Title: Risen II: The Progeny
Author: Krystal Lawrence
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Pages: 281
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Format: Hardcover/Kindle
My Review
When I first starting reading this I was worried becuase it’s the second book in the series and I hadn’t read the first one yet.
It made no difference as the author wove in the back story seamlessly in all the right places.
Imagine this. Lorna is only seven years old. She doesn’t remember much about her abduction by Francis Barclay, the vampire who wreaked vengeance on the town until he was finally destroyed..
Now she’s changing. She has a craving for raw meat, for blood. Being so small, without the strength to take down victims, she must get creative and get her blood with surprise attacks and while the prey is sleeping. Feeding off her baby brother isn’t enough and he’s so tiny she worries she’ll hurt him. Drinking from the homeless drunks in the park works for a while until something finally goes very wrong and Lorna could be exposed for what she is, or arrested for murder.
Risen from the ashes, and now mostly ash himself, Francis is coming back to rescue his progeny, little Lorna. His time is short and he senses she’s out of control. She’s waiting for him, but it might already be too late.
This book is so good. The writing is excellent, the back story is slipped in without slowing the reading momentum, and the characters are real. You can almost picture them.
Lorna is scary. She’s just a little slip of a girl, but her blood lust makes her a monster. With no guidance, she’s vicious, dangerous. She feels no remorse for what she does to get the blood, and she’s so close to reaching the point of no return.
Her mother notices her starnge cravings for raw meat and her change in character, but hasn’t quite connected the dots yet.
Her father is an adulterer. A real loser. Every time it seems like he’ll follow the right path, his other brain lands him in another affair, risking losing his family. I wouldn’t have minded if Lorna had fed on the loser.
New to Alder Lake, Beatrice moved there and opened a small antique shop, looking for a fresh start after her divorce. She begins a tentative romance with Detective Blaze. and she’s soon drawn into the madness when Lorna shows up at hetr door in the middle of the night covered in blood.
Blaze is lead detective in the murders and sees a connection to Francis Barclay. Could the vampire have risen? Was he back?
All of these characters are connected to each other through the murders that are popping up all over town. Each has flaws, some have secrets, and all of them fear Francis Barclay.
I’m always looking for something new in this genre and I got it. Have you ever heard of a vampire dog? I wonder if they can turn other dogs or humans? Lots to learn.
And the ending. Oh boy, it was a bonus all by itself.
You’d think vampire stories would get old, but not for me. Especially with Risen II. I drained this book in a matter of hours, much like a thirsty vamp, and loved every drop of it!
5 Stars
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Sharing some parts I loved!
She fed as quickly as possible, then wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Backing away from the snoring figure, she said softly, “Thank you, sir.”
**
“Oh, you have to be kidding me,” he groaned. “Just what the hell is he doing with her?”
“If you have dolls, I can show you,” Bebe spat with pure venom.
~~~
Synopsis
Producers take note! Francis Barclay is back and he’s ready for prime time.
Fans of horror/suspense masters Stephen King and Dean Koontz are sure to delight in the return of Francis Barclay, the vengeful and bloodthirsty vampire resurrected from the dead after 200 years, in RISEN, by the “Mistress of Macabre,” Krystal Lawrence. Barclay, cremated at the end of RISEN, has once again returned from the ashes — and this time he’s not alone!
In Lawrence’s riveting sequel, RISEN II: THE PROGENY, Barclay is working his slow and agonizing way back to Alder Lake, determined to save the child he accidentally sired.
RISEN began the tale of Francis Barclay’s return to Alder Lake to avenge the centuries old
murder of his family. In this spellbinding sequel, Barclay is determined to save his progeny. When last we left Alder Lake, seven year-old Lorna was waiting patiently by the window for her blood-father’s return. Her wait is now over. She has inherited Francis Barclay’s luminous glowing eyes as well as his taste for blood.
Alder Lake is once again plagued by murder. Only this time, the suspect will surprise everyone!
The “Risen” books may remind readers of the SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVELS by Charlaine Harris or Stephenie Meyer’s TWILIGHT series, but Lawrence reaches farther back for inspiration in the undead genre. She calls her novels “vampires for grownups,” in the manner of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, the most famous bloodsucker of them all.
The main similarity of the RISEN novels to Harris’ and Meyer’s books lies in their rich potential to be adapted into the kind of theatrical or television films that can’t miss in attracting hordes of dedicated fans.
For More Information
Book Excerpt:
The sun was sinking behind the mountains as the dead boy walked on, every bone in his
over-taxed body aching from strain. The constant cloud of dust and ash that floated about
him like a grimy halo made flagging down car rides impossible. This journey would be
made on foot, and there was a very long way to go, especially for a boy who should have
been resting peacefully in his grave for some three hundred years.
As the boy felt the rising breeze lift his long hair from his brow, he raised his hands
to his face and groaned. He watched in silent horror, as his fingers dissolved into fine
grains of ash and floated off into the mild California evening. If he did not find shelter for
the night soon, there wouldn’t be much of him left to lie down tonight at all.
Five years before, Francis Barclay had been cremated and interred in a vault one
hundred miles east of his hometown. Though he was no stranger to rising from the dead,
the first time around he was given a fully formed body to work with. This time he was
comprised of hundreds of thousands of tiny flakes of burned ash, and they didn’t stay put
when the wind grew restless. Worse was the odor clinging to him like an unwanted lover.
He smelled like a poorly tamped-out brush fire, lingering cinders smoldering on his skin.
Francis stumbled. He watched with dismay as his left foot began evaporating into
fine powder, swirling in the air before him. It turned to mist, and rose into the sky above
him like a departing soul, taking that miserable burnt smell with it.
~~~~
Author Krystal Lawrence
Krystal Lawrence was born and raised in Southern California, where she was a child actress. In her late teens and early twenties she redirected her creative energy into radio, and hosted a successful talk show in Las Vegas for many years. She is the author of two previous books and numerous short stories. She now lives in Seattle where she is working on her fourth novel, PHONE CALL FROM HELL.
Her latest book is the horror/suspense, Risen II.
For More Information
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