Reviews

The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman

lauralauralaura's review against another edition

3.0

An extremely dark vampire book where basically no character comes anywhere near likeable. And also enough plot to get me to stick with it to the end despite my horror.

rmacmillan92's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

yodamom's review against another edition

5.0

I have no idea what to say about the story. Recap that ? No way. It was so good, so twisted, bloody, raunchy, with the perfect amount of snark. I have found a favorite author. Every page was just so good, I read it slow wanting to absorb each word. I should have seen the twist right ? I didn't, oh so good. OMg what happened to Gonzo ?

constant_reader_'s review against another edition

5.0

"We often live next to monsters unawares."

I loved every minute of this book. I'm a sucker for any vampire novel, and this one is no exception. The Lesser Dead follows main character Joey Peacock in his life as a vampire living in New York's abandoned subway stations in 1978, while he tries to figure out the sudden appearance of a pack of vampire children. This is the third Buehlman novel I've read and he does not disappoint. His prose is magnetic and there were so many times I laughed out loud! I could hear the main character's accent as I was reading. Buehlman does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the story. His vampires are not romanticized as broody misunderstood love interests, they are self-serving, top of the food chain predators and I am here for it.

If you love supernatural mysteries, definitely give this one a try.

chipsandcoffee's review against another edition

5.0

holy fucking ending lmao

selenajean's review against another edition

5.0

Wow, I absolutely loved this book. It’s been awhile since a book has blown me away. I also listened to this as an audiobook which was the best I’ve listened to. The author really got into the story and gave life to the characters and story. It was awesome.

jlannh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

calliek927's review against another edition

5.0

I really enjoyed this! I wasn't sure what I'd think after looking over some reviews that didn't quite care for it, but I thought this one was fun, well written and all around great.

The story is narrated by Joseph, who is a vampire turned at 14. He says from the beginning he's "not a good narrator". Well I loved it. I'll be looking for more in this style of writing, in this genre.

Definitely glad I decided to give it a go.

ieatdirtformoney's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

If there's one thing I adore in a book, it's consistent characterization that draws the reader in. I will forgive a lukewarm plot in a heartbeat if I like the characters; this, fortunately, was not necessary, as this is not one of those books.

The Lesser Dead brings so many things to the table, including a creative take on vampiric myth and the cultural mores that would follow, a delightfully well-paced plot, and a wonderful inner dialogue that made reading the story engaging even when nothing of great importance was happening.

Once again, Christopher Buehlman has reminded me why he is one of my favourite authors. If you have any interest in modern vampires, or vampires at all for that matter, read this book.

Now, this next section is reserved for those who have read this book, and those who do not particularly care about spoilers...

...holy shit, this book's coda is relentlessly bleak. Very infrequently am I struck dumb from a plot twist, and yet this ending forced me to sit in silence with it, letting it sink in just how truly fucked from the beginning the nocturnal inhabitants of Manhattan's subway system were. An excellent execution of a "bad ending" that felt earned and fitting, rather than spiteful and out of place. Well played, Mr. Buehlman, well played.

zachdelf's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25