Customer Reviews

Necroscope: The Touch

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been a huge fan of Brian Lumley's Necroscope series for over 10 years. So, when he wrote the supposed last trilogy, ending the vampire threat on the awesome set of Sunside/Starside - the alternate world apart from Earth - it was really kinda sad.

And after all these years, Lumley comes out with an all-new Necroscope that takes place between the first 5 novels and the first trilogy, beginning with Blood Brothers - one of my all-time favorite books.

And, as much as I totally hate to say this, The Touch was way too laboriously slow and kinda dull, as compared to all the other novels. Without vampire lords, and the awesome Harry Keogh, or the very likeable replacement in the last trilogy, Jake Cutter, the newest replacement, Scott St.John, is just not as effective or colorful a character for me. He isn't badly written, just didn't have that 'umph' that Harry and Jake had.

The story is overall not a bad one. The group of E-branch, led by the cool Ben Trask, just didn't shine here as in past novels. They plod and trudge thru too much rambling before they finally get up and start dusting off alien invaders, called the 3. Even though the past vampire lords were alien-enduced with pearls, the new baddies are just plain aliens who kill or heal with a touch. Thus the title.

But they fail to grasp and keep my attention as fully as the world of the vampire lords. I truly missed them.

Brian Lumley is a gifted writer. Necroscope: The Touch is a decent enough story. But after all the awesome and greatness of the past 13 novels, The Touch came off laboriously slow to read. In the great scheme of the Necroscope series, unfortunately, The Touch is the weakest of the bunch. For brand-new readers, it would be a solid starting point, however.

But for long-time diehard fans of the series, it will be a bit of a disappointment.

So NECROSCOPE: THE TOUCH tells the story of average bloke Scott St. John, who carries on the legacy of the Necroscope. Scott, for three months, three weeks, and three days now, has been immersed in grieving for his recently dead wife, Kelly. Of late, he's been inexplicably waking up at 3:33am. Strange things are happening. He hears voices in his head, is having odd intuitions, dreams of darts of golden light, and is kidnapped and held for questioning by a weird, covert government agency. To make matters worse, Scott, in due course, begins to question the manner of his wife's passing. Further nosing around leads him to suspect a reclusive healer of actually murdering Kelly. Along the way, he meets an enigmatic woman who calls herself Shania the Shing't and a telepathic Wolf, both of whom inform Scott that he's the third member of their trio; he is, in fact, the One.

Eventually, Scott learns of and prepares to face off the Mordri Three, three murderously insane alien beings who have annihilated their own world and then several others in an attempt to call out and destroy God. The Mordri Three are not only armed with advanced technology but are also equipped with the inherent power to morph flesh and bone; this power was erstwhile designed to heal but, in the hands of these three, is now being used to punish, torture, and murder people, sometimes by cruelly turning them outside in. But, Scott is not without his own resources. The gifted Shania and Wolf are more than eager to help him gain vengeance on his wife's killer. And, somewhere, lurking in the periphery, the E-Branch, the governmental arm consisting of extrasensory talented personnel, is waiting to lend a hand.

But Scott's greatest asset is that dart of golden light which had struck him, a gift from the deceased Harry Keogh, the original Necroscope. Scott is naturally hesitant to use the abilities granted him (the Moebius Continuum is just too mathematically profound - and who really wants to talk to the dead?). But Scott realizes that, to save the world and get his revenge on against the Mordri Three, he must utilize all his advantages, even if it means coming in contact with the shambling, rotting Great Majority...

NECROSCOPE: THE TOUCH chronologically falls somewhere in between NECROSCOPE: DEADSPAWN (where Harry Keogh dies) and BLOOD BROTHERS (first in the Vampire World trilogy, starring Harry's twin sons). To be honest, this book is just okay for me, a fair-to-middling page-turner. It doesn't contain the same excitement and intensity found in the previous Necroscope and E-Branch books. The sense of personal jeopardy just wasn't there. And, yes, a lot of what's missing has to do with the absence of the Wamphyri, who are great, great villains and exquisitely get under your skin, and also with the lack of an adequately intriguing protagonist whom the reader can get behind. Scott St. John is a realistic character caught in unusual circumstances and comes to the table with a normal guy's sensibilities, which was somewhat interesting. But Scott pales in comparison to Harry Keogh and the more take charge Jake Cutter. For most of the book's length, Scott fumbles his way thru, wallowing in uncertainty, and spends much of his time lamenting and agonizing. Understandable, given how much he loved his wife Kelly but I, as the reader, quickly got bored with that routine. Another minus to me is the uninteresting villains. Sorry, but the Mordri Three just do not do it for me, I don't care how lethal or psychotic they are. Bring back the vampires. Mind you, Shania the Shing't and Wolf are great characters and you can't ever go wrong with the reliable folks up at E-Branch. And it's also nice touching base with Zek and Wolf Sr. But I'm glad this is a stand alone novel because I don't know if I would've been able to last a full trilogy.

I guess it was a bit of a comedown from the previous Necroscope books. Not enough Harry Keough and too much fluff. Rather boring and easy to put down and do something else. You can do much better, Brian. Try again.

In 1990 the E-Branch agents of the British Secret Service sense the death of the Necroscope Harry Keogh though he dies in a parallel universe. Not long before Harry's brain splintered into nano pieces, Scott St. John wakes up every morning at 3:33 feeling alone since his wife Kelly died at that time and pondering once again the nightly dream of a dart of light striking him at 3:33. Still sorrow is his demeanor.

This time the golden dart is not a dream as a splinter of Harry's soul strikes Scott. The grieving human soon finds himself communicating with the deceased and traveling anywhere in the universe on a weird moebius strip loop. The E-Branch crowd senses a new ESPer and recruit Scott at about the same time a government employee mysteriously is killed when his epidermis is turned outside in. He meets Shania the Shing't who warns Scott that the Mordri Three renegade psychic healers from the few survivors of her race using their skills to kill have come to eradicate the Earth. With the encouragement of Kelly and the support of Shania and an odd telepathic she-wolf, Scott tries to save the world.

Though Harry is being replaced by a rookie Necroscope, his presence is still around as Brian Lumley refreshes his terrific horror science fiction thriller with the newbie Scott. The action-packed story line is driven by a bewildered Scott struggling with the loss of his wife as much as he is wrestles with adapting to his new skills and responsibilities. It is not everyday that someone begins to talk with those that are dead or have to save a planet with telepathic allies who are not all human. Mr. Lumley provides a triumphant invigorating Necroscopic thriller.

This book was my introduction to Brian Lumley. I bought this book based on the cover and I wasn't dissappointed. When I started reading I didn't stop until I was finished. As a result I ordered the first two books in the series and I was hooked. The Touch transported me into another world, but so did the other books. I loved the entire concept of the series. The Necroscope Series is a must read.

I have to admit, The Touch is probably one of my least favorite books out of the Necroscope series. I read all of the previous books and found that, although this one contained the same cruelty, gore and many familiar characters, it simply seemed like a different take on the previous vampire books. The alien Mordri seem like a slightly different version of the wamphyri (they even exist with a second life form living within them, just like the vampires). I wouldn't say this is a poorly written or unintersting book. It is still engaging and contains many of the elements that make Lumley's work so appealing. Perhaps part of the problem is the weird blend of aliens from outer space, the paranormal and God themes. I am not saying weird is bad, but sometimes it can begin to feel like the story is trying a little too hard.

Would I recommend this book to someone else? Well, if you are like me, then you simply must read it because you have come this far in the Necroscope series. I highly recommend that others check out this book, however try to avoid holding it to the same standards as the previous Necroscope stories. Perhaps the other half of the problem isn't that this is a bad or low quality book, maybe the problem is that the other books were just too good.

As far as the product itself, it arrived early and was exactly as described. There were no problems or faults with the actual book. Each page was pristine and I was very happy with the order.

I loved the first nine books in the Necroscope Series and have read them all several times.

Sadly Mr Lumley blew it on this one.

The characters are dull & flat.

Way too much of the book is dull,dry & plodding.

There is almost no action just long drawn out debate & back story.

Stick to the original nine books.

It doesnt exactly follow the Necroscope series to the extent I thought it would. But it was an interesting read for a little side story.

I was so excited to see a new Necroscope book that I read it right away. I do really like it, but I miss Harry and the vampires. It was an interesting take and I can see where there can be lots of possibilities in the future.
Some of the things would be plot spoilers, but I like ones that have continuting characters, which this seems to lack.

Not the best book by this author but good none the less. a must have for all those necroscope junkies like me.