Rating: Summary: Fear an average sequel Review: Fear Nothing was a sensational book but the same can't be said for the sequel. Fear Nothing had multiple parallel stories occurring which all linked as the story progressed, each with interesting unique characters. The story is a one story novel revolving around the most interesting character from the first novel Christopher Snow, the character with xerederma pigmentosum whose condition only allows him to walk around at night. His side kick Orson (the extremely intelligent dog) is not in most of this book. In fact that's the main plot of this book. Snow and a few of his friends set off to find him and some Moonlight Bay kids who have gone missing. Along the way they encounter genetically engineered monkeys, time travel and other stuff at the ex military base on the outskirts of town. Seize the Night is not in the same league as Fear Nothing and a lot of this book rehashes Snow's and Moonlight Bay's past to explain them to those reading this book as a stand alone novel. If you've read Fear Nothing this can get rather boring and annoying. I found Christopher Snow an exceptional interesting character in Koontz's Fear Nothing masterpiece and looked forward to reading a second book with him in it but to be honest was extremely disappointed. This book seems to be written as a quick fix to satisfy Snow fan's desires to read more with him in it.
Rating: Summary: Captivating, Bone-chilling Review: Crooked police, the horribly-gone-wrong Mystery Train project, and the run-amok bio-genetic virus make Moonlight Bay the last place in the world I would want to get stuck, even for an overnight stay. Not having read the predecessor, FEAR NOTHING, I was nevertheless completely captivated and held hostage while reading SEIZE THE NIGHT and getting to know and love Chris, Bobby, Orson and Sasha--during the day, with the lights on, and the door locked. And yet, even though there were several parts that scared me just plain to death (trapped inside the bungalow, deep inside the mysterious egg room, and the final heart-stopping rescue mission)...I loved the entire thing, and eagerly hope/wait for a sequel. The suspense was cleverly and perfectly done. The dialogue was natural and believable, and endeared me to the characters so much so that even while I kept telling myself that Chris MUST survive because he's telling the story, I still found myself pulling for him through his many narrow escapes--in absolute fear that he wouldn't actually do so. The parts that were supposed to scare me made me tremble and look over my shoulder. The parts that were supposed to make me laugh made me laugh out loud. SEIZE THE NIGHT is a tremendous success. Of course, I couldn't put the book down, and I kept waiting to get to the end where the good guys win and the bad guys go away. But this is Koontz, right? I mean, he doesn't disappoint, but he's not exactly Walt Disney, either. He's wonderfully left enough room for another sequel, and you can be sure that I'll read that one, too, as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Rating: Summary: There are Scary Creatures in the Night Review: This is the sequel to "Fear Nothing" which introduced Christopher Snow, who suffers from a rare, light-sensitive condition known as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Light shortens his life, so he has to live in the dark, in the shadows. We also met Snow's, sharp as a tack girlfriend Sasha and his surfer pal Bobby. And of course we can't forget his genetically altered, very bright dog, Orson or the small seaside town of Moonlight Bay, where they all live. Five-year-old Jimmy Wing is missing and Snow and his friends are concerned, especially Snow, because Jimmy's mother is a friend and a former lover. Soon they learn that Jimmy isn't the only missing child in Moonlight Bay and the clues seem to lead to Fort Wyvern, the base where a series of secret experiments years earlier left behind an assorted mix of genetic mutations - super-smart rhesus monkeys, snakes, coyotes and the occasional human, the occasional very strange human. And, of course, Orson, the intelligent pouch, is a result of those same experiments. Snow's deceased mother had a lot to do with these experiments, which started out to be a search for a cure for genetic disorders, but Fort Wyvern is a military base, after all. Is it any wonder that the experiments turned to the dark side, any wonder that the super secret types would want to use genetics to turn out the perfect soldier. In no time at all Snow and his pals are up against mutant creatures of several stripes, creatures that will give you the chilly whillies. But our gang of good guys fights on and perseveres to the end. However you won't have to fight on or persevere through this book that is so good that it seemed to be over before I started. Dean Koontz sure knows how to draw you into a story, how to tingle the imagination, chill the spine, speed up the pulse. Don't pass this one by.
Rating: Summary: Review of unabridge audiobook = Really a 3.5 star rating Review: Rating System: 1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten 2 star = poor; a total waste of time 3 star = good; worth the effort 4 star = very good; what writing should be 5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others STORY: More of Christopher Snow and his pals in this "sequel" to Fear Nothing. Again Snow is confronted with a mystery and crimes of the local military base as he tracks down the kidnapped five-year-old son of his former sweetheart. MY FEEDBACK: 1) I so liked Christopher Snow, his dog Orson, his "dream" girlfriend Sasha, and his funny buddy Bobby that I had to come back for seconds. Each of the characters has a sense of humor and enjoyable qualities that make the reader connect and care for them. 2) The first-person told story works pretty well and kept my attention more than if this were told in the third person. I had an immediate bond with the protagonist and this allowed Koontz to keep the reader in the dark as much as he keeps Christopher Snow in the dark on a lot of issues. It added to the mysteriousness of the mystery, if you know what I mean. 3) Problem with this story is that Koontz goes on and on with every bit of setting description and tangents through the thoughts of the character. Though some of the thoughts are funny and entertaining, the story extends a typical 5 page scene into a 25+ page scene. At some points I was screaming, "Get to the point". While at other points the drawing out of the scene added to an extended sense of suspense that became intense and like eating raw lemons there is a part that says in your mind, "Why am I doing this to myself", and another part that thoroughly enjoys it no matter how much it makes your face pucker. 4) Keith Szarabajka did a great job of acting out this book, which probably added to some of the moments of suspense and well delivery of humor. Great job, Keith. 5) I think I like the story better in this second book than the first. Both are entertaining and not a waste of time though. OVERALL: I still think Watchers is the scariest book not only from Koontz by the scariest book I've ever read. With that said, this book isn't in the same category but with its believable and entertaining characters this was a fun story.
Rating: Summary: Seize the Night Review: Christopher Snow is back. Fans of Koontz's last offering, Fear Nothing (LJ 2/1/98), will remember Chris as the young victim of XP (xeroderma pigmentosum), a rare and deadly genetic condition that forces him to avoid light. Here, the horrifying tale of Chris's hometown, Moonlight Bay, continues to unfold. Chris and his tight band of friends take up the search for four missing children in this town, where experiments with a genetically engineered retrovirus have begun to turn several local residents into creatures that are less than human. Koontz successfully blends his special brand of suspense from generous measures of mystery, horror, sf, and the techno-thriller genre. But his greatest triumph in this series is the creation of Christopher Snow, a thought-provoking narrator with a facility for surfer-lingo and dark humor who, despite his extreme situation, is an undeniably believable character.
Rating: Summary: A very satisfying sequel to "Fear Nothing"... Review: Chris Snow, his dog Orson, Sasha, and Bobby are all back, but this time it involves something more evil. Moonlight Bay looks more beautiful at night and Chris knows this from experience. Afflicted with a rare skin disorder that leaves him vulnerable to light, he has come to develop rituals that make the night his home. But as beautiful as Moonlight Bay is at night, that is when shows its menace. Now children are dissapearing. They are being taken right out of their homes and vanishing without a trace. There is nothing the families can do about it, because in Moonlight Bay, the cops work to conceal crimes and do anything they can to protect the town's deadly secret. Chris believes that the children's dissapearance and the town's secret are connected, and that the missing children are still alive. When an old friend of Chris's begs him to find her child, he plunges back into the realm of evil and mystery that only happens after dark. I read "Fear Nothing" and "Seize the Night" back to back. While "Fear Nothing" was the superior book in the Chris Snow series, "Seize the Night" is still a very worthy sequel. The story looks more into the mystery of Moonlight Bay, and it also offers creatures that are new and even more terrifying than the originals. The story was put on a much grander scale, because Chris attempts to rescue the missing children. In "Fear Nothing" the whole story revolved around Chris only helping himself. The characters are still top notch. In "Seize the Night", we get to take a deeper look into Bobby's past and see another side of him. He still has the great dialogue of a laid back surfer. I like Sasha better in this story, because Koontz gives her more of a role in helping Chris. The most surprising character however is Roosevelt. While he was in the first story, we learned nothing about him. He is the story's Dr. Doolittle, because he has the ability to communicate with animals. This also helps to give Chris's dog Orson more of a role in the story. The last thing that is great about both of the Chris Snow books is that they are in a first person narrative coming from Chris. It gives the story a more personal feel. "Seize the Night" does have its flaws however. At times I felt like I was reading a recycled version of "Fear Nothing". Koontz spends time repeating information about characters and events that happened in the first book. The sequel's job is to expand on issues from the first book, not repeat them. "Seize the Night" has very few flaws, and is almost as good as "Fear Nothing". The mystery of Moonlight Bay is expanded upon, new and scarier creatures are added to the story, and Koontz's character development of all the characters was amazing. The good news is that the ending was left open for another sequel. Hopefully Dean Koontz will choose to make the Chris Snow saga into a trilogy!!
Rating: Summary: Incredibly stupid Review: This book reads like Dean Koontz stayed up late watching cliched, cheesy made-for-TV movies then wrote a book.
Rating: Summary: Okay, but stick to the original premise.... Review: I picked up "Seize the Night" eagerly after listening to the unabridged audio version of Fear Nothing, and while I liked this new installment(the continuing adventures of Chris, Bobby and Sasha), I ended up getting annoyed with the whole "Mystery Train" sub plot. Personally, I LOVED the first novel with the threat of 'becoming' (isn't that a cool enough idea, do we REALLY need the whole serial-killer-meets-stargate subplot?) I found the lack of reliance on the original material (i.e. the mutant animals/people) a trifle irritating. Plus Chris's girlfriend Sasha got on my nerves. There is a point when a character can become too perfect, and Sasha is just unbelievable. Koontz writes good men, but his female characters need some serious help. Less Sasha is more in my opinion. I of course love Bobby to death, but the cat and the cat-man simply must go. Too many minor characters, no Orson, and too much mysticism for my tastes. I hope the sequel will be better.
Rating: Summary: Excellent sequel, third installment anticipated! Review: Seize the Night is one of the best books I've read. The book is a sequel to the equally astonishing FEAR NOTHING, which got me hooked on the novel's interesting characters. Although this book, as well as it's predecessor, starts off slow, it picks up speed a quarter into reading it; if you don't enjoy the book after reading 50 pages I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU to keep reading! Seize the Night continues the ongoing conspiracies of the mysterious Fort Wyvern, and the creatures roaming Moonlight Bay. The novel also explores the effects of the armageddon-causing retrovirus more thoroughly than the last installment, and many questions are answered. A new problem has arisen in Moonlight Bay; an old project in Fort Wyvern still being run by a couple of mysterious figures. Christopher Snow is on a rescue mission to save Orson and little Jimmy Wing from a crazed killer. The journey takes him deep into Fort Wyvern's abandoned labs, where he finds out the true meaning of "Mystery Train". This book has an excellent, intriguing "twist" ending that is sure to leave you begging for more. A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO HAS READ "FEAR NOTHING". Koontz never fails to dissappoint. "Carpe noctem" -Jesse M
Rating: Summary: Worthy Sequel Review: I thought Seize the Night was a worthy sequel for Fear Nothing. I guess the gem in the book is again Christopher Snow. But here we get to see him in more of a hero role, a role where he's less afraid & ready to try & save the day! While the plot isn't realistic, it's a fun ride. I read so many books that most don't leave an impression with me. However, the character of Chris Snow has beaten the odds!
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