Another solid book by, for some mysterious to me reason, one mostly largely overlooked, but very talented author, Craig Schaefer. He write*** 4.44 ***
Another solid book by, for some mysterious to me reason, one mostly largely overlooked, but very talented author, Craig Schaefer. He writes what would mostly be classified as Urban Fantasy, but with a pulp-noir feel to it and does a great job in combining the two with enough sophistication, that it doesn't come off campy. I have been a fan from the start of his/her career and I have not been disappointed yet. Are all his books great? No, but none of them have been duds either.
This has been a series I had neglected, I don't even know why, but I am happy to be back in the author 's universe. There is magic, there are bad guys, but there is always hope, even in the darkest moments. The characters are vibrant and the story is engaging, so I would recommend it to all fans of the genre...more
"..."Well, welcome to the Grindhouse Rodeo, Father, where it’s monster triple features all the time. The popcorn’s stale and the drinks*** 4.44 ***
"..."Well, welcome to the Grindhouse Rodeo, Father, where it’s monster triple features all the time. The popcorn’s stale and the drinks are watered down, but we’re open all night and deities have to sit in the balcony with the winos and rubber-raincoat types.” ..."
If you feel like reading something that is like listening to AC/DC and Metallica rolled in one but in book form; if you are tired of everything around you and don't want to tolerate anything in bright colors and pinks plus feel-good drivel; and if you are just in a mood to yell out !F@#k You! to the world, then this series and this book in particular is for you! Kadrey really channels his angry through Sandman Slim here and no one is spared his wrath, be it physical, verbal or emotional. I wish I had an imaginary proxy of myself who can emote all the rage, anger and hurt I have ever felt and put it out there, away from my soul... This is what this felt like, a purging of emotion, even when the author himself makes a joke of his childish and teenagerly emo-tantrums, but also the pain of seeing the seemingly perpetually repeating mistakes humans make generation after generation, hurting no one but themselves.
"...“This is where you first failed us. You gave us minds and told us not to think. You gave us curiosity and put a booby-trapped tree right in front of us. You gave us sex and told us not to do it. You played three-card monte with our souls from day one, and when we couldn't find the queen, you sent us to Hell to be tortured for eternity. That was your great plan for humanity? All you gave us here was daisies and fairy tales and you acted like that was enough. How were we supposed to resist evil when you didn't even tell us about it?” ― Richard Kadrey, Aloha from Hell ..."
This is the third book in the series about Jim Stark, or as he is known in Hell - Sandman Slim, the monster who kills monsters. After being sent to Hell alive by his frenemy Mason, Stark spends 11 years "downtown" fighting every day for his survival... Eventually, thanks to a very special key, he is able to return to Los Angeles. It has been a bit since he has been home and things have happened, but Mason, who is now in Hell himself, is once again challenging him and the g-ds themselves. He is already ruling Hell in the absence of Lucifer and now, with the help of a power obsessed insane angel, is about to storm the gates of Heaven with the armies of hellions. But first he needs to lure Sandman Slim back to Hell and kill or otherwise find a way to control him. Jim is only too happy to oblige...
"...“It's so quiet and peaceful out here I'm getting bored with breathing. Maybe we'll get lucky and the world will go to Hell again. Fingers crossed.” ― Richard Kadrey, Aloha from Hell ..."
So Slim is back in Hell and we get to see it through his eyes for the first time. There are levels to Hell and different creatures, constant strife and once again, that grind to survive - obviously, Hell is much closer to our daily lives than any of us have ever thought. But it is all screwed up, warped since Mason has taken over and Jim has to get his bearings and them take care of business...
"...“The place looks like where David Lynch would meet Beaver Cleaver's mom for secret afternoons of bondage and milkshakes.” ― Richard Kadrey, Aloha from Hell ..."
This is pure pulp-noir with demons! If it sounds like something you might enjoy, give it a try!...more
This was good, but for some reason, and it most likely has to do with my current mood, it didn't feel quite as good as what I have come to*** 4.35 ***
This was good, but for some reason, and it most likely has to do with my current mood, it didn't feel quite as good as what I have come to expect from Faust... There were moments I couldn't quite keep my attention on the story and I suspect I will have to re-read it soon in order to get all the details. My mind couldn't concentrate on all the action, maybe because life has been too overwhelming and I had to give it most of my mental energy... Danny is still awesome and Melanie, who has always been a feel-good character for me, is really coming into her own. The Twins are the cherry on top of the cake every time they are on page and I crave their appearances - those naturally naively evil ladies are always so much fun, their every sentence is a highlight. Of course, Jennifer and Pixie, the two dads, and Caitlin are never dull and always a treat... When I grow up, I want to be just like Caitlin, especially when I get into my four hundreds ...more
"..."I heard they tried to make chicken soup once." Caitlin's nose wrinkled. "Twenty chickens died and a small farm was wiped from the map*** 4.65 ***
"..."I heard they tried to make chicken soup once." Caitlin's nose wrinkled. "Twenty chickens died and a small farm was wiped from the map. I'm told a grenade launcher was involved." . . .”
I love Faust! He has become part of my imaginary/book family and at this point even I wouldn't trust my own ratings - just reading a book about this magician and the Courts of Hell in the USA, makes me all tingly allover. His bad-ass girlfriend and the even more bad-ass enemies make for a very entertaining and somewhat dark Urban Fantasy Las Vegas. And he is developing a bit of a self-esteem, which is about time, because he finally decided he is going to do something with his life and not just go with the flow on the bottom of the river... "...Believe it or not, there are some people and places I won’t rob. Orphanages. Public schools. Nuns. Well, most nuns.” . . .” Him and Cait are going to be the new power couple of Nevada and his new endeavors are going to finally cement his place in society. If only he didn't owe a favor to this crazy Rakshasa... And she is calling her debt now.
"...“Torture is like a good bottle of wine,” she said. “It’s never necessary, but it’s a fine way to liven up a party and is best savored in the company of friends.” . . .”
And not only do his various antagonists deal torture and threaten his eternal soul, he has a new magician mad at him and he is employing new nefarious weapons :
"...“He threw doves at me.” I shook my head, still processing it. “He threw doves. Who does that?” [...] “I thought doves were supposed to be nice birds.” “They are, normally,” I said. “I think he recruits his from bird reform school. No. Gangs. Bird gangs. One had a switchblade.” . . .”
Yep, this is our Faust, in all of his glory and I am riding with him all the way! Good old pulp fiction is not dead yet!
This is a really cool pulp-noir series with Angels, Demons and Zombies, and you still can't tell who are the good guys! I love the perspect *** 4 ***
This is a really cool pulp-noir series with Angels, Demons and Zombies, and you still can't tell who are the good guys! I love the perspective on the whole mythology and it is very well incorporated into a modern world Los Angeles, a city literally full of those souls following the prettiest of the fallen Angels. Lucifer is filming a movie about himself and Stark/Sandman Slim is acting as a bodyguard while he is in LA. I am not exactly sure what her role is, but a stunning European actress named Bridgite Bardot is also involved and it is directed by G. Ritchie ...more
This series is as pulp science fiction as it gets! I am a big fan of the gritty and exaggerated style of writing, but we all have to ad*** 3.44 ***/b>
This series is as pulp science fiction as it gets! I am a big fan of the gritty and exaggerated style of writing, but we all have to admit, a these books can get pretty repetitive and a person can appreciate them best in small doses. I enjoy the pedestrian-like prose, but even I, a person who grew up in a part of the World where cussing is an art, even I can get a bit exhausted by every sentence containing snark and curse phrases... In the beginning I loved the idea of coming up with creative swearing, but as in all things, less is more! Use it as an ornamentation, not as the bread and butter of the story...
Saying all that, having gotten to the 17th book in the series, I have grown attached to elements and characters of the story, so I will keep going with it. There are some very creative elements and a brassy quality to the characters which makes it uniquely American... There is a very strong sense of what our protagonists perceive as good and evil, always trying to stand up for the weak and fight the bullied... There is always a lot of humor and tender moments, mostly provided by little humans and animals. The trade mark for the series is some good old-fashioned ass kicking , from minor hand to hand to some major space battles. .. But my favorite theme is friendship and loyalty.
I hope we get a bit more moderate in some areas and more diverse in others as we go along with the main story. I am looking forward to the future 😈...more
"I'm hard on things. Everything ends up broken, ripped apart, modified, stuck together or shot to shit. I'd be naked as Adam and cold as a*** 4.25 ***
"I'm hard on things. Everything ends up broken, ripped apart, modified, stuck together or shot to shit. I'd be naked as Adam and cold as a polar bear if it weren't for duct tape."
A gritty, unapologetic, demonic Pulp Fiction! What a fun read! Not for the tender hearted nor the young, but for all of us who are fans of episodic serial pulp-noir, full of raw prose and very little which indicates the book and the author take themselves too seriously, this is right up our alley.
A young human magician is thrown by some "friends" into Hell and he returns back to LA 11 years later ready for some payback. It is violent, graphic, hilarious and full of very quotable sayings, but if I try to put more of them here, it will take my whole evening... There be monsters, there be Angels, there be shady and vile humans... There is enough blood being spilled to satisfy a starving vampire... Add a very angry, lost, and if it was his choice, constantly heavily inebriated serial killer with no social skills, and you get the picture. If this sounds like something you might like, I will strongly recommend it! This is my first read and I am sure I will be tackling the complete rest of the series! Let's find out who will rule the world - Heaven, Hell or the few adventurous and very corrupt humans and fallen angels... I am rooting for ... not sure yet:):):) Shell we find out?:)
"I'm going to kill some people," I tell him. I pour the Jack into the coffee. "Probably a lot of people." The bartender picks up a rag and starts wiping glasses. "Guess someone's got to." "Thanks for understanding."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!...more
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