The Night Eternal: Book Three of the Strain Trilogy

The Strain Trilogy is the culmination of talent from two brilliant creators and a benchmark for the future of both vampire and horror fiction. Between the characterization skills of author Chuck Hogan and the visionary direction of Hollywood director Guillermo Del Toro; the Strain Trilogy has managed to preserve and redefine the image of fiction's most renowned and feared predator of our nightmares. They set out to redefine the vampire mythos in their own personal image and have succeeded with flying colors, and clearly the third act is their finest hour for they've easily crafted the best book in the trilogy. It's a book that does so many different things and does them all so superbly well; combining intense non-stop action, emotionally-gripping drama, tantalizing horror and a healthy dash of dystopian fiction. The Night Eternal does all of these things phenomenally, becoming the defining vampire novel for a generation.While the trilogy is truly an incredible work of art in its own right, it is not without its own flaws and shortcomings. The second book in the trilogy, The Fall, was a bit of misfire in my opinion. It was a solid book all-around, yet it failed to reach the same stellar level of quality as the other novels in the series. It lacked the same sense of dread as the other books; the atmosphere was solid yet not at the same level of immersion, and the plot didn't truly go anywhere until the final act. Fortunately, The Night Eternal picks up the slack of the second book; the incredibly dark and somber atmosphere is back tenfold. Like the other books, this isn't a novel for the weak-hearted. It's very dark and emotionally fatiguing if not even more so than its predecessors. The reason the atmosphere is so poignant in this final chapter is because it's the culmination of all the fear and anxiety which Hogan and Del Toro have been masterfully accumulating in the previous books. It's reached a point where the reader just has to stop and stare at the horrific situation the characters have found themselves in. How can they win let alone survive such a hopeless situation? This is undoubtedly humanity's darkest hour and you will feel that same sense of dreadful anxiety on every page.A large part of why these books have been so successful is due to the superb characterization by Chuck Hogan. This was a character-driven story, focusing on real people and real problems that effect who they are and how they cope with their existence; a conundrum made all the more complicated when the world is completely ravaged by the living dead. Ephraim Goodweather is easily the highlight of the book, personifying a character that is both tragic and believably relatable. Since the conclusion of The Fall, two years have passed, leaving Ephraim in a weakened state both physically and mentally. Carrying on the seemingly hopeless fight against the Master's vampire horde has taken its toll on the good doctor; he'll make the reader constantly question the state of both his loyalty to his companions and his sanity as the story plays out. It makes us ponder the age-old question of how far you'd go to save someone you love and the price you're willing to pay. It's incredibly powerful stuff that Hogan illustrates profoundly well. While others don't reach the same level of emotional investment as Eph, they still manage to elicit a great deal of sympathy from the reader while creating a very compelling group dynamic within the characters' inner circle. Everyone has lost someone in the vampire apocalypse, whether it be family, close friends or a mentor. Unfortunately, the only character that didn't manage to reach this same level of emotional gravitas was Gus. He's an incredibly unlikable character that I never once cared for and I highly doubt anyone else will. I mention this because there was a clear attempt at making the reader care about this character, a commendable albeit unsuccessful attempt.The most unique and controversial aspect within The Strain Trilogy is Guillermo Del Toro's unique take on the vampire mythos, to which I cannot praise enough. The brilliant mind behind Pam's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim has managed to not only redefine the look of vampires, but also restore the fear and mystery of the character. Let's face it, how many times have we read books about vampires and known exactly what to expect? This is the most original and compelling take on the vampire mythos I've ever seen; combining genuinely convincing scientific theories to sell the reader on the plausibility of such creatures existing while still including a sense of mysticism from more fantastical elements. I won't spoil who or what the source of vampirism is, but take my word for it, it creates a true sense of awe towards the Master and his vampiric horde. Too simply put it, they are pure evil incarnate, the kind of stuff that sends shivers down your spine; making the reader wonder if the Master can truly be killed at all, for it has existed for longer than any of them can even comprehend.At its very core, The Night Eternal is a story about hope; about bearing the torch and never giving up in the face of insurmountable odds. It's one thing for a piece of fiction to emotionally invest me within its story and characters; yet it's another one entirely to make me consider everything and everyone I care for in my life. Yet personal experiences aside, the book combines several different genres together in such a seamless manner that you could argue it redefines them into one superb amalgam of entertainment. It's a must-read book from an incredible duo and a very fitting conclusion to the trilogy.

The Night Eternal picks up two years after The Fall and we discover that our band of protagonists have become a malnourished and ragtag group of resistance fighters in a new world order. Eph and company find themselves engaged in a brutal series of skirmishes with hordes of vampires, as they desperately attempt to outwit and stay one step ahead of the all-seeing all-knowing 'Master' who seeks to destroy them all. Thanks to a fully realized Nuclear Winter, the world is now enshrouded in near-perpetual darkness and gloom; the age of the vampire has come at last.This is by far the best vampire story I have read since Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot.' This is not lip service since I have read hundreds of vampire stories since and consider King's 1974 story the 'Holy Grail' of modern vampire literature. There are many positive things I can say about The Strain Trilogy mainly because of the many similarities between it and Salem's Lot. The hauntingly evil nature of the Master in both stories is praiseworthy as is the tangible and palpably increasing sense of terror as the their respective story plots thicken. Unfortunately, Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's story, as compelling and intriguing as it is in the beginning, loses my interest midway through Night Eternal. Perhaps the most important reason for this is that the Del Toro and Hogan are, in my opinion, too descriptive in their narratives. At times, nothing is left to the imagination and this is a tragic flaw in fantasy-based stories that require readers to abandon their sensibilities and immerse themselves in the story. In the Night Eternal, we are told how characters feel and think, and we are told of events that happened in the not-so-distant past rather than allowing us (as readers) to interpret personalities or experience events as they happen in real time. Part of Stephen Kings genius is that he can weave an interesting tapestry of a story, leaving out critical patches of the tapestry forcing the reader to fill in or bridge the gaps in the storyline using their own imagination. This increases the potency of his storytelling because the reader has no choice but to become more engaged in the developing story. Guillermo Del Toro is well known for his inventive mind and his vivid sense of imagination(among his many other talents and accomplishments), yet I found these assets of his to be sorely lacking in the third investment of his trilogy. Because of the extensive narration, I found the increasing focus on the interpersonal relationships within the band of resistors to be tiresome and I actually found myself losing empathy for the heroes of the story. In fact, I began to dislike them all (except for my favorite character, The Born. The love triangle between Vasily, Nora, and Eph was not necessary at all and in fact detracted from the story. The side story of Ephraim and his kidnapped son was also completely unnecessary in my opinion--but I digress. What should have been kept a very potent Man vs Monster themed struggle was instead spun into something entirely different, complex, and confusing. To me it seemed as if a classic Horror novel was suddenly rewritten to become the next 'movie of the week' on prime time TV. The characters were interesting and believable in and of themselves, but for lack of a better term seemed 'two dimensional' to me. If I had to briefly summarize The Night Eternal I would describe it as a fast paced series of redundant sword fights between our protagonists and waves of the Masters' vampire horde. Despite what dozens of other reviewers have stated, I am going to go on record and state that I loved the creativity invested in the fictional mythology of this book. Immortality is a subject that interests many people who enjoy reading vampire fiction--myself included. That the Angels might somehow be responsible for the origin of the vampire race might be plausible to a rational mind if that individual is capable of believing in the existence of a spiritual realm that transcends our physical reality. I believe any fictional concept of immortality must necessarily be conjoined with an element of spirituality, i.e-some intangible, indefinable force or essence capable of transcending the laws of physics. Many legends associated with the apocryphal books of the Bible deal with misbehaving Angels whose transgressions warrant Gods extreme code of divine justice that condemns them to imprisonment and perpetual torture. The legends I'm familiar with involve corporealized Angels succumbing to the temptations of the human female form. To spin this 'divine' sexual desire into a powerful bloodlust and attribute this to a make-believe Archangel was incredibly clever of the authors in my opinion. I believe what Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan attempted to do throughout this series was to bridge the gap between the realm of the spiritual and that of the physical. The worms for example were discovered to be the physical vectors for the vampirism of our story, deduced through both observation and scientific inquiry. The worms also conferred 'immortality' to their human victims, this notion transcending science and the known laws of the natural world, making the worms a very real, tangible, supernatural phenomenon. Many reviewers complained of the occasional 'Deus Ex Machina' moments which occurred at points in the story when all hope seemed lost for our protagonists, believing that miraculous interventions had no place in the narrative. I disagree, because I believe these moments made the story more interesting. The Strain Trilogy wasn't perfect in my opinion, but I truly enjoyed reading it. I believe the first two books in the trilogy, 'The Strain' and 'The Fall', were enormously intriguing and well written. I literally read them cover to cover in one sitting. The third installation, 'Night Eternal', suffers by comparison in many ways I've already described. Nevertheless, The Strain Trilogy is the best series of Vampire stories I have read in over thirty years. I agree 100% with the critic Dan Simmons who describes The Strain Trilogy as, "An unholy spawn of 'I Am Legend' out of 'Salem's Lot'." Always remember that the active power of your imagination can only be engaged if you suspend your own predjudices and disbelief---So relax, buckle up, and enjoy the story!

I enjoyed reading this series, it kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading each book, it was so captivating, and I can honestly say that I don't regret the money I spent getting these books, it was well spent in my mind. Now back to reality, I don't know if I can being myself to watching the show, I much rather keep the stories as they were presented to me in book form and nothing else.Thank you Mr. Del Toro for a wonderful reading adventure, and to Mr. Hogan as well. Gentlemen Bravo.

Depois de um segundo livro de ligação, o terceiro utiliza mais uma vez um amontoado de "cenas" de ação e suspense para concluir a saga. Há passagens do passado remoto dos vampiros e sua mítica origem.Os autores resolveram seguir um caminho difícil no roteiro conferindo ao personagem principal o papel de mártir resignado. Essa característica me incomodou um pouco, mas nada que tirasse o interesse na história.De forma geral um bom entretenimento, diversão sem compromisso e bom passatempo.

While it slumped a bit in the middle, this was as a perfect conclusion to the trilogy as I expected. Sacrifices had to be made in order to defeat the evil.An excellent read, highly recommended if you have already started the path of the Master's fate.

I enjoyed every one of these novels! Amazing story and great new take on Vampires that brings them back to their scary ruthless selves. Each character was believable and I became attached to everybody involved. I pray that these books get turned into a trilogy of films in the near future. Highly recommended for those who like their vampires to scary.

Personally I think that this is probably the best part of the Strain trilogy because you can understand the striogis' origins but the end of the book is solve very fast in a way that you can expect reading the first pages of the book.

I don't understand why there are so many bad reviews. I almost did not buy the book because I thought it was going to be disappointing. I'm glad I bought it, it did not disappoint. The story takes place 2 years after the 2nd book ends. Eph is a wreck, which is understandable since his little boy has been taken by the vamps. He takes refuge in pills and alcohol, remember he already had a drinking problem before, so it comes as no surprise. As such Eph becomes unreliable and Nora turns to Fet for support. Gus is also part of the gang, which is a plus as I love his character. Zack is being brain washed by the Master and is an obnoxious little kid, as many teenage kids are (no offense), at the same time he is going through some horrible times, his mum is a vampire and he believes his father to be dead.I read a few comments saying that this book is not as scary as the previous ones. I don't agree...I suppose the cat is out of the bag by now, but still, the horror factor remains: humans are living in concentration camps, being bled and bred to provide food for the vampires, that in itself is pretty scary to me. Humankind is living in constant fear of being taken to one of these camps. The scene of Nora and her mother on the underground gave me chills. In this new world order, elderly people and others which the vampires had no use for have been disposed of. The scariest thing to me is how humans are willing to comply and work for the vampires against their own fellow humans. Barnes, ex-CDC boss is now running one of these blood camps and he's a sick, horrible character.I don't want to give too much away, but the book is fast paced, there's a lot of action, there's an explanation to the origins of the vampires, and there's no hollywood happy ending, although it is a very good ending in my opinion.Don't trust the reviews, not even mine, if you have read the other 2 books, read this one and decide for yourself.