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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Harry can speak to the dead. Dragosani can pull the last secrets from corpses. Their respective talents have set them on a collision course that will shake the foundations of heaven!
This is the best kind of pulp there is: completely and utterly ridiculous fun, with just enough realism to keep the reader hooked. I jokingly described it to my brother as "The X-men go to Hogwarts" and it's not far off the mark; Necroscope is nothing less than a sci-fi horror fantasy time travel mystery wrapped inside a cold war thriller. All the best parts of 80's pulp follow along as well: gratuitousness in every aspect.
Detailed and interesting characters (except, perhaps, for Harry, as he is generally one note for most of the book) flesh out this world of monsters, witches, ghouls, zombies, and psychics. A whirlwind read top to bottom; better hope the edge of your seat is comfortable.
This is the best kind of pulp there is: completely and utterly ridiculous fun, with just enough realism to keep the reader hooked. I jokingly described it to my brother as "The X-men go to Hogwarts" and it's not far off the mark; Necroscope is nothing less than a sci-fi horror fantasy time travel mystery wrapped inside a cold war thriller. All the best parts of 80's pulp follow along as well: gratuitousness in every aspect.
Detailed and interesting characters (except, perhaps, for Harry, as he is generally one note for most of the book) flesh out this world of monsters, witches, ghouls, zombies, and psychics. A whirlwind read top to bottom; better hope the edge of your seat is comfortable.
This was a re-read for me after... I'm not going to think about how many years. I had forgotten just how much the story... loops back on itself in a way. Very enjoyable, though I can't give it a 5 star review. It feels like it could have been fleshed out in parts as it seems like the major battle is almost a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of affair. Of course, if it had been fleshed out like I'm talking about, I'm sure plenty of people would have complained. Maybe if it had also been spread out over two books it would have worked?
Still, very enjoyable.
Still, very enjoyable.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to the audio for this and while the narration was really good, I feel as though I would have understood much more if I had read it in the written format. The timeline was very confusing and I was constantly relistening to chapters, which definitely slowed the pace down.
I enjoyed the vampire mythology and all the necromancy stuff was super dark and gritty. However, there was just too much stuff that went over my head, especially regarding the cold war aspects of the story, for me to give it a higher rating.
I enjoyed the vampire mythology and all the necromancy stuff was super dark and gritty. However, there was just too much stuff that went over my head, especially regarding the cold war aspects of the story, for me to give it a higher rating.
Good read. Not a classic, but it's fun. The vampire mythology is kind of stupid, but I've read much worse. Like the psychic powers thing. Didn't care for the spy stuff.
dark
medium-paced
I am not one to read many horror books and to be honest I can't recall the last one that I read. I certainly will not be forgetting this one and when I read it. May 2014 will be etched in my memory for sometime.
Let us be clear this is not the vampire story like you would see on TV in the form of Vampire Diaries. This is no love story where there are good Vampires like in Twilight. This is a typical good versus evil, however, the evil is so dark it will have you crapping your pants. I am not playing around by suggesting that this book should only be read in a well lighted room, with quick access to the bathroom, and by all means do not eat anything prior to reading.
Necroscope lays out the background for a book series and one in which I am certain to follow.
The good guy: Harry Keogh, Necroscope. The dead talk to him and what they tell him is horrifying. The dead protect Harry and the mean to aid him in destoying Ferenczy and other vampires.
The bad guy: Boris Dragosani, part of a super-secret Soviet spy agency. Dragosani is essential just a tool of the vampires. Dragosani's ambitions do not include the vampires as he strives for world domination and unlimited power harnessed by what the dead can tell him.
The very evil vampire : Ferenczy teaches Dragosani the awful skills of the necromancer, gives him the ability to rip secrets from the mind and bodies of the dead. Trust me, the process is not only horrifying but will leave you speechless
Let us be clear this is not the vampire story like you would see on TV in the form of Vampire Diaries. This is no love story where there are good Vampires like in Twilight. This is a typical good versus evil, however, the evil is so dark it will have you crapping your pants. I am not playing around by suggesting that this book should only be read in a well lighted room, with quick access to the bathroom, and by all means do not eat anything prior to reading.
Necroscope lays out the background for a book series and one in which I am certain to follow.
The good guy: Harry Keogh, Necroscope. The dead talk to him and what they tell him is horrifying. The dead protect Harry and the mean to aid him in destoying Ferenczy and other vampires.
The bad guy: Boris Dragosani, part of a super-secret Soviet spy agency. Dragosani is essential just a tool of the vampires. Dragosani's ambitions do not include the vampires as he strives for world domination and unlimited power harnessed by what the dead can tell him.
The very evil vampire : Ferenczy teaches Dragosani the awful skills of the necromancer, gives him the ability to rip secrets from the mind and bodies of the dead. Trust me, the process is not only horrifying but will leave you speechless
My first thought was that this is “a trashy book for intellectuals”, but I think what’s so interesting about it is that it’s an absurd genre mix, a horror spy novel punctuated with scenes of gruesome violence but that it’s also a very serious meditation of the loneliness of the intellect. It’s about a person alienated by his gifts, doomed to only really be able to relate to the dead, but who ultimately transcends these limitations and discovers himself to be capable of things beyond his imagination. It’s a two-sided coin, a good and an evil, seeking teachers for guidance; but about the nurturing force of a real teacher and the destructive force of a being which imparts it’s own wisdom only to further it’s own ego. It’s quite a thoughtful book really. And I even think it’s funny that the book makes a pretense of being homophobic at times but is actually a classical portrayal of masculine love. The book doesn’t quite know what to make of women, almost like they are a different species, but has a regard for them. It’s of a different era certainly as it envisions a man’s mind being uncertain how to accept the gifts of women, and ultimately learning to grow by doing so. It’s a complex portrait of the isolation of intelligence and the complex forces of growth through others, by learning from them, or by taking from them; and the rewards and costs of each. A book both unexpectedly intelligent and cheerfully chaotic when it strikes. I can see how this is regarded as a classic of sorts.
How to rate this book. I loved parts of it, but also found myself waiting for the *real* action to begin. Knowing that there are over 30 books to follow this one, I guess I will have to be satisfied knowing this was only the beginning and as such, maybe, it was designed to set up the story line and ensure I lusted for more....
I read Dracula last month. I won't bore you with explaining why I was utterly bored with it, actually finding myself yawning at parts. I only bring it up to say that when I read that book, I was looking for the type of feel this book gave me. A sense of evil that is timeless. Evil that has existed though out all the generations and still exists today. This book excited me in the way that I had hoped Dracula would. I could hear the ancient rasping voice of pure evil when the old Vampir spoke from his earthly tomb. I could actually feel the air grow chill. *This* is what I was seeking from the Count....Stoker did not deliver that feeling (for ME), but Lumley certainly did.
Here you have Boris Dragosani and his ability to tear apart the dead and learn their secrets...and then you throw in little Harry Keogh, who speaks for the dead, who the dead admire and, in fact, seek him out and what is there not to love! This same ability, two vastly different types of humans who can both speak to the dead, but displayed at two total different angles fascinated me.
It was also very interesting to have the KGB and other world intelligence agencies use all of these physic powers against one another. James Bond has entered a entirely new realm here. It's all so very believable. So how much does physic ability play in attaining intelligence from other counties? We all have heard of mediums being used behind closed doors to help track down killers, but what if these mediums were used AS THE killers? How true is the "evil eye"? What if one talked to the dead, not to reassure the living, but to learn of the dead's secrets...secrets that up until that point had been taken with them to the grave?
Parts of this book I felt were rich in detail and left me wanting even more...yet other parts I felt needed more detail and they, too, left me wanting more.....
I won't be going into any ancient forests in Romania anytime soon....that is one thing I know for sure.....
more reviews at www.RandomBookMuses.com #Urania
I read Dracula last month. I won't bore you with explaining why I was utterly bored with it, actually finding myself yawning at parts. I only bring it up to say that when I read that book, I was looking for the type of feel this book gave me. A sense of evil that is timeless. Evil that has existed though out all the generations and still exists today. This book excited me in the way that I had hoped Dracula would. I could hear the ancient rasping voice of pure evil when the old Vampir spoke from his earthly tomb. I could actually feel the air grow chill. *This* is what I was seeking from the Count....Stoker did not deliver that feeling (for ME), but Lumley certainly did.
Here you have Boris Dragosani and his ability to tear apart the dead and learn their secrets...and then you throw in little Harry Keogh, who speaks for the dead, who the dead admire and, in fact, seek him out and what is there not to love! This same ability, two vastly different types of humans who can both speak to the dead, but displayed at two total different angles fascinated me.
It was also very interesting to have the KGB and other world intelligence agencies use all of these physic powers against one another. James Bond has entered a entirely new realm here. It's all so very believable. So how much does physic ability play in attaining intelligence from other counties? We all have heard of mediums being used behind closed doors to help track down killers, but what if these mediums were used AS THE killers? How true is the "evil eye"? What if one talked to the dead, not to reassure the living, but to learn of the dead's secrets...secrets that up until that point had been taken with them to the grave?
Parts of this book I felt were rich in detail and left me wanting even more...yet other parts I felt needed more detail and they, too, left me wanting more.....
I won't be going into any ancient forests in Romania anytime soon....that is one thing I know for sure.....
more reviews at www.RandomBookMuses.com #Urania