Helpful Score: 3
I approached this book with some trepidation - I really don't like vampire fiction and I'm not a huge fan of horror. I am, however, a huge fan of F. Paul Wilson. So I decided to give this book a shot. I was not disappointed. This is a well written story. It was full of suspense. It isn't quite a gorry as I thought it would be - I was relieved. It was a well crafted thriller with a satisfying ending. I highly recommend this book!
This was actually a pretty darn good book. Very scary if you can visualize the effects. Quite a surprise.
Helpful Score: 1
Vampires, Zombies & Werewolves...oh my! This was a fun, entertaining read with a pretty satisfying ending. It was certainly exciting! I had a lot of fun reading it, though it was a bit ridiculous overall. Still, I would read another book by this author!
I'm not much of a horror fan, so I I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did. The story is an interesting take on the vampire legend, but not at all in the Stoker tradition. This variation would appeal more to fans of ancient aliens theories than to those of traditional vampire stories. It also has echoes of fantasy tales of good vs. evil (Tokien, et al.). What makes the story particularly interesting, though, is that Wilson takes what is, ultimately, a derivative idea and uses it to explore evil in a way that makes the reader a participant in the dialogue. Just as we watch one of the main characters struggle with the idea of fighting fire with fire, we realize that part of us enjoys seeing Nazis, especially the SS, suffer the same kind of fear and suffering they inflicted on so many others. At first, that enjoyment seems uncomplicated. Bad things happen to bad guys; it's kind of fun. But as the story continues, two things happen: first, we are forced to recognize that most people are not 100% "bad guys" or "good guys," and second, we see that even fairly solidly good people can be lured into evil by their own fears and weaknesses--and that includes us. Wilson makes his readers feel the temptation to use evil to fight evil. Sure, his example is over-the-top--it's a horror novel--but he makes the point very clearly that evil doesn't care about the morality of those it destroys and while the evil in this novel is supernatural, the lesson he teaches applies to real life as well. Lest I make it seem that this is some kind of heavy-handed moralistic fiction, let me be clear--all the philosophical content I'm on about here is inherent, not explicit. You can read this novel as a straight-forward horror novel and enjoy it very much. Although it is more than 30 years old, it has lost nothing over the years (in part due to its historical setting) and is well suited to today's reader.
(Review originally published on Goodreads.com)
(Review originally published on Goodreads.com)
from author F.Paul Wilson; a battle between good and evil that staggers the imagination. With an ending as dramatic and exciting as any horror fan could wish. The message is received from a Nazi commander stationed in a remote castle high in the Transylvanian alps: SOMETHING is murdering my men. Immediately an elite SS extermination squad is sent to destroy whatever enemy dares challenge the might of the Third Reich. And the battle is joined.
Not much of a book reviewer, but I recently discovered F. Paul Wilsons work and really enjoy it. The Keep is not a Twilight kind of Vampire book, its different. I really enjoyed it..
This is a book that you'll remember many years later. It has all the great elements, horror, love, sacrifice, well developed and memorable characters...all set against a fascinating back drop. If you read this novel, you will not be disappointed.
Much, much better than the movie version, especially the ending!
I love this book. It is set during world war 2. "Something is killing my men."...More of a horror mystery than just a horror story, with suspense. Peter Straub who wrote Ghost Story said," One of the really satisfying horror novels of the year (1981).
A great F. Paul Wilson book, easy to read, nice and scary and just enough blood!
I was fascinated within the first few pages. Must be a fan of H.P. Lovecraft.
Excellent! Scary, thought-provoking, well-written.
Kind of creepy... with odd areas of spot-on historical facts.
From back cover: "Something is murdering my men." Thus
reads the message received from a Nazi commander stationed in a small castle high in the remote Transylvanian Alps. And when an elite SS extermination squad is dispatched to solve the problem, the men find a something that's both powerful and terrifying. Invisible and silent, the enemy selects one victim per night, leaving the bloodless and mutilated corpses behind to terrify its future victims. Panicked, the Nazis bring in a local expert on folklore--who just happens to be Jewish--to shed some light on the mysterious happenings. And unbeknownst to anyone, there is another visitor on his way--a man who awoke from a nightmare and immediately set out to meet his destiny.
The battle has begun: On one side, the ultimate evil created by man, and on the other...the unthinkable, unstoppable, unknowing terror that man has inevitably awakened.
From back cover: "Something is murdering my men." Thus
reads the message received from a Nazi commander stationed in a small castle high in the remote Transylvanian Alps. And when an elite SS extermination squad is dispatched to solve the problem, the men find a something that's both powerful and terrifying. Invisible and silent, the enemy selects one victim per night, leaving the bloodless and mutilated corpses behind to terrify its future victims. Panicked, the Nazis bring in a local expert on folklore--who just happens to be Jewish--to shed some light on the mysterious happenings. And unbeknownst to anyone, there is another visitor on his way--a man who awoke from a nightmare and immediately set out to meet his destiny.
The battle has begun: On one side, the ultimate evil created by man, and on the other...the unthinkable, unstoppable, unknowing terror that man has inevitably awakened.
This was the first F. Paul Wilson book I read and made me want more, more, more! It is excellent...
Good Book! F. Paul Wilson is a great author.
This is a book (the first?) in the "Adversary Cycle", that culminates in a cross-over with the Repairman Jack series.
This is a book (the first?) in the "Adversary Cycle", that culminates in a cross-over with the Repairman Jack series.
good spin on the dracula legend
Nazis & ancient evils... oh my!
Nazis, vampires, an old Romanian keep...chilling and horrific. A great read!
I enjoyed this horror story. Different enough to be worth a read. They made a movie that didn't make much sense.
Meet Rasalom, and his eternal nemesis, Glaeken. A true joy to read. If you are a fan of F.Paul Wilson, this is a keep(er). If you have not had the pleasure of reading his works, this is a great place to start.
Eh... this was okay. It's out of my genre a bit and I think it was excessively long for the story it contained. I think my friend, Dy, sums it up pretty well (spoilers are here) in her blog so I'll just say "ditto" and "read my comment" LOL :)
The message is received from a Nazi commander stationed in Transylvanian alps: "Something is killing my men ."
Immediately an elite SS extermination squad is sent to destroy whatever enemy dares challenge the might of the Third Reich.
And the battle is joined . A battle more awesomely terrifying than anything ever experienced. Between the ultimate evil created by man ...and the unthinkable, undreamed of, undead horror it has awakened from centuries of darkness to suck the life from living souls again.
Immediately an elite SS extermination squad is sent to destroy whatever enemy dares challenge the might of the Third Reich.
And the battle is joined . A battle more awesomely terrifying than anything ever experienced. Between the ultimate evil created by man ...and the unthinkable, undreamed of, undead horror it has awakened from centuries of darkness to suck the life from living souls again.
"Something is murdering my men!"
And so begins the horror.
And so begins the horror.
"Something is murdering my Men" Thus reads the message received from a Nazi commander stationed in a small castle high in the remote Translvanian Alps.
Someone gave me this book so Ive never read it. I hope someone will take it and enjoy it.
This book is in brand new condition. Never read it. I have two of these.
