If you think what you've seen so far is unpleasant, what you're about to see is far worse!This is a longish review, because, frankly, it can hardly be anything but. As the very title of this novel suggests, this is where the Vampire theme of the Necroscope series starts coming into its own. The first novel dealt with many themes, but not so very prominently with the theme of the Vamphyri (or, rather, Wamphyri).The old Thing in the ground had lived for five hundred years, and as long again had lain undead in his unhallowed grave.Vamphyri! is rich with lore and history, and goes a long way in establishing Lumley’s Vampire mythology. Some of the concepts are fairly familiar, while others are certainly pretty out of the box. It’s fascinating all round, though. There is a fairly clear depiction of the various states of Wamphyri-hood, which clears up the water a bit, even if it is grim as hell.Unable to tear his eyes away, [he] groaned and grew pale at the sight of that which followed.There is something rather distressing about how ordinary people’s live intertwine and are touched (read devastated) by these despicable creatures, and that’s even before the descriptive paragraphs start. Again, this is a Horror series and not Urban Fantasy. These Vampires are a far, far cry from the twinkling pretty-boy variety, although they are able to seduce and enthrall their victims easily enough.The man in the cape drew closer and the moon shone fully in his face. It was a man's face after all and not a skull, but there was that which was wolfish about it, an almost freakish longness of jaws and ears.I would strongly urge that you read this as soon as possible after Necroscope. It casts some illumination on the events that occur in that novel, some of which I didn’t completely understand. It also revisits the concept of Necromancy, and what exactly happened to Boris Dragosani. Necromancy, by the way, is not something you can discuss around the dinner table.Another reason for reading this quickly after the first novel: Harry Keogh’s mental link to his infant son and his use of the Mobius Continuum. If it sounds confusing, it’s because it potentially is, and letting a lot of time pass between novels just makes it worse.The Necroscope series aren’t just novels about Vampires, it deals with the very mythos of the Wamphyri. What are they? Where are they from? These are questions you will find yourself asking, and as the series unfolds, you will find yourself reaching for the next book, because you will want to know the truth, terrifying as it is. This series represents Horror and the Vampire Mythos on an epic level; I’m not sure whether this kind of thing exists anywhere else.He clung to his loathsome dreams - of madness and mayhem, the hell of living and the horror of dying, and the pleasures of blood, blood, blood - and felt the cold embrace of the clotted earth closing him in, weighing him down, holding him here in his darkling grave.Yes, despite the grotesquery and ultimately disturbing nature of these books, they make for compelling and (eventually) rewarding reading. That said – they might actually not be suitable for casual Horror readers, as they can be quite harrowing. Ahhh! said a new voice, a powerful voice. It was black as the night itself and deep as the roots of hell, and it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
What a spectacular read! Lumley took the story in a wholly unexpected direction. Giving the reader the entire history of both Thibor and Faethor was smart. When these creatures have lived for so long, there are nearly unlimited stories to tell.One thing I wonder is how the ESP organizations of both England and the USSR will evolve as the Soviet Union collapses. Will Lumley bring in the American E-branch? The French? The German? The Chinese? Limitless possibilities.The highlight of the book was the story of Yulian Bodescu and the Lake family. Lumley created quite the villain with Yulian, a terrifying vampire that appears far stronger and more psychotic that any of Anne Rice's creations. As I was reading the book, I often wondered how Lestat de Lioncourt would deal with the vampires of Lumley's world. Would the likes of Lestat and Louie and Marius be able to conquer these stranger vampires? Tough to say. But Lumley has created a mythos that's far more horrifying than Rice's world of romantic but deadly creatures who debate the devil search for the meaning in their existence.What Bodescu did to the Lake family was the most disturbing part of the book. The only portion that seemed a little off was the English ESPers and their new roles as vampire hunters. These guys appeared to be desk jockey telepaths and the like, but suddenly had training with crossbows and flame throwers when vampires entered their purview. It didn't detract much from the story, but it was funny at times to read about these guys advancing on Harkley House armed to the teeth when they didn't appear to even be trained for field work or combat of any kind.One of Lumley's strengths is his willingness to kill off characters at a moment's notice. When he killed of Carl Quint, Krakovitch and Gulharov up at Faether's castle, that just seemed a waste. But it definitely keeps the story interesting because Harry Keogh can speak to these dead men and even have them do his bidding. So even when characters are dead, they can still contribute to the story and move the plot forward.The last chapter was a thrill to read. Yulian's attack on Brenda and Harry Keogh Jr., and then Harry Keogh's attack on the Chateau Bronnitsy was awesome. It was almost poetic to watch Yulian get utterly destroyed by the dead from the cemetery next to the house in Hartlepool. Yulian's undoing was the one thing Thibor never got the opportunity to teach him - to not let himself be detected or noticed. Yulian didn't care. From the last chapter:"Yulian Bodescu was Wamphyri, and he made no effort to hide it. That essence of vampire in him had found the perfect receptacle, had worked on him like yeast in a potent brew. He was at the peak of his strength, his power, and he knew it. In everything he had done, no trace had been left which might definitely identify him as the author of the crime. INTESP would know it, of course, but no court could ever be convinced. And INTESP, as Yulian had discovered, was far from omnipotent. Indeed, it was impotent. Its members were merely human, and fearful; he would hunt them down one by one until he'd destroyed the entire organization. He would even set himself a target: say, one month, to be rid of all of them for good."So with Yulian Bodescu gone, and Ivan Gerenko and Theo Dolgikh dead, I wonder how the story will continue. Can't wait to find out!
What do You think about Necroscope II: Vamphyri! (1989)?
About the Book:The UK E-branch had thought all of the vampire menace was eradicated. Boy were they mistaken. Not only is there still vampire spawn in the world, but it's in their very own country. Harry Keogh, nercoscope, finds this out when he learns more of Thibor's past and that Thibor has planted a bit of himself in a pregnant woman, resulting in the dreaded Yulian Bodescu. Meanwhile, they have the KGB getting in their way as they try to take out the source, causing more danger for our heroes.Review:Before I go more in depth of my review, I would like to point out that this nearly made a four instead of a five, and honestly, I felt that was more a personal choice than the book's quality. Really the only thing that brought this book down for me was when I was reading about Thibor's past (well until we got to Faethor). He was just very much the fearsome warrior, which is not something I find all that interesting so getting through that was a bit of a drag. Still, it was interesting to see where Thibor had come from, what he was like, and how he had become a vampire. It was also interesting to see the power play between Faethor and Thibor as both constantly try to come out on top.Easily, my favourite bit of the book was when Yulian Bodescu was on the page as we got to witness his coming into power and his depravity worsen as his vampiric nature took a hold of him more. We also get to see the going ons of the E-Branches and Harry Keogh. Sadly, for reasons I am unable to divulge, Harry had less to do in this book and pretty much just went around collecting information. He still managed to have some major problems of his own though, which ended up leading to an amazing twist at the book's end. Brian Lumley certainly knows how to write some amazing climaxes. I guess that leaves us to look at the E-branches. This time, there is less of the UK vs. USSR as both want the vampire problem dealt with. Well, someone in the USSR E-Branch wants to use them and is still determined to get any information they can on the UK E-branch so the KGB start sticking their noses into the E-branch's affairs. Unfortunately, I don't really feel there is much else I can comment on when it comes to Vamphyri! as its good qualities and features are pretty much on par with Necroscope. Both are unique, but as Vamphryi! is the second is the series, it's not as new. Still, it leads us deeper into the world and its characters and still manages to have an entertaining plot that, while similar to the one in Necroscope, varies enough that it doesn't feel that we are walking the same path. Is it one of my favourites in the Necroscope series? No. Would I still recommend it? Hell yes!
—Nic Echo
One feels that Lumley regretted having killed off Harry Keogh in the first novel, 'Necroscope', and felt duty bound to bring him back. Harry is not exactly dead but in an incorporeal state wandering around in the Moebius continuum while tethered psychically to his unborn son. Much of the narrative is given over to the backstories of Faethor and Thibor Ferenczy, ancient vampires of Romania. Thibor, one will recall from 'Necroscope I' is the one from whom Boris Dragosani received his vampire egg. This is not the only way however that vampires can create new vampires. Following a skiing accident, Georgina and Ilyan Bodescu end up on top of Thibor's grave. Ilyan is dead, but Georgina is alive and pregnant. While she lies there unconscious the insidious pseudopods of Thibor's vampire flesh enter her body and infect the unborn child. And so, in England, Yulian Bodescus grows up and inevitably draws the attention of the UK E-branch who elect to contact their Russian counterparts to fight against a common foe, aided by the ghostly presence of Harry Keogh.The good guys have to battle both vampires and the KGB, which makes this part-horror, part spy thriller with a little SF rationale thrown in for good measure. Lumley's vampires are symbiotic beasties that live within the human body, giving the host strength and longevity in return for blood, although here Lumley slightly confuses the issue with Yulian's christening, an Omen type scene, which seems to suggest a supernatural religious element, given that the baby so vehemently did not want to be baptised that storms erupted and the vicar died of shock. Logically, it should not matter to these vampires whether they are baptised or not. Lumley orchestrates the entire shooting-match very well and pulls the threads together into a satisfactory denouement. The author, for all his faults - this novel in particular is a little overburdened with characters, many of whom are one-dimensional - has a solid fan base. Although the Necroscope books will never be thought of as great literature, Lumley has certainly brought some new blood and a novel concept to the vampire genre.
—Roddy Williams
Harry Keough saved the world with the help of the dead when he destroyed Boris Dragosani. Now the world is free from vampires...or is it? You see, vampires are a cunning lot. They don't survive for over a thousand years by giving up their secrets freely and, even in death, Thibor Ferenczy still has a few tricks up his sleeve. It's up to the British top-secret E-Branch and Necroscope Harry Keough to free the world once again.Necroscope II: Vamphyri! begins where Necroscope left off and ratchets the tension up along the way. It also delves into the vampire legacy/mythology and explores the history of its vampire characters. While I've read some reviews that lament this or that it's set in the world of Cold War espionage, I relish it. In fact, I give it an emphatic two thumbs up! I love that they explored the vampire history. It sets up Lumley's parameters to his Necroscope mythos and is vital to the rest of the series. As for complaining about it being set in the Cold War world of espionage, did you not read the first Necroscope? That's the setting they used and how someone could be upset that the second book in the series is a continuation of the same is beyond me. In fact, call me crazy, but I'm willing to bet a week's salary that we'll see more of that in the upcoming books in the series. So, if that bothers you, my suggestion is to stop now. For the rest of you, if you liked the first Necroscope, you'll love the second. Great characters, more in depth history to the characters and answers to questions that were left open from the first. Just a great, great book. Can't wait to see what Lumley has in store for me in Part III!5 out of 5 starsYou can also follow my reviews at the following links:https://kenmckinley.wordpress.comhttps://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2J1...TWITTER - @KenMcKinley5
—Ken McKinley
