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adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm writing this not as a review for a single book but as a review for a whole series. Some people are afraid to invest in a series that starts well but ultimately lets people down. Some people even say that this is one of those series, as is the case with Chloe Frizzle, a small critic on YouTube who loved the series right up until the second-to-last book, often considered the absolute weakest in the series. I'll get to that later in this review.
I've seen some concern over how powerful the protagonist, James Stark, is in the first installment. He can read minds. He can see in the dark. He has a powerful knife that isn't only able to cut anything, but also has a magic trick where it can unlock any kind of security device. He has a magic key that lets him walk through shadows into a mystical room, the Room of Thirteen Doors, that then allows him to go into any place in the entire universe, whether that'd be Hell, Heaven, the limbo where the Kishi were exiled to, or even to bypass Los Angeles's massive sprawl and freeway traffic. Even his scars are magical as they grant him immunity to that injury. And he has superhuman healing.
There is also concern over the violence in this series. Yes. This series is violent. Decapitations, torture, shootings, mutilation, and all that fun stuff are common in the series. Richard Kadrey does not hide the idea that this is a violent book.
If you are used to only seeing protagonists getting more powerful and are worried that Stark will only get even stronger than that, don't worry. Over the series, Stark loses his powers. His scars begin to fade away, along with their magic protection. Some abilities are forgotten, like Stark's ability to read minds. Or throughout the series, because of one circumstance or another, Stark no longer has access to that ability. Either way, when it comes to his powers and skills, this book is where Stark is most powerful.
Still, Stark himself does grow as a character. Over time, he's had to face the consequences of his impulses and poorly thought-out plans, so he is less impulsive and more considerate of his friends and the people around him. Though there are some times he acts like an asshole to some others for no real reason.
What I like (not a comprehensive list):
The setting. Los Angeles isn't just a place. It's a character in its own right. The people, the virtues, the vices, the attractions, the hole-in-the-walls, the tourists, and Hollywood. Kadrey spends a lot of time making you feel right there. He combines the real LA seamlessly with his worldbuilding by making it a magical nexus, a massive power spot, because of LA's outward influence on the world's economy and culture. Characters and magic items often directly tie into Los Angeles and its history.
Stark himself makes for an excellent main character. He's edgy, but not necissarily an edgelord. And he grows throughout the series.
The mysteries—maybe they aren't too deep, but they fit perfectly with the theme, tone, and setting, and Kadrey is skilled at making them imaginative.
I am not much of a movie buff, but the references to old Hollywood classics added flavor.
What I didn't like:
This is a minor spoiler, but I will try to reveal as little as possible. In this series, even with the heavy magic of skilled magicians in a location filled with ancient heavy magic, death cannot be reversed, except when it does happen and is done so with a deus ex machina.
Los Angeles got great worldbuilding, and Hell also got great worldbuilding as an "anti-LA." Considering the significance of Heaven, I would have expected similar treatment there, too. But it was hardly touched. And there was a major war there that spanned nearly the entire series and directly influenced the events in both LA and Hell throughout the series.
Ballistic Kiss was not as bad as many who had read or listened to it believe it was, but it could have been better written. King Bullet did salvage most of it, in my opinion.
Most of the characters were good. Kasabian was not one—Whiney, entitled, insufferable.
Kadrey focused on LA's punk rock scene and Hollywood, but LA has much more than that. He would have created interesting interactions if he had also added LA's world-famous Chicano scene, its Rap culture, and so much more. Still, this could be a question of scope creep.
I've seen some concern over how powerful the protagonist, James Stark, is in the first installment. He can read minds. He can see in the dark. He has a powerful knife that isn't only able to cut anything, but also has a magic trick where it can unlock any kind of security device. He has a magic key that lets him walk through shadows into a mystical room, the Room of Thirteen Doors, that then allows him to go into any place in the entire universe, whether that'd be Hell, Heaven, the limbo where the Kishi were exiled to, or even to bypass Los Angeles's massive sprawl and freeway traffic. Even his scars are magical as they grant him immunity to that injury. And he has superhuman healing.
There is also concern over the violence in this series. Yes. This series is violent. Decapitations, torture, shootings, mutilation, and all that fun stuff are common in the series. Richard Kadrey does not hide the idea that this is a violent book.
If you are used to only seeing protagonists getting more powerful and are worried that Stark will only get even stronger than that, don't worry. Over the series, Stark loses his powers. His scars begin to fade away, along with their magic protection. Some abilities are forgotten, like Stark's ability to read minds. Or throughout the series, because of one circumstance or another, Stark no longer has access to that ability. Either way, when it comes to his powers and skills, this book is where Stark is most powerful.
Still, Stark himself does grow as a character. Over time, he's had to face the consequences of his impulses and poorly thought-out plans, so he is less impulsive and more considerate of his friends and the people around him. Though there are some times he acts like an asshole to some others for no real reason.
What I like (not a comprehensive list):
The setting. Los Angeles isn't just a place. It's a character in its own right. The people, the virtues, the vices, the attractions, the hole-in-the-walls, the tourists, and Hollywood. Kadrey spends a lot of time making you feel right there. He combines the real LA seamlessly with his worldbuilding by making it a magical nexus, a massive power spot, because of LA's outward influence on the world's economy and culture. Characters and magic items often directly tie into Los Angeles and its history.
Stark himself makes for an excellent main character. He's edgy, but not necissarily an edgelord. And he grows throughout the series.
The mysteries—maybe they aren't too deep, but they fit perfectly with the theme, tone, and setting, and Kadrey is skilled at making them imaginative.
I am not much of a movie buff, but the references to old Hollywood classics added flavor.
What I didn't like:
This is a minor spoiler, but I will try to reveal as little as possible. In this series, even with the heavy magic of skilled magicians in a location filled with ancient heavy magic, death cannot be reversed, except when it does happen and is done so with a deus ex machina.
Los Angeles got great worldbuilding, and Hell also got great worldbuilding as an "anti-LA." Considering the significance of Heaven, I would have expected similar treatment there, too. But it was hardly touched. And there was a major war there that spanned nearly the entire series and directly influenced the events in both LA and Hell throughout the series.
Ballistic Kiss was not as bad as many who had read or listened to it believe it was, but it could have been better written. King Bullet did salvage most of it, in my opinion.
Most of the characters were good. Kasabian was not one—Whiney, entitled, insufferable.
Kadrey focused on LA's punk rock scene and Hollywood, but LA has much more than that. He would have created interesting interactions if he had also added LA's world-famous Chicano scene, its Rap culture, and so much more. Still, this could be a question of scope creep.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Car accident
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read For:
✓ Drama
✓ Dark Humor
✓ Urban Fantasy
✓ Demonic Pulp Fiction
✓ Escaping Hell… Literally
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
I really liked this book, the writing style felt laid back but had the perfect balance of plot and character all the while creating a good atmosphere to the book. The mix of magic and a non-magical world worked well together.
If you like a fast-paced and fun read with some dark humor and a great group of main and side characters; then I suggest you give this a read.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Angst Level: 💧💧
POV: First Person
Release Date: 21, July 2009
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Physical abuse, Torture
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Murder
dark
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed reading this book, even if I would not go so far as to call it a 'good' book. I have to preface this with the two facts that I picked it up in the bookshop at random, finding the blurb intriguing because it sounded 'edgy', funny, and easy to read, rather than a quote "serious" fantasy novel, and secondly that I read the translated German version (no idea if that contributed to the try-hard edgy vibes of the book, or maybe it's just me).
I liked that the main character often didn't take himself seriously and the overall story and pacing were enjoyable, I wasn't bored and finished it rather quickly, although I can't say when or if I will read more books of the series, I'm not that excited to read the next books. The humour is a two-sided sword for me with this one, some of the jokes I thought were funny, some didn't land and some lines were, I think, unintentionally funny (especially parts when the main character felt like saying 'edgy' stuff, I had to laugh sometimes)
Now the things I didn't like, I think the writing partially was rather clunky like I mentioned before a very straightforward and easy and fast to read writing style, that sometimes worked in favour of the story, and sometimes didn't. I just ignored a lot of plotholes that didn't make sense to be honest. I found it funny that the main character literally thought about sleeping with (almost) every female character in this book at least once. I hate that, my edition at least, does not have chapters, it also confused me because there were more than enough places where chapters would not only have worked but also would have benefitted the story and signaled a time jump or location change with which my brain sometimes had some trouble having no chapters at all. It didn't really bother me, but now that I think about it, I don't care about any of the characters, maybe that would change if I read on, but i think it's an important thing to note.
All in all I can say that I had fun reading it, but don't know if I'll read on and maybe had fun it ways that weren't intended by the author.
I liked that the main character often didn't take himself seriously and the overall story and pacing were enjoyable, I wasn't bored and finished it rather quickly, although I can't say when or if I will read more books of the series, I'm not that excited to read the next books. The humour is a two-sided sword for me with this one, some of the jokes I thought were funny, some didn't land and some lines were, I think, unintentionally funny (especially parts when the main character felt like saying 'edgy' stuff, I had to laugh sometimes)
Now the things I didn't like, I think the writing partially was rather clunky like I mentioned before a very straightforward and easy and fast to read writing style, that sometimes worked in favour of the story, and sometimes didn't. I just ignored a lot of plotholes that didn't make sense to be honest. I found it funny that the main character literally thought about sleeping with (almost) every female character in this book at least once. I hate that, my edition at least, does not have chapters, it also confused me because there were more than enough places where chapters would not only have worked but also would have benefitted the story and signaled a time jump or location change with which my brain sometimes had some trouble having no chapters at all. It didn't really bother me, but now that I think about it, I don't care about any of the characters, maybe that would change if I read on, but i think it's an important thing to note.
All in all I can say that I had fun reading it, but don't know if I'll read on and maybe had fun it ways that weren't intended by the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, Torture
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual violence