Vampire World I: Blood Brothers (1993) - Plot & Excerpts
For about the past six years or so, I've been a visitor to BrianLumley's vampire world. It hasn't taken me this long because of the availability of the novels, but because I'm bent on making each novel in this series an annual treat.The Necroscope series has done what has seemed to be the impossible, and that's keep me thoroughly enthralled in a series for five novels. I don't have to rehash what I've already written, you all know how I feel about this series if you've read my other reviews.I think I had read somewhere that Lumley wrote Blood Brothers because of demands from his readers that he continue the story of this world.The Necroscope series ended with Deadspawn, with closure, so, it waswith a little guarded optimism that I started reading it.Would this continue the story, keeping things fresh and interesting? Or are we in for a bunch of filler material from a writer cashing in on his past success?For about the first 200 pages, the guarded optimism had begun to slip to mild disappointment.The story centered around the history of the vampires in their world, and while it was interesting, it didn't quite grab me as much as the earlier novels did. Well, this changed once the novel progressed into the present day. The story launches off about the lives of Harry Keogh's twin sons on Sunside. It's yet another great story, and some mysteries of the land are revealed. Yes, this is yet another winner, folks.Lumley's novels in this series are true horror. There are a lot ofso-called horror novels that hack, slash and gore their way to staking a claim in this genre, but few can give me the sense of the dread that is produced from human fodder in the aeries of the Wamphiri lords. Blood Brothers is the first part of a trilogy, and it ended with me drooling for more. I bought the sequel, The Last Aerie, at the same time, but I don't think I'm going to be able to wait a year to read it...
Another good twist / addition to the series. Very nicely done and still as vicious and entertaining as ever.Very good series! Imagine any knowledge that you needed at the ready for your asking. Enter Harry. Very well designed story, with a main character that is easily identified with, Harry Koegh. The imagination that came up with these characters must have experienced some truly awful things. Lumley, being an ex SAS officer, surely did. The vampires in this series are not nice. They are not warm and fuzzy. They're not cute (well, the women can be) and they know one primal rule: Anything to remain alive... so to speak. They are the epitome of ruthlessness, guile, viciousness, and outright cruelty. Lumley is good at this, and the stories get more and more gripping as the series carries on. We eventually even learn of the vampire's origins (The Source). Brutal and scary as hell at times. Always imaginative and truly entertaining.
What do You think about Vampire World I: Blood Brothers (1993)?
Necroscope Series by Brian LumleyReview by Andy Strutt author of “The Afflicted”I first discovered this series by receiving “Necroscope III : The Source” as a Christmas present. I had never heard of Brian Lumley but I was instantly infatuated with his work as soon as I had read the first few pages. Obviously, the first thing I did was go out and find the rest of the Necroscope series.Harry Keogh is a very strange character with morbid supernatural powers that allow him to speak to the dead. That is enough to make you want to read the series on its own but it is only the start. The Necroscope is the first in the series of a totally unique and fantastical vampire mythology, and definitely my favourite out of all of them. His writing his dark and exciting and is not for the faint hearted. These are books for true fans of horror and I challenge any new reader to predict what is going to happen next. I pride myself on being able to predict the storyline and I was pleasantly surprised, there was no way I could have guessed where the story would lead. For me it is impossible to review a single novel in isolation (or necessary) because I feel that anyone who reads the first will very quickly read the other 14 novels eagerly.Highly recommended and I guarantee these books deserve horror classic status. The writing and characterisations are timeless and will be enjoyed by true horror fans for centuries to come.
—Andy Strutt
This is a different world than that of the Harry Keogh world, this one taking place entirely in a fantasy world and not crossing over into our world. A good beginning, fleshing out a prologue of sorts, the return of the vampires and how they begin to take over. I like this horror or dark fantasy better than most fantasy. Except Lumley uses a ton of exclamation points! LOL. Everything is a surprise to everybody!Anyway, hardly a fault. I've been trying to find The Last Aerie somewhere, might have to go into the city to get it, I have the third of this trilogy and already have the next vampire novel (I guess it would be vampire 9) ready to go. I'd never not buy a Lumley when I find him in a thrift or used book store. Like I found all of them so far.And I like Lumley better than Barker. Barker sounds like an English butler telling you a horror story, Lumley is more relaxed and not trying to overwhelm you with diction. "Yes, let's none of us have a cow," as Marge Simpson says, using proper grammar, but of course that's a bit stifled and stuffy from "Don't have a cow". Barker vs. Lumley, in a nutshell.Anyway, I'm rambling, just woke up.
—Rob Bliss
