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pillywiggin's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fantastic book. It incorporates some strands of the "Repairman Jack" series, and foreshadows how "The Adversary Cycle" and "Repairman Jack" series come together. "Reprisal" takes place concurrently with "The Touch" and "Fatal Error." Readers finally discover what happened in when Jack dropped Glaeken off at St. Anne's Cemetery, and what happened when Glaeken went to North Carolina. This is a thrilling lead in to the final books in the Secret History of the World.
david_agranoff's review against another edition
5.0
It is interesting to read the fifth book in a series and think to yourself upon finishing it that it wasn’t like any other novel you can remember. Reprisal is a very unique horror novel, that is one of the most heart-breaking a devastating reads you’ll ever have trouble putting done. Wilson has created an effective novel that’s terror is built on the back of strong characterizations. It can’t be stated enough because it goes over the heads of many horror fans, but a horror story can’t be effective unless the characters are worthy of our concern. That is one of the main reasons Reprisal works.
The supernatural plays a part although a lot is left unexplained. The connection to the greater series is there but for the most part the story could stand alone. You are better off having read The Keep and certainly Reborn because Reprisal is a direct sequel.
There are two moments of absolute horror that are so brutal it makes your skin crawl in this novel. It is not monsters attacking anyone, or a slasher with a big knife. Reprisal explores the concept of what makes a person evil. It does it by putting it’s characters through an emotional grinder as much as anything physical. Although there is plenty of physical horror abound.
It is the story of a man named Will Ryerson, he has a secret past that haunts him. He can’t stand anywhere near a landline phone without it ringing. On the other line every time is a child, begging for his help, begging to be saved. At the same time his friend the nerdy math professor Lisl, has met a new man named Rafe. Thanks to his name, readers of this series know that this man is “The One” who is the earthly manifestation of the evil Otherness. Rafe has taken an interest in Lisl, he wants to corrupt her at every turn.
Reborn the last novel in the series had an Omen/Rosemary’s baby feel to it. The series is still building the end of the world,or at least a battle over the world, but this novel that a nice personal detour. It explores a very personal petty-ness to the otherness trapped in human form.
Reprisal is another notch up, after the power of Reborn this novel takes an unexpected path but is building the series toward the end. Wilson as always creates novel with intricate plot and twists and turns. Wow. Great read.
laterry75's review
3.0
Wilson's "The Adversary Cycle" has gotten a bit bloated. Granted, I only stumbled onto it when I first found Repairman Jack. I had to do a lot of backtracking. But I've gone back and read everything up to this point, and I'm still confused.
"Reprisal" features characters from "Reborn" that I didn't even realize were characters from "Reborn" until well into the book. There've been a dozen Repairman Jack books to read in between these two books, and I've lost track. Granted, I'm invested now. I can't let up. I stuck with "LOST" and "Battlestar Galactica" to the bitter end, through even more complicated mythos and larger character sets. But somehow, "The Adversary Cycle" seems too much.
I guess I need to finally sit down and read "Nightworld" before passing ultimate judgement, but I'm starting to feel only a sense of obligation to myself to read it. After all, I've put in all this other work . . . I need to know how things wrap up.
More thoughts in later reviews of "Nightworld."
"Reprisal" features characters from "Reborn" that I didn't even realize were characters from "Reborn" until well into the book. There've been a dozen Repairman Jack books to read in between these two books, and I've lost track. Granted, I'm invested now. I can't let up. I stuck with "LOST" and "Battlestar Galactica" to the bitter end, through even more complicated mythos and larger character sets. But somehow, "The Adversary Cycle" seems too much.
I guess I need to finally sit down and read "Nightworld" before passing ultimate judgement, but I'm starting to feel only a sense of obligation to myself to read it. After all, I've put in all this other work . . . I need to know how things wrap up.
More thoughts in later reviews of "Nightworld."
hollyfs's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
tsaniuk13's review
4.0
I always love learning more about Rasalom and Glaeken and this one was creepy-scary!
llamasama's review
5.0
WOW.
Best book in the series by a long shot.
FPW is at his best when weaving tales of psychological horror, and goddamn does he absolutely crush it in this novel.
Between orchestrating Bill's loss of faith, Lisl's manipulation into cruelty and egoism, and the absolutely devastating final temptations, Rafe kept me both horrified and completely enthralled.
Also probably the most accurate depiction of how people fall into abusive relationships I've ever read.
So. Fucking. Good.
Best book in the series by a long shot.
FPW is at his best when weaving tales of psychological horror, and goddamn does he absolutely crush it in this novel.
Between orchestrating Bill's loss of faith, Lisl's manipulation into cruelty and egoism, and the absolutely devastating final temptations, Rafe kept me both horrified and completely enthralled.
Also probably the most accurate depiction of how people fall into abusive relationships I've ever read.
So. Fucking. Good.
tsaniuk13's review against another edition
4.0
I always love learning more about Rasalom and Glaeken and this one was creepy-scary!
careythesixth's review against another edition
5.0
Yeah! I couldn't put this book down. Most of the Adversary Cycle was predictable since I've read most of the Repairman Jack books, but this one bought everything and tied up a bunch of loose ends for both series. It was really great to revisit characters from Reborn. And the mention of Jack at the end was pretty awesome. Moving on to The Dark at the End now.
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