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A review by topdragon
The Touch by F. Paul Wilson
4.0
Technically, this is book three in the “Adversary Cycle” and also fits into F. Paul Wilson’s overall “Secret History of the World” but it certainly reads as a stand-alone novel. I understand the connection with the larger series is revealed in [b:Nightworld|219412|Nightworld (Adversary Cycle, #6)|F. Paul Wilson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388271206s/219412.jpg|212439], the culminating novel of both the “Adversary Cycle” and the “Repairman Jack” books.
This novel harkens back to the days when the author wrote a number of medical thrillers and that, essentially, is what this one is. The difference, of course, is the rather profound supernatural aspect here of the Dat-tay-vao, or The Touch where a person is granted the power of healing another just by touching them at certain times during the day. There is a price to pay for the person with the power and therein lies the essence of the plot. The author has experience as a doctor and this really shows throughout the course of this novel. My copy of the book also includes a short story prequel entiled "Dat-tay-vao" which takes place in 1968 and should not be read prior to the novel itself. It does briefly introduce a character that will be involved in the YA Jack books.
Overall, there is a little less urgency here than we find in Wilson’s later novels. This was originally written in the 1980’s but I read the updated 2004 edition after the author re-worked it into part of the larger series. The horror aspects are minimal; I wouldn’t even classify it as such. This is not everybody’s favorite F.P. Wilson book to be sure, probably because it is a stand-alone but I found it quite interesting and fully engaging. If you generally like Wilson’s work, then don’t skip this one.
This novel harkens back to the days when the author wrote a number of medical thrillers and that, essentially, is what this one is. The difference, of course, is the rather profound supernatural aspect here of the Dat-tay-vao, or The Touch where a person is granted the power of healing another just by touching them at certain times during the day. There is a price to pay for the person with the power and therein lies the essence of the plot. The author has experience as a doctor and this really shows throughout the course of this novel. My copy of the book also includes a short story prequel entiled "Dat-tay-vao" which takes place in 1968 and should not be read prior to the novel itself. It does briefly introduce a character that will be involved in the YA Jack books.
Overall, there is a little less urgency here than we find in Wilson’s later novels. This was originally written in the 1980’s but I read the updated 2004 edition after the author re-worked it into part of the larger series. The horror aspects are minimal; I wouldn’t even classify it as such. This is not everybody’s favorite F.P. Wilson book to be sure, probably because it is a stand-alone but I found it quite interesting and fully engaging. If you generally like Wilson’s work, then don’t skip this one.