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A review by mediaevalmuse
Lucifer Book Three by Mike Carey
4.0
I continue to be a fan of this series, and I really like the epic plots this volume creates and continues, so there’s no problem there. But in comparison to the last couple of volumes, I was mostly disappointed by the treatment of women. It has never been great - but also, it hasn’t been so bad that I could really claim much issue with it other than I didn’t like some things. But in this volume, a few plot points really rubbed me the wrong way. Since this book is part of a series, I’ll only be reviewing things particular to this book.
Things I Liked
1. Lucifer’s Trickery: I love moments when Lucifer uses his cunning to come out on top, even if he’s at a serious disadvantage. This book features a couple memorable moments: his defeat of Amenadiel, his defense of the Silver City, etc.
2. Naglfar: Count on me to love some Old Norse-inspired story lines. Mazikeen and crew go out on Naglfar to retrieve the soul of Elaine Belloc, and though it’s not super heavy on the Old Norse mythology, I still liked the story arc and all the imaginative trials they had to face.
3. Power Vacuum: I love the idea of a power vacuum in heaven, I love the relationship between Lucifer and Michael in this volume. The two of them question what it means to be free versus obedient, as well as the question of pride and anger.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Women: I didn’t realize that Jill Presto was raped in the previous volume (I thought it was just some weird mystical pregnancy trope thing), but she calls it rape in this book. Mazikeen is also threatened with rape and sexual assault multiple times. A minor character in the last issue is threatened with rape. It’s like every adult woman in this book is threatened with sexual assault at one time or another, and it really put me off. The only thing that saved these storylines was the fact that Mazikeen and Jill Presto both claim some agency afterwards: Maz kills her attacker, and Jill takes her anger out on the phantom of her unborn child.
2. Stagnant Characterization: As much as I love Lucifer, after a couple volumes, he’s starting to feel a bit stagnant. I’d really like to see more growth and development.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in Christian mythology, Old Norse mythology, duels, trickery, and journeys to the afterlife.
Things I Liked
1. Lucifer’s Trickery: I love moments when Lucifer uses his cunning to come out on top, even if he’s at a serious disadvantage. This book features a couple memorable moments: his defeat of Amenadiel, his defense of the Silver City, etc.
2. Naglfar: Count on me to love some Old Norse-inspired story lines. Mazikeen and crew go out on Naglfar to retrieve the soul of Elaine Belloc, and though it’s not super heavy on the Old Norse mythology, I still liked the story arc and all the imaginative trials they had to face.
3. Power Vacuum: I love the idea of a power vacuum in heaven, I love the relationship between Lucifer and Michael in this volume. The two of them question what it means to be free versus obedient, as well as the question of pride and anger.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Women: I didn’t realize that Jill Presto was raped in the previous volume (I thought it was just some weird mystical pregnancy trope thing), but she calls it rape in this book. Mazikeen is also threatened with rape and sexual assault multiple times. A minor character in the last issue is threatened with rape. It’s like every adult woman in this book is threatened with sexual assault at one time or another, and it really put me off. The only thing that saved these storylines was the fact that Mazikeen and Jill Presto both claim some agency afterwards: Maz kills her attacker, and Jill takes her anger out on the phantom of her unborn child.
2. Stagnant Characterization: As much as I love Lucifer, after a couple volumes, he’s starting to feel a bit stagnant. I’d really like to see more growth and development.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in Christian mythology, Old Norse mythology, duels, trickery, and journeys to the afterlife.