The novel “The Fall” by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan was published for the first time in 2010. It’s the second novel in the Strain trilogy and is the sequel to “The Strain“.

The heterogeneous group formed by professor Abraham Setrakian, epidemiologist Ephraim Goodweather, his colleague Nora Martinez and exterminator Vasiliy Fet is trying to organize a resistance against the lethal virus that is causing an epidemic definitely out of the ordinary in New York. The infected are turned into vampires, part of the plan of an old master who wants to impose his power.

In the world there are other ancient vampires, who generally operate in the shadows. When the truce is broken, they decide to take countermeasures. They hire Gus Elizalde, a member of a New York gang, to hunt the new vampires that infest New York to restore the old status quo.

“The Strain” ended with the failure of the attempt by Abraham Setrakian’s group to kill the Master, an ancient vampire who had started the epidemic of vampirism in New York. The story was conceived from the beginning as a trilogy so it was broken into three books. Therefore, you need to read “The Strain” before starting “The Fall”.

The first book was set in the style of CSI, meaning that the beginning of the epidemic of vampirism was examined from the scientific point of view with in-depth examinations of the first victims’ bodies. “The Fall” is a later stage, in which New York is falling into chaos and military-type action is needed to contain the infestation.

In a story divided into a trilogy, the first book is used to set in motion the various elements of the plot to develop them in the second book. Soon in “The Strain” we saw that the plan of the Master, as the ancient vampire arrived in New York is known, was supported by billionaire Eldritch Palmer. In “The Fall” we find out more about this plan and Palmer’s role.

The situation in New York is deteriorating but the authorities don’t take appropriate countermeasures. It’s Eldritch Palmer who uses his influence to make sure that the media provide reassuring information, giving the authorities an excuse to simply promise controls on public health.

Abraham Setrakian and his team face the threat of vampires but they are not alone. The other ancient vampires react to the Master’s plan because he broke the truce which assured to all of them the possibility to operate in the shadows. They provide Gus Elizalde with the means to enable him to lead some gangs of New York City in the hunt for vampires.

Another hope for Abraham Setrakian comes when a book that contains some of the secrets of the vampires is auctioned. The struggle for its possession is also an opportunity for Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan to tell other past episodes of this vampire hunter, which in “The Fall” are set in various periods.

A further development of the characters from the first book of the trilogy is a characteristic of “The Fall”. Initially, they were built using various clichés and maybe the authors received some criticism on this point because in this second book they try to give them a greater depth. This is done in several ways: using flashbacks about their past, with interludes narrated by some of them in first person or by providing information about their background.

This development certainly improves the quality of the story, on the other hand sometimes it breaks up the narrative and makes the pace uneven, sometimes fast but other times slow. The part of the plot about Zach Goodweather, Ephraim’s son, wanted by his mother turned into a vampire, is intended to bring the characters closer to the readers but at times it seems a digression from the important elements of the story.

In the end, the overall impression I got from “The Fall” is that Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan didn’t have enough material for the central part of their story and had to add a few more interludes to fill it a little. In my opinion this has weakened this second book.

I wasn’t thrilled by “The Strain”, even less by “The Fall”. The readers who were happy with the first book probably will make up a better opinion of the second one, waiting for the third one that ends the story.