Kadrey (Butcher Bird
) provides biting humor, an over-the-top antihero and a rich stew of metaphoric language in this testosterone- and adrenaline-charged noir thriller. James Stark spent 11 years killing monsters in Lucifer's arena for the entertainment of fallen angels, but now he's back in seedy, magic-riddled L.A., trying to avenge his girlfriend's murder and hunt down Mason Faim, the black magician responsible for getting him sent “downtown.” He meets with some initial success, beheading second-rate magician Kasabian (whose head becomes Stark's smart-mouthed sidekick), but he can't find Faim. Instead he encounters Homeland Security agents, a near-psychotic angel and some odd nonhuman, nonangelic beings called the kissi. Darkly atmospheric settings, such as a posh gentlemen's club where angels are tortured in an attempt to bring about Armageddon, bring this violent fantasy into sharp, compelling focus. (Aug.)
Details
Reviewed on: 06/08/2009
Genre: Fiction
Compact Disc - 978-1-4418-0039-8
Compact Disc - 978-1-4558-1957-7
MP3 CD - 978-1-4418-0041-1
MP3 CD - 978-1-4558-1959-1
Mass Market Paperbound - 416 pages - 978-0-06-197626-1
Other - 390 pages - 978-0-00-746513-2
Other - 416 pages - 978-0-06-199944-4
Paperback - 416 pages - 978-0-06-171435-1
Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-4418-1078-6
