Kill All Angels

November 20, 2017
In the visceral conclusion to the Vicious Circle trilogy (following 2016’s The Empty Ones), punk rocker Carey and his companions battle so-called angels—extradimensional parasites capable of transforming humans into immortal monsters, who in turn conspire to create more angels—in a seemingly ceaseless struggle stretching across the decades. The story unfolds across two time periods simultaneously. In mid-1980s Los Angeles, Carey hits rock bottom after losing his best friend, only to make an unlikely ally who motivates him to fight ever harder against the angels. In 2013, Carey’s new friend, stuntwoman Kaitlyn, discovers the true nature of the angels and the universe itself, leading to a mind-blowing new level of complexity in the conflict. As the two stories interweave, it all comes to one final desperate attempt to save all of reality, but the cost may be Carey’s humanity. Appropriately for a science fiction tale with punk-rock overtones, this story is raw, reckless, and grimy. Carey’s alcohol-fueled desperation and Kaitlyn’s worldly optimism work well together, and the narrative barrels towards a conclusion that suits the book’s bizarre late-night movie feel. Agent: Sam Morgan, JABberwocky Literary.