Review: The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan

 

The Fall is the second book in the Strain trilogy by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan and a Novel from William Morrow.

Book Blurb:

Last week they invaded Manhattan. This week they will destroy the world.

The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City. It is spreading and soon will envelop the globe. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather - head of the Centers for Disease Control's team - leads a band out to stop these bloodthirsty monsters. But it may be too late.

Ignited by the Master's horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World vampires, each vying for control. At the center of the conflict lies a book, an ancient text that contains the vampires' entire history . . . and their darkest secrets. Whoever finds the book can control the outcome of the war and, ultimately, the fate of us all.

And it is between these warring forces that humans - powerless and vulnerable - find themselves no longer the consumers but the consumed. Though Eph understands the vampiric plague better than anyone, even he cannot protect those he loves. His ex-wife, Kelly, has been transformed into a blood-crazed creature of the night, and now she stalks the city looking for her chance to reclaim her Dear One: Zack, Eph's young son.

With the future of humankind in the balance, Eph and his team, guided by the brilliant former professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian and exterminator Vasiliy Fet and joined by a crew of ragtag gangsters, must combat a terror whose ultimate plan is more terrible than anyone has imagined - a fate worse than annihilation.
 

The Fall is an awesome read.  :)

In this second installment of the Strain trilogy we find our band of unlikely heroes trying to stay one step ahead of the Master - and out of the way of the infected who have been sent to claim them.

The Master has realized that this group of survivors are a threat to his plans - and he wants them out of the way.

Abraham is the groups best chance at defeating the Master - he has had the longest time to prepare for the war - having met the Master years ago in a Nazi death camp.  Now Abraham has learned that a book is in New York - a book that holds the key to destroying the Master - and he needs that book.

Eph and his son Zack are still reeling from the knowledge that Zack's Mom has been infected - and she wants Zack.  This virus is so target specific - once a person is infected they immediately seek out the person they love the most - to infect them - and for Kelly, that person is Zack.

Fet, the exterminator, has finally found his purpose in life - to kill vampires - and he is very good at it.  Now Abraham's right hand man, Fet is sent on missions that will hinder the progress of the vampires - while also killing any he encounters along the way.

Now the group has been joined by a gang of guys led by a man that Abraham saved in The Strain - his name is Gus - and Gus and his crew are packing.  Weapons and ammunition's, UVC lamps and vehicles - whatever they need to combat the virus and those infected. 

Gus joining the group seems like an answer to a prayer - until Abraham finds out just who has supplied Gus with the weapons.

The fight has turned into a race against time as Abraham realizes what the Master has in mind - and no matter how hard they try - the group can do nothing to stop it.

Now it is a matter of waiting it out...

I love this series.  :)

I give The Fall 5 out of 5 stars.  :)

M