F. Paul Wilson. Reprisal: A Novel of the Adversary Cycle. New York: Tor, 2011.

F. Paul Wilson’s Adversary Cycle, originally published between 1981 and 1992, has been updated by the author and is now enjoying a revival. The series begins in 1941, when an incomprehensible evil whom we come to know as the Adversary is released among a group of Nazis in the Romanian wilderness. Over the course of the next four novels a wide cast of characters develops, all of whom are affected by this evil, either joining the fight against it, or falling to its dark power throughout the course of the 20th century. Reprisal, the fifth novel in this horror series, sees the Adversary rise again to seek revenge against those who tried to vanquish him in times past. The sixth and final novel of the series, Nightworld, is due to be republished in 2012.

Will Ryerson of Pendleton, North Carolina, is in reality Bill Ryan, a defrocked Jesuit priest from New York City. Years ago, a horrifying murder caused him to flee Manhattan and go into hiding in the small college town of Pendleton. Although reclusive, he has developed a good life for himself as a groundsman at Darnell University. Will reads Kierkegaard and Camus, performs small repairs and maintenance, and stays as far away from telephones as he can. If Will gets too close, the continuous ringing starts, followed by a terrified child’s screaming voice. Ryerson’s sole friend and companion is Lisl, a young, insecure assistant professor in the math department. But when she is seduced by the strangely magnetic Rafe, a graduate student in psychology, Will becomes concerned. Meanwhile, Sergeant Augustino of the NYPD thinks he has a lead on a long-missing child molester, and will stop at nothing to bring him to justice.

A complicated web of horror, seduction, and betrayal, Reprisal is a gripping glimpse into the mind of the ultimate evil in the tradition of The Exorcist.

Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.

45 Comments

Filed under 2010-2019, 2011, Horror, Novels in Series, Novels Set in Fictional Places, Piedmont, Wilson, F. Paul

45 Responses to F. Paul Wilson. Reprisal: A Novel of the Adversary Cycle. New York: Tor, 2011.

  1. Looks a little too scary for my taste!

  2. I love horrors, but I don’t read books that much so maybe it’s time to start because horror movies these days are really terrible.

  3. After I initially commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any manner you may take away me from that service? Thanks!

  4. This is one of the best novel I’ve read in last few months! Recommended

  5. I like horrors, but It’s really scary

  6. I love horrors too. So interesting, always read in night

  7. very great information. this is what i looking for..

  8. Preface to a narrative apocalyptic zombie period of the early 80.

  9. Elizabeth DeBold

    Hi Sharla,

    I’m sorry to hear about this issue! Unfortunately I don’t think that’s anything we have control over, and I couldn’t seem to locate the checkbox you mentioned, but if you could point out where you found it (if it’s not something that just pops up after you make a comment), you may be able to unsubscribe there. Alternatively, many email programs allow you to block mail from a certain address, so you could go into these messages, see what specific address is sending them to you, and block that. I hope this is helpful? If not, please let us know and we’ll see what else we might be able to do to solve this. Thanks!

  10. I like horrors, but It’s really scary

  11. Thanks for your great post!

  12. well, this book is not published in VN .

  13. yeah, this book is not published in VN !

  14. F. Paul Wilson is the best one writer on the world ! I have red this book ! amazing !

  15. Among Wilson’s best-known characters is the anti-hero Repairman Jack, an urban mercenary introduced in the 1984 New York Times bestseller, The Tomb

  16. i raised upon horros. freddy…jason. >D

  17. Very great post. Thank you!

  18. As a fan of the Exorcist I have to say this is a great revisal! Sounds really creepy and awesome.

  19. Nice book, everybody should read it

  20. Will note it for future reading though it seems like not my taste.. But, may be worth reading..

  21. Everyone loves a good Nazi story. Five books into the series so you know it has to be good.

  22. Been reading this blog for awhile – I like this novel. Totally recommend it.

  23. Thanks, I’ve never come across these novels before, but will be sure to try to hunt them out. Much better than some of the rubbish that’s made as movies nowdays.

  24. Really cool I recommend this website highly and the novel.

  25. Wow, this novel series sounds great. I will have to get myself the first one though, and work my way to this one. Thanks for the great blog post!

  26. Another book to add to my “bibliotek”. I’ve read a lot of good reviews on Paul’s Adversary Cycle. Will read.

  27. Amazon on the way. Thanks for the heads up on this book; like Jamie said, everyone likes a good nazi story

  28. Paul Wilson is a great writer. I really want to read this book!

  29. This Book is absolute great.I feel very great when i did read this book it’s a total success.Congratulations

  30. Been reading this blog for awhile – I like this novel. Totally recommend it.

  31. I should read this book, Thanks.

  32. Thank you for the review.

  33. great,The sixth and final novel of the series, Nightworld, is due to be republished in 2012.

  34. Nice review about this book,you convinced me to read it:D thx!

  35. thanks .I like this book!

  36. LOL! Love this type of novel ! Will definitely read it !

  37. Nice! Thank you for your article!

  38. When I have a chance to read this I will. Seems interesting.

  39. Oh, yes. Francis Paul Wilson is a writer I’ve read.
    Wilson makes use of his work to explore trends and technologies speculatively as they manifest. A prominent example is his novel An Enemy of the State (published in 1980)

  40. Another book to add to my “bibliotek”. I’ve read a lot of good reviews on Paul’s Adversary Cycle. Will read.

  41. I love reading this kind of stuff its a 10 of 10 from me

  42. I like horrors, but It’s really scary. I like underworld. Thank you very much to share this information with us 🙂

  43. This is one of the best novel I’ve read in last few months!

  44. I love the way Francis Paul Wilson writes, but I’ve never read this book. time to get a copy.