The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy, #3)

By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Narrated by Daniel Oreskes

Image From Goodreads

[The nail-biting vampire thriller from the world famous-director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy.

The night belongs to them, and it will be a night eternal... After the blasts, it was all over.

Nuclear Winter has settled upon the earth. Except for one hour of sunlight a day, the whole world is plunged into darkness. It is a near-perfect environment for vampires. They have won. It is their time. Almost every single man, woman and child has been enslaved in vast camps across the globe. Like animals, they are farmed, harvested for the sick pleasure of the Master Race.

Almost, but not all. Somewhere out there, hiding for their lives, is a desperate network of free humans, continue the seemingly hopeless resistance. Everyday people, with no other options - among them Dr Ephraim Goodweather, his son Zack, the veteran exterminator Vassily, and former gangbanger Gus.

To be free, they need a miracle, they need divine intervention. But salvation can be a twisted game - one in which they may be played like pawns in a battle of Good and Evil. And at what cost?]

I really wanted this to be good, but after the demise of two crucial characters and another minor character at the end of the previous one, this final instalment just didn't really do it for me.

I get that a story needs to tie up all loose ends but it wasn't as dramatic as it could have been, even though barely any of the main characters actually did seem to survive.

The Master didn't seem as threatening in this one because of his association with Zach. In fact, the vampires didn't seem very threatening at all, not even in the camps where they enslaved the humans to be their food supply.

I felt like more time could have been spent in the camps to increase this threat. They broke Nora out way too quickly for my liking.

I also didn't really like the narrator as much. For some reason it was only in this one that I picked up on the fact that I didn't like the way he did the different voices, even though he narrated the second one too.

Dutch never did make an appearance and there was an odd romance at the end that I don't know how I feel about. Gus was too full on and irritating as time went on as well.

I like the TV show so much. I'm incredibly disappointed that the books didn't entirely live up to it. I hope the final season is better - there are huge differences with a couple of characters included where they haven't been in the books. 

I do feel though - even with the series - that the threat has lessened. I feel like I've said it before but it's the outbreak of a virus that is the most fun and tense to read as people are dying all over the place whereas when the virus has fully taken over and only a handful of people survive, it's not all that surprising if they die or live because you've kind of grown numb to it all from the beginning.

Eh, I would only recommend the first book in this series alone I think.

☽

The Fall (The Strain Trilogy, #2)

By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Narrated by Daniel Oreskes

Image From Audible

[Humans have been displaced at the top of the food chain, and now understand - to their outright horror - what it is to be not the consumer, but the consumed. Ephraim Goodweather, director of the New York office of the Centers for Disease control, is one of the few humans who understands what is really happening. Vampires have arrived in New York City, and their condition is contagious. If they cannot be contained, the entire world is at risk of infection. As Eph becomes consumed with the battle against the total corruption of humanity, his ex-wife, Kelly, now a vampire herself, is ever-more determined to claim their son, Zack. As the Biblical origins of the Ancient ones are gradually revealed, Eph learns that there is a greater, more terrible plan in store for the human race - worse even than annihilation...]

I actually wanted to write about the Chinese New Year Celebrations we went to on Sunday but I feel that it deserves more of my time and concentration, so for now, here is another review.

I quite enjoyed this second instalment, but not as much as the first one. I didn't feel as engaged.

Although there was the imminent threat of the vampires, obviously, it wasn't as immediate for me anymore because, well, the outbreak is the most exciting part, right? It has immediate consequences of who gets infected and who survives. So once the main outbreak has claimed the majority of the human race it doesn't quite seem as scary (obviously I wouldn't be saying that for a real virus outbreak).

As I'd already seen the series, I knew somewhat of the plot (although I feel like it almost lacked in this one, not a whole lot actually happened) so wasn't too surprised about what did happen.

Eichorst made his appearance (hallelujah!) but he wasn't as horrible as he is in the series which is a little bit disappointing. Still no Dutch (I reckon they used their "artistic licence" for the show and created her).

But I do like Zach better in the books. He's a right little twat in the TV show (good technical term there) and I don't particularly like him, but in this - so far - he's alright.

I'm a little surprised by the ending of this one though. Something that didn't happen in the TV series is definitely something good as I didn't see it coming. I'm now perplexed as to what to expect in the final one!

☽