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itsa_mario's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katesmiles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
dollcoven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
On my edition of the book Peter Straub has a blurb on the cover: "It has true fear in it."
Is the fear in the room with us right now? Cause I did not feel any of this supposed fear while I was reading the book.
This book had some strong ideas that were completely bogged down by a slow narrative, multiple povs of the characters (there's not anything inherently wrong with that but in this book, it was a problem) and other ridiculous shit. Don't even get me started on the love story between the hero and heroine. Jesus. I'm glad to be done with this.
Is the fear in the room with us right now? Cause I did not feel any of this supposed fear while I was reading the book.
This book had some strong ideas that were completely bogged down by a slow narrative, multiple povs of the characters (there's not anything inherently wrong with that but in this book, it was a problem) and other ridiculous shit. Don't even get me started on the love story between the hero and heroine. Jesus. I'm glad to be done with this.
thewallflower00's review against another edition
3.0
A horror novel from the 1980s that’s not Stephen King. I didn’t think such a thing existed.
The introduction isn’t enticing, and it’s a product of its time. We start with a prologue containing characters that don’t show up again until the 33% mark. Every character, every building gets a physical description, especially when they don’t need one. They’re all 1940’s German — everyone’s going to look the same.
It’s okay. In the middle, it starts delivering the promise of the premise. The author avoids a sludgy middle by introducing new characters and some plot twists, as opposed to keeping the mystery boxes locked and stringing the reader along. It would make a pretty good movie–I love seeing Nazis killed in horrific ways by a monster, especially when most times the Nazis are the monster (Overlord, Dead Snow, Puppet Master, Hellboy).
The introduction isn’t enticing, and it’s a product of its time. We start with a prologue containing characters that don’t show up again until the 33% mark. Every character, every building gets a physical description, especially when they don’t need one. They’re all 1940’s German — everyone’s going to look the same.
It’s okay. In the middle, it starts delivering the promise of the premise. The author avoids a sludgy middle by introducing new characters and some plot twists, as opposed to keeping the mystery boxes locked and stringing the reader along. It would make a pretty good movie–I love seeing Nazis killed in horrific ways by a monster, especially when most times the Nazis are the monster (Overlord, Dead Snow, Puppet Master, Hellboy).
defaultnamespace's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
gbdill's review against another edition
4.0
Overall a great book. Wonderfully written and very creative. Puts a new spin on the old vampire/dracula legends. I myself don't get into these types of themed stories, but this one was quite different. This story has quite an eclectic mix of genres: history, mystery, horror, romance, thriller, and action all packed together in one punch. I also thought the story had a religious twist to it that favors the power of the cross and where good triumphs over evil. Even the history of Malasor and Glaeken resembled the battle between Satan and God for the minds of men. I highly recommend this book that brings the story to a close but leaves it open for a sequel to which I look forward to reading.
hollydoesstuff's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't want to read the Adversary books, but I finished RJ Fatal Error and before I started The Dark at the End, I felt like maybe I should read what I could get my hands on in the Secret History. I'm probably going to skip the short story stuff though.
So I started this book like, okay it's Glaeken vs Rasolom, whatevs. But then I ended up really liking Magda and "Glenn" and their blooming romance. I know, such a girl thing to say when romance is NOT why I started reading the Repairman Jack series. I also really liked Woermann.
In conclusion, I started this not wanting to read it, but by the end I was totally into it and I liked that Wilson threw in some Vlad the Impaler/vampire lore.
So I started this book like, okay it's Glaeken vs Rasolom, whatevs. But then I ended up really liking Magda and "Glenn" and their blooming romance. I know, such a girl thing to say when romance is NOT why I started reading the Repairman Jack series. I also really liked Woermann.
In conclusion, I started this not wanting to read it, but by the end I was totally into it and I liked that Wilson threw in some Vlad the Impaler/vampire lore.
liedora's review against another edition
4.0
This is an unusual book for three reasons; it is the first book in The Adversary Cycle, which is also part of a bigger series of books by this Author called The Secret History of the World, it is also a very good standalone read if you don’t want to find yourself tied to yet another collection.
As much I loved this book I did feel that so much more could have been done with the character development of, what I feel were the three major players in this book. However, having said that, it could easily be argued that there are no main protagonists in this read at all as there are so many characters that are woven into this novels pages, and they are written in such a manner that they interact with each other flawlessly. From a standalone read viewpoint this lack of development may mar some readers enjoyment of the book and leave it lacking in their opinion, but for me I didn’t mind at all and it made me wonder if, as part of not one but two series, if these characters would be revisited and explained a little more in-depth. I wanted to know more about the mysterious red-haired man, and why the female protagonist dressed the way she did, but I didn’t find it in the pages of this instalment. The ‘evil’ in the novel is well written, both the seen and unseen coming off the page and hitting the reader right between the eyes, and at times making it even harder to put this book down.
Despite the lack of character development, this is really a gripping and page turning read. The Author skilfully depicts the location filling each page with menace and dread to the point where the reader begins to feel a chill in the bones. It is not the usual run of the mill horror/supernatural story, and the only thing that sparkles in this book is the reflection of the sun off the river. As the storyline progresses the Author makes the reader feel as if they know the kind of evil that the characters are dealing with, even throwing in some references to bygone images of the vampire; but are we really reading about a vampire, or is it just an impression the reader is given because it is easier for them to visualise this kind of creature?
My real complaint about this book was that midway through all the gore and violence, the Author suddenly decided to throw into the mix an unnecessary, in my opinion, sexual liaison between two of the characters. Although it didn’t take anything away from the book, it certainly didn’t add any new dimension or understanding to it either, and it made me feel as if the Author had reached some kind of block, and needed something to squeeze into this space until their creative juices started flowing again. The relationship could have been expressed in a lot more subtle and tension ladened way, given the circumstances and time the novel was set in, with no real need to resort to the easy out of ‘let’s throw them between the sheets’. I really enjoyed the thought-provoking pages when the ‘cross’ is discussed as it made me think more about the power we let objects have over us, and I do enjoy books that make me think.
If you are looking for sparkly vampires, fluffy werewolves and a neat and tidy stake through the heart ending to make you feel good, this novel is not for you at all. However if you enjoy reading something that makes you think outside the box, and will keep you captivated well beyond bedtime, pick this up and give it a read. I would highly recommend this novel to lovers of the non-fluffy horror and supernatural genre, and I will most definitely be reading more by this Author.
originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/11/25/review-the-keep-the-adversary-cycle-1-f-paul-wilson/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
As much I loved this book I did feel that so much more could have been done with the character development of, what I feel were the three major players in this book. However, having said that, it could easily be argued that there are no main protagonists in this read at all as there are so many characters that are woven into this novels pages, and they are written in such a manner that they interact with each other flawlessly. From a standalone read viewpoint this lack of development may mar some readers enjoyment of the book and leave it lacking in their opinion, but for me I didn’t mind at all and it made me wonder if, as part of not one but two series, if these characters would be revisited and explained a little more in-depth. I wanted to know more about the mysterious red-haired man, and why the female protagonist dressed the way she did, but I didn’t find it in the pages of this instalment. The ‘evil’ in the novel is well written, both the seen and unseen coming off the page and hitting the reader right between the eyes, and at times making it even harder to put this book down.
Despite the lack of character development, this is really a gripping and page turning read. The Author skilfully depicts the location filling each page with menace and dread to the point where the reader begins to feel a chill in the bones. It is not the usual run of the mill horror/supernatural story, and the only thing that sparkles in this book is the reflection of the sun off the river. As the storyline progresses the Author makes the reader feel as if they know the kind of evil that the characters are dealing with, even throwing in some references to bygone images of the vampire; but are we really reading about a vampire, or is it just an impression the reader is given because it is easier for them to visualise this kind of creature?
My real complaint about this book was that midway through all the gore and violence, the Author suddenly decided to throw into the mix an unnecessary, in my opinion, sexual liaison between two of the characters. Although it didn’t take anything away from the book, it certainly didn’t add any new dimension or understanding to it either, and it made me feel as if the Author had reached some kind of block, and needed something to squeeze into this space until their creative juices started flowing again. The relationship could have been expressed in a lot more subtle and tension ladened way, given the circumstances and time the novel was set in, with no real need to resort to the easy out of ‘let’s throw them between the sheets’. I really enjoyed the thought-provoking pages when the ‘cross’ is discussed as it made me think more about the power we let objects have over us, and I do enjoy books that make me think.
If you are looking for sparkly vampires, fluffy werewolves and a neat and tidy stake through the heart ending to make you feel good, this novel is not for you at all. However if you enjoy reading something that makes you think outside the box, and will keep you captivated well beyond bedtime, pick this up and give it a read. I would highly recommend this novel to lovers of the non-fluffy horror and supernatural genre, and I will most definitely be reading more by this Author.
originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/11/25/review-the-keep-the-adversary-cycle-1-f-paul-wilson/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
poppyleab97's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Bearable enough that I didn’t have to DNF. The characters were okay, but I feel as thought this story could have been told in a lot less pages, some of the prose felt like filler and very repetitive. Plot was okay. Very Mid.
bcuda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5