I got a copy of this book through Edelweiss to review. This is the 7th book in the Sandman Slim series. I enjoyed this continuation of the Sandman Slim series but didn't like this book quite as much as the previous book in the series.
Stark is back at his video store trying to make his life work. Hes adjusting to not being able to shadow travel anymore and trying to deal with the fact that Candy (now called Chihiro) looks completely different and is pretending to be a completely different person (to evade arrest). Then of course there is the fact that Death showed up in a completely dead human body and is languishing in his video store. Stark needs to figure out what the deal is with Death and how to get Death back where he belongs. When people all over the world stop dying the matter becomes incredibly urgent.
This book is a bit of a transition novel as Stark tries to figure out what to do with his life. It is a bit plagued by Stark's whining; he is either whining about how sick he is about getting forced into world-changing events or whining about how he hates having a normal "white-picket fence" type of life. I got kind of sick of those parts since you know...you can't have it both ways.
There is also less action in this book than in others. Which is not to say there aren't some high-octane scenes and gruesome violence...it's just a bit less in this book. There is a lot more of Stark trying to work as a team (which is not his strong suit) and investigate Deaths appearance.
I did enjoy the idea of Death being forced into a human body. It was a fun and interesting mystery for Stark and crew to solve. The side plot of Candy taking a new identity as Chihiro was also intriguing. I am curious to see where Chihiros story goes from here.
However the story wanders...a lot and it made the book quite a bit longer than it had to be. We spend a lot of time reading about Stark as he wanders about his somewhat disorganized and non-sensical life. Some of these parts were a bit boring and I kept hoping we would get to the point sooner than later.
Overall, while not my favorite Sandman Slim novel, this was still an entertaining read. The Sandman Slim series is full of witty dialogue and attitude and definitely has a unique style all its own. I recommend it to those who enjoy gritty urban fantasy. If you like gritty and slightly disturbing urban fantasy I would also recommend the Jessie Shimmer series by Lucy Snyder.
Stark is back at his video store trying to make his life work. Hes adjusting to not being able to shadow travel anymore and trying to deal with the fact that Candy (now called Chihiro) looks completely different and is pretending to be a completely different person (to evade arrest). Then of course there is the fact that Death showed up in a completely dead human body and is languishing in his video store. Stark needs to figure out what the deal is with Death and how to get Death back where he belongs. When people all over the world stop dying the matter becomes incredibly urgent.
This book is a bit of a transition novel as Stark tries to figure out what to do with his life. It is a bit plagued by Stark's whining; he is either whining about how sick he is about getting forced into world-changing events or whining about how he hates having a normal "white-picket fence" type of life. I got kind of sick of those parts since you know...you can't have it both ways.
There is also less action in this book than in others. Which is not to say there aren't some high-octane scenes and gruesome violence...it's just a bit less in this book. There is a lot more of Stark trying to work as a team (which is not his strong suit) and investigate Deaths appearance.
I did enjoy the idea of Death being forced into a human body. It was a fun and interesting mystery for Stark and crew to solve. The side plot of Candy taking a new identity as Chihiro was also intriguing. I am curious to see where Chihiros story goes from here.
However the story wanders...a lot and it made the book quite a bit longer than it had to be. We spend a lot of time reading about Stark as he wanders about his somewhat disorganized and non-sensical life. Some of these parts were a bit boring and I kept hoping we would get to the point sooner than later.
Overall, while not my favorite Sandman Slim novel, this was still an entertaining read. The Sandman Slim series is full of witty dialogue and attitude and definitely has a unique style all its own. I recommend it to those who enjoy gritty urban fantasy. If you like gritty and slightly disturbing urban fantasy I would also recommend the Jessie Shimmer series by Lucy Snyder.
I liked this book. it may not be reflected in the 3.5 stars, but there are good reasons for both reactions.
WARNING: There's some mild spoilers below. I'll try to keep the mystery and action out of it.
Jimmy is stuck on Earth. He has trouble adjusting to driving an hour on rush hour LA freeways to go 15 miles - which is hilarious for thise of us who've been there :-). He's trying to look guilty about picking up a "new" girl friend two weeks after his "old" one died. Death showed up at his doorstep (last book) ... and is now clerking at Jimmy's video store. His new boss, Julie, wants him to toe the legal line while figuring out who killed Death, and help her new PI agency start off with a bang. Also, what's with those missing ghosts?
Okay, so illegal fighting pits that make the UFC batches look like tea parties, necromancer lairs, giant magic circles, vampyre night clubs, the Beats Motel (almost psycho with Death hanging around), skinheads with magical artifacts, Piss Alley, soul sucking Hollywood agenciesl, Laurel Valley bees & bugs, and jam packed LA freeways are not QUITE the same as Heaven, Hell, haunted derelict malls, ghoul infested sewers, vengeful Elder/Cthulthu gods and their worshipers, and interdimensional transit rooms. But he's stuck here on Earth, and he's now visiting the terrestrial equvalents. Beside, Jimmy still manages to get himself in and out of universe shaking trouble, and along the way, sees what's behind reality and the power-behind-the-throne. (I wanna know how you can hedge a to-the-Death battle.)
BTW. Vincent, Jimmy got tired of calling him Death, is a great character. A fish (OK, Angel) out of water who's learning what being mortal really means. Too bad Death is NOT taking a Holiday (a great 1930's movie that Kadrey missed inserting into Max Overdreiv stock).
There's a LOT more introspection and only a few spots of mayhem, but that's in keeping with this transitional book. It looks to be a breather before the buildup to the next storm. I
can hardly wait for the next one to come out!
--
Kuzu
WARNING: There's some mild spoilers below. I'll try to keep the mystery and action out of it.
Jimmy is stuck on Earth. He has trouble adjusting to driving an hour on rush hour LA freeways to go 15 miles - which is hilarious for thise of us who've been there :-). He's trying to look guilty about picking up a "new" girl friend two weeks after his "old" one died. Death showed up at his doorstep (last book) ... and is now clerking at Jimmy's video store. His new boss, Julie, wants him to toe the legal line while figuring out who killed Death, and help her new PI agency start off with a bang. Also, what's with those missing ghosts?
Okay, so illegal fighting pits that make the UFC batches look like tea parties, necromancer lairs, giant magic circles, vampyre night clubs, the Beats Motel (almost psycho with Death hanging around), skinheads with magical artifacts, Piss Alley, soul sucking Hollywood agenciesl, Laurel Valley bees & bugs, and jam packed LA freeways are not QUITE the same as Heaven, Hell, haunted derelict malls, ghoul infested sewers, vengeful Elder/Cthulthu gods and their worshipers, and interdimensional transit rooms. But he's stuck here on Earth, and he's now visiting the terrestrial equvalents. Beside, Jimmy still manages to get himself in and out of universe shaking trouble, and along the way, sees what's behind reality and the power-behind-the-throne. (I wanna know how you can hedge a to-the-Death battle.)
BTW. Vincent, Jimmy got tired of calling him Death, is a great character. A fish (OK, Angel) out of water who's learning what being mortal really means. Too bad Death is NOT taking a Holiday (a great 1930's movie that Kadrey missed inserting into Max Overdreiv stock).
There's a LOT more introspection and only a few spots of mayhem, but that's in keeping with this transitional book. It looks to be a breather before the buildup to the next storm. I
can hardly wait for the next one to come out!
--
Kuzu
