The Night Eternal

By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The nail-biting vampire thriller from the world-famous director of Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy.

The night belongs to them, and it will be a night eternal…

After the blasts, it was all over. Nuclear Winter has settled upon the earth. Except for one hour of sunlight a day, the whole world is plunged into darkness. It is a near-perfect environment for vampires. They have won. It is their time.

Almost every single man, woman and child has been enslaved in vast camps across the globe. Like animals, they are farmed, harvested for the sick pleasure of the Master Race.

Almost, but not all. Somewhere out there, hiding for their lives, is a desperate network of free humans, continue the seemingly hopeless resistance. Everyday people, with no other options – among them Dr Ephraim Goodweather, his son Zack, the veteran exterminator Vassily, and former gangbanger Gus.

To be free, they need a miracle, they need divine intervention. But Salvation can be a twisted game – one in which they may be played like pawns in a battle of Good and Evil. And at what cost…?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Oct 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9780007328628

Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro is an Academy Award®–winning film director as well as a screenwriter, producer, and New York Times bestselling novelist. He is best known for his foreign fantasy films, especially Pan’s Labyrinth, and American mainstream movies like The Shape of Water. Del Toro has published multiple bestselling adult novels with HarperCollins, including The Strain, which was adapted into a TV series by FX, and he is the creator of Trollhunters, Netflix’s most-watched children’s series.

Reviews for The Night Eternal

[thecrow2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sorry to say but this series just went to worse by every volume. This last one is is a stereotyped post-apocalyptic action story, to be fair not the worst I`ve ever read. As much I`ve enjoyed the scientific explanation of vampirism in the first book, I was deeply annoyed the religious-christian origin story and ending,Unfortunately on top of everything the hungarian translation is simply awful.

[snotbottom-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I finished it on Halloween, how appropriate!

A vampire book for guys! Not any sappy, romantic vamps from the Pacific Northwest here, del Toro tells an entirely different story.

First off, I'll admit I didn't read the first two books of the trilogy. There were references to things that had gone on before, but it didn't affect the readability or my enjoyment of this installment at all.

The story takes place two years after the virus that turns humans to vampires was unleashed, and the entire world now lies in near-continuous night as a nuclear winter blocks out the sun, nearly perfect for the propagation of vampires. Humanity has been purged of its best and brightest, the humans that remain are separated by according to status and usefulness... those who breed, and those who are bled. The fate of humanity is in the hands of a ragtag group, who may be the only hope of overturning this new world order.

The action is pretty much nonstop throughout the book, with the characters seeming to be perpetually going from one bad situation to another. If you're looking for a book with a ray of sunshine, this isn't it, it's dark and pretty much stays that way. Any time there looks like there might be a ray of sunshine coming, it gets eclipsed by something bad.

The book reads a bit like a movie storyline, which is understandable considering del Toro's history in film, but I think that also helps him to brings out the vivid imagery in the book that helped immerse me into the dark world he had created. The ending might not be what many expect (or want), but it definitely brings the story to an end.

In reading other reviews (prior to reading the book), some consider this may be the weaker of the three installments. Considering how much I enjoyed this one, I'll definitely be looking forward to reading the others.

This was a First-Reads giveaway!

[madam_razz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a little jarring at first, because it takes place two years after the events of the second book. A lot has happened within that timeframe and the relationships between the characters we're familiar with are different, as well. In some ways it's slower and a little less interesting while you acclimate yourself to the differences in the way things are. But, that isn't to say that they don't make sense or that they aren't organic to what's going on. We were given clues throughout the first two books about how the Master would change our world, how that would look, although they were subtle hints. But, this book brings those into full view and fruition as two years later the Master has complete control of the world, save for little pockets of resistance here and there, which clearly don't even worry the Master.We get to see some more insight into the characters that we only got to meet briefly throughout the first and second books, and I think my favorite insight into the characters came more from Everett Barnes. We really, truly get to see what kind of person he is, what makes him tick and how he thinks, and I'm glad that we get that.Eph's change was, in a way, the biggest one and the one I found most frustrating throughout the book because he absolutely made more than a few choices that I wanted to smack him for and tell him to get his head on straight. At the same time, the way that the other characters treated him with so little sympathy, compassion, and understanding over the situation with Zack was also frustrating despite the fact that it was completely understandable. Especially from the view of an outsider looking in as the reader who sees all the moving parts from all factions and is constantly aware of the big picture in a way that people directly in it, personally involved, do not and most especially the way someone /so/ emotionally and personally involved as Eph considering his situation probably could not be. An objective view makes Eph's actions and logic seem, at times, ridiculous and hard to understand. But stepping back and attempting to step into Eph's shoes makes it a little easier, even if not entirely. It's still obvious, no matter what, when the characters make mistakes or bad decisions and you realize it even before the consequences have come to the characters.It's definitely an engrossing book and I absolutely love it. I feel like it's an absolutely fitting end to the trilogy. I love the epilogue, as well, I definitely feel like this will be a book trilogy, and with this book in particular of the three, as one that I will end up rereading at some point.I loved the insight we got into the Master and his origins, its formative years alive and infecting people and things. Definitely fascinating. So was the insight into what kind of "person" the Master is.The final battle itself was hugely satisfying and engrossing and edge-of-your-seat entertaining. You could really feel the desperation of the characters.I also liked that they knew going into the final battle, and then it was proven in the epilogue, that not everything was rosey and right back to normal like before once it was all over. It was realistic in that they didn't rebuild right away and even once they began it was slow-going and there was uncertainty. I especially liked that there are pockets of conspiracy theorists who deny what happened, and people willing to take credit and the potential glory that comes along with it for things they didn't do. It was all very human and made perfect sense. It was a hopeful, but realistic ending and I absolutely loved it.Great book and I can't recommend it, and the entire trilogy, highly enough! Worth every penny and every second of time spent reading.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very action packed conclusion to the series. Stretches credibility at points and was a little heavy handed with the religious elements for me.

[brian55_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't think this third book of the trilogy was as strong. It was almost as if there were too many loose ends to tie up to bring the series to a conclusion. The final confrontation with Eph and the Master started with some strong suspense but, came to a conclusion I felt was a little flat. I went back and reread it to see if I'd missed some finer details. I won't give a spoiler but, the conclusion with Eph was not one I saw coming. It was definitely the most fulfilling portion of the ending.

[aadyer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m afraid to say that this was a very poor last chapter in the trilogy that I was hoping for more from. The ending is unoriginal and also unsatisfying. The fights of some of the characters seems a shame whilst others progress on. Unfortunately I feel that over the trilogy, whilst it started well, It didn’t finish well.

[skybalon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good conclusion. Maybe a little too abruptly wrapped up, and it got less creepy as it went along, but a worthwhile read nonetheless.

[maryellencg-894309 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Getting through this trilogy was a slog. I feel like it could have been shortened to two books and not lost anything -- the middle book and the first 2/3 of the third dragged on and on with a lot of repetition, and the ending felt really rushed.

That said, I liked the premise, and I made myself finish because I wanted to see what would happen... but I'm glad I resisted the urge to buy the books, and got them from the library instead.

[bxwretlind · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meh ending.

[brittanylyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was devastated when I finished the final volume of the Strain trilogy. These are my favorite vampires books, because I felt very emotionally invested in the characters. Their struggle for survival, sanity, and the care of their loved ones really rang true.

[breadhat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can think of a lot of things that were theoretically wrong with this book, but the upshot is that I loved it. I don't usually engage with genre fiction so deeply, and this series was a rare treat. I found the ending to be a totally satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, although the epilogue was pretty lame. I actually wish there had been another book in the series to cover the two years preceding this one; I would love to see the globe-trotting adventures of Fet and Mr. Quinlan.

[djupstrom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The last installment on The Strain Trilogy. I liked it all. There is closure, without the hopes for another add on. I was interested in the making of the vampire race. The Ancients were an interesting addition. Well written, and I am looking forward for the inevitable movie versions.

[kale.dyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very action packed conclusion to the series. Stretches credibility at points and was a little heavy handed with the religious elements for me.

[khaalidah-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book less than the first two. This isn't necessarily a reflection on the writing but more a reflection of the necessary progression of the story.
Eff, the main character has spent the last two years mourning the kidnappings of his son by The Master, the head vampire and has essentially become dysfunctional, drug addicted, unreliable, and just plain pathetic. I admired him initially as a character who was smart resourceful yet flawed but he fell to pieces, going so far as to actually consider plotting against his own friends.
He was in fact, the entire downside to this story for me. He depressed and saddened me even while I pitied him and sympathized with him.
This book was also slower than the previous two in that it took its time filling in the historical holes leading up to this vampire apocalypse and the implications. Some of this information was welcome some of it was unnecessary.
I appreciate the character development and transformation and the well crafted believability of a story that is wholly unbelievable. This was no Twilightesque vampire tale. It's gritty and dirty and harsh and frightening. These were the way I imagine vampires should be.
I really enjoyed this series.

[bdtrump · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Plot holes, deus ex, unexpected biblical prophecies, static characters, and almost no plot development make for a ridiculous finale. The interesting premise from Book 1 is turned entirely on its head in Book 3, and is near unrecognizable.

One of the major failures of the trilogy is its inability to develop characters across the story arc. All of the protagonists are so flat that its funny, and are generally unlikable to the point that I couldn't help but hope that The Master would beat them all into a pulp. Particularly Zach... his character almost has no redeeming qualities or real reason to be in the work beyond his status as a nuisance and all around spoiled child.

The plot holes and unexplained 'twists' are hideously bad. Near magical and unforeseen solutions abound, with the ending almost as unbelievable and pointless as the majority of the beginning and middle sections.

Guillermo del Toro is far too talented for this. I'm sure that the TV Show will clean a lot of this up, but really...an incredible disappointment.

[jeb5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful! A perfect end to a revamped campire trilogy!!!! A must read for the vampire fan.

[jamiesbookblog · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Night Eternal was a satisfying conclusion to this hair raising series. The first half of the book starts off a bit slower than the previous two but cleverly pulls you in, showing the horrors of the world under it's new regime before kicking into full throttle that leaves the neck breaking speed of the other two combined novels well behind. I love how the fist half subtly lulls you into a sense of peace and calm with a few shadows only ever seen from the corner of your eyes and just when you think it's safe to go to sleep the true horror descends upon you keeping you well up into the night, afraid of the shadows in your room and the vampires that may be hiding within. Excellent series that ends perfectly. If you loved the other two then you're in for a real treat with this one.

[bke-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The third and final installment of the Strain Trilogy. It kind of lost steam as the trilogy progressed.

[kybunnies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*********THIS WAS A GOODREADS.COM FIRST READ!!!**********

Since I have not read any other books in the series I can not full understand everything in the book. As to that, I still enjoyed the book. It was a very interesting read. I will admit to still being confused on somethings but I am sure that is because I started at the end of the series instead of the beginning. lol I know crazy! :-)

*********THIS WAS A GOODREADS.COM FIRST READ!!!**********

[jimrgill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This final volume in The Strain trilogy concludes the harrowing vampire apocalypse and recasts the story of the Master’s global dominance as a domestic redemption narrative of Eph and his shortcomings as a husband and a father.Following the untimely demise of Setrakian (the story’s Van Helsing), Fet assumes the role of vampire-hunter-in-chief. He clearly supplants Eph as the leader of the anti-strigoi forces by also claiming the affections of Nora, Eph’s erstwhile partner, whom he loses because of his inability to reconcile his obsessions with his failed marriage and his missing son, whom the Master has abducted and is attempting to groom as his next corporeal vessel. Unfortunately, these thematic shadings never fully blend with the story’s heavily plot-driven narrative. Balancing familial drama with global calamity is a delicate task; in the case of this novel, however, Eph’s personal angst seems to impede the progress of the apocalyptic vampires-vs-humans conflict (especially apparent in the preposterous subplot regarding Eph’s temptation to betray his fellow crusaders by engaging in a deal with the Master). While this novel provides a dramatic if tidy end to the series—and it’s a great leisure read—it loses steam when the narrative strays from its generic strengths.

[irregularreader · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay, I shouldn’t have to say this, but: Beyond this point are MAJOR spoilers for the first two books in The Strain Trilogy. If you haven’t read the first two books, you should click on the link in the last sentence._________________________________________________________________On with the show.The Strain series started off great. In the first book, the authors recreate the classic Dracula scene with the death ship Demeter, but in this century, its a Boeing 777 dead on the tarmac, and naturally we nowadays are less concerned about a plague than about terrorists. The build up in the first two books as Ephraim Goodweather and Nora Jones of the CDC, the Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian, the exterminator Vasily Fet, and others slowly learn the scope of what they are facing, and just how insurmountable their odds are, is great. You grow to love these characters. And, in a change from most vampire books, you have no sympathetic feelings towards the monsters themselves (making the vampires overlarge human ticks who shit while they eat certainly helps forestall any tender feelings).So bring on the final installment! We come in two years after the events of The Fall. The Master has brought nuclear winter down upon the earth, humans have been herded into blood camps or forced to work to support the continuation of the series. The vampires have won.And Ephraim is lost. We find Eph, now basically a drug addict hobo, spending a night in his ex-wife’s old house, feeling depressed about not knowing where his son, Zack, is (let’s remember that Kelly, the ex-wife in question and vampire, kidnapped Zack in the last book). Little does he know that Zack is being groomed by the Master to be his new vessel. Meanwhile, Nora, Fet, and a few others are trying to continue to fight. That is, when they’re not being screwed over by Eph’s unreliability.So basically, the human race has lost. Setrakian is dead, Ephraim Goodweather is falling apart, Nora, Fet, and the others are left to try to pick up the pieces of the revolution as best they can, but things look grim. Only a really, really, REALLY desperate final plan has a chance to destroy The Master and save the human race.So far I’m enjoying this. I always like a post apocalyptic spin, and Ephraim Goodweather’s fall from grace is a logical progression of his flawed character. I also like how the other characters continue to grow in the third installment. After all, this series is really about family (Seriously, forget about the vampires, everything everyone does in this book ties back to their family in some way). Even the vampires with their “dear ones” fall into the family theme.At some point, however, the book goes off the rails. The action is gripping, the suspense nail-biting at times, the ick factor is still present, but as the group seeks out the origins of The Master in order to destroy it, the plot up and takes itself way off the reservation. I like to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible, so I’m trying to decide on the best way to describe this without giving anything away. Suffice it to say this: that apparently having vampirism as a disease or literal wormy parasite is no longer cool or creepy enough. When we learn where The Master comes from, the authors threw in a huge curveball, and I, for one, was unimpressed. I found it way better when the explanation was “nature is a fucked up bitch sometimes.” The thought that there didn’t need to be an origin story, that this horrible thing arose from some primordial soup and was hurled against us by the forces of nature we’d prefer to ignore, THAT was scary. Because something like that could happen. By taking things where they did, the authors lessened the visceral fear that some monster plague (figurative) could come sweeping out of the sky in the form of a Boeing 777 and presage the end of the human race.Ah well. In all, if you read the first two books of the series, you should still read this one, if only to complete the trilogy. But I’d lay odds that you’re going to come away a bit disappointed. There were a lot of good things in this book, but the origin story they ultimately came up with for The Master is disappointing enough that it more or less overshadows everything else in the book. If you haven’t read the series, and are reading this review anyway (shame on you), don’t let this review stop you from picking up the first two books in the series. They’re some of the best vampire fiction to come out in the past few years (no one sparkles, bonus!).

[4leschats · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The final installment in The Strain trilogy begins nearly 2 years after the nuclear meltdown of the preceding book. Eph’s own demons and his missing son interfere with his ability to lead while Fet and Nora become lovers. The group with the help of some gangsters and the Masters half-human child seek to discover and destroy the Master’s birthplace before the human race is completely enslaved.

[sensitivemuse · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I liked the first two. This one I can’t say I’m too happy with the ending. I’d have to say at least the mood for the setting and the feeling throughout the book was pretty good. The violence and horror aspect of the book makes the setting have a post apocalyptic feeling so this part of the book was well done too.The background story of Quinlan was also good. Although I can’t help but think the whole angels and Old Testament muck is just that. Muck something much more interesting could have been thought up but no. We have to go back the same past ideas that have been rehashed and reused over and over. I wasn’t interested in that. On top of that, the romance aspects and that horrible excuse of a love triangle with Eph, Fet and Nora was just terrible and unnecessary. In fact the majority of the characters in this book just took a downturn for the not so interesting and blah. Eph becomes emo and whiny to the point where reading about him makes you want to cringe. Nora is okay but she suddenly becomes this besotted lovesick twit with Fet and they’re so bloody mismatched it wasn’t worth reading. Let’s not get started on Zack either. Oh my. Did I ever wish he would be choked to death by one of these vampiric beasts. Was he ever a waste of pages. To top it off, the ending just didn’t do it right for me. When I read that, I nearly wanted to close the book in utter disgust but kept going a little more only to find more snippets of stupid Nora and Fet. Oh for crying out loud, I raved and loved the first two books only to get a real good slap upside the face with this drivel? Most disappointing final book in a series. Ever. This one just took that award by storm.The only thing I liked? was Quinlan and the dark mood that set the setting and feeling for the book. Yet the rest of the characters just killed the story. I only finished it because it’s part of a series and a small part of me wanted to see it until the end. Disappointing, and sad to see it go a great series end this way.

[parhamj-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Eh. Book Three. Vampires. A Master. End of the World. Oh wait, there are angels in here now, too? And the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? And how is it that Ephraim Goodweather, whom all 25 million telepathically-communicating vampires are hunting, is still alive two years after the release of the vampiric virus?

I never thought The Strain trilogy was the best in the vampire universe to begin with, but it did feel like each iteration in the series got worse. You start with The Strain, which presents vampires as a very scientific and biological threat; an actual virus that corrupts organs and tissues and generates growths. Very much like cancer. Okay, I can get on board with this. Strip away the mysticism, the supernatural, and put vampires in a scientific context. But then Book Two comes along – The Fall – and now it is an ancient book written in a magic code that holds the key to bringing down the King Vampires. Okayyy… we’re heading back towards crosses and garlic here. Then comes Book Three – The Night Eternal – and we’re firmly back on the Holy water, wooden-stakes-through-the-heart bandwagon. In other words, what started as a relatively new approach to the vampire legend has devolved into the same ol’ same ol’.

The Night Eternal opens two years after the vampiric virus was unleashed on New York City with the landing of the now infamous “dead plane” at JFK. Eph Goodweather is hiding from the new vampire police state, where human survivors are living in “blood camps” – concentration camps where they spend days toiling away to keep themselves alive, draining their blood for their new masters, and enduring forced procreation to keep those human babies coming. The king of them all is the Master himself, who has taken Eph’s son, Zack, hostage and has him holed up in a “castle” overlooking Central Park. The Master seeks Eph so he can get this mystical ancient book, since it does, after all, reveal how to bring said Master to destruction. But even with 25 million vampires at his disposal, all of whom are on the same wave length as the Master, he seems to have the hardest time getting his claws on Eph. Even with Eph fallen back on his old alcoholic, drug-addicted ways since his only son was dragged away by the most powerful creature on the planet.

Enter the gang of vampire killers. Dr. Nora Martinez and the former exterminator Vassily Fett are secret lovers, hiding their newfound passion from the tumultuous and unstable Eph, and Gus Elizande, the former gang-banger and now hired assassin, is still set on destroying every “vamp” that crosses his path. The four come together, rather reluctantly, in this final stand against the Master. Can they decipher that book and determine the Master’s origin site? The clump of earth that birthed him, whose destruction will mean the destruction of the Master? If they find the origin site, can they destroy it? And can they do all of this AND save Zach from the clutches of the Master before he becomes a vampire himself?

It’s not that The Night Eternal was mystical. And mystical it was. Let’s put it this way: the origin of vampires comes from the murder of an archangel… as in Michael, Gabriel, Raphael. You know the guys who fight God’s battles and deliver His messages. After the angel in question is murdered, his body is dismembered and each piece buried at a different location. Where each body part is laid to rest, a vampire arises, the final vampire to do so being the Master.

An interesting take on the vampire legend for sure. But it would have worked so much better if the whole trilogy had been mystical. And there were definitely elements of mysticism in the first books – the vampires are not fans of pure silver, for example – but there was so much more science too. These weren’t magical creatures; they were creatures of pure biology. Yet they have mystical beginnings? I don’t know. I just couldn’t buy it. Science could be called upon to explain it, and fail. Hail mysticism. But science didn’t fail here. And it’s hard to put science and mysticism in the same legend. At least it is hard to do it and make it believable. I don’t think The Strain trilogy pulled it off, to say the least.

[katyas_26 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review of a book received from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review, review written 2011.Two years have passed since the fall of The Night Eternal. The Master has consolidated his control over humanity by the wholesale slaughter of the leaders, the intelligentsia, the scientists – anyone who might challenge his supremacy – and of those who are elderly or infirm or otherwise incapable of being contributing members of society. In the meantime, humans are controlled by the vampires – if humans want to eat, have clothes and be left alone, they must contribute. Payment by money no longer exists – humans are paid with vouchers for rations and clothing. And the unlucky ones are sent to camps, where they become either breeding machines or slave labor. Eph, Nora, Vasiliy, and Gus and his friends continue to fight against the Master and his regime. But things seems to be coming to a head; the vampires have discovered their hiding spots and the rebels are on the run. They need to translate the Lumen, to discover the location of the Master’s origin, and destroy it – thereby destroying the strain. But can they do it? Will they be able to stay ahead of the Master and his strain long enough to decipher the ancient text? And will they survive the treachery that raises its head amongst them?While I was bothered by a few plot holes – mostly, how is it that they’ve accomplished so little in two years, yet remained ahead of the vamps, and then suddenly everything comes down at once – overall I found this to be an eminently satisfying conclusion to The Strain Trilogy. The characters continue to be a strong aspect, and the plot continues to be fast-paced but strongly developed, and the ending seems realistic – well, as realistic as can be expected in a apocalyptic vampire novel! I thinks fans of this trilogy will be happy with the ending of the series. If you haven’t discovered The Strain yet, be sure to seek it out, starting with “The Strain,” released in 2009, then “The Fall” in 2010, and finally “The Night Eternal,” which was just released.

[queencersei · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Strain trilogy comes to its conclusion in The Night Eternal. After detonating multiple nuclear weapons, vampires now have dominion over a darkened world. The rements of humanity are carefully controlled. After all the vampires do need a stable food supply for the future. Eph Goodweather, Fet the exeterminator, Dr. Nora Martinez and Gus the gang banger race the Master in an attempt to find a lost volumn of vampire mythology which may lead to the destruction of the Master. Aided in their pursuit is a half breed vampire named Quinlan. But the Master has literally millions of eyes around the world. And Eph's son Zack, who the Master has spent two years corrupting. It's a race against the clock as the humans try to outwit an ancient master vampire for control of humanities destiny.

[jeffv_19 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When we last left off, people were being converted to mindless vampires at an alarming rate, and nukes were starting to fly. Former CDC epidemiologist Efraim Goodweather had to take his fight under ground. The prospect of prevailing against the Master and his millions of minions, His close knit band of vampire hunters have scattered...Fet, the exterminator, is trying to make sense of the ancient tome bequeathed him by now-dead vampire hunter Abraham Satrochian. Gus, the gang-banger, is trying to find a detonator for a nuke he acquired. Efraim's colleague, Nora, finds herself in an internment camp run by the former head of the CDC...a camp that pretty much breeds healthy women, bleeds the rest for vampire food, and executes the infirm and elderly. Her Altzheimer's-suffering mother is with her.All of these characters aren't done with each other yet. Efraim is determined to reclaim his son, un-turned, but under the spell of the Master. Another avatar enters the fray...a being of ancient origin that was the spawn of a woman turned while he was in the womb during Roman times. Entrusted by the other ancients to hunt down the Master, he never is quite able to finish the job. However, though him and the ancient book, we learn of the biblical origins of the Master, a derived corruption of the fallen archangel Azrael. The pace of this book is a little better than the other two., The climax though seems like something of Hollywood excess, and kind of destroys the illusion built throughout the series. I'm sure Del Toro has an epic finish in mind if he ever gets funding to film it. It will take some movie magic to redeem this series, however, three books,and an it is just ok. If you like vampire stories, though, you might enjoy it bit more.

[silversurfer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There has been a mass extermination of humans, the best and the brightest, the wealthy and the influential, orchestrated by the Master—an ancient vampire possessed of unparalleled powers—who selects survivors based on compliance. Those humans who remain are entirely subjugated, interred in camps, and separated by status: those who breed more humans, and those who are bled for the sustenance of the Master’s vast army.The future of humankind lies in the hands of a ragtag band of freedom fighters—Dr. Eph Goodweather, former head of the Centers for Disease Control’s biological threats team; Dr. Nora Martinez, a fellow doctor with a talent for dispatching the undead; Vasiliy Fet, the colorful Russian exterminator; and Mr. Quinlan, the half-breed offspring of the Master who is bent on revenge. It’s their job to rescue Eph’s son, Zack, and overturn this devastating new world order. But good and evil are malleable terms now, and the Master is most skilled at preying on the weaknesses of humans. This is a fitting ending to the Trilogy. Full of pulse pounding excitement and gripping emotion. the writing is brisk and pulls you into the action and the drama. The characters are really fleshed out in this volume and you really feel for Eph's torment between right and wrong and the power of his love for his son.I loved these books. They would make for a great Movie or at least a Mini-Series.

[bragan_8 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is book three of the Strain trilogy, in which humanity is faced with subjugation and death at the hands of a horde of murderous vampiric creatures. I really enjoyed the first book, in a cheesy, turn-your-brain-off, popcorn-movie kind of way, but found the second highly disappointing. Objectively, the writing wasn't really any worse than the first one, but where The Strain sucked me in from the beginning with a wonderfully creepy opening scene, The Fall started with reams of tedious exposition that put me into entirely the wrong mood and turned the whole book into something of a slog. Book three... Well, book three was somewhere in-between. It starts promisingly enough: things have gone full-scale apocalyptic, which is always interesting, and we open with some slightly purple, but rather entertaining prose. And, then, bam!, we're right back into annoying exposition-land again for the next hundred pages or so. It's not that I mind getting a recap of the story thus far... In fact, I usually appreciate it, since my memory for stuff I read many months ago is not great. But, geez, there are limits. Sometimes we're given the exact same information three or four times here, and while my memory may be bad, it's not that bad. We're also treated to endless commentary on the main character's mental state in a dull tell-instead-of-show way that would have failed to pass muster in my junior high school creative writing class.Fortunately after a while the infodumping peters out and things actually get moving, and the book gets a lot more readable -- definitely more so than the second one was. The story isn't bad, in its own action-flick kind of way, if you can get past its many, many implausibilities (which, admittedly, takes some doing). The characters are pretty one-note, though, and a lot of the action just isn't very exciting. The ending's reasonably engaging, but I'm not at all sure it was worth plowing through all three of these books to get to it.

[mamaove · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great series though I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. Very anti-climatic and predictable. Do yourself a favor and read the first two books before this one. The first book, The Strain is by far the best. This is a different twist to vampire lore. They do not sparkle and they have no interest in humans except as food. They still fit the one true definition of a vampire: require human blood to survive. All other traits are at the discretion of the lore creator: Stoker, King, Hamilton, Harris, World of Darkness even Meyers to name a few. Overall as a single book this book would not be a good read (not enough background data), but as the end of a trilogy it is a must.