Review: Deadspawn

Series: Necroscope: #5

I think I’m done with the Necroscope series, at least for the time being. And hey, technically this is the end of the first Necroscope series.

On the negative side:

This feels like 2 or 3 novels shoved together. There’s the parts on Earth where Harry tracks down a serial killer. Then there are the Wamphyri in exile in the Icelands and what they find there. Then finally, there’s Harry in the Vampire world and the final showdown. It all more or less comes together at the end, but switching back and forth was a bit rough.

The horror, especially around the serial killer plot line, just got too horrific for me. It certainly works as a shock factor I guess.

The relationship (as it was) between Penny and Harry was weird, abrupt, and ugly. Especially in how it ended. And I don’t feel like it actually needed to be there for the story to progress as is it did.

Speaking of which, Harry went dark. Given how too-good he was before, I thought a turn as anti-hero would be nice. It wasn’t. It felt completely out of character for Harry. More in line for a vampire, but it’s not what I was wanting to read in that character.

The sex scene with Lady Karen was … weird. It certainly fits the horror scenes of the world, but I feel like I’m going to read a palette cleaner after this.

On the positive side:

I still really do like the worldbuilding around vampires in this world. They’re actually horrific and alien, but with related aspects from their former human lives. All together, that seems something less common in modern vampire literature, so it’s nice to see here. This was even better and weirder this time around, especially with some of the ancient ones come back.

I think it’s time for something lighter.