Customer Reviews

The Doorkeepers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When it comes to horror, Masterton comes right up there with the best. Its a pity that his work has not received wider acknowledgement, since he has written some of the best horror novels of the past few decades. Mirror, Tengu, Devils of D-Day, Night Hymn, House that Jack Built and Spirit come readily to mind. Doorkeepers while not his best effort, is still quite good.

While the story starts off in a routine manner, it progresses in a very different and unpredictable direction, involving alternate worlds, parallel universes, telepathic communication with animals and occult stuff. Its a horror that touches you in the other worldly sense. The description of puritanical, Orwellian London is so chillingly real (more so because such worlds still exist on this earth) that one feels numbed. The woman who keeps the doors between parallel worlds open, and how the doorkeepers want to create her successors is frightening.

The ending looks slightly forced, where the hero emerges victorious despite all odds, and while a happy ending doesn't detract from the book, Masterton has written books which have more courageous endings. Tengu is a case in point.

When taking Masterton's other horror books into consideration, "The Doorkeepers" is a decidedly average novel. The idea of parallell worlds isn't exactly original, but its presentation in this novel is interesting, although let down severely by poorly developed characters and unlikely situations. The only reason we have for liking the main character is that he shares a special relationship with animals, Masterton doesn't really expand past that. The other characters are forgettable and the villains are stock standard. The book ends with an unexciting climax. A let down.

I picked this book up used for next to nothing and I'm glad I didn't pay full price because it was money wasted. I'll admit, at first glance I was intrigued by what the book promised, psychological thriller, alternate dimensions, a missing persons case to be solved....big let down
I won't spoil too much but here goes. The story centers around a veterinarian with a telepathic ability to communicate with animals(cough, cough Dr. Doolittle) whose sister has gone missing. The company she (the sister) was working for doesn't exsist and the address she was living at hasn't exsisted since the days of World War I. Psychic Vet boy and girlfriend set off to find out what happened to the sister and end up in London. After discovering "hidden clues" in a child's nursery rhyme with the help of a random Voodoo priestess they find out that "doorways" exsist in London to alternate versions of London and the race to discover what happened to the sister ensues.
At first this book was enjoyable, albeit a little cheesy(a psychic vet?? come on!) and predictable. The idea of alternate realities was kinda fun and the visions of a London ruled by the Puritans and their roaming "execution squads" and a world where the Revolutionary War never happened, instead the US attacks England circa 1940 were interesting. They definitely played on the whole "what if" scenarios but that's where the fun ended. The characters were dry and one dimensional, the plot was too predictable and the action, suspense, and psychological thriller element were almost nonexsistent.
I tried to finish the book because I have never given up on one but as soon as Masterton threw out the ****SPOILER ALERT!!**** ever so lazy "he's the chosen one" card I had had enough. I honestly threw the book away into the trash because that is where it truly belongs.
General Synopsis: I despised the book. Would never attempt to read it again. If you want to check it out, I strongly urge you to pick it up used or borrow it from a library, that way you're not out too much money.

Mr. M. takes us through a murder mystery, evil incarnate, ancient pagan practices and through alternate outcomes of our worlds history. This is a page turner from the start till the end. Never could I have imagined the twists of plot that the story takes.
Josh Winward, an american in London investigating the disapearance of his sister, opens a can of vipers that will change his life forever. With assistance from a band of rebels in the alternate London and an "imigrant" from that world, Josh learns puzzeling and horrifying clues that lead him right into the hands of the hooded men and their "Harp" a torturous instrument of truth. When Josh leaves his veternary practice and his wife in America, he has no idea that he is entering worlds of horrifying evil.
EXCELLENT AND TRULY ENGAGING BOOK.

This is a very dark, twisted horror tale written by one of the best writers in this field. Imagine a world (London in this place) with hidden doors which open a way to step into alternate London (each one different) and each with dark, evil almost-Lovecraft like horrors. Very original and evil book.

This book has nothing to do with demons or angels, but with alternate realities. I was hesitant to read this but coming from the MASTER of horror, I could not pass it up. I am so glad I decided to do so. Not only is this book full of gore and horror, but it is full of humor at times. This is a must for all horror fans.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Graham Masterton's novels. My 2 favorite are The Walkers and The Mirror. This book, The Doorkeepers, is just ok. The premise of the story is great, it has some very exciting moments, but the proof reading was overlooked. There are many errors in this book and not stupid picky stuff, I'm talking about sentences that simply don't make sense. It was as though Masterton wanted to change a sentence but only changed half of it. This made the book, at times, lose it's flow.

The gist of the story is this; there are mutiple planes for the same location. For example, there are an infinite number of Londons. Each one is the same but different at the same time. Each has its own history and time setting. There are doorways to each of these universes. The story is about a man who finds himself frantically trying to find the secret to these mysterious doors after his sisters dead body is discovered in the present London, but it becomes known that she had been lured to an alternate London and killed there. Let the games begin!

I found this story intriguing but more science ficton than horror. The ending was a little lame. You certainly won't be wasting your time reading this book, it's just not one of his best. Of course, that is only my opinion. If you want Graham Masterton at his finest, try the books I mentioned above. They are fantastic.

First of all, I have to say that for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The pace was quick and continued for the entire novel. There were no dull moments. This is the first Masterton I have read since I was a kid and I will be reading more from now on.

Now to the other side of the proverbial coin. This book won't be for everybody. It is very silly at times (especially the dog's role) and Masterton's parellel worlds do not follow the logic he uses to explain the travelling between them. Slight possible spoilers ahead but not crritical ones:

For example, one has to wait a full 24hours before returning through a door to the alternative London, otherwise they will end up in yet another one of an infinite number of alernative Londons. This being the case, how come our heroes find the correct alternative London on first attempt? surely they could have ended up anywhere.

So suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride and you may enjoy this as much as I did. I was torn between rating this 3 or 4 stars. It would get 3 stars for the actual quality of the novel but it was so entertaining that I rate it 4 stars.

I file Masterton alongside James Herbert under "Guilty Pleasures".

The only down side to this book is that it does not seem to be available in hard-back.
I thoroughly enjoyed Masterton's usual first person narrative, and the way he spreads out a mythos in a way only he can.
Masterton has a history of doing material that is excruciatingly painful in its detail ... I mean that he depicts some horrific acts very well, but always in context, and never in a gratuitous manner( see TENGU as one example of some very extreme work). But his thematic work in this genre is brilliant. If someone could option these stories and do a film based on even some of Masterton's material, we would have some great and scarey films.
Masterton has covered such a wide range of genres, and so many books, that he is bound to have a few "lesser" books, but this is all relative, since a lesser book in the Graham Masterton world of stories is always far superior to the dross of some "popular" writers, and Masterton always provides value for money. Great scares without a turgid, unreadable conceit !!!

When I think of the "Masters of Horror", Graham Masterton has earned his place alongside King, McCammon, Dan Simmons, and Koontz. Masterton has written some of the most frightening and brilliant novels I've ever read. (NIGHT WARRIORS, WALKERS, PREY, MIRROR, and PARIAH, stand out in my mind.) He can make the incredible credible and he does not flinch when it comes to in-your-face terror. Read the first chapter of MASTER OF LIES, PREY, or the kitchen scene in NIGHT WARRIORS and they will leave the most jaded horror readers mouth agape. (And I'm not talking about gore for gore's sake. Masterton backs those elements up with brilliant storytelling and an amazing imagination.) THE DOORKEEPERS was a very satisfying read, but a little different than most of his horror novels. It is a little more fantastic (as in Fantasy) and there is nothing overtly supernatural to it. But it is a terrifying read nonethless and it had me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend it for all horror fans. Thank you for the ride, Mr. Masterton. You can't write fast enough for my tastes!