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Vyrmin
The Vyrmin Will Rise…
Hidden among us are the wicked. Their vile deeds have been retold from generation to generation down through the ages. They are hidden among us—evil men and women, always dangerous, always Wild. They are hidden among us—and they become beasts… during the Dark Times.
The Blood Prince Awakens…
One man is the key. He will renew the Hunt. But who is the Blood Prince? What horrific things happen when he enters the woods? Can anyone stop him? Will anyone even try?
The Dark Times are Nigh…
When the beasts that are men return to the Wild. When the beasts that are men return to the Hunt. When the Blood Prince takes the hand of his demon lover in the sky. When the screaming starts under the cold silver gaze of a pitiless, hungry moon.
The Vyrmin Will Feed!
Hidden among us are the wicked. Their vile deeds have been retold from generation to generation down through the ages. They are hidden among us—evil men and women, always dangerous, always Wild. They are hidden among us—and they become beasts… during the Dark Times.
The Blood Prince Awakens…
One man is the key. He will renew the Hunt. But who is the Blood Prince? What horrific things happen when he enters the woods? Can anyone stop him? Will anyone even try?
The Dark Times are Nigh…
When the beasts that are men return to the Wild. When the beasts that are men return to the Hunt. When the Blood Prince takes the hand of his demon lover in the sky. When the screaming starts under the cold silver gaze of a pitiless, hungry moon.
The Vyrmin Will Feed!
- GenresHorror
360 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1992
6 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 12, 2021
The book started very strong with an intriguing prologue about a mysterious boy having strange powers. When the story set in with reference to the "vyrmin" and some lore from Europe coming alive I was very captivated at the beginning. But soon the plot became very scenic and didn't develop any drive. Everything was very predictable and the eerieness created soon became too surreal for my taste. Not a bad book but I had expected more with all the allusions to ancient lore and legends. It dragged along a bit and had a kind of strange storytelling. It was okay but not among my favorite werewolf books. The cover is great though!
December 10, 2023
Lazuta hung this tale on a great premise, basically a reimaging/blending of werewolf lore from Europe but set in rural Ohio. Unfortunately, his writing style and pacing made for tough going at times. To begin, ancient lore postulated that all people have some good and evil in them, but when the evil dominates, you have vyrmin unleashed. Vyrmin are basically werewolves who prey on the human 'flock' and have been doing so since humanity existed. Nonetheless, the great rise in populations associated with the industrial revolution induced the 'flock' to outgrow the ability of the vyrmin to keep them in check. The hunters became the hunted.
Flash forward to now. The small Ohio town by the Kentucky border was largely settled by German immigrants and they brought the lore of the vyrmin with them; in fact, some of the immigrants were vyrmin, which runs in families. Without going into spoiler territory, it seems the vyrmin are back with a new leader to usher them into the modern era, and it just so happens that this will be taking place in Ohio...
While I loved the Ohio setting (much of my family settled in Ohio from Germany!), Lazuta's prose takes some getting used to. The story line often jumps to flashbacks with no warning (even a line space would help!) as well as jumping POVs. I hate having to reread a paragraph to figure out who it concerns and when. It really gave the novel a disjointed feel. Also, the story line oscillated from frenetic pacing to slooooow over and over. It made for tedious reading at times. Still, great premise, but this could have been so much better. 2.5 stars, which I will round up for the ending (and the great cover).
Flash forward to now. The small Ohio town by the Kentucky border was largely settled by German immigrants and they brought the lore of the vyrmin with them; in fact, some of the immigrants were vyrmin, which runs in families. Without going into spoiler territory, it seems the vyrmin are back with a new leader to usher them into the modern era, and it just so happens that this will be taking place in Ohio...
While I loved the Ohio setting (much of my family settled in Ohio from Germany!), Lazuta's prose takes some getting used to. The story line often jumps to flashbacks with no warning (even a line space would help!) as well as jumping POVs. I hate having to reread a paragraph to figure out who it concerns and when. It really gave the novel a disjointed feel. Also, the story line oscillated from frenetic pacing to slooooow over and over. It made for tedious reading at times. Still, great premise, but this could have been so much better. 2.5 stars, which I will round up for the ending (and the great cover).
October 27, 2016
Review copy
Before I get to the review, just a quick comment about the publisher, Bloodshot Books. I really admire the effort being made to find books that either had a limited print run or have gone out of print over the years and giving them new life in the digital age by releasing them in paperback and e-book formats. Earlier this year, they gave this treatment to The Awakening by Brett McBride, a wonderful coming of age story and one of the best books I've read in 2016.
All that being said, Vyrmin missed the mark for me. Originally released nearly twenty years ago, Vyrmin is a somewhat fresh take on the werewolf trope. Steeped in legend. the story spends much of it's 360 pages going nowhere.
The book starts with a chilling children's rhyme circa 1800...
There's wolves in the woods,
my girl, my girl,
There's wolves in the woods,
my dear.
But come the full moon,
see the blue moon,
And there's wolves in the house,
and the mirror.
The back story about Mr. Norris' five-year-old son who has something in his brain, that makes him see things...makes things happen, is compelling. The father has taken his boy to numerous Doctors, but no one seems to be able to help. Finally they find a Doctor who reveals the truth to the lad, but not to the father.
So far, so good.
However, when we get to modern times in Harpersville, Ohio the story seems to get bogged down, becomes repetitive, and just doesn't seem to go anywhere until the very end.
When I commit to reading a book, I always see it through to the last page, but I will admit, this time, there were moments I wanted to put it down and not pick it up again.
Don't get me wrong there are some bright spots to keep me reading...
"Everybody's got some o' the evil; and everybody's got some o' the good. Only the saints are all one way; and only the Vyrmin are all the other."
The good news is Vyrmin is available from Bloodshot Books through the Kindle Unlimited program, so if you are a subscriber you can check it out for yourself for no additional charge. Also, if you're an Amazon Prime member you can read the book for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
I can't recommend this one, but as I like to say, your mileage may vary.
From the author's bio - Gene Lazuta was introduced to dark stories of fear and the supernatural by his grandmother. He's the author of ten books, (six horror and four murder mysteries). Gene lives in Berea, Ohio with his wife of over thirty years.
Before I get to the review, just a quick comment about the publisher, Bloodshot Books. I really admire the effort being made to find books that either had a limited print run or have gone out of print over the years and giving them new life in the digital age by releasing them in paperback and e-book formats. Earlier this year, they gave this treatment to The Awakening by Brett McBride, a wonderful coming of age story and one of the best books I've read in 2016.
All that being said, Vyrmin missed the mark for me. Originally released nearly twenty years ago, Vyrmin is a somewhat fresh take on the werewolf trope. Steeped in legend. the story spends much of it's 360 pages going nowhere.
The book starts with a chilling children's rhyme circa 1800...
There's wolves in the woods,
my girl, my girl,
There's wolves in the woods,
my dear.
But come the full moon,
see the blue moon,
And there's wolves in the house,
and the mirror.
The back story about Mr. Norris' five-year-old son who has something in his brain, that makes him see things...makes things happen, is compelling. The father has taken his boy to numerous Doctors, but no one seems to be able to help. Finally they find a Doctor who reveals the truth to the lad, but not to the father.
So far, so good.
However, when we get to modern times in Harpersville, Ohio the story seems to get bogged down, becomes repetitive, and just doesn't seem to go anywhere until the very end.
When I commit to reading a book, I always see it through to the last page, but I will admit, this time, there were moments I wanted to put it down and not pick it up again.
Don't get me wrong there are some bright spots to keep me reading...
"Everybody's got some o' the evil; and everybody's got some o' the good. Only the saints are all one way; and only the Vyrmin are all the other."
The good news is Vyrmin is available from Bloodshot Books through the Kindle Unlimited program, so if you are a subscriber you can check it out for yourself for no additional charge. Also, if you're an Amazon Prime member you can read the book for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
I can't recommend this one, but as I like to say, your mileage may vary.
From the author's bio - Gene Lazuta was introduced to dark stories of fear and the supernatural by his grandmother. He's the author of ten books, (six horror and four murder mysteries). Gene lives in Berea, Ohio with his wife of over thirty years.
April 23, 2021
Oh, Ohio! What ancient curse festers over your beautiful lands? Who did you wrong to be tainted thus?
Several years after of the publication of Gene Lazuta's "Vyrmin" (1992), the state of Ohio became known as the "pill mill" capital of the country, the unfortunate mecca of unscrupulous prescribers the likes of David Proctor who took advantage of the push to treat the"fifth vital sign," thus paving the way for the influx of black tar heroin into the Midwest. But according to Lazuta, Ohio had long been the center of another epidemic, one as ancient as that of addiction--lycanthropy.
The original cover of "Vyrmin" was a classic of paperback horror flash and bling, but it's promise was vague if not misleading. The reissue from Bloodshot Books features a cover that leaves little doubt what to expect from it's pages... werewolves, and plenty of 'em. But hear me out before you turn aside from this review saying, "But Warren, you courteous apologist for all things kitsch, I am not interested in yet another book about werewolves, or sexy vampires, or zombies!"
Though clearly inspired by Brander's "The Howling" series, Lazuta puts a unique spin on the classic werewolf trope. There is an ecologically conscious message that I would have more expected from a work written twenty years previously, and it is far more intelligent than others of it's ilk.
The Vyrmin are of a race as old as the human species. As the human population has grown throughout the centuries, devastating the forests to make way for more subdivisions and McDonald's, predators have been driven to near extinction. It is up to the Vyrmin to cull the flock in order to restore harmony and balance to the Earth. In a sense, the werewolves are the good guys of this story.
For some reason, the Vyrmin have chosen a small town in Ohio for their resurgence, much to the dismay of the werewolves themselves, evidently. "I mean, how could anything interesting possibly be in Ohio?" wonders their leader. But the area has a unique strata of magnetic elements deep within it's bedrock, and the German immigrant population has brought with them some of the magic of the old country as well as the ancestral lineage of the king of the lycanthropes--The Blood Prince. Waiting for the Prince is his mate, the mysterious shape-shifting lunar demon with the unfortunate moniker of "The Lady of the Night." Couldn't Lazuta have thought of a better name? Madonna of the Moon? Diva of the Dark, perhaps?
The novel opens routinely enough, with the local sheriff investigating the mutilation of a horse and the disappearance of a mother and daughter. But things quickly get more violent. And weird. Perhaps too weird. This is where my rating of the novel gets knocked down a few pegs.
To illustrate, I have attempted to mimic and condense the level of bizarre the reader is up against:
"Then he woke from his dream in the woods but he was in someone else, and there were twenty other people in the room and then a voice (his voice?) said "Hail!" And then he knew what it all meant. He was doing this for a woman. But she was sick. And then he heard a sound and he looked up and what he saw made him say 'You lie!' And the light was bright, shining from the eye that he had in his pocket, the Great Stone, and it was then he knew the moon was an evil thing, and..."
I think Lazuta was aiming for a cosmic horror vibe more than a creature-feature, weaving elements of science fiction in the style of Lovecraft, fantasy in the vain of Robert E. Howard, and the disorienting ambiguity of Abraham Merritt. However, I don't think there was enough artisitc thought put into the prose to make it purposefully this disorienting.
Instead, it seems the author just frequently got carried away, or was high on cocaine, or was rushing through to meet a hard deadline, or was loosely shoehorning a discarded manuscript for a previous project into this one. Whatever the real reason, this book is undisciplined, as "wild" as the werewolves it depicts, but also feels unduly reckless, immature, unpolished, and unfinished. In other words, what makes this challenging reading is not the skill of the writer, but his own hyperactivity.
As a result, the reader is tempted to skip past the repetitive hallucinations, visions, and fever dreams that seem to go nowhere, but doesn't actually dare, because the reader then may land on a section where multiple characters are interacting all identified only as "he." Who are all these "he's?" What are they doing here? Where is here? Is this several hours in the past or in the future? What the hell is going on?! And so, after uttering a few uncouth expletives, the reader must then frantically flip through the pages just skipped to find the one sentence buried in all the nonsense that ties the next chapter (or more) together.
On the flip side, I really enjoyed the themes and clever twist in this otherwise standard subgenre tale. It has interesting things to say about Midwestern social conformity, the relationship between humanity and nature, the power of perception, and the role of systemic violence in society. Lazuta's writing really is cinematic when it is not on acid, vividly bringing to life the werewolves in all their hairy, toothy glory. Very few books have been able to activate the movie camera of the mind's eye as effectively. And many of the images evoked are not pleasant. Yes, there is enough violence and gore here to please even the hardcore fans.
So I found myself liking this book despite my better judgement, and I think that many of you constant readers will enjoy it as well. So head on down to Ohio while reading this book on a snowy day... or when you are down with a cold... or have a case of the Blah's. You'll emerge just fine, if not entirely unscathed.
Several years after of the publication of Gene Lazuta's "Vyrmin" (1992), the state of Ohio became known as the "pill mill" capital of the country, the unfortunate mecca of unscrupulous prescribers the likes of David Proctor who took advantage of the push to treat the"fifth vital sign," thus paving the way for the influx of black tar heroin into the Midwest. But according to Lazuta, Ohio had long been the center of another epidemic, one as ancient as that of addiction--lycanthropy.
The original cover of "Vyrmin" was a classic of paperback horror flash and bling, but it's promise was vague if not misleading. The reissue from Bloodshot Books features a cover that leaves little doubt what to expect from it's pages... werewolves, and plenty of 'em. But hear me out before you turn aside from this review saying, "But Warren, you courteous apologist for all things kitsch, I am not interested in yet another book about werewolves, or sexy vampires, or zombies!"
Though clearly inspired by Brander's "The Howling" series, Lazuta puts a unique spin on the classic werewolf trope. There is an ecologically conscious message that I would have more expected from a work written twenty years previously, and it is far more intelligent than others of it's ilk.
The Vyrmin are of a race as old as the human species. As the human population has grown throughout the centuries, devastating the forests to make way for more subdivisions and McDonald's, predators have been driven to near extinction. It is up to the Vyrmin to cull the flock in order to restore harmony and balance to the Earth. In a sense, the werewolves are the good guys of this story.
For some reason, the Vyrmin have chosen a small town in Ohio for their resurgence, much to the dismay of the werewolves themselves, evidently. "I mean, how could anything interesting possibly be in Ohio?" wonders their leader. But the area has a unique strata of magnetic elements deep within it's bedrock, and the German immigrant population has brought with them some of the magic of the old country as well as the ancestral lineage of the king of the lycanthropes--The Blood Prince. Waiting for the Prince is his mate, the mysterious shape-shifting lunar demon with the unfortunate moniker of "The Lady of the Night." Couldn't Lazuta have thought of a better name? Madonna of the Moon? Diva of the Dark, perhaps?
The novel opens routinely enough, with the local sheriff investigating the mutilation of a horse and the disappearance of a mother and daughter. But things quickly get more violent. And weird. Perhaps too weird. This is where my rating of the novel gets knocked down a few pegs.
To illustrate, I have attempted to mimic and condense the level of bizarre the reader is up against:
"Then he woke from his dream in the woods but he was in someone else, and there were twenty other people in the room and then a voice (his voice?) said "Hail!" And then he knew what it all meant. He was doing this for a woman. But she was sick. And then he heard a sound and he looked up and what he saw made him say 'You lie!' And the light was bright, shining from the eye that he had in his pocket, the Great Stone, and it was then he knew the moon was an evil thing, and..."
I think Lazuta was aiming for a cosmic horror vibe more than a creature-feature, weaving elements of science fiction in the style of Lovecraft, fantasy in the vain of Robert E. Howard, and the disorienting ambiguity of Abraham Merritt. However, I don't think there was enough artisitc thought put into the prose to make it purposefully this disorienting.
Instead, it seems the author just frequently got carried away, or was high on cocaine, or was rushing through to meet a hard deadline, or was loosely shoehorning a discarded manuscript for a previous project into this one. Whatever the real reason, this book is undisciplined, as "wild" as the werewolves it depicts, but also feels unduly reckless, immature, unpolished, and unfinished. In other words, what makes this challenging reading is not the skill of the writer, but his own hyperactivity.
As a result, the reader is tempted to skip past the repetitive hallucinations, visions, and fever dreams that seem to go nowhere, but doesn't actually dare, because the reader then may land on a section where multiple characters are interacting all identified only as "he." Who are all these "he's?" What are they doing here? Where is here? Is this several hours in the past or in the future? What the hell is going on?! And so, after uttering a few uncouth expletives, the reader must then frantically flip through the pages just skipped to find the one sentence buried in all the nonsense that ties the next chapter (or more) together.
On the flip side, I really enjoyed the themes and clever twist in this otherwise standard subgenre tale. It has interesting things to say about Midwestern social conformity, the relationship between humanity and nature, the power of perception, and the role of systemic violence in society. Lazuta's writing really is cinematic when it is not on acid, vividly bringing to life the werewolves in all their hairy, toothy glory. Very few books have been able to activate the movie camera of the mind's eye as effectively. And many of the images evoked are not pleasant. Yes, there is enough violence and gore here to please even the hardcore fans.
So I found myself liking this book despite my better judgement, and I think that many of you constant readers will enjoy it as well. So head on down to Ohio while reading this book on a snowy day... or when you are down with a cold... or have a case of the Blah's. You'll emerge just fine, if not entirely unscathed.
August 26, 2017
It's no secret, I'm a sucker for werewolf novels. They are without question, my favorite monster. And in this reprint from Bloodshot Books of the original 1992 paperback, author Gene Lazuta presents the most bizarrely original take of the old world legend of lycanthropy.
The sleepy Ohio town of Harpersville is about to be awash in blood as an ancient prophecy awakens. The Norris clan holds a dark secret, centuries old, and the estranged brothers barely speak, let alone see each other, especially after the younger brother becomes a member of a strange cult. But when violence erupts and Woodie ends up brutally murdered, the elder sibling, Robert, comes to town at the request of Sheriff Conway to seek answers. Along with a detective hired by the Church investigating the cult, the bloodshed and weirdness explodes in preparation for the rise of the Blood Prince, and the Wild will Hunt again.
Definitely not your average werewolf novel and I enjoyed Lazuta's Old World angle, blending European superstition and legends with a fresh new take. The plot meanders a bit in the middle as the story jumps between Conway and Norris, but the climax was a cool, deft touch...and leaves you wanting more. And the author's page at the end indicates a followup is forthcoming.
Highly recommended.
The sleepy Ohio town of Harpersville is about to be awash in blood as an ancient prophecy awakens. The Norris clan holds a dark secret, centuries old, and the estranged brothers barely speak, let alone see each other, especially after the younger brother becomes a member of a strange cult. But when violence erupts and Woodie ends up brutally murdered, the elder sibling, Robert, comes to town at the request of Sheriff Conway to seek answers. Along with a detective hired by the Church investigating the cult, the bloodshed and weirdness explodes in preparation for the rise of the Blood Prince, and the Wild will Hunt again.
Definitely not your average werewolf novel and I enjoyed Lazuta's Old World angle, blending European superstition and legends with a fresh new take. The plot meanders a bit in the middle as the story jumps between Conway and Norris, but the climax was a cool, deft touch...and leaves you wanting more. And the author's page at the end indicates a followup is forthcoming.
Highly recommended.
November 20, 2016
This was a surreal and enjoyable read, steeped in old folklore traditions. To call this a story about werewolves would be to do it a major injustice. These beasts are an altogether different species and the story took us into the mind and body of a metamorphosed creature. These are the Dark Times. The boy becomes a man but destiny does not stop there. The Blood Prince rises and the Hunt is once again on. The author’s Slovakian heritage and childhood spent listening to the dark fairy tales his grandmother would tell him, lends an authentic, almost mystic feel to this compulsive story. At first I wasn’t sure, but within a few pages, I was hooked. Excellent.
February 1, 2017
First off, I’d like to thank Mr. Lazuta for writing a stunning, highly enjoyable novel. Secondly, I’d like to thank Pete Kahle and Bloodshot Books for taking the time and effort to get this book re-released for a new generation of Horror fans. The fact that I am actually from the previous generation of Horror fans is not lost on me, which is why I am gratfull for the second chance at the Second Sight release. If not for Bloodshot Books this title, and the meaty, palpable writing of Mr. Lazuta may have been lost to me, never to have been discovered. I am quite grateful.
Vyrmin is a dense and tactile book. Less of a read and more of an experience. I connected easily with the dimensional and thought provoking characters pushing this narrative along, living in this world. It is a world with landmarks I can see, with native foliage I can smell, with a constantly shifting sense of malice that I can fell rippling up my arms in gooseflesh. And this is all conjured by the mesmerizing words and style spun by Mr. Lazuta, How he didn’t catch on with readers into McCammon, Simmons, King & Koontz baffles me. Granted Vyrmin is my first, and as of now only, Lazuta read, it’s easy to see that he has firm grasp on his craft. Did I say “firm grasp”? I meant death grip. How isn’t he ranked up with the labeled masters McCammon, Simmons, Laymon, or Grant?
The lore presented in Vyrmin is deeper than any other werewolf yarn I’ve ever read, it is multifaceted and it is exceptional. Building upon itself with such force and complexity, a sense of doom that compounds exponentially and can only end in glorious annihilation. And when the shit hits the fan it does so in spectacular and fascinating fashion.
Hands down, an amazing read and one of my top pics for 2016. Get your hands on this book and get lost in it’s lore. Vyrmin is a “Must Read” for any genre fan and will be a title I revisit in the future, more than likely sooner rather than later. You’re going to love this. I am on a mission to find and devour any and all Gene Lazuta novels, and if they tap into what makes me tick half as much as Vyrmin did, I’ll be a very happy reader. Wish me luck.
Zakk is a big dumb animal!
https://zdubbzattmom.wordpress.com/
**Note: While I was offered a complimentary copy of this book from the author and/ or publisher, I read Vyrmin via my paid Kindle Unlimited Subscription. I am reviewing it voluntarily. These are my honest, unbiased feelings. I did not receive any sort of compensation.
Vyrmin is a dense and tactile book. Less of a read and more of an experience. I connected easily with the dimensional and thought provoking characters pushing this narrative along, living in this world. It is a world with landmarks I can see, with native foliage I can smell, with a constantly shifting sense of malice that I can fell rippling up my arms in gooseflesh. And this is all conjured by the mesmerizing words and style spun by Mr. Lazuta, How he didn’t catch on with readers into McCammon, Simmons, King & Koontz baffles me. Granted Vyrmin is my first, and as of now only, Lazuta read, it’s easy to see that he has firm grasp on his craft. Did I say “firm grasp”? I meant death grip. How isn’t he ranked up with the labeled masters McCammon, Simmons, Laymon, or Grant?
The lore presented in Vyrmin is deeper than any other werewolf yarn I’ve ever read, it is multifaceted and it is exceptional. Building upon itself with such force and complexity, a sense of doom that compounds exponentially and can only end in glorious annihilation. And when the shit hits the fan it does so in spectacular and fascinating fashion.
Hands down, an amazing read and one of my top pics for 2016. Get your hands on this book and get lost in it’s lore. Vyrmin is a “Must Read” for any genre fan and will be a title I revisit in the future, more than likely sooner rather than later. You’re going to love this. I am on a mission to find and devour any and all Gene Lazuta novels, and if they tap into what makes me tick half as much as Vyrmin did, I’ll be a very happy reader. Wish me luck.
Zakk is a big dumb animal!
https://zdubbzattmom.wordpress.com/
**Note: While I was offered a complimentary copy of this book from the author and/ or publisher, I read Vyrmin via my paid Kindle Unlimited Subscription. I am reviewing it voluntarily. These are my honest, unbiased feelings. I did not receive any sort of compensation.
October 31, 2016
I received a copy of this book as part of the Vyrmin publicity tour. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this book nor did I receive any compensation for my review.
Vyrmin is a werewolf tale that is based on legends and folklore. I had the out of print paperback on my wish list forever so when I was offered the chance to review it I said "YES!" and did a happy dance. The cover is phenomenal, and the description had me hooked. Being a lover of all things werewolf, I am familiar with the legends and stories of historical werewolf cases such as Peter Stubbe, and Gilles Garnier so I expected a great book. Parts of this story are fantastic, written with such brilliance that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I love the history created for The Wild and The Vyrmin as well as some of the characters. The descriptions are vivid and well written, but some of the action scenes were like something out of a fever dream. It left me feeling like it wasn't even part of the same story. I so wanted to love this book but it just didn't work for me. A 3 star read.
Vyrmin is a werewolf tale that is based on legends and folklore. I had the out of print paperback on my wish list forever so when I was offered the chance to review it I said "YES!" and did a happy dance. The cover is phenomenal, and the description had me hooked. Being a lover of all things werewolf, I am familiar with the legends and stories of historical werewolf cases such as Peter Stubbe, and Gilles Garnier so I expected a great book. Parts of this story are fantastic, written with such brilliance that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I love the history created for The Wild and The Vyrmin as well as some of the characters. The descriptions are vivid and well written, but some of the action scenes were like something out of a fever dream. It left me feeling like it wasn't even part of the same story. I so wanted to love this book but it just didn't work for me. A 3 star read.
November 9, 2019
A mixed bag, this one. The writing is standard '80s pulp (simple in the main, with short declarative clauses used as sentences, and so many exclamation marks), starting well enough with some fast-paced set-up and characters.
There's a fumbling and interest-killing middle section, which mostly comprises extended flashbacks that serve only to kill the pace, though there's also some fascinating Lovecraft-style cosmic horror which Lazuta cleverly incorporates into his werewolf lore, and this is fresh and intriguing.
The ending in which everything comes together seems rather garbled and confused, and promises a sequel which seems never to have materialised. An interesting writer, but this may not be his best work.
There's a fumbling and interest-killing middle section, which mostly comprises extended flashbacks that serve only to kill the pace, though there's also some fascinating Lovecraft-style cosmic horror which Lazuta cleverly incorporates into his werewolf lore, and this is fresh and intriguing.
The ending in which everything comes together seems rather garbled and confused, and promises a sequel which seems never to have materialised. An interesting writer, but this may not be his best work.
Read
October 24, 2016When I first decided to publish a line of reprints with Bloodshot Books, Gene's novel was one of the first that came to mind. I was able to seek him out and six months later, this is the result. Quite happy with how it came out. If you want a different take on werewolves, definitely check it out.
December 2, 2017
A FAR OUT WEREWOLF TALE IT IS....
Hello, this was a very different and quite interesting take on the whole werewolf subject. I really liked it. Very well written. Good stuff. Thanks.
Hello, this was a very different and quite interesting take on the whole werewolf subject. I really liked it. Very well written. Good stuff. Thanks.
March 13, 2016
A gory, hidden horror gem. Lazuta was definitely an underappreciated author of 80s/90s horror. VYRMIN is full of bloody history with his unique, occult vision of the werewolf myth. This is one to snatch up if you find a copy. It needs to be reprinted and put out in Kindle. In fact, all of Lazuta's work should be available.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews