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hawkeyegonzalez's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
I wasn't planning on reading this novella, but it came with The Kill Society, so I decided to give it a shot. Plus, it's super short, so why not?
Unfortunately, this novella doesn't really do much. It takes place during the time Stark was still Lucifer and fills in a blank spot that was mentioned in The Kill Society. While I appreciate knowing what happened during that time, it could have easily just been a short 4-5 page flashback in The Kill Society instead of a 50-page novella.
I know this came out years before book 9, and maybe I wouldn't be so hard on it if I read it right after reading book 3. But at this stage of the series, it just feels like a story that was interesting wrapped inside a book we didn't necessarily need.
Unfortunately, this novella doesn't really do much. It takes place during the time Stark was still Lucifer and fills in a blank spot that was mentioned in The Kill Society. While I appreciate knowing what happened during that time, it could have easily just been a short 4-5 page flashback in The Kill Society instead of a 50-page novella.
I know this came out years before book 9, and maybe I wouldn't be so hard on it if I read it right after reading book 3. But at this stage of the series, it just feels like a story that was interesting wrapped inside a book we didn't necessarily need.
sevaspeto's review
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
To be completely honest, I didn't realize that this was essentially a short story until I was a few pages in and noticed that there were only 40-something pages left. And it's not that it's bad; it's still got Stark's trademark hard-boiled pithy dialogue and narration, but the story itself is paced so fast, it doesn't paint the picture for the reader as well as the rest of the entries in this series; I love this world and I want to stay in it for more than a quickie! But everything about this feels so rushed, and the resolution reveals something seemingly major, while simultaneously leaving you wondering if this plot development is ever going to factor into the overarching series arc. I don't know -- I didn't dislike it, I just found myself equally wanting Kadrey to slow it down, as much as *I* wanted to burn through it to get to the next actual novel in the series ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
alexandrabree's review
4.0
The Scarlett Gospel meets Harry Dresden and John Taylor. Damned Devine sarcastic Sandman Slim, an action flick. Can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the books in this series
htb2050's review
4.0
This kinda sucks since this will be in the back of my mind in the next book until this issue is resolved.
staticdisplay's review
2.0
I'm just getting back into this series. the story could have been way more interesting for me, as a reader; there are some elements here that I find pretty interesting, if there were less of a focus on gross stuff and irreverent banter and more time spent developing the atmosphere in this weird, isolated haunted house. but that's NOT what this series is about; it's about snarky Stark making quips and taking hits. I'm curious how I would feel if I read book #1 for the first time now. in any case, this series has been with me for ~10 years and I'm going to finish it.
reddaeg's review
I hope it feels like there was a point to this later in the Sandman Slim series....'cause I sure don't see it now.
marsrich's review
5.0
Short but sweet. A nice little story about Hell while we wait for the next book.
It comes with an excerpt from Devil Says Bang. I didn't read it. I want to read it all at once.
It comes with an excerpt from Devil Says Bang. I didn't read it. I want to read it all at once.