8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Dark Side of the Moon, February 10, 2002
Brian Lumley's brilliant Necroscope series comes to an end with Necroscope: Avengers. Like so many series under the leadership of Tor, this was an excellent reading diversion over the years. Unfortunately, the series does end with Avengers.
Jake Cutter, as a character, is a worthy successor to Harry Keogh, who does manage to make a guest appearance. Just like Harry, Jake's independence from E-Branch does make for good suspense.
The last few books of the series have dealt with a new threat to Earth. Three Wamphyri have managed to escape from Starside, crossing over via a transdimensional gate under the Carpathian Mountains. Of course, the goal of these three vampire lords is nothing short of total domination of Earth. The only thing blocking their goal is the British E-Branch, a governmental organization of talented mentalists.
As Avengers begins, the vampires, Lady Vavara, Lord Malinari, and Lord Swartz, are attempting to capture the Necroscope and return to Starside with Cutter's vaunted powers added to theirs. The triumvirate is extremely sick of Earth with its short nights and E-Branch, wanting nothing more than to escape Earth with a weapon that can be used against Harry Keogh's descendant Nathan, who has successfully cleansed vampires from his own world.
While on Earth, the Wamphyri have reaped more success than they realized. In earlier books of the series, the Wamphyri attempted to create spores that would filter through the atmosphere and eventually create more of their kind. Initially feeling the brutal sting of failure, the fruiting bodies of their spores have in fact been rather successful. A vampire plague is sweeping the Earth.
Can E-Branch effectively protect Earth and destroy the Wamphyri before they return to Starside? In his previous books, Lumley did not allow the Wamphyri to establish a toehold on Earth. In his last book of the series, however, Lumley does seem to remove all stops and creates an atmosphere of most anything goes.
And, it does not seem to work. While Avengers is a necessary read for those who have been following the Necroscope series, new fans should find their vampire thrills elsewhere. The last forty pages of Avengers are contrived at best, and bring the Necroscope series to a vastly unsatisfying conclusion.
At least Brian Lumley does in fact conclude his series. Quite a few Tor series seem rather endless in scope, and, as is the case with Robert Jordan, are getting rather sporadic with book releases and quality. Still, vampire fans not familiar with Brian Lumley's Necroscope series can safely read the series' first eight books.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The ride had to end some time., June 12, 2001
While Brian Lumley's final installment to the Necroscope saga wasn't exactly all I had personally hoped it would be, it was still an incredibly fantastic read! Truly worthy Necroscope fans worldwide!
Taken as the final series installment it certainly brings closure to all the various loose-ends that have been dangling out there.
Taken as a whole in all of the thirteen novels . . . it fits beautifully in the Necroscope time line. To call this novel a "stale" bottle of wine is vastly incorrect. "Necroscope: Avengers" is an integral component to a brilliant and impressive tapestry. My only regret is that the ride had to end. It's been a lot of fun over the years. The entire Necroscope saga has been thoroughly well-crafted and entertaining! Jake Cutter may have been a reluctant Necroscope, but he did an admirable job regardless.
After three novels, some of the arguments between Jake and Ben Trask of E-Branch were becoming just a tiny bit tedious, but that's merely a MINOR complaint of mine. The rest of the story more than makes up for this! I especially enjoyed how Jake dealt with his unwanted "house-guest" Korath. That was a very well written sequence.
Thirteen novels! Over a decade of entertainment! And most of all, characters that became like family members! What more could you want? Thank-you, Mr. Lumley. Simply, thank-you for sharing with us the world of the Necroscope and the Wamphyri.
The entire series will always have a special place in my heart.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Its the 13th, June 3, 2001
By A Customer
Let me start of by saying that I have truly loved the Necroscope series. I still remember seeing the skull of the first book staring out from the bookstore shelf, that was a good 11 years ago. Anyway, here we are with Avengers. This is the last book in the series according to Mr. Lumley. In this book he ties up the lose ends from earlier in this triology and from other book's in the series as a whole. However, I didn't like the plot device he used for the ending. Though with its use, he guarantees that there will not be a Necroscope 14. By itself, it is not the best in the series (that would be Necroscope and the Vampire World trilogy), but taken as part of a larger story it works. Mr. Lumley continues to make his human characters believable, for all their psychic abilities. Where his strength lies is the vampires. These creatures are antithesis to everything. As Mr. Lumley describes them, one can just see the red of their eyes and see how they change from the "beautiful people" to vile monsters. I will miss the series, but I have all thirteen novels and will revisit this world again and again.
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