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Adversary Cycle #5
Reprisal
Poised and waiting for the moment he can unleash an ancient wave of horror that will extinguish humanity, Jonah poses as a graduate student in a small southern town to hide his venomous vampiric identity. Original.
323 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
40 people are currently reading
979 people want to read
About the author
F. Paul Wilson
421 books1,989 followersFrancis Paul Wilson is an author, born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He writes novels and short stories primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer (1976). Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog and continued to write science fiction throughout the seventies. In 1981 he ventured into the horror genre with the international bestseller, The Keep, and helped define the field throughout the rest of the decade. In the 1990s he became a true genre hopper, moving from science fiction to horror to medical thrillers and branching into interactive scripting for Disney Interactive and other multimedia companies. He, along with Matthew J. Costello, created and scripted FTL Newsfeed which ran daily on the Sci-Fi Channel from 1992-1996.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
July 4, 2022
After a rather mixed outing with Reborn, Wilson really got his groove going with Reprisal. Not only is the pacing better, but Wilson also gives us some of the nastiness and horror that give his thrillers that extra oomph. We left Reborn with Carol fleeing with her unborn child with Jonah, her father-in-law, to Arkansas. This story oscillates in time lines between that event and now (about 23 years later), filling in some of the missing pieces along the way.
Carol's son, Rasalom, is super creepy, reading and speaking after only a few months, and calls Carol a vessel rather than mom. Meanwhile, Wilson develops a few new characters at a university in South Carolina-- Lisl and 'Rafe'-- and the strangely educated groundskeeper Will, who is pretty obviously Father Bill from the last volume. Lisl is a classic nerd; a math professor at the university with low self esteem. She meets Rafe at a party given by a colleague who invited some of his graduate students to the event. Strangely enough, glamorous handsome Rafe seems to fall for the nerdy math prof, and because Rafe is in another department their relationship is kosher...
Wilson does a great job here in building up a sense of growing dread; you know Rafe is really up to no good as his relationship with Lisl builds, inducing her to at first mild crimes and pranks, but gradually progressing into other things. Meanwhile, Wilson takes us on a journey to Father Bill's life five years ago when things fell apart and he was forced to flee NYC, a few years later ending up as a groundskeeper at the university. This part of the story is masterfully creepy!
Strange that it took book five of the 'Adversary' cycle for Wilson to really click. Book two introduced us to Repairman Jack and I still do not see any connection to this story, likewise with book three, but so be it. This feels like the middle of a trilogy and really, Reborn, Reprisal and the final volume are a sequel trilogy to The Keep. While Wilson brought us to something of a conclusion here, the stage is definitely set for the Nightworld. 4 solid stars!!
Carol's son, Rasalom, is super creepy, reading and speaking after only a few months, and calls Carol a vessel rather than mom. Meanwhile, Wilson develops a few new characters at a university in South Carolina-- Lisl and 'Rafe'-- and the strangely educated groundskeeper Will, who is pretty obviously Father Bill from the last volume. Lisl is a classic nerd; a math professor at the university with low self esteem. She meets Rafe at a party given by a colleague who invited some of his graduate students to the event. Strangely enough, glamorous handsome Rafe seems to fall for the nerdy math prof, and because Rafe is in another department their relationship is kosher...
Wilson does a great job here in building up a sense of growing dread; you know Rafe is really up to no good as his relationship with Lisl builds, inducing her to at first mild crimes and pranks, but gradually progressing into other things. Meanwhile, Wilson takes us on a journey to Father Bill's life five years ago when things fell apart and he was forced to flee NYC, a few years later ending up as a groundskeeper at the university. This part of the story is masterfully creepy!
Strange that it took book five of the 'Adversary' cycle for Wilson to really click. Book two introduced us to Repairman Jack and I still do not see any connection to this story, likewise with book three, but so be it. This feels like the middle of a trilogy and really, Reborn, Reprisal and the final volume are a sequel trilogy to The Keep. While Wilson brought us to something of a conclusion here, the stage is definitely set for the Nightworld. 4 solid stars!!
March 13, 2021
Another great and shocking book to the Adversary Cycle series!
Reprisal starts off after the plot from book 4, Reborn.
In fact, it's hard to do a review on this book since there's so many spoilers in this one that relates to Reborn and to the whole series overall.
In my opinion, I would not read this one unless you've read the rest of the series, especially Reborn.
I've really been enjoying the writing of F. Paul Wilson!
His writing style is very easy to read, along with having crazy plot twists and great horror moments in a book.
In fact, Reprisal had some moments in the book that I will not forget and were pretty epic. Horrifying epic in fact!
Looking forward to continuing with the Repairman Jack series along with finishing up this epic tale of Good vs Evil!
Reprisal starts off after the plot from book 4, Reborn.
In fact, it's hard to do a review on this book since there's so many spoilers in this one that relates to Reborn and to the whole series overall.
In my opinion, I would not read this one unless you've read the rest of the series, especially Reborn.
I've really been enjoying the writing of F. Paul Wilson!
His writing style is very easy to read, along with having crazy plot twists and great horror moments in a book.
In fact, Reprisal had some moments in the book that I will not forget and were pretty epic. Horrifying epic in fact!
Looking forward to continuing with the Repairman Jack series along with finishing up this epic tale of Good vs Evil!
March 12, 2021
This overall Adversary series is heading towards its conclusion here, and the scale of it is gradually growing more epic. This particular book was pretty slow to start, but I really enjoyed the storylines for each of our characters, so that pace didn’t bother me. I felt that this book was better with the horror elements than the past books - actually, one of the storylines I still cringe as I think about it. Overall, I’m enjoying this classic good vs evil tale.
Now, I’m switching over to read the rest of the Repairman Jack series as it catches up to this same point in the author’s overall timeline by the final book. Then, the final book in this series will await. I’m njoying this a lot!
Now, I’m switching over to read the rest of the Repairman Jack series as it catches up to this same point in the author’s overall timeline by the final book. Then, the final book in this series will await. I’m njoying this a lot!
April 13, 2020
Liked the book more for its characters and their development and what it says about the workings of evil in our lives than for the storyline, although both are intricately woven together. Some events were truly and deeply disturbing because you know human beings are capable of such things. I'd guess such deep horror would not be for anyone.
September 25, 2015
The fifth and penultimate book in F. Paul Wilson’s Adversary Cycle lived up to every expectation I had for it. It is an excellent horror story in its own right but is also critical to this overall series as well as providing further insight to the Repairman Jack series, both of which meet and culminate in the final novel, Nightworld.
The plot of this novel follows closely after the events of Reborn in which the great evil that was thought to have been eradicated in book one, The Keep, was reborn into our world. Many of the characters return here as well and the two novels, 'Reborn' and 'Reprisal', can really be considered companion volumes. Those two events (the supposed death and the rebirth) have driven or impacted every other major event in both series. I love it when a lengthy series has so many connections, seemingly unrelated and then when I read successive novels, multiple light bulbs go off in my head as I recognize more and more how everything relates.
This novel has some serious horror aspects to it. The author even admitted in the brief forward to this novel that this book contains some of the most wrenching fiction he has ever written. His masterful ability to introduce his characters in such a way that we really get to know them and understand them and become completely invested in them results in huge emotional payoffs and/or consequences when they find themselves in danger. His style is easy to read and keeps the pages turning but his plots are what drive me on to the next book and the next.
The final culminating novel for both the Adversary Cycle and the Repairman Jack series, Nightworld, is next. I have mixed emotions about that, not wanting it all to end but enthusiastically anticipating how it will all wrap up. I think I am ready…
The plot of this novel follows closely after the events of Reborn in which the great evil that was thought to have been eradicated in book one, The Keep, was reborn into our world. Many of the characters return here as well and the two novels, 'Reborn' and 'Reprisal', can really be considered companion volumes. Those two events (the supposed death and the rebirth) have driven or impacted every other major event in both series. I love it when a lengthy series has so many connections, seemingly unrelated and then when I read successive novels, multiple light bulbs go off in my head as I recognize more and more how everything relates.
This novel has some serious horror aspects to it. The author even admitted in the brief forward to this novel that this book contains some of the most wrenching fiction he has ever written. His masterful ability to introduce his characters in such a way that we really get to know them and understand them and become completely invested in them results in huge emotional payoffs and/or consequences when they find themselves in danger. His style is easy to read and keeps the pages turning but his plots are what drive me on to the next book and the next.
The final culminating novel for both the Adversary Cycle and the Repairman Jack series, Nightworld, is next. I have mixed emotions about that, not wanting it all to end but enthusiastically anticipating how it will all wrap up. I think I am ready…
March 3, 2012
Reprisal
is the fifth and penultimate book of F. Paul Wilson's Adversary Cycle. This book has a much darker tone than the previous books of the Adversary Cycle, and it was a good read.
The Plot
The book takes place around 23 years after the events of Reborn and the action starts in medias res. Will Ryerson is getting phone calls from a child who's constantly screaming for help; a child who's supposed to be dead. Ryerson is accused of killing him. His only friend in the world is a math Ph.D. named Lisl Whitman, with whom he has a platonic, avuncular relationship. A man named Rafe Losmora, a psychology graduate student, comes into Lisl's life and, although the relationship is positive at first, it quickly becomes darker and Losmora proves to be a bad influence on Lisl.
The story shifts back and forth between Will Ryerson's previous life as Jesuit priest Bill Ryan and his life as Will Ryerson, friendly greenskeeper; dealing with the consequences of these previous events in the present. Also, the development of the son of Jim and Carol Stevens (from the previous novel, Reborn ) is explored in brief asides interspersed throught the book.
The Good
There's a lot of good here. It's the same page-turning goodness that is becoming F. Paul Wilson's calling card. I've said it before: writing a true page turner is not an easy thing to do. It's definitely a skill to keep the plot going at a good pace while developing the characters enough for the reader to care about them as people.
F. Paul Wilson definitely returns to some real horror here. Not since The Keep has there been a plot this chilling. Imagine if there exists an "Ultimate Evil". Imagine that this "Ultimate Evil" focuses all its malevolence upon you. Would it just kill you, or would it torture you first? How would it torture you? Physically? Psychologically? Spiritually? Would it go after you or would it go after that which you loved; that which is important to you? What would hurt the most? The things that the evil does in this book to torment the focus of its rage are both subtle and brutal. You really start feeling some pathos towards the characters who are ravaged by this evil. Making readers feel for your characters takes talent, folks.
The characters, as mentioned above, are fleshed out. They are each combinations of virtues and flaws that make them well developed and unique enough to be interesting. There certainly aren't any singular characters here that are particularly transcendant, but something like that would seem out of place in a novel of this type. There are no Mary Sues or Snidely Whiplashes here (although the aforementioned "Ultimate Evil" is pretty close). The evil is subtle enough to be truly evil and not cartoony, mustache-twisting evil.
The Not-So-Good
There's not much bad here. I thought the police investigator character turned against Bill Ryan a little too much and too soon. Then, he reversed his position, after years of feeling this way, a little too readily.
The Father Ryan/Will Ryerson character speaks of having gone through a period of time where he drank and did drugs and basically lived life like a homeless drug addict. However, the character in the book, while not pristine, didn't really bear the scars of living this kind of lifestyle to the degree that would make him more interesting (to me anyway).
The philosophy of the Svengali-like Rafe Losmora was at first a little interesting, but then kind of developed into a kind of simplistic, ham-fisted melange of Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy and Friedrich Nietzche's Ubermensch. Yeah, the "Primes" should rule the world, but who decides who can join your little clique? You? Why you?
Conclusion
The Adversary Cycle really starts to build up steam with this book. We start to see the big baddie as being really big and really bad. The idea of an entity that sustains itself by causing fear and suffering is really horrifying, if you really begin to think about it. Is experiencing fear and suffering emotional, psychological, and physical pain worse than actually dying? I hope I don't find out.
The Plot
The book takes place around 23 years after the events of Reborn and the action starts in medias res. Will Ryerson is getting phone calls from a child who's constantly screaming for help; a child who's supposed to be dead. Ryerson is accused of killing him. His only friend in the world is a math Ph.D. named Lisl Whitman, with whom he has a platonic, avuncular relationship. A man named Rafe Losmora, a psychology graduate student, comes into Lisl's life and, although the relationship is positive at first, it quickly becomes darker and Losmora proves to be a bad influence on Lisl.
The story shifts back and forth between Will Ryerson's previous life as Jesuit priest Bill Ryan and his life as Will Ryerson, friendly greenskeeper; dealing with the consequences of these previous events in the present. Also, the development of the son of Jim and Carol Stevens (from the previous novel, Reborn ) is explored in brief asides interspersed throught the book.
The Good
There's a lot of good here. It's the same page-turning goodness that is becoming F. Paul Wilson's calling card. I've said it before: writing a true page turner is not an easy thing to do. It's definitely a skill to keep the plot going at a good pace while developing the characters enough for the reader to care about them as people.
F. Paul Wilson definitely returns to some real horror here. Not since The Keep has there been a plot this chilling. Imagine if there exists an "Ultimate Evil". Imagine that this "Ultimate Evil" focuses all its malevolence upon you. Would it just kill you, or would it torture you first? How would it torture you? Physically? Psychologically? Spiritually? Would it go after you or would it go after that which you loved; that which is important to you? What would hurt the most? The things that the evil does in this book to torment the focus of its rage are both subtle and brutal. You really start feeling some pathos towards the characters who are ravaged by this evil. Making readers feel for your characters takes talent, folks.
The characters, as mentioned above, are fleshed out. They are each combinations of virtues and flaws that make them well developed and unique enough to be interesting. There certainly aren't any singular characters here that are particularly transcendant, but something like that would seem out of place in a novel of this type. There are no Mary Sues or Snidely Whiplashes here (although the aforementioned "Ultimate Evil" is pretty close). The evil is subtle enough to be truly evil and not cartoony, mustache-twisting evil.
The Not-So-Good
There's not much bad here. I thought the police investigator character turned against Bill Ryan a little too much and too soon. Then, he reversed his position, after years of feeling this way, a little too readily.
The Father Ryan/Will Ryerson character speaks of having gone through a period of time where he drank and did drugs and basically lived life like a homeless drug addict. However, the character in the book, while not pristine, didn't really bear the scars of living this kind of lifestyle to the degree that would make him more interesting (to me anyway).
The philosophy of the Svengali-like Rafe Losmora was at first a little interesting, but then kind of developed into a kind of simplistic, ham-fisted melange of Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy and Friedrich Nietzche's Ubermensch. Yeah, the "Primes" should rule the world, but who decides who can join your little clique? You? Why you?
Conclusion
The Adversary Cycle really starts to build up steam with this book. We start to see the big baddie as being really big and really bad. The idea of an entity that sustains itself by causing fear and suffering is really horrifying, if you really begin to think about it. Is experiencing fear and suffering emotional, psychological, and physical pain worse than actually dying? I hope I don't find out.
July 26, 2018
Lisl's new boyfriend is quite the young genius - well, he has been talking since he was six months old - but geniuses have a penchant for evil it appears. The groundskeeper, Will, is actually a priest on the run for the murder of a boy - except the boy isn't really dead, he's just been buried alive...for five years. The kind of novel that made me fall in love with the horror genre in the first place.
May 4, 2023
Nearing the end of a marathon read of F. Paul Wilson’s Secret History of the World (41 novels, including the Repairman Jack series and prequels, ten stories or novellas; I have five novels to go), I was quite pleased with this book. It brings some threads together, but also has some very clear sequences that illustrate what is good and bad in the world. Can we stop feeding the Adversary long enough to keep the world from being destroyed? I don’t think that I’m spoiling anything by saying that it doesn’t look too good at the end of this book. But there is always hope. Definitely worth a read.
Secret History of the World reading order on F. Paul Wilson’s web site, repairmanjack.com: https://repairmanjack.com/books/the-s...
Secret History of the World reading order on F. Paul Wilson’s web site, repairmanjack.com: https://repairmanjack.com/books/the-s...
December 24, 2022
A man dressed in white, arms crossed floating in mid-air. Jimmy six months old his eyes penetrating, unnerving, never smiled, no laughter, he said in a clear voice to his mummy, " I'm hungry women get me some food", she screamed. At 10 months he was a voracious reader, he would devour books, watch the news and enjoy the all horrors in had to offer. His encyclopaedic memory, wanting to know everything because one day the World would be his. At 5 years old he was investing millions of his inherited wealth. Father Ryan in hiding staying away from phones. The voice of a child begging for the father to come get him, help him from the terrors. This boy will be nailed through the feet and hands, his adoptive parents responsible, blood dripping down walls, a slaughterhouse of horror. When taken to hospital he has no blood, completely drained. Still alive screaming in agony. The suspect walks like a zombie but has no brain, no organs, completely empty. Fists will be plunged into the cavity, extreme coldness, the body will melt away to nothing. No medical explanation could explain the phenomenon. The boy later dug up after 5 years buried, his flesh reaching out of the grave, rotten flesh but his beautiful blue eyes all that is left, still alive. Rasalom is back and receiving the greatest self-satisfaction from human suffering, getting stronger again. He is back after The Keep. The good vs evil, the series coming together. Red beard, Father Ryan, Carol needing all the strength to defend Rafe/Ralasom, terror the world can't fathom.
July 27, 2018
I'm reading this series in parallel with the Repairman Jack series, so unfortunately I know a detail or two that would change the ending of this book for me.
Side note: I've never felt for a side character so much. Poor Everett, dude didn't deserve what he got. All because of a beef with other people not even connected to him.
Side note: I've never felt for a side character so much. Poor Everett, dude didn't deserve what he got. All because of a beef with other people not even connected to him.
November 26, 2017
As I'm nearing the end of both the Adversary Cycle as well as the Repairman Jack series, both are currently suffering from trying to tie together a larger arc instead of telling a compelling individual story. The problem mainly stems from Rasolam, the villain figure who is just shy of all knowing and all powerful, but chooses to spend his time messing with a priest and a frumpy math teacher rather than working towards advancing his goals of turning the Earth into a haven for the forces of evil.
Reprisal is the 5th book in the Adversary Cycle, however it is just about a direct sequel to Reborn which told the story of a couple discovering that one of them was a clone and their fetus may be the anti-Christ. If you've read the Repairman Jack series before this, you know to be on the lookout for anagrams and fishy behavior, and Reprisal is no exception when it comes to finding the villain in the story.
Years after the events of Reborn, this book follows two main protagonists: Lisl is a math teacher who becomes involved in a torrid romance with a graduate student who begins to change her views on herself and other people. Will Ryerson is a maintenance man who has a secretive past, and spends his entire life trying to stay away from telephones. How do these two stories relate to a woman that gave birth to the embodiment of evil and a missing Jesuit priest who went by the name of Father Bill Ryan? I suspect without even reading the prequels, you can figure out who the good guy and who the bad guy are from this paragraph.
There's also a third section of the novel that takes place as a flashback, explaining how Father Bill Ryan came to be on the run from law enforcement, and the investigation of a missing child led by a dedicated NYPD Detective. This was the most interesting portion of the book, dipping firmly into the supernatural horror genre. If you're not a fan of bad things happening to kids in fiction, this is probably a book you should skip. Much like the events of Reborn however, the things that take place end up being so crazy that it's hard to imagine somebody like Repairman Jack not being aware of them in his books later on.
By far the worst part about this book is the character of Lisl, a woman who makes every bad decision somebody can make with way too little resistance. I can even buy the revenge against her ex and jealousy towards a coworker, however the ease with which she dips into theft and reciting her boyfriend's theories on Primes (exceptional people) being able to do whatever they want to other people made her a very difficult character to sympathize with.
The most interesting character in the book was another math teacher named Dr. Everett Saunders. I started off not knowing if he was a creepy psycho, a stalker, a person paralyzed by obsessive compulsive disorder or just a quirky colleague. The ultimate revelation of his secret wasn't anything amazing, but it made him sympathetic and contributed to my vitriol towards Lisl. More interesting characters like this, instead of shoehorning Glaeken into an expository dumper role at the end would have improved this book, but as it stands this was not one of the better reads in the series. I'm finally ready for Nightworld to wrap up both series (except for the prequel novels that I'll probably check out), and hopefully it will provide a satisfying conclusion to this sprawling series.
Reprisal is the 5th book in the Adversary Cycle, however it is just about a direct sequel to Reborn which told the story of a couple discovering that one of them was a clone and their fetus may be the anti-Christ. If you've read the Repairman Jack series before this, you know to be on the lookout for anagrams and fishy behavior, and Reprisal is no exception when it comes to finding the villain in the story.
Years after the events of Reborn, this book follows two main protagonists: Lisl is a math teacher who becomes involved in a torrid romance with a graduate student who begins to change her views on herself and other people. Will Ryerson is a maintenance man who has a secretive past, and spends his entire life trying to stay away from telephones. How do these two stories relate to a woman that gave birth to the embodiment of evil and a missing Jesuit priest who went by the name of Father Bill Ryan? I suspect without even reading the prequels, you can figure out who the good guy and who the bad guy are from this paragraph.
There's also a third section of the novel that takes place as a flashback, explaining how Father Bill Ryan came to be on the run from law enforcement, and the investigation of a missing child led by a dedicated NYPD Detective. This was the most interesting portion of the book, dipping firmly into the supernatural horror genre. If you're not a fan of bad things happening to kids in fiction, this is probably a book you should skip. Much like the events of Reborn however, the things that take place end up being so crazy that it's hard to imagine somebody like Repairman Jack not being aware of them in his books later on.
By far the worst part about this book is the character of Lisl, a woman who makes every bad decision somebody can make with way too little resistance. I can even buy the revenge against her ex and jealousy towards a coworker, however the ease with which she dips into theft and reciting her boyfriend's theories on Primes (exceptional people) being able to do whatever they want to other people made her a very difficult character to sympathize with.
The most interesting character in the book was another math teacher named Dr. Everett Saunders. I started off not knowing if he was a creepy psycho, a stalker, a person paralyzed by obsessive compulsive disorder or just a quirky colleague. The ultimate revelation of his secret wasn't anything amazing, but it made him sympathetic and contributed to my vitriol towards Lisl. More interesting characters like this, instead of shoehorning Glaeken into an expository dumper role at the end would have improved this book, but as it stands this was not one of the better reads in the series. I'm finally ready for Nightworld to wrap up both series (except for the prequel novels that I'll probably check out), and hopefully it will provide a satisfying conclusion to this sprawling series.
August 7, 2025
Reprisal is another entry in The Adversary Cycle, centered around the dark entity Rasalom, first introduced to horror fans in the excellent The Keep. While The Keep reads like a pulp adventure-horror with Rasalom disguised as a sort of “vampire,” Reprisal feels much more akin to the Omen series (especially Omen III), with a modern psychological horror vibe that recalls today’s A24 films.
+
At Darnell University in North Carolina works Dr. Lisl Whitman. She’s single, divorced (messily), and a bit unkempt. At a university social event, she meets a young, strikingly attractive doctoral student named Raf Losmara (yes, “Losmara”— (yeah right, pull the other one — as if we wouldn’t notice)). To the surprise of the somewhat insecure professor, sparks fly immediately. Step by step, a passionate romance unfolds. The affair distances her from the campus gardener, a man she’d bonded with through intellectual kinship and casual friendship. That gardener turns out to be someone with a past—far more thoughtful and educated than his job might suggest.
Strikingly, in Lisl’s relationship with Losmara, it’s the young man who dominates emotionally and intellectually—not the older, more experienced woman. Raf spins Nietzschean theories about “overmen” who exist beyond good and evil, and encourages his lover to abandon “banal” social norms. It starts with petty shoplifting, then progresses to increasingly dubious behavior. A nasty prank on her ex-husband is still within the realm of dark humor, but the cruel humiliation of a colleague crosses a moral line—one that sparks growing guilt in Lisl. She gradually realizes, with horror, that her nihilist lover has dragged her into genuine moral degradation.
Meanwhile, the gardener’s past resurfaces. He’s a former priest, tormented by trauma that led him to renounce his vows and disappear into a quiet life. Years earlier, while overseeing a church-run orphanage, he facilitated the adoption of a boy by a seemingly ideal couple. The result was a monstrous tragedy—the boy was tortured and killed by his adoptive parents. To make things worse, police even suspected the priest of being part of a criminal conspiracy. One obsessed detective has never dropped the case, and he eventually traces the priest to his new identity—working inconspicuously as a university groundskeeper…
+
It’s a damn fine novel—cleverly constructed and skillfully written. Wilson is no mere pulp hack of the “golden age”; he’s a genuinely solid craftsman, and it shows. What’s notable is that Reprisal features very little overt supernatural horror. Aside from a central flashback depicting the grotesque event that shattered Father Ryan’s life, the story is, for the most part (until the intense, filmic finale), a dark psychological drama—a claustrophobic dissection of the human soul, much like something out of an A24 film. But when the horror finally kicks in, it hits hard. No kidding.
The characters are deeply compelling. A lonely, slightly disheveled woman under a malignant influence. A man broken by trauma and in denial about his own past. A strikingly raw portrayal of a “dry” alcoholic hiding his addiction. An obsessed detective hell-bent on catching a predator. And standing apart (or perhaps above) them all: a seductive Demon, the personification of Evil.
The novel’s structure is tight and effective—think of it as musical form A–B–A. The central section is Father Ryan’s horrific flashback, while the outer frames are the seduction and fall of Dr. Whitman, and the final confrontation with Evil. And since one final book remains in the cycle—Nightworld—it’s safe to say this confrontation doesn’t end in victory.
A very strong novel, even without any jump scares. Yes, it’s most rewarding for readers familiar with The Adversary Cycle—but then again, who knows? Maybe it’s even more intriguing if you don’t immediately roll your eyes at the name “Losmara” and let the ambiguity simmer a while. The references to earlier books are subtle enough that you don’t need a full refresher to follow what’s going on. A solid 4/5.
+
At Darnell University in North Carolina works Dr. Lisl Whitman. She’s single, divorced (messily), and a bit unkempt. At a university social event, she meets a young, strikingly attractive doctoral student named Raf Losmara (yes, “Losmara”— (yeah right, pull the other one — as if we wouldn’t notice)). To the surprise of the somewhat insecure professor, sparks fly immediately. Step by step, a passionate romance unfolds. The affair distances her from the campus gardener, a man she’d bonded with through intellectual kinship and casual friendship. That gardener turns out to be someone with a past—far more thoughtful and educated than his job might suggest.
Strikingly, in Lisl’s relationship with Losmara, it’s the young man who dominates emotionally and intellectually—not the older, more experienced woman. Raf spins Nietzschean theories about “overmen” who exist beyond good and evil, and encourages his lover to abandon “banal” social norms. It starts with petty shoplifting, then progresses to increasingly dubious behavior. A nasty prank on her ex-husband is still within the realm of dark humor, but the cruel humiliation of a colleague crosses a moral line—one that sparks growing guilt in Lisl. She gradually realizes, with horror, that her nihilist lover has dragged her into genuine moral degradation.
Meanwhile, the gardener’s past resurfaces. He’s a former priest, tormented by trauma that led him to renounce his vows and disappear into a quiet life. Years earlier, while overseeing a church-run orphanage, he facilitated the adoption of a boy by a seemingly ideal couple. The result was a monstrous tragedy—the boy was tortured and killed by his adoptive parents. To make things worse, police even suspected the priest of being part of a criminal conspiracy. One obsessed detective has never dropped the case, and he eventually traces the priest to his new identity—working inconspicuously as a university groundskeeper…
+
It’s a damn fine novel—cleverly constructed and skillfully written. Wilson is no mere pulp hack of the “golden age”; he’s a genuinely solid craftsman, and it shows. What’s notable is that Reprisal features very little overt supernatural horror. Aside from a central flashback depicting the grotesque event that shattered Father Ryan’s life, the story is, for the most part (until the intense, filmic finale), a dark psychological drama—a claustrophobic dissection of the human soul, much like something out of an A24 film. But when the horror finally kicks in, it hits hard. No kidding.
The characters are deeply compelling. A lonely, slightly disheveled woman under a malignant influence. A man broken by trauma and in denial about his own past. A strikingly raw portrayal of a “dry” alcoholic hiding his addiction. An obsessed detective hell-bent on catching a predator. And standing apart (or perhaps above) them all: a seductive Demon, the personification of Evil.
The novel’s structure is tight and effective—think of it as musical form A–B–A. The central section is Father Ryan’s horrific flashback, while the outer frames are the seduction and fall of Dr. Whitman, and the final confrontation with Evil. And since one final book remains in the cycle—Nightworld—it’s safe to say this confrontation doesn’t end in victory.
A very strong novel, even without any jump scares. Yes, it’s most rewarding for readers familiar with The Adversary Cycle—but then again, who knows? Maybe it’s even more intriguing if you don’t immediately roll your eyes at the name “Losmara” and let the ambiguity simmer a while. The references to earlier books are subtle enough that you don’t need a full refresher to follow what’s going on. A solid 4/5.
November 27, 2023
The evil figure that was spawned in Reborn, the previous novel of the Adversary Cycle, has come of age, spouting a philosophy of life worthy of Ayn Rand and taking an impressionable math professor under his wing. A mysterious handyman whose identity shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out for readers of the previous book is also on hand. This book is a mixed bag, like so much of F. Paul Wilson’s work. He can craft a compelling plot, but his skill at characterization sometimes falls short of the effect he reaches for. For example, a major plot thread concerns the moral corruption of the math professor under the influence of her wicked boyfriend. However, rather than illustrating the seductiveness of evil, it becomes the frustrating story of a weak-willed woman who is too easily seduced by a man that she (like the reader) should be able to see through in a second. On the other hand, this novel also features a truly horrifying plot thread: flashbacks to the backstory of the handyman and his history with a cursed little boy.
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April 2, 2021
Now, with this, I can finally say that it's a proper sequel to the previous books. And a pretty good one too. Again, it starts off pretty slow, and seems to just meander around with not much really happening, but then it slams into gear, and we're off. The absolute best part was the flashback to what really happened to the boy - gruesome and terrifying. Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so will have to move on to the final book.
Another gripe here though - as with a few of the other previous books, Wilson has updated them for some reason, so there are references to modern day stuff, and in my opinion it takes away a lot as it just doesn't ring true. Especially in this one where telephones have a huge part to play, it just seems odd that there's hardly a mention of cellphones. Everyone has a landline here... DVDs and laptops are mentioned, but also a carphone antenna on a car. Who has that these days? Should have just let the books take place in the 80s/90s instead.
Another gripe here though - as with a few of the other previous books, Wilson has updated them for some reason, so there are references to modern day stuff, and in my opinion it takes away a lot as it just doesn't ring true. Especially in this one where telephones have a huge part to play, it just seems odd that there's hardly a mention of cellphones. Everyone has a landline here... DVDs and laptops are mentioned, but also a carphone antenna on a car. Who has that these days? Should have just let the books take place in the 80s/90s instead.
January 24, 2023
I'm reading the Adversary Cycle in the order that Wilson recommended (though I'm not sure if I'll include Signalz yet since it was published so much later). This is my second favorite after The Keep, which has a special place in my heart due to my undying love for the movie and all the murdered nazis that lies within its pages. I read it in about two days' time, just couldn't put it down. Getting back to Rasolom and Glaeken being characters helped a lot, along with the references to other characters from Reborn and The Touch. But finding an old haunted-by-past Bill Ryan living in fear and the character Lisl are what really hooked me. It's well paced, and there wasn't a moment I was bored with it. Also I have to compliment Wilson's ability to end a novel on a high note that leaves you wanting to know what comes next.
October 24, 2021
Reprisal: book 5 of Adversary Cycle, book 3 following the Keep. I have to say this book didn't really grab me. It was Okay, and I understand the beginning of these books introduce and allow you to get to know the characters but I was bored for most of the first 100 pages. The flash back middle was interesting. You could pretty much read this book without reading the book before it as it just loosely tied into the book before till the end where it mixed in those from previous books.
The best books in the series so far have been the stand alone books: The Keep, The Tomb and The Touch. Every other book has really been a middle book with on real ending. Both the Reborn and Reprisal have open endings that don't resolve the story but leave it open for the obvious sequel.
The best books in the series so far have been the stand alone books: The Keep, The Tomb and The Touch. Every other book has really been a middle book with on real ending. Both the Reborn and Reprisal have open endings that don't resolve the story but leave it open for the obvious sequel.
October 15, 2024
This was recommended to me by a co-worker, it's one of their tried and true favorite books so I had to give it a go.
I thought this was going to be a no finish for me tbh
I had trouble getting past the dated descriptions and traits of a female character, it really annoyed me to the point of avoidance.
Once that horror story ended I really enjoyed the one I was left with. Lots of boundaries pushed for its time, and as always I love a horror set in the world of Christianity.
I am surprised with the new need to read the rest in this series.
I thought this was going to be a no finish for me tbh
I had trouble getting past the dated descriptions and traits of a female character, it really annoyed me to the point of avoidance.
Once that horror story ended I really enjoyed the one I was left with. Lots of boundaries pushed for its time, and as always I love a horror set in the world of Christianity.
I am surprised with the new need to read the rest in this series.
June 19, 2019
WOW.
Best book in the series by a long shot.
FPW is at his best when weaving tales of psychological horror, and goddamn does he absolutely crush it in this novel.
Between orchestrating Bill's loss of faith, Lisl's manipulation into cruelty and egoism, and the absolutely devastating final temptations, Rafe kept me both horrified and completely enthralled.
Also probably the most accurate depiction of how people fall into abusive relationships I've ever read.
So. Fucking. Good.
Best book in the series by a long shot.
FPW is at his best when weaving tales of psychological horror, and goddamn does he absolutely crush it in this novel.
Between orchestrating Bill's loss of faith, Lisl's manipulation into cruelty and egoism, and the absolutely devastating final temptations, Rafe kept me both horrified and completely enthralled.
Also probably the most accurate depiction of how people fall into abusive relationships I've ever read.
So. Fucking. Good.
December 16, 2022
The Adversary is back. The Adversary never left us. F Paul Wilson brings many threads from the previous novels together in chilling clarity. What will the fate of the world be? Is there anyone or anything that can stand against The Adversary and his horrifying plans for humanity? The seeds of evil already planted in our souls may sprout into a horrific fruit. I'm excited to begin the final chapters of this thrilling story!
May 18, 2020
This book tied up a few loose ends if you have read all the repairman jack novels...particular who lies in the grave. I found it a very thought provoking story but i wish other reviewers wouldnt be so dramatic when writing reviews...this wasnt gory or grisly and it certainly didnt keep me up at night.
July 7, 2021
Quite good this one, and neat how he ties it in with his first book The Keep. Having read the earlier books I would say that The Keep, Reborn and Reprisal are like a trilogy, one that happens to have a 27 year gap between the first and second book.
And so onto Nightworld where the story continues...
And so onto Nightworld where the story continues...
June 23, 2024
It’s all starting to come together. I read the Repairman Jack series before I tried to tackle the Adversary Cycle. All the little tidbits like cans of gasoline and trips to North Carolina now make sense. Now onto Signalz and then a re-read of Nightworld and hopefully more things will fall into place to place with the proper context.
April 22, 2019
Picked up about a third of the way into it, but that first third was a real drag. It was almost enough to make me put the book down for good. Glad I didn't, and now I plan to dive into theRepairman Jack series. Still the first part keeps this book from getting anymore than 3-stars.
April 17, 2020
Was pretty good. Started out a little slow but I got on the bandwagon soon enough and powered thru the rest of the book in no time. I'm sad that all is coming to an end but excited to see HOW it ends. Upward and onward folks...
June 15, 2020
Dark
Another great story. I read after finishing all repairman jack books. This helped fill in the background stories of some of the characters. Def recommend if you enjoy repairman jack(he is not in this story though).
Another great story. I read after finishing all repairman jack books. This helped fill in the background stories of some of the characters. Def recommend if you enjoy repairman jack(he is not in this story though).
January 7, 2021
Amazing book! I like how the character from the touch made an appearance. Greatest quote from the book," Yeah Jimmy, or Sara or rafe or rasalom or whatever the fuck you call yourself, your under arrest! -Decetive Renny
October 26, 2022
Great, one his best books having read the original version 25 years ago, i can tell little difference between the revised versions, digging out my original and compering a few sections, I noticed some words have been changed, and the chapters are divided into sub numbers
February 14, 2018
Worst of the series, but still fun.
March 1, 2018
Absolutely brilliant
May 2, 2019
A return to form. Book was solid. The only thing missing was jack. I believe this crew met him before going to North Carolina
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