The Fall

Funny thing about The Strain, which led me to The Fall: my husband gave it to me for our first wedding anniversary (paper), but as I thought he had just picked it randomly off a bookshelf at an airport bookstore (as he did, indeed), it took me some time to actually get down to reading it (yes, I was sulking a bit as my present for him had taken a bit more thought..) However, once I began reading I could not put it down! Unwittingly, he had hit the mark (the back cover didn't give away much): vampires! (And not that teeny-bopper twilight stuff - which I personally think is ridiculous: glittery vampires?! Come on!! I know it's fantasy, but...) This is the real deal: tense, gory, smart, thought-provoking.. Engaging and well-written.. Can't wait for the next volume!! Highly recommended!

After reading "The Strain" and absolutely loving it "The Fall" seemed like a good idea. This next book follows straight on from the events of the previous book but with a much greater focus on Setrakian (the professor) and Fet (The exterminator). Essentially the entire city of New York has become riddled with the infected and a number of teams unite to reach a common goal - destroying the blood suckers! The entire world is now at risk and the infection is spreading. Eph decides that in order to keep what remains of his family safe he must send them away from the city so within the interludes we learn of Nora, Zack and Nora's mothers journey to safety...but of course you can imagine it's never that simple. Infact, Zack's mother Kelly is stalking the city in an attempt to reclaim her "Dear One". You will learn a little more about the Ancients, particularly the ones that appeared to be "good" in the previous novel but you will also discover information about the Master and his true origins. Not to mention you will discover piece by piece that deadly plan for the rest of the survivors. This novel really sets up for the next one. Usually with sequels they can fall a bit flat since all they tend to do is lead into the third book. However, this time I actually felt that the beginning and end were really strong and interesting to read. This time we aren't really thrown a lot of scientific information but more myth and tales from Setrakians time. I personally preferred the focus of the novel in The Strain being on Eph for the scientific explainations but never the less, Setrakian is interesting. The middle of the novel however was not for me. It wasn't that exciting and although a lot seemed to be happening I found myself willing to risk flicking past a couple of pages. I think my reason for doing this is based on the amount of information I was gaining because essentially all that was happening were fight scenes in not that great detail. If you like that kind of thing though then this is perfect for you, just not great from my point of view. I would recommed this book and it is a great sequel. I personally feel that the Strain was far better but it was still enjoyable and good for learning a little more about the plan for the world's demise. The ultimate plan in store for them and what remains of the human race is far more terrible than anyone can imagine - a fate even worse than total annihilation.

This is the Second Book of "The Strain" Trilogy. Ever since I read Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labrynth", I was enthralled with his style of writing -and 'The Strain' Trilogy did not disappoint. As with the other two books in this series, the storyline is gripping and holds the reader's interest throughout. It's success lies in the well described live of the main protagonists, and the development of a world-wide plague through vampirism. It's real quality is in its smooth transition from one book to another, giving the reader the joy of not having to 'get into' the next book - it all flows so effortlessly. Pure horror-fantasy and a highly enjoyable read.

The trilogy was good in parts but ultimately pretty average. Not as good as The Passage / The Twelve.

I read `The Strain' earlier this year and loved it. It was a long wait for the second book in the trilogy but 'The Fall' was well worth that wait. Continuing immediately where the first book left off, 'The Fall' manages to weave together all sorts of vampire law but in a gritty reality rather that the romanticised 'Twilight' type image of a Vampire as well as filling in a few gaps in the background of Setrakian, the Vampire "expert". It moves at a good pace and I would love to see the story turned into a film directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Can't wait for the final book in the trilogy.

This is the second novel in Guillermo Del Toro's The Strain trilogy. This sequel sees New York being taken over by vampires and a corrupt government and officials covering up the true nature of the disaster facing mankind. Once again, Del Toro and co-write Chuck Hogan show their eye for a movie and this novel reads very much like it is geared towards screen adaptation. However, it would seem that the authors have stepped up their game considerably after setting the scene with The Strain. The Fall really delivers the goods, is not as derivative as its predecessor and takes a vampire tale to a level I have never seen on the big or small screen. Much like The Strain, The Fall reads very much as a high paced action horror but has a distinctly gloomier tone than most vampire stories. Hell, the vampires are winning here! Some say that this tone is depressing. I would suggest that if you are reading horror novels then you aren't particularly in the market for something lighthearted and ought to have read the book sleeve before you cracked the spine. Perhaps due to the fact that this is the second novel in the trilogy, I felt that overall the character development was much better in The Fall. New characters were introduced that I genuinely felt compassion for and think many of the characters are not the tired clichés seen in so much vampire fiction. My personal favourite and one worth watching out for (who doesn't get near enough page space!) is Angel Guzman Hurtado. I'll leave it to you to find out more! The Fall is a superior sequel to The Strain but with hindsight, The Strain set this up nicely.

The Second book in the trilogy picks up almost immediately after the conclusion of `The Strain', and chronicles the horrendous manifestations of the following three weeks or so (with added back story, told through flashbacks concerning Setrakian) as the vampires take Manhattan --- and beyond like a pandemic, the likes of which Mankind has never seen--- and civilization begins to crumble. Our modern day Vampire enabler and top Corporate CEO Palmer uses his quiet influence to compel a news blackout concerning the true nature of what is really going on. The disappearances and deaths are blamed on a virus, and there is no meaningful resistance to the ever-growing number of vampires. Setrakian is confident that a legendary ancient book, long lost to history, will contain the answer to defeating the Master once and for all. Goodweather, has other ideas, as he plots an assassination attempt that he believes will upset the uneasy 'force multiplier' of Palmer and the Master. For the rest, you will have to read the book! The real narrative, however; for me, takes place in the streets of New York, in the shuttered tenements, and other vacated buildings, and in subway tunnels where vampires, use them like `rat runs' and emerge to hunt for food. For those that try to fight, they are scattered valiant but doomed. THE FALL is believable and frightening.

A great follow up to The Strain. This book kept me engrossed and I did keep coming back to read it every night before bed. I found the story focused a bit more on Fet and Abraham which was a good change, but I did find the pace a bit different from the first book. If you have watched the TV series, the story is similar but not the same. No spoilers here you'll have to read it to find out.

ich habe zuerst Staffel 1 der Serie gesehen - dann mußte ich die Bücher haben! Wie üblich sind sie besser als die Serie - ich werde hier nicht spoilern aber ich kann dieses Buch und die beiden Anderen 100% empfehlen (wenn man dieses Genre mag).

Obviamente si te gusta el tema de vampiros está muy bien. a mi me ha gustado mucho. If you like this kind of books you will really enjoy this one

Nessa trilogia, os autores conseguiram brincar de forma bastante surpreendente com o mito dos vampiros e, apesar do enredo não ser nada espetacular, a história entretém. Como a abordagem não é mais novidade, essa sequência é um tanto quanto enfadonha. Alguns personagens novos são inseridos na trama e, com exceção de algumas passagens realmente divertidas, o desenvolvimento da história não me agradou muito. Tudo só volta a melhorar já nas últimas páginas, terminando em um gancho para o terceiro e último livro da série. Enfim um livro de ligação mediano, mas que prepara um terreno fértil para a conclusão.

I would recommend this trilogy to all my friends. Its a fantastic story !! I can't read it fast enough and the best part is there's 2 more books just like it. The story flows nicely. There's nothing bad to say about this book or the trilogy. Its well worth the read !

It was after seeing the first season of "The Strain" that I actually found out that there was a trilogy of books which proceeded it. Which excited me greatly! I am mostly a reader of non-fiction, and I haven't found a series that drags on for 6 + books to maintain my interest. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of series I’m sure that go on and on, and are great material. But for me, since fiction tends to be my break from non-fiction.... it just gets a bit to long for me. So when I found out that this was a trilogy with a definite ending, I knew it was probably something I would really like. I wasn't wrong, this second book is just as good is the first, a little bit shorter, (by about 100 pages) but this is because it’s a transition of the story from the beginning, and into the final sequences. It is filled with lots of action, good character development, and great story telling. The particular thing I have enjoyed about these books thus far is the writing. It is a perfect pace in my mind, it tells you what you want to know, but doesn't drag it on and on, it spaces out happenings between characters just enough to build the suspense but not so long, you have to break a moment to remember what was originally happening with the character when you last left them. What I absolutely love about this book is the idea itself, Vampirism being a virus, I just love it! Now I haven't started the third book, so I can’t say if I am going to like the ending. But even if I had read it, it wouldn't be fair to place it here. Overall this second book is a lot of fun! Just as enjoyable as the first, and the story develops well, and many of the characters you really start to get a personal feeling for. Not all, but many of the main protagonists and antagonists. This is just a wonderful (thus far) horror story, filled with excitement, dread, action, suspense, and draws you in and doesn't let go. I finished the first two books of this series in just 3 days, I couldn't put them down! I have high hopes for the third and final book of this trilogy, and if it is anything like the first two, I am hoping it will leave me feeling satisfied! If you liked the series, you will absolutely love the books!