The second in the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with The Strain-about an invasion of vampires-by one of Hollywood's most popular and imaginative storytellers, the creator of the Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth.

The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City. It is spreading across the country and soon, the world. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather, head of the CDC's team and one of a small group who have banded together to fight the bloodthirsty monsters that roam the streets, finally manages to identify the parasite that causes the infection. But it may be too late.

Ignited by the Master's horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World Vampires, each side vying for control of the planet. As the virus continues to plague the land, humans find themselves caught in the middle of the conflict . . . and at the bottom of the food chain. They are no longer the consumers, but the consumed.

At the same time, the battle finds its way inside Eph's own home: his ex-wife, Kelly, who was turned by the Master, has her sights fixed on Zack, Eph's son.

With the future of the world in the balance, Eph and his team of fighters must use all their skills and Holocaust survivor and former professor Abraham Setrakian's intimate knowledge of the enemy to combat a terror whose ultimate plan is more terrible than the humans at first imagined-a fate worse than annihilation.