What do you think?
Rate this book
They Thirst!
They Thirst
First published in 1981, They Thirst was Robert McCammon’s fourth novel, and it remains one of the major milestones of an ambitious, constantly evolving career. Like its predecessors—Baal, Bethany’s Sin, and The Night Boat—They Thirst made its initial appearance as a paperback original. In the years since, it has acquired an intensely devoted following, and is now widely regarded as one of the significant vampire novels of the 20th century.
The story begins in the tiny Hungarian hamlet of Krajeck, where nine-year-old Andre Palatazin awaits the return of his father from an unspecified—but clearly dangerous—mission. The man who finally returns is no longer Andre’s father—is no longer, in fact, a man. Pursued by this undead entity, Andre and his mother barely escape with their lives. Decades later, Andre—now Andy—Palatazin is a homicide detective in the Los Angeles Police Department, and spends his days dealing with the quotidian terrors of a large metropolis. His life takes a darker turn when the demonic forces he first encountered in Krajeck arrive in L.A., led by an ancient vampire known as The Master. The Master’s plan: to overrun the city and use it as a stepping-stone toward wider, ultimately global, domination.
They Thirst marks the earliest appearance of McCammon’s penchant for epic, wide-angled narratives. With the unobtrusive ease of a natural storyteller, the author propels a wide assortment of vividly created characters through an apocalyptic scenario that combines gritty urban realism with a powerful portrait of supernatural forces at large in the modern world. The result is a genuine classic of the genre, a novel that is as fresh and absorbing today as it was more than thirty years ago.
The story begins in the tiny Hungarian hamlet of Krajeck, where nine-year-old Andre Palatazin awaits the return of his father from an unspecified—but clearly dangerous—mission. The man who finally returns is no longer Andre’s father—is no longer, in fact, a man. Pursued by this undead entity, Andre and his mother barely escape with their lives. Decades later, Andre—now Andy—Palatazin is a homicide detective in the Los Angeles Police Department, and spends his days dealing with the quotidian terrors of a large metropolis. His life takes a darker turn when the demonic forces he first encountered in Krajeck arrive in L.A., led by an ancient vampire known as The Master. The Master’s plan: to overrun the city and use it as a stepping-stone toward wider, ultimately global, domination.
They Thirst marks the earliest appearance of McCammon’s penchant for epic, wide-angled narratives. With the unobtrusive ease of a natural storyteller, the author propels a wide assortment of vividly created characters through an apocalyptic scenario that combines gritty urban realism with a powerful portrait of supernatural forces at large in the modern world. The result is a genuine classic of the genre, a novel that is as fresh and absorbing today as it was more than thirty years ago.
616 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1981
819 people are currently reading
12750 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCammon
168 books5,778 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 689 reviews
May 5, 2019
What a novel, this is 80s horror at its very best. A serial killer terrorizes L.A.. Who is the man the press calls Roach and what is his motivation? What about his mental contact to a master? Is there more in this story than a psychopath? Much more. Prince Vulkan found his way from Hungary across the Pond. He adores Alexander the Great and wants to establish a Kingdom of Vampires? The whole town of LA is to be turned into a town of vampires. What about mysterious biker Kobra (love that character) and the eerie mansion on the hill where a horror actor was beheaded (incredible setting)? Can Andy Palatazin, a police captain and Hungarian immigrant safe the town and its population? What about Father Silvera? This is one of the best vampire stories I ever read. It's a massive book but something you can't stop reading. Some interesting, well carved characters, parallel strands of the plot, an intriguing background story and a fine prologue. I often read that McCammon borrowed from King's Salem's Lot. This certainly may be the case. But he wrote the hell of an independent story. One of the absolute highlines this year. There are more McCammon classics on my list now!
April 16, 2019
”Death smiled---a boyish smile---through an old man’s eyes.
When you live in those Middle European countries like Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Serbia, you grow up hearing stories of monsters. The very air, the darkness, the looming mountains, and the shrieks... at the very heart of the night... that stirs people from a sound sleep with terror blooming in the midst of their waking nightmares, convinces even the most cynical of minds to believe that evil beings lurk in the shadows of their lives.
Andre Palatazin, a Los Angeles Detective, known in California by the more American name Andy, was born in Hungary. He would have grown up in Hungary except one night his father returned as one of those things he had went hunting for…
A VAMPIRE.
”Papa had said, ‘Watch my shadow.’”
Andy and his mother, fortunately, escaped to the city of Angels. They are far, far away from those nefarious creatures that turn a man’s spine to ice and a woman’s heart to glass. Palatazin is searching for a killer nicknamed by the press The Roach because he liked to stuff cockroaches in the mouths of his victims.
Palatazin is frustrated because his leads are just a handful of frayed, broken strings, and The Roach continues to thrive. Los Angeles is a city of victims. ”Most of the girls, hopeful starlets from every state in the country, were very pretty; perhaps they’d modeled once or twice or done bit parts or even starred in a skin flick or two, but now for a variety of reasons their luck had just turned bad. They were the throwaways, the tissues some agent, director, or disco smooth-talker had sneezed into and then tossed out with the trash. All of them potential victims.”
For The ROACH.
He changes his Modus Operandi. Wanna-be starlets keep disappearing, but their corpses are not being found. The stress of trying to catch this serial killer, who is scaring the bejesus out of people, is starting to catch up with Palatazin.
Little does he know that the weeks he has spent trying to catch The Roach will be looked back on with something akin to fondness. The Roach is a monster, but he is a monster we can wrap our heads around. He is about to be eclipsed...by a plague of monsters.
Palatazin’s nightmares from Hungary have finally caught up with him.
”A hand and arm, as bone-white as marble and veined with blue, slithered out….”
What the hell is that?
”He pulled the sheet free from their faces...[They were] entwined together. Their faces were as white as carved stone, but what made Silvera almost cry out with terror was the fact that he could see their eyes through the thin, almost clear membranes of their closed eyelids. The eyes seemed to be staring right at him; they filled him with cold dread. He forced himself to reach down and feel the chests for heartbeats.
Their hearts weren’t beating. He felt for a pulse, found nothing.”
I’ve read a reasonable number of vampire books, and there are some good ones. I tend to like the ones that depict vampires the way they would be if they existed, feral, ferocious animals. The debonair, handsome, charming vampire that makes some women’s hearts go pitter patter and makes some men want to upchuck all over the plush leather seats of Stephenie Meyer’s Mercedes Benz is not the type of anemic monster you are going to find in this book.
These monsters...well…They Thirst.
Palatazin doesn’t have to be convinced that the “mythical” creatures from the nightmares of writers is real. He knows they are real, but convincing everyone else before it is too late is like asking for people to believe in the Easter Bunny. A man could be locked up with The Ghostbusters faster than he can say,...but really I’m not crazy. Unfortunately, it isn’t like Andy can laugh maniacally from his prison cell window as humanity is eviscerated and replaced by an army of fanged goons. Palatazin, for the people he loves and even humanity at large, has to find a way to to stop Prince Conrad Vulkan and his plan to subjugate the human race.
Meanwhile he can’t afford to lose his mind.
Fortunately,
he won’t be alone.
”There are four who would destroy you. They approach even now, as you lie dreaming of glory. Four pieces---one is a knight, another is a bishop, a third is a rook, and the fourth is a pawn.”
Can they beat the gathering storm that threatens to turn daylight into perpetual night?
This book was published in 1981 and is a perfect example of those epic, somewhat bloated, horror books that are actually hefty enough to bash in the skull of a vampire, or swat the fanny of a recalcitrant werewolf, or put a large hole in the ectoplasm of an annoying ghost. I, for one, enjoyed the ride that Robert McCammon took me on. This was a bit of 1980s nostalgia that actually made me shudder more than once...those entwined, cocooned, hibernating beasts are still haunting my daymares and nightmares. *teeth chattering shiver of impending doom*
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
‘Welcome,’ he said.”
When you live in those Middle European countries like Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Serbia, you grow up hearing stories of monsters. The very air, the darkness, the looming mountains, and the shrieks... at the very heart of the night... that stirs people from a sound sleep with terror blooming in the midst of their waking nightmares, convinces even the most cynical of minds to believe that evil beings lurk in the shadows of their lives.
Andre Palatazin, a Los Angeles Detective, known in California by the more American name Andy, was born in Hungary. He would have grown up in Hungary except one night his father returned as one of those things he had went hunting for…
A VAMPIRE.
”Papa had said, ‘Watch my shadow.’”
Andy and his mother, fortunately, escaped to the city of Angels. They are far, far away from those nefarious creatures that turn a man’s spine to ice and a woman’s heart to glass. Palatazin is searching for a killer nicknamed by the press The Roach because he liked to stuff cockroaches in the mouths of his victims.
Palatazin is frustrated because his leads are just a handful of frayed, broken strings, and The Roach continues to thrive. Los Angeles is a city of victims. ”Most of the girls, hopeful starlets from every state in the country, were very pretty; perhaps they’d modeled once or twice or done bit parts or even starred in a skin flick or two, but now for a variety of reasons their luck had just turned bad. They were the throwaways, the tissues some agent, director, or disco smooth-talker had sneezed into and then tossed out with the trash. All of them potential victims.”
For The ROACH.
He changes his Modus Operandi. Wanna-be starlets keep disappearing, but their corpses are not being found. The stress of trying to catch this serial killer, who is scaring the bejesus out of people, is starting to catch up with Palatazin.
Little does he know that the weeks he has spent trying to catch The Roach will be looked back on with something akin to fondness. The Roach is a monster, but he is a monster we can wrap our heads around. He is about to be eclipsed...by a plague of monsters.
Palatazin’s nightmares from Hungary have finally caught up with him.
”A hand and arm, as bone-white as marble and veined with blue, slithered out….”
What the hell is that?
”He pulled the sheet free from their faces...[They were] entwined together. Their faces were as white as carved stone, but what made Silvera almost cry out with terror was the fact that he could see their eyes through the thin, almost clear membranes of their closed eyelids. The eyes seemed to be staring right at him; they filled him with cold dread. He forced himself to reach down and feel the chests for heartbeats.
Their hearts weren’t beating. He felt for a pulse, found nothing.”
I’ve read a reasonable number of vampire books, and there are some good ones. I tend to like the ones that depict vampires the way they would be if they existed, feral, ferocious animals. The debonair, handsome, charming vampire that makes some women’s hearts go pitter patter and makes some men want to upchuck all over the plush leather seats of Stephenie Meyer’s Mercedes Benz is not the type of anemic monster you are going to find in this book.
These monsters...well…They Thirst.
Palatazin doesn’t have to be convinced that the “mythical” creatures from the nightmares of writers is real. He knows they are real, but convincing everyone else before it is too late is like asking for people to believe in the Easter Bunny. A man could be locked up with The Ghostbusters faster than he can say,...but really I’m not crazy. Unfortunately, it isn’t like Andy can laugh maniacally from his prison cell window as humanity is eviscerated and replaced by an army of fanged goons. Palatazin, for the people he loves and even humanity at large, has to find a way to to stop Prince Conrad Vulkan and his plan to subjugate the human race.
Meanwhile he can’t afford to lose his mind.
Fortunately,
he won’t be alone.
”There are four who would destroy you. They approach even now, as you lie dreaming of glory. Four pieces---one is a knight, another is a bishop, a third is a rook, and the fourth is a pawn.”
Can they beat the gathering storm that threatens to turn daylight into perpetual night?
This book was published in 1981 and is a perfect example of those epic, somewhat bloated, horror books that are actually hefty enough to bash in the skull of a vampire, or swat the fanny of a recalcitrant werewolf, or put a large hole in the ectoplasm of an annoying ghost. I, for one, enjoyed the ride that Robert McCammon took me on. This was a bit of 1980s nostalgia that actually made me shudder more than once...those entwined, cocooned, hibernating beasts are still haunting my daymares and nightmares. *teeth chattering shiver of impending doom*
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
February 17, 2022
Ancient Evil!
I am not giving my normal backstory so just laying out my thoughts as this tome of a vampire book has quite a few characters that are involved within the story, but I will set out two main characters with thoughts.
Character Thoughts:
Two main characters are:
Prince Conrad Vulcan - Master Vampire of Kronsteen castle. Vulcan wants to take over the city of Los Angeles making the whole city under his rule and eventually to encompass the whole state as he takes in more territory. He wants to show that he is king of the vampires and he will do whatever it takes to see that accomplished.
Andrew "Andy" Palatazin is a homicide detective for the LAPD - there have been a rash of killings that seems to be the work of a serial killer and as he tries to make sense of what is going on with the killings, he is thrown for a loop when he finds out that some cemeteries are missing coffins and then he has an inkling that "something" might be leading him to Kronsteen castle as an ancient evil is no doubt lurking there.
Book Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this author, Robert McCammon. Not sure why I haven't stepped into him long before now, but he was recommended by a few of my Goodreads friends who have given his work high praises, so I decided to step into his work to see those high praises. :)
Writing style was great and I was drawn right away into the storyline. I am always looking for some type of vampire book that has the "old school" vampires within and this book really took me in that direction.
This book was a slow start with introductions of all the characters that lie within so it took awhile for anything to get going with the master vampire character which led to the first half of the book being a struggle with slow pacing, but there was quite a bit of intrigue and suspense as well which was wrapped up with the serial killings and the detective.
Normally I like my books where something happens within the first few chapters, but there was definitely a "dread" feeling right away as I could feel that something eventually was about to explode with vampire action and the last half of the book was total vampire carnage! Giving this book five "Fatal Fangs stars!
I am not giving my normal backstory so just laying out my thoughts as this tome of a vampire book has quite a few characters that are involved within the story, but I will set out two main characters with thoughts.
Character Thoughts:
Two main characters are:
Prince Conrad Vulcan - Master Vampire of Kronsteen castle. Vulcan wants to take over the city of Los Angeles making the whole city under his rule and eventually to encompass the whole state as he takes in more territory. He wants to show that he is king of the vampires and he will do whatever it takes to see that accomplished.
Andrew "Andy" Palatazin is a homicide detective for the LAPD - there have been a rash of killings that seems to be the work of a serial killer and as he tries to make sense of what is going on with the killings, he is thrown for a loop when he finds out that some cemeteries are missing coffins and then he has an inkling that "something" might be leading him to Kronsteen castle as an ancient evil is no doubt lurking there.
Book Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this author, Robert McCammon. Not sure why I haven't stepped into him long before now, but he was recommended by a few of my Goodreads friends who have given his work high praises, so I decided to step into his work to see those high praises. :)
Writing style was great and I was drawn right away into the storyline. I am always looking for some type of vampire book that has the "old school" vampires within and this book really took me in that direction.
This book was a slow start with introductions of all the characters that lie within so it took awhile for anything to get going with the master vampire character which led to the first half of the book being a struggle with slow pacing, but there was quite a bit of intrigue and suspense as well which was wrapped up with the serial killings and the detective.
Normally I like my books where something happens within the first few chapters, but there was definitely a "dread" feeling right away as I could feel that something eventually was about to explode with vampire action and the last half of the book was total vampire carnage! Giving this book five "Fatal Fangs stars!
October 2, 2024
This is my first Robert McCammon book. It's a long read with a slow buildup, many chapters and stacks of different characters.
There are terrific personality studies, gradual plot construction and some bombastic unrealism by the end. It's over the top, cliché and dare I say it, even a bit corny. You won't learn anything new about vampires through this book either.
Although the slow buildup and constant switches between characters feel like weaknesses, they're the overall strength of the book. Police investigations are just a small part of it. The character known as the Roach - a mass murderer who abducts prostitutes for his own nefarious purposes - is important but just a single character and subplot arc. There's unspoken competition between the police force and the local gutter press to get to the bottom of this murder-mystery, which is more to do with character development than essential plot.
The book shifts from initial murder investigation into a widespread vampire threat to rule the whole planet. Although this is an exciting switch, it also makes the book a bit outlandish.
Gradually we accept that vampires are really out there and need to be eradicated, which is the real driving stake in the heart of They Thirst. It takes amazing storytelling skill to hold all of this together. This is no crime thriller but a story about a city, people, loves and lives, and how the vampire menace gets gradually stronger and takes front stage.
What I didn't expect was how gloriously silly it would be by the end, turning into a stupendously far-fetched story about discovery, survival, and hitting back against the vampire masses.
There are parallels to other works of vampire fiction, such as 'I Am Legend' and how the vampire scourge becomes an impossibly difficult challenge, as well as obvious references to 'Dracula' and the hunt to eliminate evil and put it out of commission.
There are many interesting references to what vampires can and can't do and the precautions needed against them. They can drink the blood of the dead, while in other vampire literature that's not an option and human victims must be alive or the blood drained from them first. Crucifixes and holy water work against vampires in They Thirst, while established in other literature that these artefacts have no effect because vampires are not necessarily linked to Christianity. There's also typical use of wooden stakes, garlic smeared across window sills, holy water chucked in faces, and so on.
This is a terrific book considering it was first published in 1980, but offers nothing new on how to deal with vampires. Expose them to light, cut off their heads and pierce their hearts. They come out at night and wreak havoc on humanity, but during the day have to sleep in coffins partially filled with special soil.
When daylight comes the tables turn and humans can hunt back, but the plot devises a giant vampire-controlled sandstorm to inhibit humans from hitting out during waking hours, making the vampire menace even stronger and harder to eradicate.
They Thirst feels a bit old fashioned in places with references to actors and personalities from the 1970s, which could be irrelevant and meaningless to younger readers and feels dowdy and archaic in a period of pre-technology dawn, with typewriters, fax machines and analog physicality.
They Thirst justifies its farfetched, silly and outlandish nature as necessary and meaningful to fiddle with the flagstones of improbability. The drawback is how OTT it is by the end.
This is a really good effort though and full of interestingly warm characters folded around a menace that gets impossibly strong over time. Good vs Evil 100%.
There are terrific personality studies, gradual plot construction and some bombastic unrealism by the end. It's over the top, cliché and dare I say it, even a bit corny. You won't learn anything new about vampires through this book either.
Although the slow buildup and constant switches between characters feel like weaknesses, they're the overall strength of the book. Police investigations are just a small part of it. The character known as the Roach - a mass murderer who abducts prostitutes for his own nefarious purposes - is important but just a single character and subplot arc. There's unspoken competition between the police force and the local gutter press to get to the bottom of this murder-mystery, which is more to do with character development than essential plot.
The book shifts from initial murder investigation into a widespread vampire threat to rule the whole planet. Although this is an exciting switch, it also makes the book a bit outlandish.
Gradually we accept that vampires are really out there and need to be eradicated, which is the real driving stake in the heart of They Thirst. It takes amazing storytelling skill to hold all of this together. This is no crime thriller but a story about a city, people, loves and lives, and how the vampire menace gets gradually stronger and takes front stage.
What I didn't expect was how gloriously silly it would be by the end, turning into a stupendously far-fetched story about discovery, survival, and hitting back against the vampire masses.
There are parallels to other works of vampire fiction, such as 'I Am Legend' and how the vampire scourge becomes an impossibly difficult challenge, as well as obvious references to 'Dracula' and the hunt to eliminate evil and put it out of commission.
There are many interesting references to what vampires can and can't do and the precautions needed against them. They can drink the blood of the dead, while in other vampire literature that's not an option and human victims must be alive or the blood drained from them first. Crucifixes and holy water work against vampires in They Thirst, while established in other literature that these artefacts have no effect because vampires are not necessarily linked to Christianity. There's also typical use of wooden stakes, garlic smeared across window sills, holy water chucked in faces, and so on.
This is a terrific book considering it was first published in 1980, but offers nothing new on how to deal with vampires. Expose them to light, cut off their heads and pierce their hearts. They come out at night and wreak havoc on humanity, but during the day have to sleep in coffins partially filled with special soil.
When daylight comes the tables turn and humans can hunt back, but the plot devises a giant vampire-controlled sandstorm to inhibit humans from hitting out during waking hours, making the vampire menace even stronger and harder to eradicate.
They Thirst feels a bit old fashioned in places with references to actors and personalities from the 1970s, which could be irrelevant and meaningless to younger readers and feels dowdy and archaic in a period of pre-technology dawn, with typewriters, fax machines and analog physicality.
They Thirst justifies its farfetched, silly and outlandish nature as necessary and meaningful to fiddle with the flagstones of improbability. The drawback is how OTT it is by the end.
This is a really good effort though and full of interestingly warm characters folded around a menace that gets impossibly strong over time. Good vs Evil 100%.
October 26, 2023
They Thirst is a super fun and entertaining vampire romp through LA!
I was wondering if I needed to read another vampire book but knew that one of my favorite authors, Robert McCammon wrote this one back in 1981.
I’m trying to get through all of his books in the next 2-3 years and Halloween season seemed like a great idea to read his take on vampires.
So here goes!
They Thirst has quite a few characters in it but once you get past the first 15-20% of the book, you’ll have the main players figured out.
This book is a bit dated (hence 1981 published date) but it’s still a hell of a fun book to read due to the action going down in the City of Angels, the tension and dread that builds at times, and the overall theme of good vs evil.
I really loved the vampires in this one with their creep factor and telepathy abilities.
I thought the ending was a bit too "blockbuster movie like" but I still enjoyed it, even with the bad guy exit speech and all. I should have had some popcorn next to me while reading this one!
Overall, I enjoyed reading They Thirst and glad that I finally got to this one!
How could I not like this with characters named Roach and Ratty?! Good ole Ratty. 🫠🤣
I was wondering if I needed to read another vampire book but knew that one of my favorite authors, Robert McCammon wrote this one back in 1981.
I’m trying to get through all of his books in the next 2-3 years and Halloween season seemed like a great idea to read his take on vampires.
So here goes!
They Thirst has quite a few characters in it but once you get past the first 15-20% of the book, you’ll have the main players figured out.
This book is a bit dated (hence 1981 published date) but it’s still a hell of a fun book to read due to the action going down in the City of Angels, the tension and dread that builds at times, and the overall theme of good vs evil.
I really loved the vampires in this one with their creep factor and telepathy abilities.
I thought the ending was a bit too "blockbuster movie like" but I still enjoyed it, even with the bad guy exit speech and all. I should have had some popcorn next to me while reading this one!
Overall, I enjoyed reading They Thirst and glad that I finally got to this one!
How could I not like this with characters named Roach and Ratty?! Good ole Ratty. 🫠🤣
April 23, 2020
Instead of the crazy herald of Dracula being a guy named Renfield, in this book it’s a crazy serial killer with mother issues named Benefield because the Eighties were edgy that way.
January 21, 2019
Tonight there were demons in the hearth.
The prose in this novel is electrifying. McCammon has a way of capturing his reader’s attention from the very first. After all, who can forget the opening lines of Gone South?
Night had filled up the barrio like black rainwater in a bomb crater, and what stirred in its depths was unnameable.
So. Vampires. Before they were the laughing stock of the literary world they were actually pretty damn scary. Don’t believe me? Then read this book.
Scattered in the dirt at the grave's bottom were yellow bones held together by cobwebs of wispy lace.
I would be lying if I didn’t admit this reminded me of 'Salem's Lot, at least a bit. Where Stephen King’s seminal vampire story takes place in a small town, the events here have been extrapolated to a much larger (and difficult to contain) setting, and it aint pretty. Old school vampire infestation in Los Angeles? Yes, I think I’ll have me some of that!
Sometimes now he thought he could smell blood when he faced west, as if the whole Pacific had turned crimson, and you could wallow in it all you liked until you got drunk with it and fell down and drowned in it.
It’s a decidedly spooky novel. The 80s L.A. backdrop is particularly effective: there’s a great range of atmosphere the author can draw from… even though he seems to enjoy mostly painting the city as, what amounts to, a feverish post-apocalyptic abattoir. McCammon puts an occult spin on his Vampire legend that is devilishly (ho ho) interesting.
The term Gravedigger, repellent only a few minutes before, now chilled her.
It’s a rather violent and occasionally grotesque story. McCammon’s imagery is pretty vivid, and, well, let’s leave it at that.
Then suddenly from beyond the closed bedroom door came the sound of frenzied clawing.
Gang wars, the occult, uber-violent biker gangs, vampires, serial killers, conspiracy, disaster movie… well, all of this is rolled together in this toothy spliff.
If you enjoy a good (and frankly terrifying) horror story, and prefer your Vampires evil, this is mandatory reading.
She thought she'd seen a face as white as gossamer and within it a pair of eyes that shone in the dark like a lowrider's headlights.
There is one downside that I have to mention though. I’ll tread lightly, in case of spoilers, since it has to do with the grand finale of the novel. All I’ll say is this: Deus Ex Machina.
[He] barely got his mask off before his stomach heaved. After he was finished, his ribs hurt as if Satan himself had kicked them with his cloven hoof.
I really liked the book and I was going to give it an easy 5, but I’m knocking a star off for the way it was wrapped up. It felt like a cop-out to me… but They Thirst has enough going for it to easily recommend it. McCammon can write horror.
And Evil would shout through a hundred thousand unholy, triumphant throats, Feast! Feast! For the banquet is spread and we are so very hungry…
The prose in this novel is electrifying. McCammon has a way of capturing his reader’s attention from the very first. After all, who can forget the opening lines of Gone South?
Night had filled up the barrio like black rainwater in a bomb crater, and what stirred in its depths was unnameable.
So. Vampires. Before they were the laughing stock of the literary world they were actually pretty damn scary. Don’t believe me? Then read this book.
Scattered in the dirt at the grave's bottom were yellow bones held together by cobwebs of wispy lace.
I would be lying if I didn’t admit this reminded me of 'Salem's Lot, at least a bit. Where Stephen King’s seminal vampire story takes place in a small town, the events here have been extrapolated to a much larger (and difficult to contain) setting, and it aint pretty. Old school vampire infestation in Los Angeles? Yes, I think I’ll have me some of that!
Sometimes now he thought he could smell blood when he faced west, as if the whole Pacific had turned crimson, and you could wallow in it all you liked until you got drunk with it and fell down and drowned in it.
It’s a decidedly spooky novel. The 80s L.A. backdrop is particularly effective: there’s a great range of atmosphere the author can draw from… even though he seems to enjoy mostly painting the city as, what amounts to, a feverish post-apocalyptic abattoir. McCammon puts an occult spin on his Vampire legend that is devilishly (ho ho) interesting.
The term Gravedigger, repellent only a few minutes before, now chilled her.
It’s a rather violent and occasionally grotesque story. McCammon’s imagery is pretty vivid, and, well, let’s leave it at that.
Then suddenly from beyond the closed bedroom door came the sound of frenzied clawing.
Gang wars, the occult, uber-violent biker gangs, vampires, serial killers, conspiracy, disaster movie… well, all of this is rolled together in this toothy spliff.
If you enjoy a good (and frankly terrifying) horror story, and prefer your Vampires evil, this is mandatory reading.
She thought she'd seen a face as white as gossamer and within it a pair of eyes that shone in the dark like a lowrider's headlights.
There is one downside that I have to mention though. I’ll tread lightly, in case of spoilers, since it has to do with the grand finale of the novel. All I’ll say is this: Deus Ex Machina.
[He] barely got his mask off before his stomach heaved. After he was finished, his ribs hurt as if Satan himself had kicked them with his cloven hoof.
I really liked the book and I was going to give it an easy 5, but I’m knocking a star off for the way it was wrapped up. It felt like a cop-out to me… but They Thirst has enough going for it to easily recommend it. McCammon can write horror.
And Evil would shout through a hundred thousand unholy, triumphant throats, Feast! Feast! For the banquet is spread and we are so very hungry…
December 21, 2021
For me, this was way better than Salem's Lot. Great vampire story with characters you couldn't help but root for.
September 14, 2011
Best vampire book ever!!!
I am so sick and tired of soulful, guilt ridden vampires. Whatever happened to evil vampires? The ones who want to rid the earth of humanity? The ones that make you wake up in the middle of the night scared that you might not live to see the sun rise? Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Anne Rice fan (Lestat is one of the all time best characters) and Buffy (although that is a movie/tv show), but vampires are suppose to strike fear into people’s hearts not make you want them as a boyfriend.
I couldn’t put this down. Every free second I had I was reading it. McCammon writes with a lot of detail, to the point that you can picture everything around you. I was living in Los Angeles when I read the book and his description of the area (the street names and roads) was to a “t”.
I thought the plot was amazing. How this giant fog/dust cloud came over the city and you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you. I was really scared! There was no sanctuary, nowhere to hid from them.
The only bad thing about this book is that it is out of print. I had to borrow it from the library. Ever since, I have been searching for it at every used bookstore and garage sale.
I am so sick and tired of soulful, guilt ridden vampires. Whatever happened to evil vampires? The ones who want to rid the earth of humanity? The ones that make you wake up in the middle of the night scared that you might not live to see the sun rise? Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Anne Rice fan (Lestat is one of the all time best characters) and Buffy (although that is a movie/tv show), but vampires are suppose to strike fear into people’s hearts not make you want them as a boyfriend.
I couldn’t put this down. Every free second I had I was reading it. McCammon writes with a lot of detail, to the point that you can picture everything around you. I was living in Los Angeles when I read the book and his description of the area (the street names and roads) was to a “t”.
I thought the plot was amazing. How this giant fog/dust cloud came over the city and you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you. I was really scared! There was no sanctuary, nowhere to hid from them.
The only bad thing about this book is that it is out of print. I had to borrow it from the library. Ever since, I have been searching for it at every used bookstore and garage sale.
December 24, 2023
Amazing. Cannot express how well written and difficult to pause this was for me. The only thing that made it even better was the amazing narration by Ray Porter. Plan on listening to this many more times. Just, wow.
February 10, 2016
I didn't think I would like this book as much as I didn't! Omg, it was awesome! Think swan song but with vampires!
September 17, 2012
I’m both excited and appalled; excited because I picked such a good McCammon to read and appalled that it took me this long to finally read one of his books! I’m a huge horror fan but even I get side tracked by the myriad of available new reads pouring out all the time from beneath gifted pens, but this is 80’s horror which is one of my favorites and it didn’t fail to be as good as it should have. The story reads almost like a movie because it’s so colorful, crazy and picturesque, it starts off very chilling and progresses to realistic only to remind the reader that normal is not the comfort zone here, sharp teeth and a new breed of terror are taking the reign. This was published the year I was born, so I’m a bit behind but I finally got there, and I’m ready for more from this gifted author.
They Thirst is a book about a thirst on a mission, to empty and refill every throbbing vein in LA until an army deep and dense arises to serve a new ruler, Vulcan the ancient evil, the king of Vampires. It sounds fantastic but placed against a realistic backdrop of a real city with its residents the tale weaves an ebb through the characters and makes them real. I loved how the city was modern but the ancient castle in its midst gave it that old creepy feel that made the story even better not to mention the weather control and the animal attacks so cleverly written in. We get a handful of mortals who end up in the way of the destructive force; a priest, a cop, some kid who lost his parents and a tv star – they all end up on path, a path that will either lead them to salvation or speed them to the hungry death that has swept up their city even if no one believed it to be real. The background info and writing on each person is fabulous, I bet everyone will have their favorites by the time they read this great story. I loved the vampire theme which was quite vicious, not much romance here and it would jump from character to character and shift gears only to attack from another side. I wish all books were this much fun!
They Thirst is a book about a thirst on a mission, to empty and refill every throbbing vein in LA until an army deep and dense arises to serve a new ruler, Vulcan the ancient evil, the king of Vampires. It sounds fantastic but placed against a realistic backdrop of a real city with its residents the tale weaves an ebb through the characters and makes them real. I loved how the city was modern but the ancient castle in its midst gave it that old creepy feel that made the story even better not to mention the weather control and the animal attacks so cleverly written in. We get a handful of mortals who end up in the way of the destructive force; a priest, a cop, some kid who lost his parents and a tv star – they all end up on path, a path that will either lead them to salvation or speed them to the hungry death that has swept up their city even if no one believed it to be real. The background info and writing on each person is fabulous, I bet everyone will have their favorites by the time they read this great story. I loved the vampire theme which was quite vicious, not much romance here and it would jump from character to character and shift gears only to attack from another side. I wish all books were this much fun!
Read
October 2, 2017This is copy 123 of 500 editions signed by Robert McCammon.
October 6, 2024
Not my favorite McCammon, yet there was so much I liked here too. The setup is not as slow as it is long, in a very much 80's style format. This part feels dated, but then again this is an 80's horror book where McCammon admits he was “going for the throat”. After the 300 page mark, a few characters are added where characterization becomes the key, and the book gets rolling. It's no holds barred to the end. Whether you love or hate L.A., it's a spot-on setting for a vampire apocalypse.
January 3, 2023
I don’t write reviews.
McCammon is like Stephen King, but entertaining. So many characters, and most of them quite likable. Straight from a comic book of the imagination. The Mexican ex-heroin-addicted street gang tough, turned Catholic priest experiencing a crisis of faith after learning he has Lou Gherigs’s disease. The Hungarian police captain whose father was turned into a bloodsucker when he was a child and whose mother went insane after watching her love and her town become the undead. The midwestern boy who made a place for himself as a comedian in LA and the African girl with shamanistic powers whom he won in a card game, but truly loves. The plucky girl reporter determined to make her mark in the journalistic world. Oh and let’s not forget the 11 year-old high school freshman who is a horror movie aficionado.
Every angle is covered. Even the bad guys are interesting caricatures. The albino biker who gets hard for killing and robbing and is psychically called to join the prince vampire’s army. The “roach” killer, victimizing hookers that remind him of his mother, a hooker, who he killed when she tried to leave him. The vampire prince eternally a teenager and not quite the master general king he envisions himself to be.
And so it goes. The stories weave and intertwine bringing us a lot of action and characterization and ultimately some deus ex machina. It wasn’t the annoying kind at all. I think I’ll read Swan Song too.
McCammon is like Stephen King, but entertaining. So many characters, and most of them quite likable. Straight from a comic book of the imagination. The Mexican ex-heroin-addicted street gang tough, turned Catholic priest experiencing a crisis of faith after learning he has Lou Gherigs’s disease. The Hungarian police captain whose father was turned into a bloodsucker when he was a child and whose mother went insane after watching her love and her town become the undead. The midwestern boy who made a place for himself as a comedian in LA and the African girl with shamanistic powers whom he won in a card game, but truly loves. The plucky girl reporter determined to make her mark in the journalistic world. Oh and let’s not forget the 11 year-old high school freshman who is a horror movie aficionado.
Every angle is covered. Even the bad guys are interesting caricatures. The albino biker who gets hard for killing and robbing and is psychically called to join the prince vampire’s army. The “roach” killer, victimizing hookers that remind him of his mother, a hooker, who he killed when she tried to leave him. The vampire prince eternally a teenager and not quite the master general king he envisions himself to be.
And so it goes. The stories weave and intertwine bringing us a lot of action and characterization and ultimately some deus ex machina. It wasn’t the annoying kind at all. I think I’ll read Swan Song too.
December 3, 2016
I'm not sure how this one slipped through my fingers. I could've sworn that I'd read They Thirst many, many years ago, but for some odd reason I couldn't remember much at all about it. So, I figured it was time for a re-read. Well, now I know why I don't remember much about it - I never read the damn thing, in the first place! And oh what a treat this has been. Imagine discovering a new book by your favorite author written smack dab in the time period of when they did their best writing. That's what They Thirst was for me! Now, McCammon lists this as one of his early books that he's not very proud of and, yes, you can see a few things that might not fly these days. But, keep in mind, this was written back in 1981. Many things written in '81 wouldn't fly today! So, in my opinion, McCammon should be very proud of this one.
Andy Palatazin is the head of homicide in L.A. and is working night and day to catch The Roach, a serial killer that roams the streets strangling prostitutes. Soon, Andy will have to deal with an evil that has followed him to the states from the old country. One that makes The Roach seem like child's play. Gayle is a reporter for the Los Angeles Tattler, a National Enquirer type of tabloid rag that Andy despises having to give any type of interview. Gayle, who is hot on the story of The Roach, longs for her big break that will allow her to work for a respected newspaper. Soon, Gayle will come face to face with a far greater story of evil. In East L.A., Father Silvera works tirelessly to keep the drug dealers out of his parish. Soon, Father will discover that his parishioners have a much greater evil overtaking them than addiction. For Wes, an up-and-coming comedian, he's looking at a bright future with his African girlfriend, Solange, who also happens to be sensative towards the spirit world. Soon, Wes will find that Solange's talents are much more than parlor tricks. At the top of the hill overlooking L.A., an evil has moved into the abandoned castle that eccentric horror movie actor, Orleen Kronstein, resided in many years ago. And this evil is looking to grab L.A. by the throat.
They Thirst is a fun-filled romp of a vampire story done right. The characters and the atmosphere are perfect. Think of how the movie The Lost Boys was done (six years after They Thirst was written, mind you) and you'll get an idea of the tone of this one. McCammon's greatest strength is his wonderful characters that you feel like you know and They Thirst is no different. Top notch all the way. Sink your fangs into this one immediately!
5 dug up coffins out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
Andy Palatazin is the head of homicide in L.A. and is working night and day to catch The Roach, a serial killer that roams the streets strangling prostitutes. Soon, Andy will have to deal with an evil that has followed him to the states from the old country. One that makes The Roach seem like child's play. Gayle is a reporter for the Los Angeles Tattler, a National Enquirer type of tabloid rag that Andy despises having to give any type of interview. Gayle, who is hot on the story of The Roach, longs for her big break that will allow her to work for a respected newspaper. Soon, Gayle will come face to face with a far greater story of evil. In East L.A., Father Silvera works tirelessly to keep the drug dealers out of his parish. Soon, Father will discover that his parishioners have a much greater evil overtaking them than addiction. For Wes, an up-and-coming comedian, he's looking at a bright future with his African girlfriend, Solange, who also happens to be sensative towards the spirit world. Soon, Wes will find that Solange's talents are much more than parlor tricks. At the top of the hill overlooking L.A., an evil has moved into the abandoned castle that eccentric horror movie actor, Orleen Kronstein, resided in many years ago. And this evil is looking to grab L.A. by the throat.
They Thirst is a fun-filled romp of a vampire story done right. The characters and the atmosphere are perfect. Think of how the movie The Lost Boys was done (six years after They Thirst was written, mind you) and you'll get an idea of the tone of this one. McCammon's greatest strength is his wonderful characters that you feel like you know and They Thirst is no different. Top notch all the way. Sink your fangs into this one immediately!
5 dug up coffins out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
March 2, 2016
I read this one long ago and (frankly) had forgotten it. It's a "not bad" read that approaches "really good" at times. Every vampire book these days seems to have it's own version of the vampire myth and this (while it's not all that recent) does to, slightly. It stays pretty close to the traditional vampire persona, but as in some other books it owes more to the movie tradition than the actual folklore or "Stoker-esk" or "Dracula-esk" vampire. Here the author, using the "everyone who gets bitten becomes a vampire" motif, looks at the ultimate outcome of such a plot point. I mean, haven't you wondered why some place didn't end up hip deep in bloodsuckers? Well, here they do. With the help of some black magic to keep the populace from fleeing the vamp in question sets out to bring about the biggest change in LA since 1910 and the beginning of the California/U.S. based movie industry.
While (as noted) mostly I'd rate the book as "not bad" there are things about it that I thought would push it to the 3.5+ rating that would require 4 stars. The characters aren't really anything to get excited about, you'll have met a lot of them. The "world" is a pretty good mock up of the world during the time in question and while I'm not an "LAer" those who should know say McCammon got it right...a contemporary setting that's, okay. The story's pace is acceptable and neither drags nor runs into a wall. All in all a readable story with some fair characters and action.
What I think he got exceptionally right however is his look at "the straights" reaction when those who have been forced into "the know" try to tell them what's going on. I mean, think about it. You find yourself in "real life" in a situation where "Oh crap, vampires are real!" and "they're here!". Now, call the local constabulary and try to convince them. Chances are, you're the one who'd end up incarcerated...and if it was me, with my luck...I'd be locked up with one of the vamps in question.
So, good read, nice solid vampire story by a reliable writer (so far I've only found one book by McCammon I "disliked") that will probably hold your interest. There may be a little "over-use" of the gross-out factor here and there, but it is a vamp book and in spite of that, pretty good. Enjoy.
While (as noted) mostly I'd rate the book as "not bad" there are things about it that I thought would push it to the 3.5+ rating that would require 4 stars. The characters aren't really anything to get excited about, you'll have met a lot of them. The "world" is a pretty good mock up of the world during the time in question and while I'm not an "LAer" those who should know say McCammon got it right...a contemporary setting that's, okay. The story's pace is acceptable and neither drags nor runs into a wall. All in all a readable story with some fair characters and action.
What I think he got exceptionally right however is his look at "the straights" reaction when those who have been forced into "the know" try to tell them what's going on. I mean, think about it. You find yourself in "real life" in a situation where "Oh crap, vampires are real!" and "they're here!". Now, call the local constabulary and try to convince them. Chances are, you're the one who'd end up incarcerated...and if it was me, with my luck...I'd be locked up with one of the vamps in question.
So, good read, nice solid vampire story by a reliable writer (so far I've only found one book by McCammon I "disliked") that will probably hold your interest. There may be a little "over-use" of the gross-out factor here and there, but it is a vamp book and in spite of that, pretty good. Enjoy.
November 3, 2024
Vampires take LA in this epic battle of good v evil. It’s down to a grumpy policeman, a bullied schoolkid, a comedian on the verge of mega stardom, a dying priest, a gutter journalist, a drug dealer, a spiritualist, man who has lived in the sewers for 20 years and a little bit of the Pacific Ocean, to save humanity from the terrors of vampiredom.
This book is great fun with few dull moments and the ending is really good, something Roland Emmerich would be proud of.
This book is great fun with few dull moments and the ending is really good, something Roland Emmerich would be proud of.
October 16, 2023
Student Shocker! King Vampire Drops Out of School! "Well, it was obvious wasn't it. Like any teenager I'd already learned everything I needed too. There was nothing left to learn from some old asshat, so, 'to Hell with the Headmaster,' I said. Hey? Wait a sec! What's that rumbling sound?" - Prince Conrad Vulkan - The Vampire King Chronicles
An entertaining story which reminded me of the plethora of 1970's disaster movies where a host of characters are developed then pitted against a colossal titanic monumental disaster where only a few survive.
Why not 5 stars? I felt the author painted themselves into a corner with the ending, and had to turn to (1) sudden bad guy attack of the stupids, (2) a massive hubristic bad-guy gloat speech, and (3) the big daddy of a Deus Ex Machina to resolve the story...
It wasn't a good look and cost a star with this reader.
That said, it would make a good tele-series - too long to be condensed into a movie format, and with a little judicious and carefully applied foreshadowing - the ending could be a lot better.
Recommended, 4 'Divine Retribution Kicks Arse,' stars
Read this in October with the fine folk over at Castle Terror.
An entertaining story which reminded me of the plethora of 1970's disaster movies where a host of characters are developed then pitted against a colossal titanic monumental disaster where only a few survive.
Why not 5 stars? I felt the author painted themselves into a corner with the ending, and had to turn to (1) sudden bad guy attack of the stupids, (2) a massive hubristic bad-guy gloat speech, and (3) the big daddy of a Deus Ex Machina to resolve the story...
It wasn't a good look and cost a star with this reader.
That said, it would make a good tele-series - too long to be condensed into a movie format, and with a little judicious and carefully applied foreshadowing - the ending could be a lot better.
Recommended, 4 'Divine Retribution Kicks Arse,' stars
Read this in October with the fine folk over at Castle Terror.
January 18, 2025
Ok, I have finished my reread of ‘They Thirst’. I’m sad to report it did not live up to my memory of the first time I read this book. Theres a lot of fun to be had while reading this but at the same time, I couldn’t help but look to see how many pages I had left. That’s never a good sign.
Kobra, was one of my favorite characters and we just don’t get very much time with him. I enjoyed the motorcycle gangs being a fellow motorcycle rider myself. So I wanted to submerge myself in that club riding culture.
My biggest gripe is the book was just too long for the average joe reader but the story itself is a goldmine. Los Angeles (lost angels) becomes the breeding ground for vampires that want to take over the world. Absolute *chefs kiss.
I see alot of other reviewers comparing this to ‘Salems Lot’ and I have no idea why. They are nowhere near the same or similar other than yes, they both have vampires. So I really don’t understand the comparison between the two lol.
A lot of other reviewers also didn’t like the ending. Without spoilers, I thought the end was fine.
I like to look at books like I’m a Hollywood producer and suggest books that should be movies. This book could definitely be made tighter and made into an awesome movie. Something like From Dusk Till Dawn meets Blood In, Blood Out. Which sounds like a lot of fun in my opinion.
***SPOILERS AHEAD****
Ok, so now for my spoilers…
People that mostly didn’t like the ending didn’t like that God pretty much saves the day by sending an earthquake that collapses L.A. and floods the vampires with waves of salt water that is blessed? Or just acidic to vampires in general. I was a little unclear on that aspect.
But we need to remember that we are accepting vampires are an actual threat. I think God coming to save the day isn’t out of the question. Robert McCammon also set it up in the book that holy water does work on the vampires. I’m going to quote From Dusk Till Dawn now.
“And if there is a hell, and those sons of bitches are from it, then there has got to be a heaven... Jacob, there’s gotta be.”
Revelation 16:18: A great earthquake will occur that may split the Mount of Olives in two
Kobra, was one of my favorite characters and we just don’t get very much time with him. I enjoyed the motorcycle gangs being a fellow motorcycle rider myself. So I wanted to submerge myself in that club riding culture.
My biggest gripe is the book was just too long for the average joe reader but the story itself is a goldmine. Los Angeles (lost angels) becomes the breeding ground for vampires that want to take over the world. Absolute *chefs kiss.
I see alot of other reviewers comparing this to ‘Salems Lot’ and I have no idea why. They are nowhere near the same or similar other than yes, they both have vampires. So I really don’t understand the comparison between the two lol.
A lot of other reviewers also didn’t like the ending. Without spoilers, I thought the end was fine.
I like to look at books like I’m a Hollywood producer and suggest books that should be movies. This book could definitely be made tighter and made into an awesome movie. Something like From Dusk Till Dawn meets Blood In, Blood Out. Which sounds like a lot of fun in my opinion.
***SPOILERS AHEAD****
Ok, so now for my spoilers…
People that mostly didn’t like the ending didn’t like that God pretty much saves the day by sending an earthquake that collapses L.A. and floods the vampires with waves of salt water that is blessed? Or just acidic to vampires in general. I was a little unclear on that aspect.
But we need to remember that we are accepting vampires are an actual threat. I think God coming to save the day isn’t out of the question. Robert McCammon also set it up in the book that holy water does work on the vampires. I’m going to quote From Dusk Till Dawn now.
“And if there is a hell, and those sons of bitches are from it, then there has got to be a heaven... Jacob, there’s gotta be.”
Revelation 16:18: A great earthquake will occur that may split the Mount of Olives in two
May 7, 2016
I could barely make it through this book, and found myself skimming large amounts of text just to get to the end of the thing. I almost gave up on it numerous times, and still don't know why I finished it. No new twist on the vampire legend here (even for a book from the late 80's). The writing was weak, with metaphors that were groan-inducing. The end
November 17, 2021
3.5/5
Apparently I didn’t review this back when we did a group read in The Night Shift, so here I am. This book is proof that even the “lesser” McCammon books are still great reads. I enjoyed this book, but it is a bit outshined but what came later. However, it does contain Ratty, who’s only the single greatest character in the history of fiction! I may be kidding about that.
Overall, a solid vampire book, and the first book of McCammon’s that really gave a taste of the greatness that was ahead of him.
Apparently I didn’t review this back when we did a group read in The Night Shift, so here I am. This book is proof that even the “lesser” McCammon books are still great reads. I enjoyed this book, but it is a bit outshined but what came later. However, it does contain Ratty, who’s only the single greatest character in the history of fiction! I may be kidding about that.
Overall, a solid vampire book, and the first book of McCammon’s that really gave a taste of the greatness that was ahead of him.
May 18, 2020
So you're in need of a vampire fix? We'll look no further than this bad boy. If you're thinking Twilight think again. Robert McCammon goes full on, old skool eighties horror with this one. These vampires are bad and they want to suck your blood. Honestly, I was in my element reading this.
Ok, it is not up to the impeccably high standards set by Salem's Lot (if you haven't read that stop wasting time by reading this review and read that instead). But it is very good, highly enjoyable and even creepy in some parts. Since the Lot gets a 5 I'm giving this one a well deserved 4.75 stars. Fangs a lot for reading this review!
Ok, it is not up to the impeccably high standards set by Salem's Lot (if you haven't read that stop wasting time by reading this review and read that instead). But it is very good, highly enjoyable and even creepy in some parts. Since the Lot gets a 5 I'm giving this one a well deserved 4.75 stars. Fangs a lot for reading this review!
September 14, 2015
Another well written, apocaplyptic horror-fest by a true master. McCammon assembles a huge cast of diverse and mostly interesting characters and throws them into a gathering hellstorm of vampires. There was nothing terribly original here, but it made for exciting, pure eighties horror joy for this reader. It did take a long time for me to get into this one, but after about 40%, it took off and didn't slow down. Fojr solid stars.
August 22, 2021
This was my first Robert McCammon book and I really thought it was great. 80’s horror and blood thirsty vampires that instill fear and dread wanting to finally come out of the shadows and rule the world starting with L.A. I’m not much of vampire fan necessarily and only rarely crave a story about them but I can safely say if you enjoy Dracula or Salem’s Lot you just might enjoy this one, as well.
July 24, 2020
It is 5 days before Halloween and weird crazy things are happening in the city of Los Angeles, California. When people go missing and vampires invade California, can police detective Andy Palantazin and friends stop this dark force before they turn everyone into vampires? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was my first ever novel by this author and it was a pretty good read. If you like Horror and Vampire stories, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books and ebooks are sold.
This was my first ever novel by this author and it was a pretty good read. If you like Horror and Vampire stories, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books and ebooks are sold.
October 11, 2020
ugh... awful. What a mess.
Felt like the author was trying to combine The Stand and 'Salem's Lot into one big super dense pile of word salad.
Skip it. There are far better vampire stories out there that are told with far fewer words.
Felt like the author was trying to combine The Stand and 'Salem's Lot into one big super dense pile of word salad.
Skip it. There are far better vampire stories out there that are told with far fewer words.
November 27, 2023
First off, the audible narration of this was incredible and I think I wouldn’t like this book near as much without his performance.
The story follows several characters but primarily a Hungarian-American Cop who’s basically Mel Gibson. Does things his own way but gets in trouble even though his way works. As a child he had come in contact with vampires but he escaped and moved to LA. The vampire lord decides to take over the world and his first stop is the metropolis of LA. It’s up to the Cop, a priest, a Cholo, and more to save their city from them.
I particularly enjoyed Robert’s imagination with the vampire lore. Instead of following the cookie cutter Bram Stoker vampire he branched off a bit. But don’t worry, these vampires don’t sparkle and they certainly aren’t interested in romance.
The story follows several characters but primarily a Hungarian-American Cop who’s basically Mel Gibson. Does things his own way but gets in trouble even though his way works. As a child he had come in contact with vampires but he escaped and moved to LA. The vampire lord decides to take over the world and his first stop is the metropolis of LA. It’s up to the Cop, a priest, a Cholo, and more to save their city from them.
I particularly enjoyed Robert’s imagination with the vampire lore. Instead of following the cookie cutter Bram Stoker vampire he branched off a bit. But don’t worry, these vampires don’t sparkle and they certainly aren’t interested in romance.
November 10, 2017
3.5 stars. I wanted to make this a four-star read, and believe me, I TRIED to like this a lot more than I did... if that makes sense. I was too excited to start reading this, and I wanted to love it, but the first (more than) half of the book, I felt like I was only forcing myself to read it, and I kept thinking of other books that I'd rather be reading. Oh, I was bummed out, wondering 'why don't I like this??' It's an early Robert McCammon novel, it's a horror, I began reading it the day before Halloween, and it's an 'epic'... should've been right up my alley, right??
So I thought more into it, and realized why I kept having thoughts of the dreaded DNF; the first 2/3 of the book we had so many characters introduced, that I had no idea of who was actually supposed to be the lead, who was the supporting, and who was merely the extras that get killed off later. And then 300 or 400 pages in, we meet another character. Then closer to the end, we meet yet another. I didn't feel like I got to spend much time with Palatazin, or Wes, or Father Silvera, or Solange. They would have their 3-5 page chapter, and then it was on to someone else, then someone else, so on and so on, and you didn't come back to them until 20-30 pages later.
There did come a point where I felt the book got better. I guess once McCammon started pulling the weeds, and leaving the better cast, and you start to see the value in the remaining characters, the story started become more thrilling.
And then, the sandstorm happened. Once that began, I felt like the book from that point forward could have easily been a 5-star action/horror.
So I thought more into it, and realized why I kept having thoughts of the dreaded DNF; the first 2/3 of the book we had so many characters introduced, that I had no idea of who was actually supposed to be the lead, who was the supporting, and who was merely the extras that get killed off later. And then 300 or 400 pages in, we meet another character. Then closer to the end, we meet yet another. I didn't feel like I got to spend much time with Palatazin, or Wes, or Father Silvera, or Solange. They would have their 3-5 page chapter, and then it was on to someone else, then someone else, so on and so on, and you didn't come back to them until 20-30 pages later.
There did come a point where I felt the book got better. I guess once McCammon started pulling the weeds, and leaving the better cast, and you start to see the value in the remaining characters, the story started become more thrilling.
And then, the sandstorm happened. Once that began, I felt like the book from that point forward could have easily been a 5-star action/horror.
November 15, 2022
One of the best vampire novels written in my opinion, it takes 'salems Lot to the big city and it's a splattery one; the opening chapter alone is one of the bloodiest scenes I've read and things don't exactly chill out from there.
Anyway.
Vampires!
In Los Angeles!
This deserves to be regarded as a classic of the vampire genre, it doesn't romanticize vampirism like so many popular series do today but showing it as a tool of purest, blackest evil.
I just finished a re-read of this just there and I just loved it even more the second time, it's such a great horror novel.
I've been recommending it to people for years, so if you've not read it before I recommend.
Anyway.
Vampires!
In Los Angeles!
This deserves to be regarded as a classic of the vampire genre, it doesn't romanticize vampirism like so many popular series do today but showing it as a tool of purest, blackest evil.
I just finished a re-read of this just there and I just loved it even more the second time, it's such a great horror novel.
I've been recommending it to people for years, so if you've not read it before I recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 689 reviews