Simon R. Green
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Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( G ) -> Green, Simon R.
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
a leap forward 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
I read "Something From the Nightside" a couple of years ago and was underwhelmed. But I thought the premise was good and people whose opinions I respected loved the series, so I thought it was time to give the Nightside another shot. I'm glad I did: "Agents of Light and Darkness" was an improvement in every way. The writing is tighter, the story more interesting, and the use of the term "in the Nightside" is reduced by around 80%. So far, this series feels like a less grim version of Edward Lee's "City Infernal" novels. "Agents of Light and Darkness" is a fun, quick read that doesn't bog the reader down. It's pulp, it gets the job done, and I plan to move on to the other books in the series.
Light and darkness, good and evil 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Simon R. Green's Nightside is reminiscent of a Neil Gaiman universe, full of twists and shadows... but written by Jim Butcher.
And his second Nightside novel "Agents of Light and Darkness" is Green's foray into the world of God, angels and devils. Sure, he takes some creative license with the theology here, but he can spin some wicked storytelling and entertainingly macabre characters -- and make a simply plot very, very complex.
Amidst strange angel rumors, John Taylor is hired by the Pope's undercover representative, Father Jude. The Vatican wants to hire Taylor to find the Unholy Grail -- the cup that Judas drank from at the Last Supper. Think the One Ring in cup form -- and there are a lot of people, including the fallen angels, who want to get ahold of its corrupting power. Immediately he gets bludgeoned by other offers.
So Taylor goes to get Shotgun Suzie, and they prowl demon S&M clubs and neo-Nazi havens -- and find the horrendous Speaking Gun, the only weapon that can kill an angel. But angels -- and demons -- are descending on the Nightside, and tearing it to shreds in the search for the Unholy Grail. So Taylor must find it first -- and hope that the Nightside still exists by then.
Okay, obviously Green plays some theological fast-and-loose -- seriously, could an angel really get skewered against a building side? But he spins a very fascinating story -- and since he's already told us what the Nightside is, and how weird it is, we get right into the story and stay there until the end.
And Green's writing has definitely matured since the first Nightside story, becoming steadier and more detailed, and his dialogue is a bit snappier ("You want me to sneak up on an angel and rip out its pinfeathers, so you can make a fashion statement?"). And he has a certain flair for the grotesque -- the half-eaten girl at the demon club, Suzie's nightmare, the pantomime audience of the dead.
But Green really outdoes himself in the last chapter, where we find out one character's secret past, and what will happen with the Unholy Grail. It's a very emotional, almost tender chapter, and gives a striking look at the religious aspects behind the novel.
Taylor is the classic noir anti-hero in here -- he doesn't really trust anything, and he's wary of everyone. But Suzie gets a lot of fleshing-out, since we discover a tragic, very dark past. The only problem with their characters was that everyone started yelling in fear when they showed up -- come on, can't SOMEONE be stupid enough not to care.
"Agents of Light and Darkness" is religion with a Nightside twist -- lots of creepy people, grotesque surroundings, and avenging angels. A nice sequel, and a great continuation of the Nightside story.
Editorial Review:
The New York Times bestselling author takes readers back to the Nightside.
A quest for the Unholy Grail-the goblet from which Judas drank at the Last Supper-takes private eye John Taylor deep into the secret, magical heart of London...called the Nightside.
