They Thirst

Robert R. McCammon

1981 • 616 pages

Ratings12

Average rating3.5

First published in 1981, They Thirst was Robert McCammon’s fourth novel, and it remains one of the major milestones of an ambitious, constantly evolving career. Like its predecessors—Baal, Bethany’s Sin, and The Night Boat—They Thirst made its initial appearance as a paperback original. In the years since, it has acquired an intensely devoted following, and is now widely regarded as one of the significant vampire novels of the 20th century.

The story begins in the tiny Hungarian hamlet of Krajeck, where nine-year-old Andre Palatazin awaits the return of his father from an unspecified—but clearly dangerous—mission. The man who finally returns is no longer Andre’s father—is no longer, in fact, a man. Pursued by this undead entity, Andre and his mother barely escape with their lives. Decades later, Andre—now Andy—Palatazin is a homicide detective in the Los Angeles Police Department, and spends his days dealing with the quotidian terrors of a large metropolis. His life takes a darker turn when the demonic forces he first encountered in Krajeck arrive in L.A., led by an ancient vampire known as The Master. The Master’s plan: to overrun the city and use it as a stepping-stone toward wider, ultimately global, domination.

They Thirst marks the earliest appearance of McCammon’s penchant for epic, wide-angled narratives. With the unobtrusive ease of a natural storyteller, the author propels a wide assortment of vividly created characters through an apocalyptic scenario that combines gritty urban realism with a powerful portrait of supernatural forces at large in the modern world. The result is a genuine classic of the genre, a novel that is as fresh and absorbing today as it was more than thirty years ago.

Genres

Want to edit this book?Become a Librarian

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

John

First off, the audible narration of this was incredible and I think I wouldn't like this book near as much without his performance.

The story follows several characters but primarily a Hungarian-American Cop who's basically Mel Gibson. Does things his own way but gets in trouble even though his way works. As a child he had come in contact with vampires but he escaped and moved to LA. The vampire lord decides to take over the world and his first stop is the metropolis of LA. It's up to the Cop, a priest, a Cholo, and more to save their city from them.

I particularly enjoyed Robert's imagination with the vampire lore. Instead of following the cookie cutter Bram Stoker vampire he branched off a bit. But don't worry, these vampires don't sparkle and they certainly aren't interested in romance.

November 26, 2023

A very 80s story with all of the decadence of that era but a very thrilling and sometimes even spooky vampire tale. Didn't appreciate the ending very much but it was written in the 80s. Heard this via Audible and the superb narrator made the story even more thrilling.

November 4, 2019

Misty (mistysbookspace)

I read this with the #KeeperofKing group on Instagram this month. I started out physically reading it and I was struggling with it. I was seriously considering DNFing it just a few chapters in, but I was finally able to get the audiobook of it and that helped me a lot. This one ended up just being ok for me. There were so many characters, and I struggled to keep up with who was who especially since it switched between the different characters with each chapter. I wanted to love this one more than I did. If y'all have been following me for a while, then you know I love vampire books so this sounded like something I would love. When it's a fight between humans and vampires I want the humans to at least have a fighting chance but with these vampires the humans literally had no chance. I didn't like McCammon's take on vampires unfortunately and the ending was a big letdown for me.

November 30, 2024