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A review by bellatora
Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2.0
A noir detective novel set in a China that's rich with demons and other aspects of Chinese mythology should be right up my alley.
I was bored out of my mind.
Detective Inspector Chen is the typical brilliant but outcast cop. He's getting tired, and his colleagues don't respect him. While on a case investigating the stolen souls of young girls, Detective Chen gets his buddy cop pairing of Zhu Irzh, a demon "infected" with a conscience. There's forces both earthly and supernatural which are trying to halt the investigation (in this world, The Ten Courts of Hell are real places that can be visited and interact with the human world).
Chen is also dealing with the aftermath of his star-crossed love with a demon, Inari. Chen and Inari managed to run away together and get married, but now she's a fugitive and is getting restless hiding in the house. Her family's familiar who keeps her company is the only thing I really loved in the book - the familiar sometimes takes the form of a teakettle, sometimes a badger, and I find that somehow incredibly adorable.
The typical noir tropes in a fantastical Chinese setting really should work. But it was confusing, frustrating, and the plot just dragged.
I was bored out of my mind.
Detective Inspector Chen is the typical brilliant but outcast cop. He's getting tired, and his colleagues don't respect him. While on a case investigating the stolen souls of young girls, Detective Chen gets his buddy cop pairing of Zhu Irzh, a demon "infected" with a conscience. There's forces both earthly and supernatural which are trying to halt the investigation (in this world, The Ten Courts of Hell are real places that can be visited and interact with the human world).
Chen is also dealing with the aftermath of his star-crossed love with a demon, Inari. Chen and Inari managed to run away together and get married, but now she's a fugitive and is getting restless hiding in the house. Her family's familiar who keeps her company is the only thing I really loved in the book - the familiar sometimes takes the form of a teakettle, sometimes a badger, and I find that somehow incredibly adorable.
The typical noir tropes in a fantastical Chinese setting really should work. But it was confusing, frustrating, and the plot just dragged.