A terrific and compelling classic ghost story.

For me, this is Susan Hill's best book - and it's a pity it's so often over-shadowed by The Woman in Black. The writing is beautiful and skilful, and the atmosphere evoked is gently chilling in the style of many of the great ghost-story writers - M R James and E F Benson come irresistibly to mind, although Ms Hill has her own plots and characters. It's a book to read and enjoy over and over again, finding new things in it at each reading. Very highly recommended for lovers of the genre.

Dean Koontz ? Still writing ???

This was an awesome sequel to the first book in the Trilogy. Unfortunately, after almost 3 years, I would really like to read the rest of the story. Is it still coming? As much as I enjoy Dean Koontz's books, I will not buy another until he produces the ending to this story. I do not undertsand why he has cranked out several unrelated books since writing #2 and left us hanging here with an unfinished story.....
I am beginning to feel ripped off as if I bought a book missing 33% of it's pages. I see no difference.

Should Carry 18 certificate !!

Before I start my review, I would like to suggest for anyone intending on buying this book to think seriously about buying `City Of The Dead' by the same author at the same time. The reason for this is that this book continues in COTD, and I pretty much guarantee that readers will want to pick up the next instalment as soon as they finish `The Rising'.

I came across this author purely by accident when searching for Zombie novels on Amazon - for some reason I had the urge to read some good old zombie hardcore for a change ! And I am sure glad that I did. Keene's writing in my own opinion seems to take the form of a good story encased with as much gore and stomach churning detail that would be legally available for him to do before he would be encased in a padded jacket and locked in a cell. This book is certainly the most blood filled, intestine dripping story I have ever read and certain people out there may well be horrified at the pure amount of pages taken up by Keene's obsession almost of babies, children and other less unfortunates being mutilated and turning into the un-dead. But then it is not so shocking when you think that those less well able to protect themselves would actually be more susceptible than most.

Unlike Monster Island by David Wellington, I felt this book went into detail about why the dead were returning to life, and Keene also came up with a reasonable explanation for why the head zombie and major `bad guy' OB wanted to create his army of the dead. (More filled out in COTD).

The book is primarily about the struggles of one man to reach his son, who he believes is still alive and hiding out in the loft of his ex-wife's house, along the way meeting up with other travelling companions who aid him in his quest. The heroes in this book are not gung ho types but rather the down trodden and forgotten people that we all pass by in the street - a heroin addicted prostitute, an old preacher, a soldier with a conscience.

The other thing I really liked about this book was the reaction of the army to the outbreak. The general idea that the military would remain sane and unaffected by the momentous events of `The Rising' is clearly destroyed by Keene in this book. Indeed the zombies in this book would on occasion seem to be the better option !!

However, traditional fans of zombie novels and movies may well be disappointed in the amount of living dead - other than human - that populate this book. If you cannot stomach the thought of zombie bunny rabbits, mice, cats and dogs, squirrels, lions, apes, reptiles, boa-constrictor, deer, birds, bats, general road kill and yes..........even a herd of Zombie cows that I had joked about in my review of Wellington's Monster Island, then this novel may well not be for you. Zombies in this book can also talk, drive motorbikes and cars, aswell as firing guns and rocket launchers !

I would normally want to give this book 4 out of five, because I really do not like the idea of creatures other than humans turning into zombies - society I feel would be destroyed in days rather than weeks - but this book is just so addictive that I feel I have to give it the full five ! Incidentally an explanation as to why more than humans turn into zombies appears in the first 40 pages of COTD.

As much as I would like to say this is the best horror book I have read, I would be too afraid of men in white coats knocking at my door, strapping me to a gurney and wheeling me away. But it is an excellent read none-the-less.

Knock. Knock....

Wow

What ever people say about this book being bad in any way. They are completly wrong, its a masterfully beautifull book by itself. It doesnt loose the plot at all. This is the plot, this is the history of Roland, why he is like he is.

King excells himself this book is amazing, beautifull and tear jerking. Go out and buy it its a fabulous book.

An old favourite; classy, compelling but with old-fashioned pacing

Because the general story of Dracula is so well known, it's easy to think that you'll know all of what's going to happen when you read the original by Bram Stoker. In fact, much of what is in the book is far more pschologically threatening than in any of the gore-fest films we've all seen. Stoker's Dracula is genuinely, breath-takingly menacing... and beyond redemption.

With Dracula you get well drawn characters relating their ghastly experiences, and you're not spoon-fed the narrative -- you have to join some of the dots yourself. There is a dark, sensual overtone to much of the novel (which puts many modern authors, who turn their books into total shag-fests, completely in the shade!), and a complete horror when Dracula is fully revealed.

But there are some downsides. The novel bogs down in the mid-section. The language is of its time -- so it takes careful reading if you're used to modern horror gallop-along novels. And much of the fear and loathing develops in the mind of the reader, not from over-wrought narrative.
So to get the most from Dracula you need to take your time reading it, and put some effort in.

If you prefer your thrills to be a little easier to access then I'd recommend Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot', or watch the film with Gary Oldman. They're not as pure as the original, but they do justice to the concept.

I first read Dracula when I was 14 or so, and it's just as scary now that I'm 40!

DISAPPOINTING EFFORT FROM THE ONCE"KING" OF HORROR

I don't usually do this, but, this book has driven me to venting my spleen - so to speak.

I am (was) a great Stephen King fan when reading the likes of Christine, Carrie, The Shining, Salems Lot, The Stand and Misery etc. even Cujo, however, I became disillusoned with efforts such as It, The dark Tower Series and Pet Sematary as well as his more recent publications.

Then, someone recommended Cell, and I thought, yeah, this is good tag-line and up-to-date with technology . . .

Oh My God! I have to say, when 'Book Worm' Says" . . . keeps you hooked and turning the pages . . ." they're not wrong, but, I kept turning the pages wondering when the story was going to start!

I have to say that for such a unique and promising premise, this book massively disappoints; no new scenarios, no explanations, and for me, no closure - sorry 'Book Worm' it keeps screaming sequal at me [please Mr King, NO!].

I pretty much agree with 'Deju Vu' this is a poor book given Mr King's previous body of work - albiet recent releases have been dubious as far as I'm concerned - but! I would recommend you give this one a miss and pretend he never wrote it and get yourself straight onto Duma Key which

WOOOOP

this book is AMAZING. the title is a little cheesy, and puts a 'lame' sticker on the book, but once you read it, the book is great. some of the characters are a little superficial. a great teenage read. i would know, being a teenager and all. i'd recommend this to all my friends. in fact, i have, and i've turned them all into vampire-novel junkies. this book is a favourite with all of them.

Another great Darren Shan book - fast-paced and gory

I read the first five Darren Shan books as they came out in 2002 wen I was 12 years old and I really enjoyed them - in my opinion they are just as good as Harry Potter - but never got around to reading past the fifth book, even thought I had bought books six, seven and eight too.

A couple of days ago I was looking through my old books and saw this series and decided to give it a go - and I was very impressed! I am sixteen now so usually read adult horror (Dean Koontz, Stephen King etc) but I still enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed Darren Shan books when I was 12 - they are fast paced and gory, and quite funny in places too.

This book continues with the cliffhanger ending where the previous book in the series - The Trails of Death - ended, with Darren going down the stream of Vampire Mountain. I wont say what happens to him through the rest of the book as I dont want to spoil it for others but there was suspence ans action all the way through and I ended up reading the whole thing in one go.

Another great entry in Darrens Shans vampire saga which I would highly recomend. I think it would be a great read for everyone but in particular for boys who are around 12 years old. (if you have not read any Darren Shan books than I recomend you start with the first book, Cirque Du Freak, as it is a series and the books continue on from each other).

Tragdic ending

This book out of the whole four trilogies is for me the most devastating. The loss of one of the series most beloved characters is the biggets blow to take. Especially since Darren Shan the author actually tricks you into believing that he is not and then destroy's you again after.
The story goes that the"Hunters become the hunted" Darren Shan is on the run from the police and the Vampaneze. Chased with his friends to new and dangerous heights Darren, Larten, Harket and Vancha take their pennances with pride and determiantion not to fail. But Darren's ignorance and his mentor's stubborness is about to cost them both dearly leaving one dead and the other unable to greive and almost dying himself. But a sickening twist at the end is about to flaw the two remaining hunters and turn this tale on it's head completely. Will Darren be able to continue after all these events and who is the actual Lord of the Vampaneze. DESTINY waits in store for those who dare to face him!

WH40k At Its Best

Anyone who's already familiar with Dan Abnett's work will know that he has mastered the art of writing fast-paced, straight for the throat, action based sci-fi. Indeed, he has become a notably popular writer for his work on both the UK based sci-fi weekly comic 2000AD, as well as for his WH40K novels, with a frankly astounding volume of quality output.
The Founding is a collection of Abnett's first three novels in his Gaunt's Ghosts series: First and Only (Abnett's first published novel), Ghostmaker and Necropolis. Also included is a short story named Honour Guard.
The series follows the adventures of the Tanith First regiment of imperial guardsmen, led by battle-hardened veteran Commissar-Colonel Ibram Gaunt.
Abnett has produced a great character in Gaunt, a commissar who goes against the standards set by his peers, refusing to throw his men to pointless deaths, but still managing to take them to glorius victory after glorius victory.
This is a very human tale, taking the reader into the horrors of war and allowing you to share all the emotion and fear felt by the characters, and although its set in deep space in the 41st millenium, it never feels like its too far away.

Enchanting, magical, edge of your seat reading

This was one of the most enchanting, gripping stories I have ever read. Unlike some of the horror Mr. Herbert has written, this was more suspense/thriller than horror, though it does indeed have it's horrifying moments.

The story centers around a couple from London, Mike and Midge, who begin to search for a house of their own. Midge starts scanning the newspaper and is drawn to a little add for a cottage called Gramarye. When they go see the house they find out from the realtor that is being sold as part of the estate of a very old woman who lived there most of her life and died suddenly. When they go to the house Midge is completely enchanted by the little cottage, feeling like it is home. Mike sees the flaws that need fixing. Still, passion wins over and they buy the little house and work to restore it's beauty. They seem like the perfect couple who has just found the perfect home.

Yet there is something strange and disturbing about Gramarye, Mike can feel it, Midge seems oblivious to it. Animals come into the house and eat out of their hands, they befriend a little red squirrel who comes in daily and chatters away at them. Wounds heal spontaneously. It all sounds pretty silly, but it is all part of the magic that is Gramarye.

Soon the enchanting life starts to take a turn when they meet young people who live in a house on the other side of the forest behind their house. Midge becomes entangled with their group, which ends up being a cult. The cult wants the house and will stop at nothing to possess it. Thus begins the battle of wills while Mike tries to save Midge from the cult and his new home from their possession. Don't worry, I haven't given anything away.

This book was a mystery loaded with magic and danger. It has ghosts and spirits, both good and evil. It begins by sparking the imagination, and the tension grows stronger and stronger in this well wrought story, until it reaches a crescendo that will leave you breathless. This was such a good book that I'm now buying the hardcover - yes, it's good enough to read again. Buy this book, you'll love it as much as I did!

Loving it!

I thought this book was extremely good. I only find books that i like very very rarely. I thought this book was the best I've read so far. Its got basically everything that a good book needs inside it. Im looking forward to reading all the next books. I really like the way he writes his books ... the style they are written in, they are not really scary but they are not really lame. They have a balance of everything in them; they are sad at times and happy at others, they have action and then calm, happy moments. Plus! The people at Ryde Seondary College(Sydney, Australia) love his books!

Love it!

I've so far read up to this book in the carpathian series- although the plot lines are sometimes fairly predictable and the stories aren't that far apart, I love them anyway and can't put them down! I love the writing style and all of the books seem to flow together smoothly. I initially had some confusion finding the right order, but later discovered it really wouldn't have mattered if I had got it wrong! Fantastic books and would thoroughly recommend them to anyone. Great read.

Not bad, but not good...

Hm, I'm not really sure how to review a book when, like me, you're sat so firmly on the fence of the 3-star rating.

Well, I can commend Darren Shan for making the whole vampire myth refreshingly different. Too long, vampire stories have mostly been read by women, and of course, to cater to the feminine audience, the vampires are highly romanticized, etc. This is like a vampire series for boys - it's got action, gore, horror, and I suppose young boys can relate to Darren and all his friends when he's human.

Also, I have a few criticisms. Hey, I did say I was sat on the fence.

The book seemed too short. Granted, it's really a boys' series - and as we all know, quite alot of (though not all) boys do tend to have a low attention span, which makes them far more interested in getting up and doing something rather than reading a book. I'm a girl, and I love reading - and I was pretty hooked, I must say, on the story. But, I finished it in a sitting of about 2 hours. Sadly, when you had the reading age of a 14 year old when you were only 8 (I'm 16 now), you do tend to read quite quickly, so I suppose I'm biased in this case.

There are 11 more books in the series after this, and I've read 5 of them. Sadly, I had the series spoiler for me, so I can't really read it. And also,

Anyway, I'm sure lots of people love this book - I'm going to check out the movie next year - I just found it a bit too short, although it was a very good read.

The best and darkest part so far

In the third instalment of the saga, Darren Shan is in the city with Evra and Mr Crepsley, and there are many mysteries. Mr Crepsley disappears every night, bodies are piling up, and Darren starts looking at girls in a twisting tale of horror and adrenaline.

This is the best part of the saga so far, with faster writing, a more intense plot, with some great humour and growing up to.

Shan changes his writing style with this novel, with more fast flowing action sequences, when in the previous two were broken up by unnecessary thoughts of the character, which adds up to a well written novel.

This instalment is more action packed and twisted and horrific, with great action sequences involving Darren and Evra, and an entertaining climax.

The whole scenario involving the fat man is intriguing, and helps the whole saga evolve by diving deeper into the mysterious vampire world, by opening it up a little more with each novel, which will make you keep reading to find out how gruesome it gets.

Shan has now been labelled the master of children's horror, which is evident from this book alone, and the title alone. More gruesome than before, Tunnels of Blood is more deadly and graphic, which is only a good thing in the context of the situations.

And for those romantics, there's Debbie. City girl Debbie is added to give the plot a soft touch to our hero, and there relationship is very cute and you can't help but smile at their games and moments together.

Again the description of the surroundings and situations isn't the best, but the whole concept of vampires, action and suspense will leave plenty up to the imagination.

Like the previous two, there are dramatic twists and turns in the storyline, which will leave you open mouthed for the first read.

Very character driven again, with Darren's thoughts coming heavily into play with use of the first person narrative, Tunnels of Blood is the best part of the saga thus far with gory and sweet moments making a great diverse read.

8.5/10

Not quite as good as the first

This book continues exactly where the first left of with the various groups on the journey to Omaha. The story moves on at a good pace but there are a few grammar errors and the book feels slightly rushed in places and it could possibly have done with a good edit. Still i must say i enjoyed reading this and meeting the new characters in the town of Abraham. Overall this is a fine zombie book and although it doesnt quite reach the quality of the first it would still be a good addition to anyones zombie collection.