Reprisal

This novel is a necessary part of F. Paul Wilson's "Adversary Cycle". It gives insight into characters that appear in other novels, and especially Rasalom.That being said, I don't really like it because it's essentially a tragedy. It's dark and depressing, and there is no triumph at the end. Merely an understanding.If you're a fan of Wilson's work, this is a required read. If not, I recommend starting instead with the Repairman Jack series in  The Tomb .

I loved the Repairman Jack novels. I have purchased most of them, over the years, and have passed them along to new readers to keep the sales alive. There were a couple of books I had not found/read/purchased prior, and Reprisal was one of these.If you are a follower of the RJ series, this book provides a lot of good background (I didn't really know what I was missing, which speaks a lot for how good the series is, but I'm glad to have had the backfill) for the final chapter of the saga. It's a good standalone novel on its own, in typical F. Paul Wilson fashion - fast paced but not cliff-hanger-y (in other words, not a huge life threatening problem at the end of every chapter), snappy dialog, nice character development. Jack doesn't show up in this one, but there is an indirect reference to him (he's the one who brings the gasoline to the graveyard, along with Mr. Veilleur, and you finally get to find out what happened there). I didn't miss him, though, and that, more than anything else, surprised me.I've read other Wilson books (Midnight Mass, for one), and have usually come away pleased. Reprisal is no exception. To give you a basis for comparison, I also enjoy Jonathan Carroll, Michael Gruber, Dennis LeHane, Jon Connolly and Colin Harrelson. I like lyrical writers with a dark bent, I guess. Wilson's writing isn't really dark - many of his characters are winsome pragmatists stuck with with weird, bad situations. Engaging though, and purely fun to read.

This product was an important addition to my library, in particular, because it completed my set of the thee later adversary novels in the Dark Harvest editions. I have a first edition hardback of The Keep, a British hardback of The Tomb, a first trade edition hardback of The Touch, and the three Dark Harvest publications. O wanted this one to complete that set.

According to F. Paul Wilson himself, Reprisal is one of the hardest books he's ever written, and one section of the book was so troubling that his wife wouldn't speak to him for three days. Once you've read the book, you won't be surprised either. Reprisal is a brutal, horrific novel that contains some of the most unsettling and nightmarish moments I've read, period, not just in Wilson's work. The events that occur over Christmas Week to a young priest are likely to stick with me for a long, long time, and that's due in no small part to Wilson's commitment to not only the story but his characters as well. The fact that such a scene plays so perfectly in the overall book - which finds characters from  Reborn  reconnecting many years later, sometimes unbeknownst to each other, as one of them seeks vengeance - is just a testament to what a phenomenal horror novel Reprisal really is. By the time the book reaches its conclusion and we realize exactly how epic the scope of this revenge truly is, it's hard not to be staggered and unsettled by what we've witnessed. What's more, by having this book lead directly into the apocalyptic finale, Wilson is free to end the book in a grim fashion befitting the bleak read that precedes it. Reprisal is a rough read by any standard, and even in Wilson's horror-infused world, it stands out as a nasty piece of work. But for those who are up for it, I can't recommend it enough; it's a gripping read by any imaginable standard.

I really loved the Keep and the Touch which were both later retconned into being part of the same storyline, but this part of that story just doesn't feel like much of a payoff considering all the build up of the previous books. I also found Nightworld to be disappointing overall. I'm fascinated by the concept of a secret history of the world. There were kingdoms and creatures and powers that be millennia before now that have been lost to us, but there are those who lived during that forgotten era that still walk the earth and we get a glimpse of them now and again in F. Paul Wilson's books. That part is very cool, but I think this story just doesn't do justice to the underlying concepts that he sets up in the Keep.

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).

If you're an F Paul Wilson fan already, then you know what you're in for - likeable, morally centered, heroic protagonists fighting an uneven battle against perhaps not-quite-earthly forces of destruction. The Repairman Jack story is a sideline in this book, but any new information to fill out the back story is exciting. As usual, the story is engaging and you won't put the book down until you're finished.If you're not an F Paul Wilson fan, now is a great time to start!

Just finished reading Reprisal, the 22nd in the Secret Histories and Repairman Jack series. Again, couldn't put it down and finished in a day and a half. I'm down to 3 books left now. Fatal Error, The Dark at the End, and finally the revised Nightworld. Looking forward to the finish line but will definitely miss Repairman Jack and his adventures.

You need a strong nerve to read this book and I consider it the most disturbing book I've ever read. The torture inflicted on one character is astonishingly unspeakable and drawn out to unbearable lengths but that is the point of the novel. These reprisals aim to totally destroy an individual's life, spirit & soul. I'm a big admirer of FPWs story telling abilities and characterisation and this is a stunning book that pulls together hints from all the other adversary cycle novels in readiness for the final showdown of Nightworld.

This is one of my all-time favourite novels written by someone who isn't Stephen King or James Herbert. It is fast paced and edgy and keeps the reader enthralled to it s end. Left open for the next in the series , it leaves you reeling and makes you want to read on. Excellent read and expertly written!

fave writer

excellent series of stories second to none

GREAT!!!