Necroscope: The Lost Years

Brian Lumey's Necroscope series is one of the best horror/sci-fi book series of all time. The first five novels in the series (`Necroscope', `Wamphyri', `The Source', `Deadspeak', and `Deadspawn') chronicle the life of Harry Keogh, a man whose ability to communicate with the dead has garnered him the title Necroscope. `The Lost Years', alongside its direct sequel `Resurgence', takes a close look at the eight "lost" years that occurred between `Wamphyri' and `The Source'.It's important to note that you shouldn't read this book unless you're already acquainted with the original series. `The Lost Years' not only provides spoilers, but also draws heavily on events, places, and characters from the first five novels. Unlike previous installments, it also ends with the "TO BE CONTINUED" hook. Thus, if you're a newcomer to the Necroscope universe, I'd advise you to avoid `The Lost Years' and get your hands on `Necroscope' instead.That being said, `The Lost Years' is a great addition to the original series. It expands on Keogh himself, showing his struggle to get used to his new body and his attempts to find his wife and child. It adds a lot of depth to the history of the wamphyri, further fleshes out the Ferenczy dynasty, establishes its own version of Dracula, and introduces werewolves into the setting. All these backstories and subplots serve to enhance the main story - that of the blood feud between three ancient wamphyri families.The literary style, while above average, is far from flawless. Lumley is too fond of the "there are vampires and there are vampires" word play, and uses it too often in both narration and dialogue. Dialogues sometimes sound wooden and/or cartoony. This is especially glaring when there's lots of exposition going on.Characterization is done masterfully for the most part. The wamphyri deserve a special mention as an example of complete monsters done well. By all rights, their sadistic, traitorous, baby-eating villainy should've come off as ridiculous and one-dimensional. However, Lumley spends considerable time developing their personalities and giving them in-depth histories and motivations, thus creating an entire race of extremely malevolent yet at the same time highly believable abominations. That he also uses the wamphyri leeches as symbols for the evil that lurks within a man's soul (Shaitan the Unborn - the greatest of the wamphyri and Lumley's stand-in for Satan - is himself a massive leech) only serves to add to their complexity and sheer awesomeness.`The Lost Years' is a fast paced, intelligent, and highly entertaining horror/sci-fi novel. The writing is less then stellar, but the quality of the setting and the plot more then makes up for any stylistic failings. Newcomers beware; Brian Lumley's books aren't for the faint-hearted. The entire `Necroscope' series is cynical, bloody, and chock-full of nightmare fuel. I've read hundreds of gory novels - anything from tame H. P. Lovecraft and Anne Rice stuff, to Clive Barker and Brett Easton Ellis slaughter fests - and even I found some parts of `The Lost Years' disturbing. The scene with the innocent acolyte and the ice blocks, with its horrifying depiction of fear and helplessness, has been haunting me for days now.

Lumley doesnt miss a beat. He is always adding those extra layers to the Necroscope chronicles. New characters, convincing adversaries and an excellent plot. What more can you ask for!Good writting with weird yet interesting ideas = Brian Lumley.Recommended Necroscope reading.

This chapter in the engrossing necro-saga, starts off strong, then gets a little iffy in the ensuing 100 pages regarding the metting of Harry and BJ. Then you get to the history of Radu Lykan and boy does it ever take off. I was totaly gripped with this piece of history. It's as good as anything written previously in the series. I'm so into all these stories that I recently purchased the remaining books. I'm blown away with Lumley's skill at continuity in this series..moving the story forward with a keen eye on the past and filling in missing pieces in between. Brilliant,and engrossing.

I read the entire series in the 1990's and I'm enjoying the lost years. In typical Brian Lumley style, it's a can't put it down story that explains what went before, for those not familiar with the series, as it goes along, so that even a first time reader knows what is happening. Now I want to go back to Starside/Sunside and re-read it all.

I'm glad I found this.

This is a real cool book. You can only get this version from outside the U.S. so it's nice to show to U.S. fans of Mr.Lumley. worth every penny.

I first read this in my early 20's and am reading the whole saga again. Loved it then and still love it now. Best work of vampire fiction around.

Very good and exciting story

It's been some years since I read the first volume of the Lost Years, which I remember enjoying quite a lot, but this second volume was a major disappointment. I got especially tired of reading how the two layers of Harry Keogh's psyche threatend to interface (it must happen at least 4 or 5 times in the book, maybe more). Another minor complaint of mine is that the grand conflict that was being set up in the previous and most of this book was over way to quick; it felt unsatisfying

Lumley adds a whole new dimension to the vampire mythology, much darker and more gore. Read em all, loved em all.

Delighted with purchase

brill read !

Comme beaucoup, j'ai été fasciné par la série des Necroscope et son exploitation du mythe des vampires. La série, moribonde depuis plusieurs années, connait de temps à autre quelque résurgence. 'The Lost Years: Harry and the Pirates' en est une, mais hélas donne plus l'impression que l'auteur cherche à exploiter le filon.Il ne s'agit pas d'un roman, mais d'une série de six nouvelles d'intérêt très variable. Dans 'Dead Eddy' et 'Dinosaur Dreams', Harry fait figure de justicier - deux nouvelles sans intérêt. 'Harry and the Pirates' fait intervenir une créature extra-terrestre cherchant à manipuler le Necroscope, mais la nouvelle est longue et peu convaincante, avec un dénouement ridicule. Dans 'Resurrection', on assiste au cauchemar d'un Necroscope jouant au nécroman - OK. Les meilleures, à mon sens, sont 'Old Man with a Blade', dans laquelle la Mort croise par hasard le Necroscope; et 'For the Dead Travel Slowly', où Harry est amené à combattre une créature ancestrale qui capture les âmes.Dans aucune des nouvelles, il n'est question de vampire, et c'est frustrant.Les fidèles de la série risquent d'être déçus par l'ensemble, mais voudront sans doute découvrir ces récits, fussent-ils mineurs. Quant aux autres, je leur conseille de découvrir le Necroscope par les autres bouquins.