Devil Said Bang

July 30, 2012
The fourth volume (after Aloha from Hell) in Kadrey’s saga featuring sarcastic antihero James Stark (aka Sandman Slim) is the most irreverent, darkly comedic, and downright cool installment to date. Stark, a hard-drinking, foul-mouthed “monster who kills monsters,” isn’t exactly enjoying his new gig as Lucifer. Although the role has some perks, like a bad-ass motorcycle and tough satanic armor, it also makes him the prime target for power-hungry denizens of Hell. After managing to get back to L.A. and the girl he left behind, Stark must somehow stop a ghost from unraveling reality while figuring out who he really is. Powered by Kadrey’s twisted wit and distinctive narrative voice, this novel is replete with memorable lines, images, and pop culture references. While the existential and spiritual speculation isn’t quite as strong as in earlier books, the action-packed and bombshell-laden blend of dark fantasy, crime fiction, and Hellish sitcom is utterly readable. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown.

April 1, 2012

If you've been following the Sandman Slim novels, you'll know that James Starker, aka Sandman Slim, managed to break out of hell and has since done time in a very unlovely Los Angeles. Now he's back in Hell as the new Lucifer, ready for another breakout. When Cory Doctorow calls this movie-bound series "wryer-than-wry and violenter-than-violent," you know the audience. With a 75,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2012

James Stark, also known as Sandman Slim, is trying to break out of Hell--for the second time. This go-round, however, no one wants Stark to leave because he has become Hell's leader after killing Lucifer. Not everybody, however, is happy with the new regime, and Stark faces assassins and traitors wherever he goes. When he manages to return to Los Angeles, a place not too different from Hell, he realizes that a ghostly serial killer is threatening those he cares about. VERDICT The fourth outing for Kadrey's antihero (Sandman Slim; Kill the Dead; Aloha from Hell) provides a never-ending supply of violence, mayhem, romance, and macabre humor that should please series fans. [Previewed in Kristi Chadwick's Genre Spotlight feature "Hungry for SF," LJ 8/12.--Ed.]

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.