Where's My Bookmark: The Fall by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Let me kick off today's post by telling you that I am in desperate need of more sleep. Last night was rough -- I was up every few hours and definitely considered throwing in the towel and getting up at 4am. Bleh! Although, it would have been a chance to get in more reading time.

Still on the Halloween horror kick -- trying to get to as many this week as I can (considering the stack of potentials has kept growing even though the amount of time left is shrinking -- leftovers will stay in the TBR stack. Horror is good for any time of year!).

I did have the chance to read The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan before it was released. Which means that now that I'm cracking open book two, The Fall, it's been over two years since I was introduced to the story and the characters. Hmm. Could lead to some disastrous confusion.

Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case thus far. The Fall does pick up right where The Strain leaves off, with the team of oddly matched vampire hunters hiding out in Manhattan anticipating attack from The Master, or, as it turns out, one of his minions (trying not to give too much away for those who have yet to read The Strain, which reminds me -- Get on it! Book three comes out Tuesday, so you can read straight through!). The vampire plague has taken over and the government is only just starting to come up with a plan. It may be too late, though.

Here's a bit more about the book (from the HarperCollins page):

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 bloodcrazed 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.

One of the things that does strike me about this series is the seemingly various incarnations of subtly reused scenes and situations from del Toro's Cronos. It could be my imagination, but it's definitely at the forefront while I'm reading. I'd have to rewatch Cronos to be sure, but must admit that I don't particularly care all that much if some of the imagery is repeated. It's just something I've noticed. If you've seen the film and read the books, you'll have to let me know if you had the same impression at any point.

I love the grittiness of this series. If you need to be told, the vampires in this series are truly horrific creatures -- there's nothing sweet or remotely romantic about them at all. The Strain trilogy is 100% horror and I love it. Paranormals and romance have their place in my particular mood reading, but straight up horror is on order for this week and these guys hit the spot.

Fortunately, the folks at HC have been kind enough to send along a copy of The Night Eternal, so I won't have to worry about keeping up with the final installment!

Happy reading!