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The Vampire Trinity #1
Skarlet
Fear grips London as dozens of clubbers die after taking a sinister new drug. Forty-eight hours later, the dead clubbers wake up-and it's open season on the living, who are butchered for their blood. London gives a name to its terror: VAMPIRES. But the vampire plague unleashed in London is nothing to what lurks beneath the streets.
448 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 2009
18 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Emson
25 books70 followersThomas Emson is a British horror author. He has written eight novels, all published by Snowbooks in the UK. They include Maneater, Skarlet, and Zombie Brittanica. His Jack The Ripper novel Pariah was published by Tantor Media in the U.S.
His collection of stories The Trees And Other Stories was published on Kindle and CreateSpace. He has also written How To Write A Novel In 6 Months, a how-to guide for would-be novelists, which is available on Amazon.
He is represented by Mariam Keen at the Whispering Buffalo Literary Agency.
His collection of stories The Trees And Other Stories was published on Kindle and CreateSpace. He has also written How To Write A Novel In 6 Months, a how-to guide for would-be novelists, which is available on Amazon.
He is represented by Mariam Keen at the Whispering Buffalo Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
May 29, 2015
I really couldnt get into this
October 30, 2021
From the back cover:
Fear grips London as dozens of clubbers die after taking a sinister new drug, but that's only the beginning. Forty-eight hours later, the deal clubbers wake up - and it's open season on the living, who are butchered for their blood.
Soon, London gives a name to its terror: VAMPIRES.
Jake Lawton, bitter and betrayed after the Iraq War, finds himself fighting another battle - against the growing army of immortal hunters and their human cohorts. He joins forces with the journalist who brought about his downfall and the dealer tricked into distributing the drug. And together they take on the spineless authorities, the ruthless cohorts, and the hungry dead.
But the vampire plague unleashed in London is nothing to wait lurks beneath the streets -
Waiting to be fed...
Waiting to be resurrected...
Waiting to reign again over a city of human slaves...
This book was a decent enough read, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous novels I've read by this author. Emson's trademarks seem to be a straightforward, no thrills prose, plenty of action and characters drawn in broad strokes without much nuance; and I'll admit to taking a perverse pleasure in seeing areas I'm familiar with being trashed by the hungry undead. For some reason the elements didn't gel the way they previously did for me. I did find the backstory tying this in with Alexander the Great rather silly.
It's not a bad book, just not an outstanding one. I probably will read the others in the trilogy, but I'm in no hurry to do so. If you like vampires to be monsters rather than sexy bad boys and like books heavy on the action, you may well enjoy this book - be warned that there's the gore that you'd expect from vampires on the rampage through a major city, so if you find that sort of thing disturbing you won't like this book. Recommended for horror fans, particularly ones based in London.
Fear grips London as dozens of clubbers die after taking a sinister new drug, but that's only the beginning. Forty-eight hours later, the deal clubbers wake up - and it's open season on the living, who are butchered for their blood.
Soon, London gives a name to its terror: VAMPIRES.
Jake Lawton, bitter and betrayed after the Iraq War, finds himself fighting another battle - against the growing army of immortal hunters and their human cohorts. He joins forces with the journalist who brought about his downfall and the dealer tricked into distributing the drug. And together they take on the spineless authorities, the ruthless cohorts, and the hungry dead.
But the vampire plague unleashed in London is nothing to wait lurks beneath the streets -
Waiting to be fed...
Waiting to be resurrected...
Waiting to reign again over a city of human slaves...
This book was a decent enough read, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous novels I've read by this author. Emson's trademarks seem to be a straightforward, no thrills prose, plenty of action and characters drawn in broad strokes without much nuance; and I'll admit to taking a perverse pleasure in seeing areas I'm familiar with being trashed by the hungry undead. For some reason the elements didn't gel the way they previously did for me. I did find the backstory tying this in with Alexander the Great rather silly.
It's not a bad book, just not an outstanding one. I probably will read the others in the trilogy, but I'm in no hurry to do so. If you like vampires to be monsters rather than sexy bad boys and like books heavy on the action, you may well enjoy this book - be warned that there's the gore that you'd expect from vampires on the rampage through a major city, so if you find that sort of thing disturbing you won't like this book. Recommended for horror fans, particularly ones based in London.
August 28, 2017
Altra noia, ormai ho capito che gli urban fantasy, o come si chiamano, non fanno più per me.
Solita storia, c'è una droga che trasforma in vampiri o roba simile, violenza, night club ecc...
Abbandonato verso pagina 150, non l'ho retto più.
Solita storia, c'è una droga che trasforma in vampiri o roba simile, violenza, night club ecc...
Abbandonato verso pagina 150, non l'ho retto più.
April 4, 2012
In tutta onestà mi aspettavo di più da questo libro. E’ freddo, impersonale, non ti lascia nulla. C’è tanta azione e un ritmo narrativo che mira a tenerti con il fiato sospeso, eppure nel leggerlo mi sono ritrovata spesso a pensare ad altro, mi sono distratta e questo significa che non mi ha coinvolto.
Non mi ha catturato perché prevedibile negli eventi e con personaggi troppo stereotipati. Insomma c’è una trama che potrebbe funzionare, ma non c’è l’anima. Sembra scritto seguendo le classiche regole di un manuale di scrittura creativa, e potrebbe andare bene come sceneggiatura di un film d’azione di quelli dozzinali, ma come romanzo non ci siamo proprio. Almeno per quelli che sono i miei gusti.
La prosa è semplice ma scorrevole, seppur inficiata da alcune fastidiose ripetizioni. Devo inoltre annotare che Emson (o forse chi ha tradotto?) si confonde più di una volta con i nomi, ed ecco che l’azione di un Lawson viene attribuita a Wilson oppure la frase di una Jenna a Sassie.
Ha invece destato il mio interesse tutta la mitologia sull’origine del vampirismo e il legame con Babilonia ed Alessandro Magno. Senza dubbio sono state queste le parti del romanzo che più mi hanno affascinato e incuriosito.
Aggiungo che tra le righe della storia appare un messaggio per me chiaro, forse scontato, ma positivo che ci sia. Ci sono i tanti, i comuni mortali con le loro divergenze di pensiero, i loro scontri e le loro posizioni politiche diverse e ci sono i pochi, gli eletti, rappresentanti di ‘poteri forti’ che tramano nell’ombra per avere il controllo sull’intera umanità. E c’è il momento in cui è bene che le persone ‘comuni’ superino le proprie controversie per lottare insieme contro i veri nemici, i grandi manovratori, coloro che giocano con le vite umane in nome del Dio/Potere.
Il finale rimane sospeso, la prima battaglia è vinta, ma non ci è svelato cosa sia successo ai protagonisti. Si tratta, infatti, del primo volume di una trilogia.
Non so se leggerò il seguito. Facciamo così, signor Emson, se quando uscirà il secondo libro mi ricorderò ancora di Jack e Sassie, o di Christine, o di Fraser, allora, forse, darò un’altra chance a questa storia.
Non mi ha catturato perché prevedibile negli eventi e con personaggi troppo stereotipati. Insomma c’è una trama che potrebbe funzionare, ma non c’è l’anima. Sembra scritto seguendo le classiche regole di un manuale di scrittura creativa, e potrebbe andare bene come sceneggiatura di un film d’azione di quelli dozzinali, ma come romanzo non ci siamo proprio. Almeno per quelli che sono i miei gusti.
La prosa è semplice ma scorrevole, seppur inficiata da alcune fastidiose ripetizioni. Devo inoltre annotare che Emson (o forse chi ha tradotto?) si confonde più di una volta con i nomi, ed ecco che l’azione di un Lawson viene attribuita a Wilson oppure la frase di una Jenna a Sassie.
Ha invece destato il mio interesse tutta la mitologia sull’origine del vampirismo e il legame con Babilonia ed Alessandro Magno. Senza dubbio sono state queste le parti del romanzo che più mi hanno affascinato e incuriosito.
Aggiungo che tra le righe della storia appare un messaggio per me chiaro, forse scontato, ma positivo che ci sia. Ci sono i tanti, i comuni mortali con le loro divergenze di pensiero, i loro scontri e le loro posizioni politiche diverse e ci sono i pochi, gli eletti, rappresentanti di ‘poteri forti’ che tramano nell’ombra per avere il controllo sull’intera umanità. E c’è il momento in cui è bene che le persone ‘comuni’ superino le proprie controversie per lottare insieme contro i veri nemici, i grandi manovratori, coloro che giocano con le vite umane in nome del Dio/Potere.
Il finale rimane sospeso, la prima battaglia è vinta, ma non ci è svelato cosa sia successo ai protagonisti. Si tratta, infatti, del primo volume di una trilogia.
Non so se leggerò il seguito. Facciamo così, signor Emson, se quando uscirà il secondo libro mi ricorderò ancora di Jack e Sassie, o di Christine, o di Fraser, allora, forse, darò un’altra chance a questa storia.
July 29, 2012
The real shame with this book, is it would probably merit four stars from me... if only he'd hired an editor! The story itself is actually pretty good, the basic telling of it fine. But without an editor, the actual writing is so painfully clunky, something that should be a nice easy read, frankly became quite a chore.
Of particular note, he said/she said for every single piece of dialogue. Every. Single. Piece. Too much information made attempts to convey sub culture or national culture clumsy and tiresome. The first time somebody "puffed air out of his cheeks" I was actually kind of impressed: it's something people do which doesn't get described in writing. By the hundredth time, spread across numerous characters, it was a grating affectation. Similarly the inclination for every single character to lose control of their bladder in the face of fear, not to mention the assumption fresh urine smells so strong a bystander would catch whiff of it, became ludicrous with overly-frequent use.
I could go on... suffice it to say, the book was poorly written and sorely lacking a decent editor. But - and there is a but that made it just scrape in with two stars for me - it genuinely was a nice basic story idea, and for that I have to give it credit.
Of particular note, he said/she said for every single piece of dialogue. Every. Single. Piece. Too much information made attempts to convey sub culture or national culture clumsy and tiresome. The first time somebody "puffed air out of his cheeks" I was actually kind of impressed: it's something people do which doesn't get described in writing. By the hundredth time, spread across numerous characters, it was a grating affectation. Similarly the inclination for every single character to lose control of their bladder in the face of fear, not to mention the assumption fresh urine smells so strong a bystander would catch whiff of it, became ludicrous with overly-frequent use.
I could go on... suffice it to say, the book was poorly written and sorely lacking a decent editor. But - and there is a but that made it just scrape in with two stars for me - it genuinely was a nice basic story idea, and for that I have to give it credit.
October 20, 2012
I took a chance on this book when I found out the audio was narrated by Arthur Darvill, who is a great performer, and hopefully will continue on with the series. This is the first in a “Vampire Trinity”, but unlike some of the more recent take on vampires, these are definitely “bad-guys”. They smell like death and decay, and only crave blood. There is no good or moral vampire in this story. It’s a straight up action book, and I like how it jumps perspectives to give a broader account of events. The story also has a pretty interesting conspiracy plot dating back to Alexander the Great which balances out the action. There are a few cheesy parts here and there, predominantly in the dialogue of some of the characters, but overall worth the effort. I’m not sure how I’d like it as an entire trilogy… to me that seems like milking it. (Are there books written that aren’t a part of a series anymore?). But I’m still open to checking them out… particularly the audio versions.
August 23, 2010
Thomas Emson is an extremely exciting author whom I happened to stubble upon at Waterstones and have to admit, I am in awe of the man. I picked up his book and thought I would give it a try and have to say, I couldn't put it down from page 1 through the end. I read it within two days because I couldn't stop.
Skarlet is an exciting book with a unique take on Vampires and the mythos surrounding it. The characters are well rounded and the plot keeps driving forward at a 100mph to its wonderful conclusion. Forget Twilight and True Blood - deep, sensitive and effeminate vampires, these vampires are out to feed and don't care who gets in the way.
I have enjoyed this book so much that I have now picked up all Emson's book and can't wait for the sequel to Skarlet. I highly recommend this page turner.
Skarlet is an exciting book with a unique take on Vampires and the mythos surrounding it. The characters are well rounded and the plot keeps driving forward at a 100mph to its wonderful conclusion. Forget Twilight and True Blood - deep, sensitive and effeminate vampires, these vampires are out to feed and don't care who gets in the way.
I have enjoyed this book so much that I have now picked up all Emson's book and can't wait for the sequel to Skarlet. I highly recommend this page turner.
March 13, 2009
More solid entertainment from Emson. For the first two thirds, it's an intriguing horror. The final third, building to the dramatic face off, is fairly predictable, but it's sufficiently well delivered that I could enjoy it anyway. I like my vampires the way Emson plays them here, as savage beasts rather than impotent intellectuals, and the nightclub set up is a neat way into the well played origins of his bloodsuckers. Not quite on a par with Maneater for me, but never less than enjoyable. It's the first part of a trilogy, and I'll be back for Krimson, hoping the story develops instead of simply repeating.
June 14, 2013
OK vampire novel in the Blade/Underworld vein. Interestingly, had this been a stand-alone book, I might have checked out the author's other stuff, but won't probably have time for the rest of the series. All London books are always interesting, though, no matter what the genre.
September 23, 2019
It’s vampires, what can I say.
December 19, 2023
Skarlet was the second Thomas Emson book I've read in recent weeks, following closely behind Iron Bones, which if you haven't read - you probably should! OK, back to Skarlet. I really enjoyed this. A cast of relatable characters who you can't help rooting for. Jake Lawton is gritty, tenacious and not to be messed with, but he's more than just a tough guy out to kick a**e. The story is well plotted with a few cleverly placed flashbacks that give a depth and richness to the overall narrative without being a distraction. The tension and horror drip from the pages ratcheting up to a devastating, blood curdling and satisfying conclusion that leaves you wanting more. As soon as I finished, I immediately went and bought Krimson - book two in the series.
February 2, 2025
Spoilers…interesting characters and the concept for the vampires was unique. That being said, I felt like Jake and cast were just bumbling about. I know, unreal circumstances and they were winging it, so expected, but I just thought it was too much. And if this happened in the biggest city in the states, hundreds of people dying by night three, we’d have an extreme military presence taking action…is it really like that in the UK? Stuff was constantly on TV but no military reaction the events. I’m going to continue the series, but I’m not in a hurry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
The story was really interesting, but I lost a bit of interest in it, around the last 100 pages. We got a lot of small chapters that all ended in cliffhangers. Most of the chapters even though they were from different perspectives built upon each other, but these with only a few pages per chapter were distracting and kept cutting each other off. Next to this I enjoyed most of the book and am looking forward to what book 2 will bring.
November 24, 2020
Blast from the past! I discovered this book in my local library about 6 years ago and remember enjoying it so I thought I would give it another bash! Enjoyed it again the second time too! Now onto another Thomas Emson!!
July 5, 2017
Omg loved it kept me grip I didn't ant to put down for to long inly downside was chapters was very short x
July 11, 2021
DNF at page 66. This is hella boring. And the writing style is all over the place.
July 29, 2013
Jake Lawton is a bouncer at a London club's goth night where nearly thirty people die of a drug overdose--one of them his ex-girlfriend.
Not long later they all rise from the dead and begin a killing rampage, draining the blood from everyone they come in contact with. People refuse to believe it, but many call them vampires.
The drug Skarlet is the culprit and Jake is being framed for selling it to the clubbers. He's on a mission to clear his name, but as people rise from the dead and chaos ensues, Jake works to unravel the mystery of the cause and stop the evildoers from realizing their grand plan.
I'm gonna be real here: I did not like SKARLET. At all. This is not the kind of book I would buy. Why? It's the genre: horror-vampire-thriller mash-up with gore, blood, and various brutality. But, hey, maybe you like that kind of stuff (i.e., The Walking Dead, etc.) so this is the kind of book for you.
That being said, the author is an experienced writer, and it's not a poorly written novel. The evil people are pure evil. There's a mythology associated with the vampires. The present-day London setting was clear and yet didn't clutter the narrative. The main characters are complex people. And the plot moves along with enough interesting twists and turns to keep readers engaged.
However, SKARLET has its share of issues, the most notable being the flow. Have you read Dan Brown? Did you notice that his chapters are really short? The chapters in this are like that. The scenes are short enough that there are constant cliffhangers--which is exhausting for me to read--and there are even some action sequences with scenes as short as one page. Plot events were circular, there was a lot of character movement, and with such a large cast it was difficult to follow the whys and wheres of everyone's comings and goings.
Couple short scenes with a multitude of PoVs and it's difficult to understand the characters with any real depth because you hardly have time to get into their heads before you're whisked along to the next character. This made it hard for me to really like any of the main characters or believe the motivations of the antagonists. Jake was fine enough as the protagonist, but the secondary characters, especially the women, are awkwardly and inconsistently drawn. For example, the gutsy reporter Christine starts out well enough, but I would have liked to see the qualities that made her such a hard-nosed reporter translate more consistently to the matter at hand.
Emson also liked adding scenes from the PoV of random people who die--I guess if you like the horror flavor of the concept you might enjoy this part of the book, but I had a hard time seeing the point. I would rather follow Jake as he attempts to discover the mystery behind the outbreak, but that part of the story drags out for the sake of sensationalizing the bloody violence of the vampires. Ultimately I saw that it did have a purpose to the plot, but not clear until the end when my frustration had nearly boiled over.
The mythology was...interesting, but the jury's still out on that one for me. Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar. Alexander the Great. Vampire demon trinities. Using mythology and science to bring about a new plague of vampires. I just don't know. I guess I could have believed it more if I had liked the characters, but it all seemed so shallow to me. And the vampires themselves were meh.
I may be lacking a fundamental understanding of the horror-vampire-thriller storytelling style, which may be the result of my dislike for this kind of book and therefore my dislike for SKARLET itself. But I'm not so sure.
Recommended Age: I recommend adults only
Language: Lots and lots
Violence: Blood is everywhere
Sex: Lots of references (including rape, prostitution, and incest) and a few scenes
***Read this and other reviews at Elitist Book Reviews.***
Not long later they all rise from the dead and begin a killing rampage, draining the blood from everyone they come in contact with. People refuse to believe it, but many call them vampires.
The drug Skarlet is the culprit and Jake is being framed for selling it to the clubbers. He's on a mission to clear his name, but as people rise from the dead and chaos ensues, Jake works to unravel the mystery of the cause and stop the evildoers from realizing their grand plan.
I'm gonna be real here: I did not like SKARLET. At all. This is not the kind of book I would buy. Why? It's the genre: horror-vampire-thriller mash-up with gore, blood, and various brutality. But, hey, maybe you like that kind of stuff (i.e., The Walking Dead, etc.) so this is the kind of book for you.
That being said, the author is an experienced writer, and it's not a poorly written novel. The evil people are pure evil. There's a mythology associated with the vampires. The present-day London setting was clear and yet didn't clutter the narrative. The main characters are complex people. And the plot moves along with enough interesting twists and turns to keep readers engaged.
However, SKARLET has its share of issues, the most notable being the flow. Have you read Dan Brown? Did you notice that his chapters are really short? The chapters in this are like that. The scenes are short enough that there are constant cliffhangers--which is exhausting for me to read--and there are even some action sequences with scenes as short as one page. Plot events were circular, there was a lot of character movement, and with such a large cast it was difficult to follow the whys and wheres of everyone's comings and goings.
Couple short scenes with a multitude of PoVs and it's difficult to understand the characters with any real depth because you hardly have time to get into their heads before you're whisked along to the next character. This made it hard for me to really like any of the main characters or believe the motivations of the antagonists. Jake was fine enough as the protagonist, but the secondary characters, especially the women, are awkwardly and inconsistently drawn. For example, the gutsy reporter Christine starts out well enough, but I would have liked to see the qualities that made her such a hard-nosed reporter translate more consistently to the matter at hand.
Emson also liked adding scenes from the PoV of random people who die--I guess if you like the horror flavor of the concept you might enjoy this part of the book, but I had a hard time seeing the point. I would rather follow Jake as he attempts to discover the mystery behind the outbreak, but that part of the story drags out for the sake of sensationalizing the bloody violence of the vampires. Ultimately I saw that it did have a purpose to the plot, but not clear until the end when my frustration had nearly boiled over.
The mythology was...interesting, but the jury's still out on that one for me. Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar. Alexander the Great. Vampire demon trinities. Using mythology and science to bring about a new plague of vampires. I just don't know. I guess I could have believed it more if I had liked the characters, but it all seemed so shallow to me. And the vampires themselves were meh.
I may be lacking a fundamental understanding of the horror-vampire-thriller storytelling style, which may be the result of my dislike for this kind of book and therefore my dislike for SKARLET itself. But I'm not so sure.
Recommended Age: I recommend adults only
Language: Lots and lots
Violence: Blood is everywhere
Sex: Lots of references (including rape, prostitution, and incest) and a few scenes
***Read this and other reviews at Elitist Book Reviews.***
November 8, 2012
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/11/...
Jake Lawton, back home in England in ’08, 2 years after fighting in the Iraq War, is passing the time (and collecting a regular paycheck) as a doorman at a nightclub called Religion. On a night when the “vampires” come out in force, goths and sanguinarians (blood drinkers) alike, he’s frustrated that the club manager has let a known drug dealer back into the club after being banned for life. There’s really nothing Jake can do, but he’s determined to keep a close eye on the guy, just in case. Later that night, when club goers begin coughing up blood and dying on the dance floor, Jake is horrified. Soon, people are being attacked in the streets, their throats ripped out or turned into ravening killers themselves. Could this be a dangerous new drug, or something even more diabolical.
Skarlet is the first book in a new vampire series, and if you’re looking for vamps that don’t sparkle (or smell particularly good), Skarlet is the book for you. Vampire fiction has grown stale for me in recent years, but Skarlet takes the spitfire format of Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series (short, pulse pounding chapters), a historical thread going all the way back to ancient Babylon, and of course, blood drinking baddies, and packages it into a compelling, fast moving horror/thriller.
Jake Lawton is my kind of hero (surly, rough around the edges, good at the core), and I loved the London setting. I found myself picturing 28 Days Later frequently, except with vampires instead of zombies. The vampires are bad enough, but they’re really just pawns for a creepy brother/sister duo bent on resurrecting an unholy vampiric trinity of terror. Seriously, cruel, weird, and creepy really don’t begin to describe these two. However, the author gave them a history too, and it’s a tragic one, to be sure. Jake Lawton has a bit of a shady past from his tour in Iraq, and the very reporter, Christine Murray, that nearly ruined his life ends up teaming up with him to stop the vampire menace. Christine begins the story as your typical, annoying reporter, but as you learn more about her, and the shambles her family is in because of her career, she becomes more of a sympathetic character. Dr. Melissa Rae (Sassie) whose specialty is classical archaeology, provides a potential love interest for Jake, but I honestly found her a bit distracting, and not in a good way. Her knee-jerk judgment of Jake’s time in Iraq grated on me right off the bat, so she and I got off on the wrong foot at the get go. She’s a small quibble though, and horror/thriller fans should enjoy this creepy, roller coaster ride through a terrifying London vampire apocalypse, and you’ll have a bloody good time.
Jake Lawton, back home in England in ’08, 2 years after fighting in the Iraq War, is passing the time (and collecting a regular paycheck) as a doorman at a nightclub called Religion. On a night when the “vampires” come out in force, goths and sanguinarians (blood drinkers) alike, he’s frustrated that the club manager has let a known drug dealer back into the club after being banned for life. There’s really nothing Jake can do, but he’s determined to keep a close eye on the guy, just in case. Later that night, when club goers begin coughing up blood and dying on the dance floor, Jake is horrified. Soon, people are being attacked in the streets, their throats ripped out or turned into ravening killers themselves. Could this be a dangerous new drug, or something even more diabolical.
Skarlet is the first book in a new vampire series, and if you’re looking for vamps that don’t sparkle (or smell particularly good), Skarlet is the book for you. Vampire fiction has grown stale for me in recent years, but Skarlet takes the spitfire format of Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series (short, pulse pounding chapters), a historical thread going all the way back to ancient Babylon, and of course, blood drinking baddies, and packages it into a compelling, fast moving horror/thriller.
Jake Lawton is my kind of hero (surly, rough around the edges, good at the core), and I loved the London setting. I found myself picturing 28 Days Later frequently, except with vampires instead of zombies. The vampires are bad enough, but they’re really just pawns for a creepy brother/sister duo bent on resurrecting an unholy vampiric trinity of terror. Seriously, cruel, weird, and creepy really don’t begin to describe these two. However, the author gave them a history too, and it’s a tragic one, to be sure. Jake Lawton has a bit of a shady past from his tour in Iraq, and the very reporter, Christine Murray, that nearly ruined his life ends up teaming up with him to stop the vampire menace. Christine begins the story as your typical, annoying reporter, but as you learn more about her, and the shambles her family is in because of her career, she becomes more of a sympathetic character. Dr. Melissa Rae (Sassie) whose specialty is classical archaeology, provides a potential love interest for Jake, but I honestly found her a bit distracting, and not in a good way. Her knee-jerk judgment of Jake’s time in Iraq grated on me right off the bat, so she and I got off on the wrong foot at the get go. She’s a small quibble though, and horror/thriller fans should enjoy this creepy, roller coaster ride through a terrifying London vampire apocalypse, and you’ll have a bloody good time.
April 22, 2010
One of my first horror novels to read and I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t a full blown horror, in my eyes, it was an eery low key horror that gave me creepy nightmares lo.
Jake Lawton is an ex-soldier from Iraq who has been dismissed on unlawful grounds, but they (the government/ MD) needed to make him a scapegoat, showing the society that they don’t take lightly to ‘murdering’ innocent civilians in a country that they are trying to instil peace into. He’s despondent – society has shunned him, he can’t get a job, except as a doorman at clubs and illegal fights. He has nothing to fight for, but things change when a new drug kills 28 people at the nightclub he works at, Religion. But these victims aren’t dead for long, they resurrect, becoming half dead, blood thirsty animals – myth calls them Vampires, but no one can quite believe it.
This isn’t a generic vampire horror novel. It’s got a strong historic element which I loved. The resurrection of the Trinity of Vampires from the Babylonian times and the prophecy of destruction. Alexander the Great, Abrahams Sword, slayer of vampires. I loved it all, it was inventive and unique and enjoyable to imagine, to read.
The main character of Jake Lawton is strong, well developed and exceptionally believable. The element of him being an ex soldier and the injustice served is what is happening today, it is current, relatable.
The involvement of key members of society was a surprise but integral to the story and the writing style that Mr Emson delivered was superb, not over done – not too much description or conversation, a lovely balance that made it a thrill to read. It brought the aspects together creating a thrilling, scary exciting and innovative novel.
If I had one thing to criticise, or maybe two it would be, on; the amount of errors throughout the book (I have never criticised a book for this but it niggled me to high heaven at some points). I have noticed the odd one here and there in other books but at one point in Skarlet there was an error on every page, sometimes even two. The second would be the fact that no one seemed to sympathise with Jake Lawton and the war, I know there are a lot of anti-war people but I sympathised, maybe it’s because my brother was there, it’s closer to home, but I wouldn’t judge him for doing his job, for protecting those. The whole situation I knew would play out the way, and I am glad, because he wasn’t in the wrong....yes I know he is fiction but it’s still around today!
So in conclusion, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and am exceptionally excited about Krimson in 2011 –the cliffy was immense! – but the proof reader leaves a lot to be desired!
Jake Lawton is an ex-soldier from Iraq who has been dismissed on unlawful grounds, but they (the government/ MD) needed to make him a scapegoat, showing the society that they don’t take lightly to ‘murdering’ innocent civilians in a country that they are trying to instil peace into. He’s despondent – society has shunned him, he can’t get a job, except as a doorman at clubs and illegal fights. He has nothing to fight for, but things change when a new drug kills 28 people at the nightclub he works at, Religion. But these victims aren’t dead for long, they resurrect, becoming half dead, blood thirsty animals – myth calls them Vampires, but no one can quite believe it.
This isn’t a generic vampire horror novel. It’s got a strong historic element which I loved. The resurrection of the Trinity of Vampires from the Babylonian times and the prophecy of destruction. Alexander the Great, Abrahams Sword, slayer of vampires. I loved it all, it was inventive and unique and enjoyable to imagine, to read.
The main character of Jake Lawton is strong, well developed and exceptionally believable. The element of him being an ex soldier and the injustice served is what is happening today, it is current, relatable.
The involvement of key members of society was a surprise but integral to the story and the writing style that Mr Emson delivered was superb, not over done – not too much description or conversation, a lovely balance that made it a thrill to read. It brought the aspects together creating a thrilling, scary exciting and innovative novel.
If I had one thing to criticise, or maybe two it would be, on; the amount of errors throughout the book (I have never criticised a book for this but it niggled me to high heaven at some points). I have noticed the odd one here and there in other books but at one point in Skarlet there was an error on every page, sometimes even two. The second would be the fact that no one seemed to sympathise with Jake Lawton and the war, I know there are a lot of anti-war people but I sympathised, maybe it’s because my brother was there, it’s closer to home, but I wouldn’t judge him for doing his job, for protecting those. The whole situation I knew would play out the way, and I am glad, because he wasn’t in the wrong....yes I know he is fiction but it’s still around today!
So in conclusion, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and am exceptionally excited about Krimson in 2011 –the cliffy was immense! – but the proof reader leaves a lot to be desired!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2012
This book was gritty and contemporary to say the least. It had no fluff, no prettiness about it and it blurted out to anyone in bold letters 'if you don't like it, TOUGH'. It's not for the faint hearted. For those who want happy endings and fluffy, puppy-love romances, skip away now.
It's real, it's scary and not to be messed with.
Thomas Emson is a brilliant writer who makes other vampire and werewolf novels look like baby books in comparison.
I liked the idea that the vampire virus was harnessed into a street drug/pill called Skarlet. It made it very real and the whole story from start to finish got you sucked into the very bowels of London giving a believable view of what would really happen if the whole world went to hell in a handbasket and you were stuck on London streets helpless to do anything.
It had a familiar vibe to the 28 days later horror zombie film by Danny Boyle. It was edgy, the characters were sharp and strong. Jake Lawton, wrongfully disgraced ex-soldier was such a fun, complex and interesting character to be in the mind of. I enjoyed reading from his point of view and really felt for him and his struggle to prove himself as a good and honourable man.
Fraser Lithgow was a funny guy with a great sense of humour and when he and Jake have to join forces it's chalk and cheese, at each other's throats, but the relationship grows and I loved reading their relationship in the book more than Jake's interested with Sassie, or his issues and lingering complex feelings with Jenna his ex.
The take on the vampire creature itself was a little different. It wasn't sexy or a lingerie model, it was grotesque, sinister, evil, merciless and spine-chilling.
My favourite scene of all was the very beginning when the two parents are trying to sell their children, desperate with hunger. It was poignant, upsetting but the way of the world and you have to accept that throughout this book. Betrayal comes easily, bad things happen to good people, people are wrongfully accused, misjudged, marriages fall apart and people, including children are not safe from any catastrophe. If you can't accept that, then this book is not for you :D
I'm looking forward to the next in the series. When I'm feeling in an especially dark and sinister mood. :D
I'm actually giving it 4 1/2 stars out of 5. I can't bring myself to give it 5 stars, simply because it's not something I would happily read again and again. It's not something you can always stomach.
It's real, it's scary and not to be messed with.
Thomas Emson is a brilliant writer who makes other vampire and werewolf novels look like baby books in comparison.
I liked the idea that the vampire virus was harnessed into a street drug/pill called Skarlet. It made it very real and the whole story from start to finish got you sucked into the very bowels of London giving a believable view of what would really happen if the whole world went to hell in a handbasket and you were stuck on London streets helpless to do anything.
It had a familiar vibe to the 28 days later horror zombie film by Danny Boyle. It was edgy, the characters were sharp and strong. Jake Lawton, wrongfully disgraced ex-soldier was such a fun, complex and interesting character to be in the mind of. I enjoyed reading from his point of view and really felt for him and his struggle to prove himself as a good and honourable man.
Fraser Lithgow was a funny guy with a great sense of humour and when he and Jake have to join forces it's chalk and cheese, at each other's throats, but the relationship grows and I loved reading their relationship in the book more than Jake's interested with Sassie, or his issues and lingering complex feelings with Jenna his ex.
The take on the vampire creature itself was a little different. It wasn't sexy or a lingerie model, it was grotesque, sinister, evil, merciless and spine-chilling.
My favourite scene of all was the very beginning when the two parents are trying to sell their children, desperate with hunger. It was poignant, upsetting but the way of the world and you have to accept that throughout this book. Betrayal comes easily, bad things happen to good people, people are wrongfully accused, misjudged, marriages fall apart and people, including children are not safe from any catastrophe. If you can't accept that, then this book is not for you :D
I'm looking forward to the next in the series. When I'm feeling in an especially dark and sinister mood. :D
I'm actually giving it 4 1/2 stars out of 5. I can't bring myself to give it 5 stars, simply because it's not something I would happily read again and again. It's not something you can always stomach.
February 3, 2013
Let's start with one likely hero: Jake Lawton, an Iraqi war vet recognized as a great leader by all who followed him when he was in the Army. Next, we'll give him the a team of people LEAST LIKELY to follow him:
- The reporter instrumental in getting him unfairly branded a war criminal
- The drug dealer who dated his ex-girlfriend while he was in Iraq
- An academic never out of the ivory tower
And those four are teaming up to save the world against a conspiracy dating back to Alexander the Great and the fall of Babylon as a trinity of vampire gods rise again at the behest of giant criminal conspiracy involving top members of the government and led by a sadistic, purple-eyed sex addict and her James Bond-like sidekick brother.
What I think I liked most was that Lawton's ragtag group is literally the group of people he wants nothing to do with. The ex-lover of his ex-girlfriend, the woman who ruined his career -- but he has no choice but to team up with them. Only Sassie, the professor they seek advice from on a relic, is a person he desires to work with.
On the cover of this book was the blurb that Emson is a writer to watch... and to fear. I agree. Early in his writing career, Emson proves to be a master of his craft. He skillfully wove numerous subplots (Nadia's origin as it ties to the filthy but valuable rags, Alexander the Great's conquest of Babylon, Lawton's war crimes, romance between Lawton and Sassie, resolution of Lawton's difficulties with two of his helpers, and the ill-fated trek by British soldiers on the 1920s) into a beautiful story.
I think this would have been better stand alone, but alas it is (as most books published today) the first chapter in a trilogy. Though I'm satisfied at the conclusion of this novel, I look forward to seeing how the story will continue since enough conspirators survived the "final" showdown.
Emson has won himself a big fan with this work!
- The reporter instrumental in getting him unfairly branded a war criminal
- The drug dealer who dated his ex-girlfriend while he was in Iraq
- An academic never out of the ivory tower
And those four are teaming up to save the world against a conspiracy dating back to Alexander the Great and the fall of Babylon as a trinity of vampire gods rise again at the behest of giant criminal conspiracy involving top members of the government and led by a sadistic, purple-eyed sex addict and her James Bond-like sidekick brother.
What I think I liked most was that Lawton's ragtag group is literally the group of people he wants nothing to do with. The ex-lover of his ex-girlfriend, the woman who ruined his career -- but he has no choice but to team up with them. Only Sassie, the professor they seek advice from on a relic, is a person he desires to work with.
On the cover of this book was the blurb that Emson is a writer to watch... and to fear. I agree. Early in his writing career, Emson proves to be a master of his craft. He skillfully wove numerous subplots (Nadia's origin as it ties to the filthy but valuable rags, Alexander the Great's conquest of Babylon, Lawton's war crimes, romance between Lawton and Sassie, resolution of Lawton's difficulties with two of his helpers, and the ill-fated trek by British soldiers on the 1920s) into a beautiful story.
I think this would have been better stand alone, but alas it is (as most books published today) the first chapter in a trilogy. Though I'm satisfied at the conclusion of this novel, I look forward to seeing how the story will continue since enough conspirators survived the "final" showdown.
Emson has won himself a big fan with this work!
April 27, 2013
Back again with another review this time this book was a ARC given to me in a Goodreads giveaway of Skarlet by Thomas Emson. I am going to give this book a honest review because all books need those honest reviews. The premise of the story sounded intriguing so, I went into the novel wanting to find out the juicy secret lying within. The structure of the book is broken into five parts with over a hundred chapters with just under four hundred pages which means a chapter a page. However the structure was the story was still interesting with a steady pace throughout the novel until the climax of the story allowing for the characters to be believable and grounded. At times the book felt and is aware of its average nature because the book wasn't the greatest and not the worst it might be overlook by most people. Fair warning with this novel the language is quite heavy, but what do you expect from adult talking to adult when they are angry. If after all I said and you still reading this, then you might want to pick this up if you are into paranormal or need a new vampire series to read. I will let you know that one of my favorite part in the book was in part five which was a great tie-in to the other novels in the Vampire Trinity. All in all, this book is average in its best form allowing for people love or hate this book or too even overlook this novel. How about you read this novel and determine if you think its a crap book, an average book or a complete masterpiece?
June 22, 2012
Not being much of a horror fan myself, nonetheless something about Skarlet drew me. Boy, am I glad I took a chance.
At first I wasn't sure about Skarlet, but about 50 pages in, the characters started speaking to me. Jake Lawton, bitter ex-soldier, got to me first. Then Sassie, female Indiana Jones, with her odd bravery. Murray, a journalist who only cares about the story, but in the end discovers what's truly important to her. And you can't forget Fraser Lithgow, the drug dealer with the heart of gold? Nah, but still, not all bad.
Greed and fear can bring out the best and worst in humans, and Skarlet exemplifies it. Enemies become allies; family turns on each other. Above all, the unexpected become heroes.
Gotta say, I also love the new twist Emson has put on his vampire mythology. I'm very much a paranormal romance kind of girl (They're not the bad guys, just misunderstood? Heh.), but Skarlet fascinated me. This aren't brain-numb zombies. These vampires are cold, and intelligent, and they have a purpose. And lucky for them, they have some humans with the same goals. Let's conquer the world, yeah?
I can't wait to see where this series is going.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
At first I wasn't sure about Skarlet, but about 50 pages in, the characters started speaking to me. Jake Lawton, bitter ex-soldier, got to me first. Then Sassie, female Indiana Jones, with her odd bravery. Murray, a journalist who only cares about the story, but in the end discovers what's truly important to her. And you can't forget Fraser Lithgow, the drug dealer with the heart of gold? Nah, but still, not all bad.
Greed and fear can bring out the best and worst in humans, and Skarlet exemplifies it. Enemies become allies; family turns on each other. Above all, the unexpected become heroes.
Gotta say, I also love the new twist Emson has put on his vampire mythology. I'm very much a paranormal romance kind of girl (They're not the bad guys, just misunderstood? Heh.), but Skarlet fascinated me. This aren't brain-numb zombies. These vampires are cold, and intelligent, and they have a purpose. And lucky for them, they have some humans with the same goals. Let's conquer the world, yeah?
I can't wait to see where this series is going.
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]
November 17, 2010
Il libro di Emson è una boccata d'ossigeno, dopo l'invasione di vampiri belli, buoni e profumati che ha colpito le nostre librerie. Ho apprezzato in particolare l'idea di un vampirismo trasmesso attraverso una partita di ecstasy tagliata male e diffusa proprio attraverso le feste dei "real vampires". Il ritmo della narrazione è incalzante e distribuito su più piani temporali e locali e ricorda Stephen King per come sono sviluppati alcuni scenari secondari di vittime e personaggi di minor rilevanza. Il problema è che, a differenza dei personaggi di King, quelli di Emson non spiccano per tridimensionalità. Sono tutti, chi più chi meno degli stereotipi e come tali si muovono in modo assolutamente prevedibile. Apprezzabile lo sforzo di scrivere una nuova storia mitologica del vampiro (Dracula cacciatore di vampiri è stato un concetto in effetti inaspettato), anche se alcuni punti meritavano senz'altro ulteriore approfondimento. Tre stelline con qualche riserva. Potrebbe uscirne un buon film.
January 2, 2014
If I remember correctly, only one character in a book containing quite a lot of deaths didn't pee themselves upon demise. I mean, yeah, it's a fairly common thing for the bladder to give up with the rest of the body, but sixteen deaths in, I sort of get the picture.
That's just an irritating detail, though. Apart from semi-interesting vampire mythology, I honestly can't think of anything to like about this book. The female characters are horribly written. Jake is un-likeable, his background story slightly ridiculous and his sudden feelings for Sassie are creepy as hell. It's really not impressive that a worm of a guy like Fraser is the only character who gets any sort of development.
Most of the time, I was just being told things that seemed to come out of nowhere. The rest of the time, situations described were illogical at best or straight out stupid at worst. (Why the heck would the night buses be running under such a crisis situation? How much are they paying those poor drivers?)
Avoid Skarlet at all cost.
That's just an irritating detail, though. Apart from semi-interesting vampire mythology, I honestly can't think of anything to like about this book. The female characters are horribly written. Jake is un-likeable, his background story slightly ridiculous and his sudden feelings for Sassie are creepy as hell. It's really not impressive that a worm of a guy like Fraser is the only character who gets any sort of development.
Most of the time, I was just being told things that seemed to come out of nowhere. The rest of the time, situations described were illogical at best or straight out stupid at worst. (Why the heck would the night buses be running under such a crisis situation? How much are they paying those poor drivers?)
Avoid Skarlet at all cost.
June 18, 2013
I liked this book for the most part. I was a little annoyed by the fact that sometimes characters go by their first names and sometimes by their last names. I feel like Sassie (a professional adult that goes by 'Sassie'? Really?) was only their to provide a love interest for Jake. But it seemed so phony. And sometimes down right juvenile. I think it would have been a much better story without her. Or without the love interest part. It seems like Rabbit was brought into the story just so the author could have someone killed off. Like the author was too afraid to kill off one of the main characters.
On the bright side, he took a bunch of characters that I hated and somehow made them work. I still am not too fond of them but at least I don't wish they would all die. There weren't really any slow parts and I do want to continue the series so there is that.
On the bright side, he took a bunch of characters that I hated and somehow made them work. I still am not too fond of them but at least I don't wish they would all die. There weren't really any slow parts and I do want to continue the series so there is that.
July 25, 2013
Thomas Emson can clearly write. He can put pen to paper, finger to keyboard and words into ears quite well. He can tell a story. And this is a big, purple vampire story fired out of an rpg.
This is British story reveling in the brokenness of its characters. The disgraced hero. The plucky scholar with peace in her heart. The old flame. The loser finding his backbone. The dysfunctional reporter. It features conspiracies and ancient cults; flirtations with ancient and modern history; little departures for the imagery and horror of the attacks; silk cascading into pools on the concrete and pearls of blood catching the moonlight as they drip.
I like 'this sort of thing' and I was bored. This is a cover version that isn't as good as the original. I struggled to finish because I was convinced that nothing different was going to happen. Nothing did.
This is British story reveling in the brokenness of its characters. The disgraced hero. The plucky scholar with peace in her heart. The old flame. The loser finding his backbone. The dysfunctional reporter. It features conspiracies and ancient cults; flirtations with ancient and modern history; little departures for the imagery and horror of the attacks; silk cascading into pools on the concrete and pearls of blood catching the moonlight as they drip.
I like 'this sort of thing' and I was bored. This is a cover version that isn't as good as the original. I struggled to finish because I was convinced that nothing different was going to happen. Nothing did.
September 30, 2015
I liked the idea of the book-the vampires are annoyed at goths and pretend vampire wannabes dressing in capes and taking each others blood, and decide to show them what being a vampire is really like by giving them a drug that turns them. I liked the concept of this.
What I didn't like were the characters. Our MC is cold, emotionless and I don't feel any connection to him.I found him pretty one dimensional. I didn't like the oily drug dealer who unknowingly hands out the deadly drug or the bitchy reporter who was annoying the cops. These are the MCs who are going to investigate the crime and I disliked them all. I'm afraid when I don't like the heroes, I don't connect with the book.
On the plus side, there was nothing wrong with the ideas or the actual writing. It just wasn't for me.
What I didn't like were the characters. Our MC is cold, emotionless and I don't feel any connection to him.I found him pretty one dimensional. I didn't like the oily drug dealer who unknowingly hands out the deadly drug or the bitchy reporter who was annoying the cops. These are the MCs who are going to investigate the crime and I disliked them all. I'm afraid when I don't like the heroes, I don't connect with the book.
On the plus side, there was nothing wrong with the ideas or the actual writing. It just wasn't for me.
February 8, 2013
Skarlet is about a discharged ex-military solider, Jake, who works as a bouncer for a local club in London, who gets involved in a mass killing by a new drug on the street with mysterious ties to a Vampire group. The story is told in short episodic chapters that are reminiscent of a television show, short scenes jumping from character to character and to the past. The characters are minimally developed relying on stereotype of ex-military soldier, reporter, and academic. I don't think this would bother all readers, but I do prefer more characterization and development in a story. But if you enjoy a good quick plot, watching forensic/cop type shows, you may enjoy this story and it's twist with vampires.
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May 2, 2011Il libro di Emson è una boccata d'ossigeno, dopo l'invasione di vampiri belli, buoni e profumati che ha colpito le nostre librerie. I vampiri di Emson non hanno nulla a che fare con quelli di Stephanie Meyer, né con il tradizionale vampiro ottocentesco codificato da Stoker: somigliano più alle creature frenetiche e animalesche di Matheson in Io sono leggenda. Ho apprezzato in particolare l'idea di un vampirismo trasmesso attraverso una partita di ecstasy tagliata male e diffusa proprio attraverso le feste dei "real vampires".
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