Steven C. (SteveTheDM) - , reviewed on 9/20/2010 + 204 more book reviews

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! This is the third novel in Stross' "Laundry Files" set of stories, and it's by far the best to date. This whole series has been a joy to read, mostly because the protagonist, Bob Howard, is a geek. And in the "Laundry" universe, it's geeks who have come to understand computational demonology, alternate dimensions, and magic. Which means that *I* relate to him far more than I relate to any muscle-bound, sword-swinging barbarian (or any other stereotypical fantasy hero in a magic-savvy world).

The unique thing about the Laundry novels is the way world altering eldritch horrors are contrasted with the inane office politics that the UK seems to have embraced. There's lots of humor to be mined there, and Stross does a great job making it happen. There is plenty of suspense as well, and the big conflict towards the end of the book was great, making it really hard putting the book down when sleep beckoned.

This was a great book. A fantastic story. Easily one of the top novels of the year for me. Read it!

5 of 5 stars.

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