Customer Reviews

The Invoker (Lawson Vampire Novels)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If this was a movie, I would call it a guy flick. A lot of blood and gore and of course the beautiful girl want's to jump the lead characters bones--only to get huffy when her needs are not met. The lead character is cast as not all that good looking, but buff and cool. I mean, do I really need to go on. Like I said guy flick, guy flick, and did I mention guy flick. It's doable as an easy read, but the editing mistakes could drive you batty.

Jon Merz has lived up to the promise he showed in his very entertaining debut novel:the Fixer. Our hero, Lawson aka the fixer returns in another dark adventure pitting himself once again against some power-hungry vampires!Lawson is duped into killing a innocent vampire accused of drug dealing and finds himself protecting the dead man's son.A boy who is invoker, a being who can control spirits of the dead! the boy, Jack is targeted by evil vampire council member Arvella and her renegade fixer Petrov to open a link to the spirit world in their bid for world domination!He is aided by elder vampire Wirek. Lawson's adventure will take him from Boston to cold reaches of himalayas mountains! this novel is action-packed ride
with brutal scenes of hand to hand combat, narrow escapes and pursuits. Merz is fashioning his heroic vampire as nosferatu version of james Bond and this novel's conclusion is a almost a witty nod to the ending to Goldfinger as Lawson life or death against his enemy, Petrov on plane! Bring on Lawson's next adventure!

This is my second Jon F Merz book, and numbers 3 and 4 are on my nightstand, waiting their turn.

I like Merz's gritty, noir style, and Lawson is a very interesting character. This novel gives him more depth than The Fixer did, and shows he's more than a one-dimensional "rough cop" type. I also like Merz's fight descriptions, it is obvious he has some experience in martial arts.

This book, like The Fixer, reads very fast and likes to tap you on the shoulder and say "Boo!" every now and then. Definitely worth reading.

Warning: This book (and the rest of the Lawson series) are too good. If you read it, everything else you read will pale in comparison and you will never be satisfied with mere pulp again.
This is premium stuff.

Looking for a modern-day vampire book filled with action, suspense, mystery, and intrigue? You've found it! The Invoker, the second novel in the Lawson Vampire series by Jon F. Merz, delivers nonstop thrills from the very first page to the very last. If you liked the first book in the series (The Fixer), you will not be disappointed with this entertaining sequel. Even if you haven't read The Fixer yet, you'll still be able to enjoy The Invoker. Merz provides enough necessary information to make new readers feel comfortable without boring those who have already read The Fixer.

In this book, you will follow the adventures of Lawson, a tough vampire known as a "Fixer." A Fixer is responsible for maintaining the balance between vampires and humans. If a vampire breaks the rules and endangers the secrecy of the vampire community, Lawson or other Fixers must eliminate the perpetrator. In The Invoker, Lawson is sent to kill a vampire who has been accused of dealing drugs throughout Boston. Lawson does his job, but he is thrown for a loop when the dying man begs him to care for Jack, his twelve-year-old son. The action intensifies when Lawson discovers that the likeable boy is a budding Invoker, a vampire who can summon spirits. When another Invoker wants to use Jack's considerable power to assist her in a nefarious plan, the boy's safety hangs in the balance. With the help of Wirek, a retired vampire Elder, Lawson sets out to protect Jack from the enemy. When Jack is abducted, Lawson and Wirek must race against the clock to find him before time runs out.

When you read this book, you'll feel like you're at the movie theater watching a great action film. Merz puts readers right in the middle of the adventure with his engaging first-person writing style. Lawson is a deadly fighter, and fans of martial arts will appreciate the skillful way in which Merz writes combat scenes. In addition to that, the book contains liberal doses of humor and many poignant moments. Something for everyone, in other words.

Merz is also good at making the overall adventure come to life through vivid descriptions and crisp, realistic dialogue. When Lawson and Wirek begin their search for Jack, you'll enjoy their harrowing journey as they travel from Boston to the picturesque peaks of the Himalayan Mountains. Filled with colorful characters and intriguing settings, this book is a very fast, exciting read. When you are finished with it, you will be looking forward to the next novel in the series!

The vampires in Merz's series are quite unlike the ones you may be familiar with. Merz creates a new vampire mythology that is more believable than what you might find in other books in the genre. The plots are modern and edgy, centering more around crime and justice rather than traditional vampire activities. Therefore, fans of genres other than horror should also enjoy The Invoker and The Fixer. These books are high-energy and exciting, so anyone who likes a good action/adventure book should give the Lawson Vampire series a try!

As I was reading The Invoker, I couldn't help but wonder what Quentin Tarantino would make of this book. After all, without all of his work to bring back the pulp noir of the 40s and 50s, The Invoker probably wouldn't exist. This is a raw book filled with raw and unsympathetic characters. These vampires aren't searching for redemption, they're only trying to make it trough another day. They are full of irony, witty comebacks and they lust for action and blood.

Lawson is yet again our main character. A vampire who has seen it all (in Merz's novels, vampires do drink blood, but the supersitions about garlic and holy water and the sun is only a myth; they walk in daylight and the only way to kill them is by piercing their skin with wood), Lawson is a gritty narrator who hides nothing from the readers.

This time, he is hired to killed a man. Only, upon killing him, the man asks Lawson to protect his son. His son, a vampire with the ability to invoke spirits from the other side, is being hunted. Lawson quickly decides to do anything in his power to protect the child from harm.

The first half of the book is incredibly fast paced and a great joy for the reader. But when the kid is kidnapped and Lawson finds himself hiking through Tibet, the book becomes slow and repetitive, as if Merz just stretched everything out for as long as he could to give his book an acceptable length. Still, it all brings us to a satisfying if predictable finale.

The Vampire Lawson series isn't groundbreaking, but it's great fun to read. This is a little quickie that you can read for the sole purpose of entertainment and amusement. Merz's writing is tight and Lawson always has a witty comeback just waiting to erupt from his lips. Here's hoping that the series keeps being so much fun!

Without question, the Invoker is the best of the four Lawson Vampire novels written by Jon Merz. The things I particularly liked about it were the attention to details, historical settings, and backstory. Tons of backstory, which for me, helps to flesh out the universe in which the characters interact.

Once again, Jon Merz proves that he's no amateur. The Invoker is an absolutely outstanding sequel to his first effort, The Fixer. Lawson's back and this time he's got even bigger problems. Jack is the name of a small child who can summon dead vampires and Lawson has to keep him safe from the clutches of a band of evil vampires. Merz, who writes convincingly about Boston, takes the action all the way to the top of the world: Nepal and the Himalayas. Once again, the fight scenes are incredible (you can tell Merz has been in a scrape or two in his life) and the one-liners are frequent. I loved The Fixer and found The Invoker to be even better. I'm looking forward to his next novel The Destructor when it comes out in March 2003. Don't miss this series, its one of the best I've read in years.

I read Merz's first novel, The Fixer, in two afternoons, and thought it was very good. When I picked up the Invoker, it took me half the time to read, it was that much better.

I don't want to spoil anything for any reader who has not yet read the book, but this plot is faster, more exciting, and better written than The Fixer.

I've been a Merz fan for a while and he keeps improving.

The Invoker is a fast-paced, exciting romp.

I'm looking forward to his next book.

After reading THE FIXER, the first of the Lawson Vampire Series, I couldn't wait to read the second installment. Merz doesn't disappoint. He has a gift for fast-paced, exciting storytelling and an ear for snappy dialogue that make reading him a real treat. The third book of the series, THE DESTRUCTOR, is on my nightstand as we speak. I'm ready for another fun ride!