, despite depictions of supposedly eerily empty New York streets and subway stations.

Nobody else today does vampires like Guillermo del Toro -- gross, nasty, parasitic monsters with stinger tongues and bloody eyes.

So unsurprisingly, you won't find any sparkling hotties in the second book of the Strain Trilogy, "The Fall," in which Del Toro's talents mesh seamlessly with those of thriller/mystery author Chuck Hogan. It's deliciously, horrendously dark and gruesome, although it takes some chapters to really launch itself off the ground.

A week has passed. New York is crumbling as vampires overrun it every night, and the human population is STILL semi-unaware of what's going on. Abraham Setrakian's little group is in hiding, especially since the newly vampirized Kelly is determined to grab her son Zach. And to make matters worse, a rich, dying man is willing to buy his own immortality via the Master.... an immortality filled with mindless animalistic horror, but whatever.

But as Eph, Fet and Nora battle the vampires in their own small way, another force is rising: the Ancient vampires who want to stop "the unclean strain spreading so promiscuously through your people." And the only way to stop all vampires worldwide may lie in an ancient book that details the way to destroy the Master... and without it, humanity is doomed.

"The Fall" is a nightmare -- crumbling civilization, an intelligent and monstrous villain, and humanity slowly being devoured by sucker-tongued monstrosities. I can't think of any other series that I would like to be in any less, because the entire world is about to become a giant vampiric petri dish. And it. Is. Awesome.

The one downside: it takes some chapters for Hogan and Del Toro to build up all that tension; it was actually kinda boring and confusing near the beginning. But fortunately, once the momentum starts building again, Hogan and Del Toro paint the blood-colored nightscape with with gore, hardcore action, astronauts and a nuclear meltdown (YES! Top that, Twilight!). Not only does del Toro carefully crafts a sweeping, epic backstory for his vampires across the world and time, but he also brings up some interesting questions about where the vampires came from.

And fear for the characters, because things are getting pretty dark for them. Elderly Jewish pawnbroker Setrakian is fleshed out even more, as we see the decades of vampire-hunting. Eph is struggling with the fact that not only is his ex-wife now a vampire, but she's determined to do the same to their son Zach (who is understandably kind of upset).

And we're introduced to a wonderful new character in Angel, an aging Mexican ex-wrestler who now does full-time vampire-slaying. This is quite possibly the coolest character in the whole series.

Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro's "The Fall: Book Two of the Strain Trilogy" is a solid middle chapter to this brilliant horror/adventure series. And it's going to get much darker before the dawn!

Mr. Del Toro's and Mr. Hogan's second book in their vampire trilogy guides are heroes from a bad situation to even worse. While the first novel, "The Strain," was scarier than this sequel, I believe it has to do with the reader becoming inured to legions of vampires attacking people. There are some scary moments, but not anywhere near the level as the first book. Also, the ease in which the protagonists kill hordes of the bloodsuckers without the good guys receiving even one scratch has the same feel as a "Star Wars" film where bullets are flying all over the friggin' place but never seem to hit the heroes. "The Strain" went into deep detail about how being bitten and transformed into a vampire evolved. "The Fall" is more of an action/adventure work. But, mercy, what a fun ride. There are plenty of exciting twists and turns in the story. Some details from the first book are answered and new mysteries arise that will only be revealed in the third installment. This is not a stand-alone work and it is necessary to read the first book to grasp what the hell is going on. I found it to be an enjoyable, easy read and look forward to diving into the last novel "The Night Eternal." At this point, it doesn't matter if the concluding book is scary or not. I am very curious as to how or IF the authors resolve this whole mess in a satisfactory manner.

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 hands on it and then try to decipher its meaning.

The Fall literally is the downfall of humanity, the war has begun and the humans don't seem to be winning the battle. They are hanging on by their fingertips, and of course we won't know the outcome until the third book is done.

Hogan & Del Toro have put together a disturbing, graphic and totally unromantic take on vampire lore and the fall of humanity, which seems to be a new theme with books these days (ex. The Passage). They have crafted a good story that keeps you engaged and challenges you to find a solution where none seems visible. Go along for the ride so far it hasn't been disappointing.

The second novel in the vampire epidemic trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan faces the same scrutiny every follow-up novel to a huge successful debut faces --- does it continue to drive the successful formula forward or does it bring things to a screeching halt?

The `middle child' in most trilogies --- whether they be novel or film --- typically face the challenge of maintaining interest in the series while having little to no resolution (as that is reserved for the series finale). While that is indeed the case with THE FALL --- which has a non-ending and clear cliff-hanger --- the damage that occurs during this spectacularly bleak novel will leave all readers wondering how the protagonists can possibly overcome the vampire strain that seems to have taken over the entire planet!

Led by the dark vampire lord known simply as the Master --- the vampire strain that began in the first novel has reached well beyond epidemic proportions. The Master's hordes are using the earth's own global warming transition to their favor and with the help of several nuclear plant meltdowns are seeking to create a new global atmosphere known as The Night Eternal. In this new world of perpetual darkness, the vampires can exist 24 hours per day and feed on any remaining `living' adversaries that have been driven into hiding.

Our heroes - Eph, Abraham and the exterminator turned vampire-hunter, Fet, have their hands full as they seek to use ancient vampire lore that a group of undead `Ancient Ones' are in possession of. It is only through this that they stand any chance of reversing the destruction the Master and his vampire empire have brought about. Unfortunately for Eph, his ex-wife, Kelly, is a main figure in the new vampire legion and she has plans for their son, Zack that only the Master knows about. The novel moves at a quick pace and successfully raises the interest level and expectations that hopefully will be satisfied by next year's finale to this extraordinary trilogy!

I would label "The Fall" as the dark middle chapter of Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's vampire trilogy (kind of like their "The Empire Strikes Back"), only the first book, "The Strain", was already pretty dark itself. In any event, things get darker, new characters and situations are introduced, revelations are made, and the vampires continue to be very scary. It's a potent mix that keeps one turning the pages.

In fact, I probably didn't give the story enough credit for the originality of its vampires when I reviewed the first installment. At that time I said that the authors weren't so much trying to be original with their vampires, just make these oft-used horror protagonists really scary again after years of sexy, heart-throb vampires in the movies and on cable TV. But, you know, I can't remember vampires ever being as scary, dangerous, unappealing and, well, icky, as they've been in this trilogy so far. Maybe in that one "Blade" movie that Guillermo Del Toro directed several years back ("Blade II", I think). But these books even surpass that on the "repugnant vampire" scale.

While "The Strain" was pretty much a pure horror novel, "The Fall" is more of a horror/adventure story, as many characters- both good and bad- are constantly jockeying around trying to accomplish certain ends. But the horror is definitely not left behind. A particularly disturbing scene finally shows us the mechanics of how head honcho vampire The Master is able to discard one host body in favor of another. This is something only the more evolved, top-tier vampires can do, and it's a doozy of a process.

With the story being so layered, involved, and just plain big, it'll be interesting to see how everything can be wrapped up in only one more book, but I'm sure the writers are up to the task. Of course, I wouldn't put it past these guys to have the vampires totally win in the next book (things are pretty grim already), and then wait a few years and do another trilogy where the remaining humans MAYBE start fighting their way back. Ah, speculation on top of speculation as we wait for the next book!

I enjoyed the first volume in this (projected) trilogy, THE STRAIN, but felt that it was hemmed in by some rather silly cinematic conventions. So I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of the second volume in the series, THE FALL. I am happy to report that I liked this book even better than the first, and just can't wait for the concluding volume, ETERNAL NIGHT. The FALL has none of the weaknesses traditionally associated with second novels that bridge the gap between the opening and concluding books in a trilogy: it does not sag under the weight of exposition, there is no filler to flesh out the story to book length, and it keeps the story moving briskly along, feeding readers enough info to keep them interested and ratcheting up the stakes at every turn.

If you want to read this book, but haven't read THE STRAIN, I suggest you start with the first book, because THE FALL picks up where THE STRAIN left off and plops the reader down in the middle of the action without so much as a howdydo. All our heroes are back and trying to figure out how to stop and survive the vampire apocalypse set in motion by The Master and his minions. My favorite exterminator, Vassily Fet, is badder than ever, as are Gus and his street gang, who have taken up arms to defend their city. Eph Goodweather is still trying to balance his need to protect his son, Zack, and love interest, Nora, with his sense of obiligation to stop the vampires. And Abraham Setrakian, bless his heart, is just trying to keep the aforementioned ticker going long enough to wipe the Master off the face of the Earth. Their adventures make this book a total pageturner.

These are vampires the way they should be written: bad, bloody, and bone ugly!

Having read the Strain, I only intended on reading a few chapters to see if this was worth my involvement. It's not, but it goes down easy. The book is a fast-paced tale about a vampire and his rich human ally who are out to take over the world. The tiny details about matters like rat poison, the subway system in NYC, and operations about concentration camps, are well researched and by far the tastiest morsels. I enjoy the specific anchors in everyday reality which make the events all the more fantastic, like a character finding in a shop a 'Chuck Knoblauch autographed Louisville Slugger baseball bat with a $39.99 price tag.' On the other hand, the characters are all pretty uninterestingly drawn, and somewhat flat, with each having some plausible, but pretty ham-handed, motivation, like the rich bad guy who wants to live forever. Emblematic of the male-oriented psychological lack of depth is a 'love' scene in this book which is just kind of a howler. In a few words, this is like Tom Clancy lite, except with vampires.

The use of 'artificial' brands, like the 'Regis' airplane that carried the vampire's coffin, referred to over and over again, while 'real' brands, like McDonald's, are also used, is strange and detracts from the science-verite. Finally, the pseudo science can be jarring, like the 'brand' confusion alluded to earlier. On the one hand, some detail is interesting and spot-on, like bleeding being most profuse from the femoral artery in the leg. On the other hand, the 'vampire virus' is highly implausible in key respects, like 'telepathy' among vampires. What 'virus' possibly links creatures like that in the actual world? And why would a virus cause you to avoid crossing water and make you vulnerable to silver? What's the plot purpose behind having the vampires 'actually' infect you with snake-like 'stingers' launching from mouths instead of fangs?

As I say, the best thing is that if you'd made a committment to the first installment, The Strain, this second one in the series goes down easy, and is an antidote to the chick lit vampirism of recent years. But if I hadn't started the first installment, I probably should have stuck to I Am Legend or Salem's Lot to satisfy my...thirst.

The Fall is the second installment in Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain trilogy. In The Strain an airplane full of dead passengers is found on the tarmac of JFK and shortly thereafter chaos ensues. Vampires... and not of the teen heartthrob nor sparkly variety. These are more animalistic in nature and have one goal in particular... total world domination.

This book reads almost like a movie... it's actually detailed and vivid enough that you have a clear picture of exactly what is going on. Told in the same style as The Strain, you have various viewpoints and resulting vignettes. Sometimes these different points-of-view can be a little disorienting, but once you get the gist of the storytelling, you see how clever it all is as it comes together.

Although I found The Strain to be more of a scientific thriller than a horror story... The Fall was definitely more horror. Very dark, action-packed and with the perfect mix of sci-fi and fantasy you'll find it to be quite the page-turner. While I personally enjoyed The Strain better than I did this second installment, I still would not pass up on the chance of reading this series in its entirety. Eternal Night the third in the trilogy is scheduled to release in late 2011 - I cannot wait!

The Fall is the second book of the Strain trilogy and the story picks up where the Strain left off and drops the reader right into the center of a world falling apart.

Where the first book was lots of exposition, as most introductory books tend to be, this second installment is action-packed, the scenes involving the escalation of the apocalypse are very well crafted and the character development is quite impressive.

Humans are not only caught in between the war with the Master and the Ancients, mankind has also become the primary food source for the warring factions.

Del Toro and Hogan have done a remarkable job of combining science and magic to create a landscape of suspense and terror that leads to the fall of mankind. They have taken the vampire/horror genre in a new and creepy direction.

By the end of this book, the world is a bleak, dark landscape on the brink of the abyss...hopefully we will get to hold onto some of our favorite characters. I look forward to reading the final installment of this trilogy and I would definitely recommend both The Strain and The Fall to anyone looking for a truly terrifying vampire thriller.

#2 in The Strain Trilogy
The Master takes control ... but Guillermo loses it!

Moving right along from #1, this is an action packed sequel. Not a lot of time is wasted in going back of the how-we-got-to-this-point from Book 1 which makes for great reading when you are reading the trilogy in sequence.

In some ways I felt that #2 actually was more involved in providing the history of the vampires. There was a fair amount of flashback and info fillers making it longer than it needed to be (don't famous people need an editor??). Yes, it is important to establish the Vampire Lore and expose the truth of their existence but this was a little too wordy at times.

There was more excitement in #1 and I felt the characterization was more compelling. I felt there wasn't a vivid picture of the chaos and mayhem that New York and the world would have been spiraling into.

But I am still cheering for humanity ... even though the Master seems to have the upper hand. So it is on to #3 ... and hoping it is as compelling as #1 rather

Take 1,200 pages and make three books out of it. This is one story, so the books are not independent stories. This book is the middle of the story; you need to read the preceding book first and will need to read the next book when it is published. If you do not want to read a three book series, this is not for you. That is the worst thing I can say about this series.
This is an excellent series centered on what happens when vampires take over the world. These are NOT the human type vampires from True Blood. These are revolting animals working with an almost hive mind that only want to feed. Their bite is not a semi erotic experience; you are torn open and drained of blood. The writing is graphic; the action is violent and bloody.
The authors do a good job on character development. We have enough back-story on even minor characters that we care about them. This adds depth to the story and makes their death personal. Characters die this is a war.
Vampire politics and their society make an appearance in this book. The major vampires start to take on a personality and become more freighting because of this. This series is a page-turner and well worth reading.

I read The Strain (the first in the trilogy) and I loved it. I found it to be original and engaging. I was looking so forward to reading the next in line. This one contained a lot of information that was rewound and rewritten yet again. If you read The Strain then you read it and reading "The Fall" should have been an additional experience rather than a repeat performance of a lot of the information. It's easy to hate the bad guys when you don't get to know them. Sometimes it's easy to empathize with the bad guy's when you see their viewpoint. But in this case I struggled to care what they thought because once I knew...there was no wondering left. I struggled to get through this and only did so because once I started I was determined. I mean what if #3 in the trilogy is amazing? (I can only hope!)

I hate spoilers so I won't do that ever. Suffice it to say if you read The Strain and liked it, you'll manage to like this one..but it could have been so much better and therein lies my disappointment. Please let #3 come in with a bang and leave me with a smile.

The best part about "The Fall" is where 'The Strain' set the whole concept/plot up, this picks right up where the last book left on and jumps into mostly relentless action. The authors do a commendable job finally revealing the bigger mythology of the trilogy beyond just vampires loose in Manhattan, but I found myself at times slogging through yet another description of fanger mayhem, which I'm sure will play great in 3D on the big screen when the movie comes out, but in reading it, it started to feel a bit repetitive. There's not much more in the way of getting to know our characters better, save for Setrakian who has the most complete and fleshed out back story. Eph, his son Zack, and Nora are, with Setrakian still running from Zack's now turned Mother, while searching for the way to destroy the Master. Adding to this is a group of rival turf gang leaders who band together as vigilantes to wipe out the vamps with the aid of an aging Latino former action movie star. It's fun, not genius, but certainly smarter than much of the other horror fare out there.

Disclaimer: I love Guillermo del Toro. As such, I'm probably the target audience for this series of books. As The Fall begins, we find New York City taken over by the vampiric virus from the first novel, The Strain. And it is spreading. Our hero Eph is leading a small band to stop the vampires. Meanwhile, a war erupts between Old and New World vampires, with humans stuck in the middle. The Strain spent a lot of time world building, particularly with the virus strain. But The Fall gets going right away, with the struggle.

It's an entertaining novel that reads very quickly. I would have loved to see what would have happened had the original plan (a TV series that was CSI meets vampires) came to fruition. But, regardless, what's here is just as entertaining as the first novel and made me excited to read the finale. Very much recommended for fans of the first.

I have never read the first book, The Strain, but I easily picked up the previous plot by reading the first few chapters. The vampire plaque is spreading and consuming the world. The Master's grand plan is to start a war between the Old and New Vampires. Hidden, is a book detailing the vampire's history and their darkest secrets. This book has the key to killing the virus.

A brilliant professor Abraham Setrakian, Vasiliy Fest, Eph and other survivors plan on stopping the vampires before the infest the world.

The Fall is dark and chilling. It takes the vampire legend and brings it into the real world. The plot is easily believable; a vampire virus is spreading all over the world. Abraham Setrakian reminds me of Van Helsing. I can see this book series becoming a movie.

The future of the human race is at stake as vampires are roaming the world, wreaking havoc to the world's infrastructure. A dying old man, Eldritch Palmer, is financing a diabolical plan by the Master vampire and the stakes are getting higher by the moment. Doctors Ephraim Goodweather and Nora Martinez, both from the Centers for Disease Control, have teamed up with the unlikely duo of an exterminator, Vasiliy Fet, and an aging pawnbroker and Holocaust survivor, Abraham Setrakian. Will they uncover the Master's dark plan in time? And how will they protect young Zack Goodweather from his mother, a newly turned vampire determined to find her Dear One?

THE FALL picks up immediately where THE STRAIN leaves off. While a reader could probably pick up THE FALL and enjoy it without reading THE STRAIN first, I would highly recommend reading both books in order as THE STRAIN puts a bit more emphasis on character development than THE FALL does. The change in Kelly in particular stands out and it's easier to understand the bond drawing her towards Zack if one has read THE STRAIN.

THE FALL is a brilliant horror tale! Not only do Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan create a believable apocalyptic world with likable characters, but they leave the reader hanging on the edge of the seat, desperately wondering if anyone will survive this horror. Part of the genius of THE FALL is the sense of history interwoven into this modern day tale. Del Toro and Hogan take readers into the nightmare of the Holocaust and show how evil thrives amid such human calamities- and the long lasting damage caused by such evil.

The revelations about the characters and their histories are perhaps the most fascinating aspect of THE FALL. However, one character in particular, a wrestler named Angel, shows the power and strength of humanity when facing pure evil. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan do a marvelous job at making the reader care about each and every character, heightening the intensity of the story as no character is safe from the vampiric plague sweeping the planet.

THE FALL has a lot of surprises in store for the reader, both in the characters and in the action. I won't spoil the ending, but be prepared for the cliffhanger... it's one that left me screaming that no, this just could NOT be happening! Waiting on book three is going to be a struggle as the third book is one I want to read now!

I really enjoyed "The Strain" and I didn't think it could get better but it did with "The fall".

The first book lays out, great detail, the back-story of the virus and the spread of it, along with the main characters. In this one it moves at a different speed without loss of interest. The pace becomes more action-packed and at the same time as we get more of the story too. It filled in the 'gaps' from the first that left me hanging (the review I read of the first book didn't let me know it wasn't a stand alone). It has some delightfully creepy parts and didn't take the easy way out. The level of detail is vividly as it drags you in moving closer towards the end of world.

I reiterate my comment from the previous review - I can't wait for it to be a film!

My only gripe with it is that "The Night Eternal" isn't out yet! I want it now!

While I couldn't stop reading this book I also had a nagging feeling in the back of my head the entire time. While they manage to move the story forward, a lot seems to be adding on for mistakes they made during the first book. Like, oh yeah we're technology focused, why didn't we mention cell phones or internet during the first book. Oh yeah the events of the first book happen earlier but let's include the collapse of the banks and other events that happened in the real world. Also the unbelievability that the government would take so long to move to stop the events is kind of unbelievable. Second to that is that people just die left and right without defending themselves a bit but the main characters can take on 3, 4 or 10 vamps at the same time? A little suspicious. Overall I'll read the third to complete the series but I'm not expecting much.

I have been fascinated, almost obsessed, with reflections in mirrors since the night I peeked through the TV room door where my parents were watching Friday Night Chiller on TV...there was this scary caped dude, (with hair that went down to a point in the middle of his forehead like my grandma's)...who was hypnotizing this lady with just his freaky eyes, oooohhhh...he stood beckoning her to him with two fingers, his dark cape obscurring his lower face. THEN...the camera panned wide and the woman was shown floating, blank-eyed, toward creepy guy, and THERE WAS NO REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR...he uncovered his face, and there he stood with his menacing grin and evil eyes, DRACULA, in front of an ornate mirror that reflected nothing but the woman's limp back!!! GASP! I was discovered, hauled back to bed, and spent the remainder of the night with a bad case of the shivers, eyes wide and transfixed on my vanity mirror.

You know why that mirror was empty?? Most likely you thought it was some pulled-out-of-the-air reason like "vampires have no soul" or something along those lines. But let me give you the REAL reason, which I just learned: vampires don't produce a reflection in mirrors because of the SILVER backing used to make mirrors. Silver is considered nature's ANTIBIOTIC, a natural weapon against viruses and superbugs, and Vampirism, we now know,(though it has been suspected in prior books, but not qualified) is a virus! Therefore, silver is the mortal enemy of vampires--it destroys them! Just when I had dispelled any childish reason to be frightened, and finally figured it was all a silly legend, del Toro and Hogan pull a Carl Sagan on me, and I'm scared anew! This new information has surely ushered vampires out of the dark realm of make-believe, and into the concrete category of scientific plausibility. (And that goofy old Van Helsing, running around with his holy water and crossbow all these years, teeheehee.)

I like the classics, read most of the "best-sellers", and avoid science-fiction, but I do love me a good scare now and then, something spooky and monstrous, that harkens back to that night Dracula entered my consciousness. Finding a well written, intelligently plotted, engrossing horror book, with some measure of plausibility, light on the gore factor, and something you aren't ashamed to have on your nightstand, or suggest to your friends, is challenging. With the exception of twinkly romatic vampires and teenaged werewolves and witches, it seems the horror aisles have been strictly for the hard core horror-geeks lately. The Historian, may have been the last dignified "horror" book published, and possibly the pedigreed Under the Dome.

Then along comes The Strain Trilogy; written by a magnificent pairing--an extremely creative academy award nominee, and a prize-winning crime thriller writer. Del Toro and Hogan bring us the stuff Dracula's nightmares(or daydreams) are made of--Sardou the strigoi (google it!); from the little mountain Romanian village where the legendary creature roams at night with his walking stick, his pockets full of candy for the children...pik pik pik...to Europe and the Black Plague, the Nazi death camps, civil wars and unrest, natural catastrophic events...pik pik pik...even the Chernobyl meltdown...he has always been there, like a fiendish maestro. Now he's ready to go public and hungry for more than blood. The Fall picks up exactly where The Strain ended. Some great new characters join the war, even add a little mirth, the group intelligence of the turned is growing as fast as the population, and even the heavens seem to be conspiring against humanity. Legends are turned on their heads and explained like scientific data--the loose threads of authors from years of writing tied together with amazing creativity. This is good ol'goose-bump, run-up-the-stairs, turn-on-the-lights, pull-up-the-covers GOOD reading; and sadistically fun! Like the middle of many trilogies before, The Fall gets a little bogged down with the mechanics of trying to connect what has happened to what is going to happen, and still have some independence; the astronaut could have been tied to the occultation rather than just an observer--seemed a little random(can't say much more-plot spoiler). But, overall it keeps up a breathtaking pace, and the commentary on humanity has not been so heavy handed that the plot stumbles over and around it. Recollected memories cleverly reveal that there are no coincidences, and are slick and colorful vignettes that add depth and definition to the characters and events. I both read The Strain and listened to Ron Perlman's audio version--a real treat, highly entertaining presentation! Hopefully an audible version of The Fall will soon be released and Mr. Perlman will again be the narrator.

Chances are you'll like this book if:
1. You like writing that is clever and smart, and not an affrontery to your intelligence.
2. You like a story that ties up those little ends instead of leaving them as collateral damage. (How come Dracula's clothes didn't show up in the mirror?)
3. You want a dignified scary read, something a little high-browed, that isn't just horror-geek fodder.
4. You can put down anything else you are supposed to get done and turn those pages without guilt--power read.
5. You can appreciate a book for its genre and not critique everything compared with Faulkner's or Ayn Rand's works.
6. You can roll with it--get into the "facts" without rolling your eyes; sink your teeth into it.
7. Your ready for the return of some ugly, funky vampires that scoff at garlic and holy water, and don't respect women or children, or the good guys.
8. You've already invested time and money on Part I.

Through and through, The Fall is a vast improvement over the first book of this trilogy. The characters are far fuller, the plot moves along at a steadier pace, and the vampires are more chilling. Plus, as any great vampire series possesses, the lore of the vampires (how they came about, the inner-workings, the politics) is more fully realized.

This book shows the teamwork that the idea man (Del Toro) and the writer (Hogan, I can only assume that these are the roles of these two men) possess. They have hit their creative stride with this book and I am excited to see how the trilogy ends with the next one. Overall, well done, and thank you for making vampires scary again (You get a star just for that)!

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.

Finished The Fall, the 2nd of three books in this series, after reading The Strain, had to get The Fall right away; just wanted to add my two cents, these two books are excellent, thrilling reads, these writers have only given the vampire myth more bite and none of the stale glamor soap and some nice scares and bleak outcomes, can't wait for the last one, The Night Eternal to
put it all together. Love the fast pace style and medical and historical backgrounds racing to the inevitable of these thriller/horror books, and Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan breathe life into these supernatural tales and give them their own
uniqueness. Guillermo's recent work on Pan's Labyrinth and producing The Orphanage you know you are getting a guy all about quality and originality, he is a favorite and look forward to his next project with Katie Holmes.

This book was very different than the TV show the Strain, in both the sequences of events and the nature of the characters.

The characters in the book are much more cooperative than in the show. They engage in a lot of planning and constructive debate than occurs in the TV program.

The most notable difference is in the character Abraham Setrakian. In the TV show, Setrakian is a very brusque and "brutal if necessary" sort of character. In the book he is much more analytical in the show, and he is much warmer, and more willing to grapple with touch philosophical questions.

The key villian Thomas Eichorst plans a more minor role, which will no doubt disappoint most fans of the show.

While the book is better than the TV show, I had a hard time giving more than a modest rating to such a dark story-and one that required such a drammatic suspension of belief.

This ambitious trilogy has set a new benchmark for vampire, and all post-apocalyptic, novels. This series is epic in proportion and reminiscent of other grand scale mythological battles. Think Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Cinematic, but also readable and personal, these books scale new heights in vampire lore, reworking traditions and creating fearsome monsters to keep modern readers enthralled. You won't be able to stop with the first novel, and you will be satiated with the last. These scientists and street fighters take on the most gruesome of the vampire pantheon. We enter their world and we are just as overcome as they are by the changes wrought in this bloodsucking holocaust. Hold onto your hats and enjoy the ride. This is not great literature, but well written and keeps on going.

Book 2 in Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's trilogy is admitting, not as good as the first (when is it ever) but still a good addition to the trilogy. This one is action packed and more about moving the story along to exploratory like the first. Everything is dark and depressing as people try to deal with the collapsing world around them. Everything for Eph, Abraham and the rest of his group rests solely on the shoulders of one book, the Occido Lumen. But alas! The book appears to be cursed, never staying in one location very long. But the book is needed by Abraham to figure out how to rid the world of the master and his horde of vampire offspring.

Fitting that the vampire epidemic is playing out like early plague and the two main characters are members of the CDC. There is no stopping the master at this point. The only hope lies within the book. I do enjoy the addition and seperate storyline of the addition characters; the Mexican wrestler, Zach and his mom Kelly, Gus, etc. Each one adds their own separate thread to this knot that needs to be unraveled.

Another interesting aspect is how the ancients are really what their name suggests. They have been around forever and have pretty much ran the world for awhile. How will the world continue without them?

The second book in The Strain Trilogy starts with Eph and the members of his new 'family' doing everything they can to stay hidden yet strike out against the vampires who have overrun their city and soon the world. They've got to get a leg up on the rogue Master vampire who is hell-bent on the destruction of the human world and they have very few chances left.

This is a creepy and thrilling tale of a seemingly unstoppable evil that will leave you with no nails (after biting them all off) once you're done! I am hugely enamored of this trilogy so far and every book only gets better. Give these a try and I promise you won't sleep for a few days! Excellent, excellent, excellent :-)

The Strain Trilogy: The Strain (1), The Fall (2), Eternal Night (3)

To a certain extent, I'm not sure why I picked this up at the library to read. I was very disappointed in The Strain and ripped it but good. I wasn't happy with the poorly done attempt at making vampires 'realistic' (if you're going to make vampires realistic, you really need to either explain why vampires can't cross water or drop the pretense that they are realistic) and the cliched characters. Nevertheless, the plot wasn't bad and the pacing/tension was great. So maybe that's why I decided to check out "The Fall" (much like "The Strain", I checked it out from the library rather than buy it). I'm glad I did. "The Fall" is a much stronger novel, focusing more on the plot and the pacing and (for the most part) dropping the attempts at making realistic vampires. Far, far better than Justin Cronin's "The Passage".

A few minor things still bother me though. It's still obvious that these novels are going to be made into movies. The book is short and the pacing fast so it's a very quick read; like "The Strain" I'm glad I checked it out from the library rather than pay $15-$20 for this. Gus, Eph, Zack and Nora are so cliched as to be painful and the villians are almost laughable at times; only poor Abraham and Fet are truly interesting, mostly original characters and sadly only one of the two will be in the final novel. The ending and the effects of radiation on The Ancients makes NO sense whatsoever. I'm a little concerned that "The Fall" has basically laid out what will happen in "Night Eternal", making it pretty obvious how Eph and Fet will defeat The Master. Nevertheless, "The Fall" was good enough that I'm actually looking forward to reading "Night Eternal" next year - something that I would not have expected after reading "The Strain".

I am a big fan of the vampire genre, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I was not disappointed. Again, the authors give us what we want: interesting story, good writing, and time to wait for the next in the volume. This sequel offers some more sit on the edge of your seat excitement.

The characters are believable and the plot makes me wonder what would happen if there was an outbreak that caused people to change--zombies, vampires, etc. The one intriguing part of the book is the ways in which the vampires want to go home and have this sense of want for their "dear ones." It's creepy, yet comprehensible.

The fast pace of the plot kept me glued to the book and I must admit I wish the series wasn't a trilogy, but maybe an ongoing series. But, alas, that might be asking for too much.

The Fall suffers from the dreaded middle of the trilogy syndrome badly. I loved The Strain, the first book in this vampire's take over the world trilogy. It set up the "problem" nicely, giving us great detail as to the biology and make-up the vampire cabal that had been living off humans forever.

And we meet our protagonists. Abraham Setrakian, who first encountered the vampire mastermind behind the current plot to wipe out humans while trapped in a concentration camp during World War II. Eph Goodweather, the CDC scientist, his son and lover. Then we get the gang bangers who take up the human cause, and the rat catcher. All band together to stop the fall, or least prevent humankind from going totally down the tubes.
Too bad but by the end of this book, it looks like humankind is in for being at the bottom of the food chain behind the vampires.

While this book as great action as we watch the futile effort to stave off what seems inevitable, and this novel does certainly advance the story, it could have been written in half the number of pages and words. It starts to seem like a grade B horror flick that breaks the reader's suspension of belief instead of serious novel about the fall of the world to vampires.

This middle book of the trilogy is a fun read nonetheless, but I hope for better in the final chapter of the story. And very much look forward to it.

Well I have to say that book two in "The Strain" trilogy was well worth the wait. Basically picking up moments after the end of the first novel "The Fall" proceeds to walk the reader into a horrific battle for survival.

I am not a fan of spoilers, and reviewing a second novel in a series sets up quite a few hazards of spoiling the first novel. So without saying another word, if you haven't read "The Strain", I highly recommend that you avoid reading any further as just knowing which characters are involved in the second novel will spoil the outcome of the first if still unread. And besides that, you would be completely lost picking up the story with this novel, you really need to have read the first novel to understand the action in this one.

What I loved about "The Fall" is the character development. With "The Strain" you had the mystery of what was happening, couple that with the action as events unfolded, and you had a real page turner. With "The Fall" we get to dig a bit deeper into the backstory of several characters, Hogan and Del Toro even introduce several new character who you really get to root for. With the characters more fleshed out, it feels as though the stakes have been raised even higher in this second novel as you'll come to really care for the fates of our heroes in this series. And boy do things look dire as this story unfolds.

It has only been one week since the airplane carrying The Master landed in New York, and already his "virus" has consumed Manhattan and threatens to spread world wide. The small band of humans introduced in the first novel, led by the former CDC head Dr. Eph Goodweather and Nazi Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian, are still determined to track and destroy The Master, thereby killing the virus. We meet another "group" who are also determined to destroy The Master for another reason all together.

This series has gone a long way in making vampires scary again. I'm loving the ride and cannot wait for book 3!!!

The strigori virus that started in New York City (see The Strain) has started to spread pandemically around the globe. Nothing seems to prevent the Vamps from owning the planet with small futile pockets of resistance remaining. Elderly ultra wealthy Eldritch Palmer continues his quisling support of the Master by abetting the strigori undead as the vampires intensify their control of earth. The Master of the seven Ancients also has decided to eliminate his peers so that he and his horde dominate the world with humans as their cattle.

One resistance group that caused problems in Manhattan for the Master still remains in spite of his minion's efforts to dine on them. CDC epidemiologists Ephraim Goodweather and Nora Martinez, Holocaust survivor Professor Abraham Setrakian, and NYC Bureau of Pest Control Services worker Vasiliy Fet have forged a resistance insurgency. The team's prime advisor, Setrakian is a veteran vampire slayer who killed his wife when she was turned; he insists their only hope rests with a Renaissance vampiric Genesis tome. Eph believes that to end the epidemic they must assassinate the Master who has converted his wife and she wants to change their son Zack. Finally Fet adapts easily from rodent pest exterminator to vampire pest exterminator.

The middle book of the Strain urban fantasy is an interesting thriller that never takes a respite from start to finish. The heroes are fully developed with each understanding the horror they face using self-mocking jocularity to lighten their mental burden. Loaded with action and fast-paced as a lot occurs in under a month, readers will be spellbound to follow what is going on and where Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan is leading the audience to in this grim saga.

Harriet Klausner

Nothing really stands out in this series, though this narrator was easier to understand than Ron Perlman in the first book. I think they're pretty screwed in this whole vampire situation. I don't see there being many happy endings when all is said and done. Setrakian is such a badass vampire hunter! Now I want to watch the TV show!

To say that reading The Fall would remind one of the movie 28 days and 28 days later but with a "Bite" is perhaps close to how reading the book would feel but of course any cinematic medium still can't compare to the cinema of images and sound that runs and rules the mind when gripped by a good book. Such, for me, is this one.

Following the events detailed in the first book, The Strain, its sequel, The Fall aptly titled, metaphorically works on different levels for the reader upon finishing the last chapter. When last seen our hero, (CDC) Center for Disease head, Ephraim Goodweather together with Jewish Pawnshop broker and Vampire expert, Abraham Setrakian, has just faced the Master and lived to tell the tale. Along with rat exterminator, Vasilly Fet, they have traced the Master's lair to the tunnels underneath Ground Zero in New York, flushed him out and even wounding him after facing him head on following an attack on their home. But surviving that was just the beginning as The Master's human partner in this pandemic crisis, billionaire cripple, Eldritch Palmer have begun to infiltrate people in government, and turned the tide against Ephraim and made him look like the bad guy for having uploaded a video of a Vampiric transformation and blamed him for the death of fellow CDC officer. Apparently in wanting to warn the public and do good, he has done more harm.

By the time the crisis was addressed by Congress, numerous raids by newly turned Vampires have begun in different neighbourhoods and being not warned, local enforcement officers have fallen both as prey and have become turned victims by the monster themselves. If this wasn't enough, Ephraim had to deal with his wife being newly turned and is hunting them as they move from one sanctuary after another. One silver lining amidst all this was the revelation of The Ancients, a group of 6 Vampires who are opposed to what the Master is doing and have rescued Book 1 survivor, Gus and added him to their roster of exterminators and contracted humans to fight against the Master's increasing forces.

Like the first book, and in spite of the wait for its release, The Fall, succeeds in keeping the pace and twists of the storyline and even add more glimpses into some of the characters past like how Abraham and Eldritch Palmer have been rivals in the Vienna University, and it is rivalry that has characterized their relationship ever since. We also learn that being a survivor in a Nazi concentration camp, Setrakian's commanding officer was currently the Master's right hand man, Thomas Eichhorst. Add to that is the revelation and search for a mysterious book called the Occido Lumen, a silver lined tome that holds the key to the Vampiric origin and greatly desired by both the Master and Abraham himself. And you know how silver is poisonous to Vampires. Well, in this book, that is.

The title works for me on all levels as it refers to different beats in the story. On the surface, it does mean the fall of different key cities in the book like New York, Washington, Korea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Paris and others as well as the fall of Man to these beings who clearly declare that they are at the top of the food chain by way of their actions. But in certain places, it also covers the fall of the Ancients themselves, by falling into hubris and not protecting their own ranks from the Master's infiltration as well as Man's own fall into the abyss of his own dark side and turning against his fellowmen when push comes to shove.

(Spoiler)

So clearly on all levels, the book is a good read for me in spite of some scenes that didn't explain why some of the Ancients were just dropping down like flies and turning into a pile of white ash while Abraham was in conference to them when he brought them the book. Clearly it was the doing of the Master who by this time in the book we know was part of this Ancient Coven and was also the 7th and the youngest member of the circle who rebelled and waged this war; this infection of the food supply in bitter protest against the Ancients who have not given him his due. But I would've wanted a clear insight as to how the Master was doing this. Or we left to assume that the silver-lined photo flash that Fet and Abraham rigged underneath the tunnels have been copied by the Master? (scratches head)

With that said I hope that I have given this book its due and warrants enough interest for you to either pick it up or begin reading the book that began it all. Like Empire Strikes Back, Two Towers, our heroes are battered, bruised, pushed to hell and back but there is definitely still some fight left in them. Till then like you, I will be awaiting the 3rd and final installment of this hi-tech vampire epic and like the Master and using his own line, I look forward to "The Night Eternal".

For a vampire book, The Strain series is pretty good. I'll read the last one when it comes out next year, then probably forget all three a few months later, or at least until Del Toro starts making the movies. I envision some wicked cinematic vampires in the vein (HA! get it? I slay me...) of his creepy beasts in Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy movies.

And when I get right down to it, I suppose that's why I started reading these books in the first place. To get an idea of what the eventual movies will be like. To get that proverbial jump on it and not have to play book-reading catchup like I'm about to do with True Grit. If Del Toro's name had not been attached to these books, I doubt I would have bothered.

I enjoyed the crime/procedural style of plotting and pacing here, as well as the few updates to vampire myth/lore to make it just fresh and interesting enough. What I hate (hate hate hate) is any use by the authors of the term "vamps" (vamp blood, vamp hunter). Also, the decision to include silver to the list of things which kill vampires (perhaps instead of the boring and smelly garlic of old) was interesting at first, but only grew more annoying as I wondered throughout the final third of this book where in the hell they were able to find so damn much silver. They had bullets, they had swords (both of which had a somewhat reasonable, if not too-convenient explanation) but a booby trap which used a spray of liquid silver? That tripped my lame trigger pretty hard.

And if, ultimately, these books are not made into a movie/movies, then I'll be pretty pissed.

I like vampire stories to depict vampires as evil. There's not a hint of sappy, sparkly love here. And, the sf part of me craves an explanation for why there are vampires. This book continues to follow the same set of characters from the first, but you do begin to learn about the creation of the eternals, but not quite all the way to the beginning. It was enough to satisfy my curiosity and hope that it will be sated in the third installment.

Spoiler, I did find it to be dark. Reminded me a bit of the "tThe Passage" by Cronin. Of course it's not unexpected since I knew there was a 3rd book, but I was a bit overwhelmed at the decimation that occurred.

As a potential reader, I'm writing my review without telling you any of the details of the plot, as I think the more you know about the story from the onset, the less impact it will have on you once you start reading it. As such, this review will be based totally on my opinion of it.

For me, reading The Fall, the second book in the trilogy, is the book equivalent of a grade B movie. It quickly picks up where the first book, The Strain, left off and, to its credit, is very fast-paced, has lots of action and is basically entertaining. However, similar to B-level action/horror movies, it is easily forgettable immediately upon finishing it, its action too often strains credibility, its characters are not particularly well developed and the dialogue is not particularly realistic. Further, given that The Fall is the middle book in this trilogy, the ending is somewhat disappointing because all it does is provide a setup for the final book, Night Eternal due out in October.

Having now read the first two books in the trilogy, I'll most likely read the third -- but it will only be when I can get a copy from the library or if a complimentary copy is offered from the the store Vine program, which is how I obtained The Fall.

After thoroughly enjoying the first book in this trilogy (5 stars) I was eagerly waiting to read this. When the time finally came I realized that the book probably would have been better off if it had ended after book one. Here there is so much going on that characters aren't able to be developed, they get forgotten, and the schemes seem too complicated. The idea of vampirism being a contagion was fantastic but here it goes in a different direction that loses its coolness. Also, there are so many times where the rules of the contagion that the writers invented they seemed to break. Overall, a big disappointment based on its predecessor but not terrible.

Since I've been a fan from the first book, and now, the television show, I have had a blast with both versions of this story. For fans of the show, the books have many differences that make them worth reading as well, and they are major differences. This was so good I am going to go ahead and read book three also.

I read the first in this trilogy and from the first page I realized I was in for a scary read. This book, "The Fall" continues that feeling I had when I read the first book.....scary. The main characters are back as Eph, Fet and Setrakian are on the hunt for the "Master" and his plans to destroy mankind and create his own "race" of vampires. Eph's wife is out there somewhere and Eph has to protect his son at all costs.

This book scared me and the characters are believable and the plot moves at a steady pace. The book ends with a cliffhanger and what happens in the last of this trilogy? All I know is that the "Master" is one scary creature and this series is just outstanding.

It is traditionally held that the writing of the middle book of a trilogy is the hardest. The plot must be advanced, but not so much that it leaves the third book lacking. Given that the book functions as an extended crises, it usually seems unduly punishing on the characters and can be a downer. I say this because I want to make clear that I had certain, lowered, expectations for "The Fall", and yet, regrettably, the books still fell short.

Picking up immediately after the events of "The Strain", "The Fall" carries forward the story of Ephraim Goodweather, Abraham Setrakian and their band of misfits as they seeks to fight a burgeoning vampire plague. "The Fall" suffers from many of the same faults as its predecessor, clumsy dialogue and too much exposition within the narrative being the two biggest flaws, but unlike "The Strain", it evolves into a predictable, often mundane story. More often than not the novel is simply careening from one improbable fight scene to the next, without any real purpose. Moreover, when the book reveals The Master's (a genuinely engaging villain, utterly wasted in this book) plan for global domination it is as predictable and dull as could be imagined.

I will read the third book of this trilogy because I have already come this far with it, and there are some interesting twists. In addition, the books are easy reads and occasionally exciting, if not as thought provoking as they seem to think that they are. That said, I'm not sure I would recommend starting the series to someone new to the trilogy. Again, these aren't terrible reads, but I don't see the story going anywhere terribly interesting. A better choice would be Justin Cronin's expansive, and much better written, "The Passage".

Jake Mohlman

In the second installment of "The Strain Trilogy," Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan again take us on an intriguing ride into the world of vampire culture and history. Setrakian and Eph, the heroes of the first novel, close in on the elusive and powerful Master, an old world vampire intent on upsetting the balance of power among the ancient vampire elites. Having armed themselves with inventive means to combat the undead minions the Master has spawned, a motley crew of characters takes on the challenge of bringing to fight back to its source.

Much of the characters' likability is because they are misfits, people who just got along in civilized society but were truly made for the apocalypse - a Eastern European professor turned Brooklyn pawnbroker, an exterminator, a small-time gangster, a washed up Mexican wrestler and a CDC whistle blower. The primary oddity of the book lies here as well when we see the exterminator start an online blog about the events in NYC. While this may be sensible in some respects as the first novel involved an extensive cover-up and accurate information was scarce, it still seems a bit contrived. The blog excerpts themselves are not engaging. Perhaps this can be understood as realistic since the exterminator can't be expected to be a good writer. But if this is the case, his writing shouldn't appear in the book. After all, we still have to read it. And furthermore, it's a vampire novel. Realism is not something we have to have at every turn. That said, the blogs are short and generally unobtrusive to the story and other contemporary and technological elements work well.

The book follows the heroes paths as they cope with the ever-widening vampire scourge. Along the way, the role of the other ancient vampires begins to come to light and contains hints about the direction of the third novel. Overall, the action swings back and forth throughout the novel as the pieces are put into play. Expect a showdown in book three that may be worthy of Hollywood.

I really like this series. It moves along at a smart pace, keeping those pages turning. The characters are well developed, with depth and hopes and weaknesses and secrets of their own. The second book in a series is often a dull one, a bridge book between a strong start and an impactful ending (think "The Two Towers" by JRR Tolkien), but this one, while maybe not rising to the literary merit of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is a strong and weighty middle. I'm really looking forward to the last novel.

Not a lot to recommend here, other than the continuation of the storyline so engagingly begun in "The Strain." Maybe it's the overly ambitious scale, the long passages devoted to flashback, or the extraordinarily repetitive action scenes that did this story in...I'm not certain, but they all share some measure of blame. The most disappointing thing though, is this book has no ending--it simply cuts off in the middle of a semi-rousing dramatic finish--which is really a cardinal sin in fiction, as far as I'm concerned. It's okay to have one book end in a cliffhanger to set up the next, but readers should still feel as though a dramatic arc has been explored and finished within the pages of the book you purchased. Otherwise, they run the risk of feeling as I do now: cheated. Shoulda stopped after "The Strain."

"The Fall" is the second book in the trilogy of vampire novels penned by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. I picked these books up because I was very intrigued by what Del Toro would do with a vampire novel. Del Toro is a brilliant filmmaker, so I had high hopes for the vampire trilogy. I really enjoyed "The Strain," and I'm happy to say "The Fall" is even better. Epic battles, great back story, and a lot of the characters have a great deal of development here. The ending left me eagerly waiting to read the final chapter of the story. Start with "The Strain," but continue reading "The Fall!"

I was looking forward to this book after reading the first in the series, but was somewhat disappointed. The suspense that was built up in the first book The Strain is diminished here. We already know from The Strain what the vampire "virus" does to people, what the worms and blood look like, how gross the stingers are, and how quickly the virus spreads. The Fall is mostly about trying to battle the Master, with some exciting fight scenes thrown in.

Be aware that you really should read the first book, The Strain, for this one to make sense -- and it was appreciated that the authors didn't waste a lot of time giving too much back story.

After the showdown with the Master, in which they failed to kill him, Ephraim Goodweather and Abraham Setrakian are left clutching at straws in their attempt to vanquish the vampires and save the human race. Worse, Eph is now discredited from his organization and must hide at all times, his ex-wife has now been turned and is trying to capture his son, and in all respects it's clear that the good guys are running out of time. Abraham is left racing to get his hands on a book that will help them, a book that the Master wants, and must use all of the abilities he has left to get it before the vampires do.

This is going to be a difficult review to write, simply because I did not like this book. I did like The Strain, which I think set me up for disappointment here. Like many second books in trilogies, this one just falls flat, limp with a total lack of plot, too many unnecessary plot strands, and for me at least, a complete and total lack of suspense and fear. Mainly, I read my way through the book feeling bored, disgusted, and uncaring, which means that I at least will not be reading the third installment of this trilogy, even if it lands on my doorstep for free.

If I found any part of the book interesting, it had to be Abraham Setrakian's backstory. I quite enjoyed reading about his past, horrific as it was, because I felt it cast some much-needed light on the main story. In fact, I could quite easily have stripped out everything else and solely had a book about how the vampires rose from World War II to the present; unfortunately, that isn't what I got. Perhaps it's just personal preference talking, but I have no real desire for a book that seems solely about killing, without a plot to hang on, that relies on disgust for its shock factor and leaves character relationships and development to the wayside as a result. And no, it's not just because I like my vampires sparkly, because I don't. I just grow tired of fight after fight with gushy white blood for what felt, to me, no purpose. It read more like a horror movie than a book exploring the takeover of vampires.

I'm not sure I can still recommend this series. I know quite a few other people enjoyed The Fall, my own husband among them. For me, however, I'm drawing the line here, and will not be reading the next book.

This book to me reads like a screenplay to a movie, a movie I would enjoy. This shouldn't be surprising since one of the authors is acclaimed director Guillermo Del Toro. I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one but it was good none the less.Del Toros Vampires are more of a mix of vampire/zombie but keep enough of the old school vampire mythos to still remain vampires. The heros were beliveable and the descriptions of New York felt accurate. I did find myself wondering from time to time how much was written by Del Toro and how much by Chuck Hogan. Over all it was a good read and I look foward to the conclusion of this series.I recommend this book to anyone who is tired of reading about misunderstood vampires who are trying to be good. No doubt about it these vampires are pure evil.

Eph, his son, Setrakian, Fet, and Nora survived the first round. As the world falls to the vampire plague, Eph is a wanted man. Setrakian knows that the secret to the vampires' power lies in a long hidden book coincidentally up for auction in New York. Meanwhile, Eph's ex wife stalks them with her sights on their son.

This second in the series picks up right where The Strain leaves off and will lead directly into The Eternal Night. The storyline is somewhat complex and I'd definitely recommend reading them somewhat close together to get the full strength of the story.

Once again, Guillermo Del Toro delivers an exciting read in the second novel in his Strain Trilogy. As in the first novel, the vampires are an evil, frightening force that threatens to take over mankind. While this novel is a fast and engaging read, I felt that there were times when it went a bit flat. Some of the build up, in anticipation of the final novel in the series, didn't really pay off. Despite this, the entertainment value of this story is undeniable. I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this exciting trilogy.

The writing was pedestrian at best. The characters had the depth of a puddle. The dialogue was, at times, cringe worthy. The action scenes painfully repetitious and unbelievable . But, I do have one question gnawing at me - What happened to the Haitian nanny and the Luss children she rescued???!!! The authors dumped these characters after spending so much time on them. Incredible sloppy storytelling .

First I would like to say I am a total Del Toro fan boy, so take the review for what is is worth. I enjoyed both this and 'The Strain', the first book in the series. The writing is not the strong point, with some sections of the book just feeling clunky. The story as a whole though is what kept me interested, Hogan and Del Toro do a great job of painting their picture and keeping the plot moving along. The story moved quickly for me, and kept me wanting to read more. If you are looking for a different take on vampires than the current Twilight garbage, this is the book/series for you.

After reading the first book in the series, I was hoping the second would be even better. I wasn't disappointed! The Fall takes up where The Strain left off and gets right into the action. The character development is stronger and I found myself more immersed in the storyline. The vampires are out for total world domination, and it's up to a few people to try and stop them. With interesting characters coming from different backgrounds, the story is fun and terrifying at the same time. With a whistle-blower CDC official and a pest exterminator among the small group of human fighters, the stage is set for an exciting story that won't let you down. I found The Fall to be an enjoyable story that was entertaining and suspenseful. I am looking forward to the conclusion in the next book.

Bottom Line: I suggest you start with The Strain, but if you have already read it and liked it, you will enjoy The Fall even more!

Who has done more for horror in the last years than Del Toro? He is both a scholar of genre fiction (and genre movies) while always looking for ways to tell tales in new fashions.

This book is a terrific followup. There's plenty of action, plenty of grim stuff, a bit of character development, and a somber tone. This isn't waste-the-baddie fiction, it is entering-these-battles-has-consequences fiction.

The narrative voice is assured and handles action sequence with ease. If you were choosing an illustrator for this book, it would probably be Gustave Dore!

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 Handbook by the Horror Writers Association, a great handbook. 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.

In the second book of the Strain series Del Toro continues the story of the vampiric virus that is sweeping through Manhattan. In this book however the virus has progressed significantly. It is no longer contained to the city but in fact is a spreading pandemic, with dead planes full of infected passengers showing up in countries around the world.

This book finds the heroes from the last book in a bleak place. Setrakian is weakened by his fight with the master at the end of book one, Eph is drinking again and his wife who was turned in the Strain is on a biologically driven hunt for their son Zach. The city is in a state of anarchy and the night is nearly completely lost to the virus. Moreover, the entire underground of Manhattan is swarming with vamps both day and night. And, while the Master was injured due to his sun exposure it clearly didn't kill him leaving Setrakian and the others to wonder if a resolution is even possible.

As the master proceeds to hunt Setrakian and his gang, Gus, who was taken by the other ancients at the end of the Strain is recruited to be their daytime hunter. Even with all the help however, it appears humanity has little hope. In fact, Setrakian believes that if they have any chance to survive they must obtain ab illuminated manuscript, the Occipio Lumen which supposedly details the origins of the masters and hopefully will contain a way to destroy them.

I found the book thrilling from beginning to end, the zombie nature of the freshly turned, combined with the hive mind control the master exhibits and the greater intellect the vampires develop as the virus progresses provide plenty of opportunity for varied action, but the real joy is in Del Toro's characters and the way he develops even minor roles into people one can empathize with. Add to that the perverse genius of the plots progression and you have an awesome book.

I can't wait to read the final installment in this trilogy. I am really curious if Del Toro will cave to convention and some how humanity will triumph in the end, or if, and it wouldn't surprise me, the third novel sees humanities final demise, reduced to mere chattel.

Let me get it out in the open first : The Fall is much better than its first part , The Strain .
I gave The Strain a 2-star in its review , and here , I must say I think it warrants a 3-star .The authors has made an effort in making the characters humans, and you may actually feel for them when they are faced with adversities and obstacles and partings .
Here the interactions among characters are livelier,more believable , and actions more detailed . I just wished they will do away with that made-for-movie mentality and really write it like a book . That will indeed make this a 4-star read . Hope for the 3 instalment .

It seems to me that virtually out of nowhere, Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan have re-written the book on what a REALLY good Vampire novel should be. Character driven stories rarely have the pace (or at least from MY perspective) that The Strain and The Fall have, and yet they managed to keep the frenetic pacing, intrigue, thrills and genuine chills intact for two great books so far. Everything I loved about The Strain is here and better in every possible way--except one: The Fall is shorter...therefore, less to love. A minor gripe at best, I know, but I couldn't help wanting more as I finished the book--but then again, thats always a good sign, right?

Chaos seems to be at the center of this second entry in this series. The plan so devilishly started in part 1 continues here, unabated. The absolute horror that faces the entire planet is palpable here in The Fall. What began only a week before is threatening to overtake the world as we know it, and unless something happens...it WILL. Sure you have to suspend some reality to get into a storyline such as this, but don't let that fool you, it can REALLY give you chills.

This story (thus far anyway) reminds me of some of my favorite good, old-fashioned end-of-the-world apocalype books that I used to read in abundance years ago...and trust me, that is most definitely a GOOD thing. We delve further into the background of many characters we were first introduced to in The Strain, and I gotta tell you, it was VERY interesting and kept my interest up the entire time...of course, there is little to no down time to speak of, but what a powerhouse of an ending! Oh, don't for a second believe that we receive anything that even remotely resembles "closure" here, if anything it has made me even more excited for the conclusion.

I can sum it up best by simply saying this: if you liked or loved The Strain, you're going to enjoy The Fall easily as much if not more so...and while each person is different, I can say with confidence that the majority who pick up this 2nd installment will be every bit as happy with it as I was. Kudos to Del Toro and Hogan for not just a worthy sequel, but a better book in almost every possible way. Simply fantastic storytelling, I loved it.

Having loved The Strain, which was one of my favorite books of 2009, I eagerly awaited The Fall, counting down the days as September came round.

In short, the book does not disappoint. The story continues right where it the first left off, jumping right into the action. The main narrative is strewn with diary entries, interludes, blog entries and flashbacks, all of which I felt added real depth to the characters and color to the story.

The origin of the 'strigoi' is further explained, leaving tantalizing hints for the concluding chapter. We get greater insight into most of the characters you know from the first book (I won't say which, since I don't want to give any spoilers as to which ones survived and which ones didn't), with a few fascinating new ones thrown into the mix--an aging Mexican wrestler was my favorite of these.

The backdrop is New York City thrown into chaos--city-wide blackouts, widespread looting, not to mention the vampiric plague running rampant through the streets.

From the other reviews, I expected the greatest of cliffhanger endings, but I didn't find that after completing the book. One thing is for sure, however, I can't wait for the concluding chapter, as this series is definitely among my favorite of all time.

Take it from me--vampires have never been better.

Very highly recommended.

8.5/10

This is Book 2 in the Strain Trilogy by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan and it improves upon the first. The first I found to be a bit too slow, but this book is all action. It's non-stop vampires, explosions, gang-war-fare, mysterious books, ancient prophecies, nuclear devastation. The power of this particular trilogy is how Del Toro takes familiar horror/vampire elements and tweaks them. They're recognizable and familiar but they're still unique. That seems illogical but he finds a way. Definitely worth picking up.

The Fall, the second book of the Strain trilogy, transcends the series from decently written horror into a full-scale sci-fi/fantasy epic. The mythos, not horror, is on display here, and it is well constructed and absorbing. The plot is also more streamlined, making the book much more of a page turner. I am greatly looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.

I only had one bit of trouble with "The Fall" and it was my own fault. My problem was that it had been almost a year or longer since I had first read "The Strain". The Fall jumps right into the story right out of "The Strain" and I had forgotten a few elements. So I was forced to stop reading "The Fall" and go back to "The Strain" until I was caught up again.

The plot is this: a vampire lead contagion is spreading throughout the world converting humans to vampires like a virus. Unfortunately, for all of humanity, the virus makes the recently turned immediately seek out their own immediate family to either spread the virus to or to consume. Back in this book are the same cast of characters from the previous book. "The Fall" is really chronicling the fall of humanity to the virus and the vampires. This is an excellent spin on the apocalypse storyline and is quite well done. The recently turned vampires are a spin on zombies of sorts. You definitely feel the fever pitch of the survivors trying to make sense of the decaying New York around them. In this case, Eph, Abraham, Nora and more are trying to do their best to not let the vampires win. The original master vampire from the first novel is back but we do learn about other ancient masters who are also not happy about the contagion unleashed. I can't say more without giving up a plot line that should be left up to the reader.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It's well written with tight pacing although a bit depressing in spots. The next book should be amazing.

*Major Spoilers*

The book begins with a chilling diary entry from Ephraim Goodweather that foreshadows the events that unfold in the book. It sets up the whole story and the mayhem the world goes through in just 60 days.The Fall is one of the best sequels ever to grace bookshelves.Authors Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan did not disappoint and lived up to the hype that surrounded the book.They did a great job constructing the way for the big finale that is to come.

Where The Strain sets up the props(the vampires) for the party,giving the readers insight and anatomy lessons of these beings,The Fall is basically responsible for trashing and cutting them down as much as possible. The Fall drops us right into the action which is so vividly written that it looked like it got ripped out of a big budgeted action movie script.The major players from the first book are joined by some new characters to combat The Master vampire and his disciples. They include gun toting gangsters,the "unique and efficient" Mr.Quinlan and everyone's favorite:The Silver Angel,an aging luchador who gets a chance to relieve the glory days by taking down these blood suckers.

Fans do not need to worry, The Fall follows the customs that made the Strain a success.It happens to be identical from its predecessor in terms of story telling,pacing,action and introduction of new special characters.In The Strain, one character stood out. His name happens to be,as most of you already know,Vasily Fet,the Ukrainian pest exterminator who now specializes in exterminating not only vermin but vampires as well.But The Fall presents a different scenario,two characters stood out this time.The first is The Silver Angel,who resembles the last glimmer of hope in these dark times.The second is the mysterious Mr.Quinlan.Now I'm not going into detail about his character but let me just say that he reminds me of Dolph Lundgren's character in the Expendables just because he uses a shotgun that literally eviscerates vampires left to right.The Fall also provides more insight about Abraham Setrakian's past via interludes,stories that will take readers to deserted villages to a Victorian castle.It also provides some background info towards the elder vampires known as the "Ancients" who want the Master destroyed for their own desires.

The Fall is the story that takes place before the grand finale which makes us know that it wont end on a good note(Half Blood Prince,Empire Strikes Back,Season 2 of The Last Air Bender,see the resemblance?).We lose some major characters and one of them in particular gives his life in order to weaken The Master,which closely reminded me of Obi Wan's sacrifice so that Luke and others could escape.The ending makes the characters hopeless and causes the reader to wonder if there's anything else to save.

Verdict:Aided by the tension that Chuck Hogan delivers so well and Del Toro's unique story telling talents,The Fall surpasses The Strain in many occasions that make it a must buy in my book.I impatiently await The Night Eternal.

Great follow up to the first in the trilogy. The writing is still engaging with a nice flow to it. We are once again thrown together with the characters we came to know so well in The Strain along with a few new characters that are just as compelling. I really enjoyed the short chapter breaks revolving around Setrakian's early days as a Vampire hunter. This book is only about half the length of "The Strain" but packs nearly as much punch since it gets right down to the vampires and there evil plot. If you liked "The Strain" or Justin Cronin's recent and EPIC novel "The Passage" you won't want to miss this exciting continuation of the struggle between man and vampires. This did NOT let me down in ANY way and I am really looking forward to the conclusion!!!

I read this in Mobi and it worked out okay. My big fear with digital is that I cannot go back and check out that character that I thought wasn't important, and now is. This is book two of the trilogy. It was was not as good as the first book, but I made allowances for that because there is going to be a third book. The ending had little continuity in it. I mean, everyone was getting across town and into tunnels way too fast and way to easily. There a still a lot of questions that need to be answered.

Good stuff! In this second book 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 and hunters and ancients in the fierce battle against the Masters own plan that he has set out. The story is action packed and really this book leaves you with alot to look forward to in the third instalment. I have a feeling the third book has been set up to have all the ingredients of a humdinger of battle for mankind.
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