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Nightside #2
Ritorno a Nightside
A Nightside sono sempre le tre del mattino e l’alba non arriva mai. Nightside è il cuore malato, segreto e magico di Londra, in cui divinità e mostri vengono a patti e si dedicano a piaceri che non potrebbero trovare da nessun’altra parte. I sogni diventano realtà a Nightside, specialmente quelli più intimi. Il mio nome è John Taylor, investigatore privato. Ho un dono che mi permette di trovare le cose e le persone. Non prometto giustizia, o vendetta, o quel che desideri. Ma per te troverò la verità, ogni stramaledetto frammento che la compone. Benvenuto a Nightside. Guardati le spalle, o qualcuno potrebbe rubartele.
Siamo di nuovo immersi nello strano e inquietante mondo di Nightside. Questa volta John Taylor viene ingaggiato da un emissario del Vaticano per occuparsi di una missione ben remunerata: trovare l’Empio Graal, che a quanto pare è finito proprio a Nightside. Si tratta del calice da cui bevve Giuda Iscariota durante l’ultima cena; una coppa spregevole e dannata che dona potere supremo ma corrompe chiunque ne entri in possesso. La ricerca non si rivela affatto semplice. D’altronde, ci troviamo a Nightside, dove tutto è possibile e niente è come sembra. Taylor non è l’unico a voler ritrovare l’Empio Graal e a dargli la caccia vi sono esseri di ogni sorta, malvagi e spaventosi, demoni, angeli del paradiso e dell’inferno. John dovrà sfruttare tutta la sua abilità per sopravvivere, trovare l’oggetto della sua ricerca e salvare dalla distruzione totale Nightside. Con l’aiuto dell’amica Suzie la Tiratrice, di Eddie il Rasoio e addirittura di Merlino, l’investigatore si avventura in luoghi malfamati e misteriosi, come il quartier generale del Quarto Reich, il vecchio teatro dello Stige e il magazzino ricco di tesori del Collezionista. Intanto, all’orizzonte, si profila l’ipotetico futuro che attende quel luogo oscuro di Londra...
Siamo di nuovo immersi nello strano e inquietante mondo di Nightside. Questa volta John Taylor viene ingaggiato da un emissario del Vaticano per occuparsi di una missione ben remunerata: trovare l’Empio Graal, che a quanto pare è finito proprio a Nightside. Si tratta del calice da cui bevve Giuda Iscariota durante l’ultima cena; una coppa spregevole e dannata che dona potere supremo ma corrompe chiunque ne entri in possesso. La ricerca non si rivela affatto semplice. D’altronde, ci troviamo a Nightside, dove tutto è possibile e niente è come sembra. Taylor non è l’unico a voler ritrovare l’Empio Graal e a dargli la caccia vi sono esseri di ogni sorta, malvagi e spaventosi, demoni, angeli del paradiso e dell’inferno. John dovrà sfruttare tutta la sua abilità per sopravvivere, trovare l’oggetto della sua ricerca e salvare dalla distruzione totale Nightside. Con l’aiuto dell’amica Suzie la Tiratrice, di Eddie il Rasoio e addirittura di Merlino, l’investigatore si avventura in luoghi malfamati e misteriosi, come il quartier generale del Quarto Reich, il vecchio teatro dello Stige e il magazzino ricco di tesori del Collezionista. Intanto, all’orizzonte, si profila l’ipotetico futuro che attende quel luogo oscuro di Londra...
208 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
187 people are currently reading
3112 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
312 books3,215 followersSimon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews
November 5, 2025
Agents of Light and Darkness
By Simon R. Green
This is a re-read. It's been over 10 yrs since I read this series. This is book #2 in the series. In this book, angels are causing havoc in the Nightside. Some are looking for the unholy grail. There is a gun that is able to kill angels, but it has consequences. There is more great fantasy, too!
11-4-2025
Re-reading this series. Again! I may re-read many series in November and December.
By Simon R. Green
This is a re-read. It's been over 10 yrs since I read this series. This is book #2 in the series. In this book, angels are causing havoc in the Nightside. Some are looking for the unholy grail. There is a gun that is able to kill angels, but it has consequences. There is more great fantasy, too!
11-4-2025
Re-reading this series. Again! I may re-read many series in November and December.
May 29, 2021
This UF is notable for diving right into the big supernatural stuff, angels and demons, the unholy grail, and all kinds of overpowered baddies in the mixing ground called Nightside. I mean, we even get that old undead great, Merlin, who freaks out both angels and demons. That's pretty cool.
The plot is neat, too. As is the worldbuilding.
So why aren't I fawning over this the way I want to?
Because our MC is kinda colorless. Everything around him is pretty awesome but our boy is kinda a badass without working for it, has a reputation without building to it, and we've even skipped right over the whole "I still want to live in normal London" persona and having him settled back in Nightside without anything... not even a shoulder shrug.
So, handwavium this. I can still enjoy everything else, and do, but it hasn't become my new favorite series. Alas.
The plot is neat, too. As is the worldbuilding.
So why aren't I fawning over this the way I want to?
Because our MC is kinda colorless. Everything around him is pretty awesome but our boy is kinda a badass without working for it, has a reputation without building to it, and we've even skipped right over the whole "I still want to live in normal London" persona and having him settled back in Nightside without anything... not even a shoulder shrug.
So, handwavium this. I can still enjoy everything else, and do, but it hasn't become my new favorite series. Alas.
September 5, 2020
Leído en inglés. Nivel del idioma (medio).
Esta saga de libros de 160 páginas cada uno nos relata las “misiones” o “desventuras” de John Taylor. Un hombre que se gana la vida como detective privado en un lugar llamado The Nightside. Un sitio donde no existen las leyes ni del tiempo ni del espacio ni de ningún tipo pueden existir.
Este segundo tomo me ha gustado muchísimo más que el primero. Si es cierto que he tardado un poco, pero el inglés no es mi primer idioma y leer en otro idioma, aunque sea de prosa ligera me cuesta, lo normal si no estás acostumbrada.
El motivo por el que me ha gustado tanto ha sido la naturaleza del caso. Me recuerda a los típicos episodios de la famosa serie “Supernatural” que tanto me enganchaban: ángeles, demonios, apocalipsis, magia, cristianismo, satanismo. ¿Qué más puedo pedir? Estas cosas son unos de mis puntos débiles.
En este caso, John Taylor recibe desde el vaticano la misión de encontrar el cáliz perdido de Judas Iscariote, un objeto por el que tanto ángeles y demonios ansían. Sin embargo, el simple hecho de tenerlo en su poder desataría el apocalipsis.
Los personajes se quedan un poco planos, pero no me puedo esperar más de 160 páginas. Son misiones entretenidas y me lo tomo como si fuera una serie de televisión policiaca de fantasía, además te dejan con ganas de leer el siguiente caso para indagar más sobre ese mundo tan oscuro que es el Nightside y los misterios que esconde.
Esta saga de libros de 160 páginas cada uno nos relata las “misiones” o “desventuras” de John Taylor. Un hombre que se gana la vida como detective privado en un lugar llamado The Nightside. Un sitio donde no existen las leyes ni del tiempo ni del espacio ni de ningún tipo pueden existir.
Este segundo tomo me ha gustado muchísimo más que el primero. Si es cierto que he tardado un poco, pero el inglés no es mi primer idioma y leer en otro idioma, aunque sea de prosa ligera me cuesta, lo normal si no estás acostumbrada.
El motivo por el que me ha gustado tanto ha sido la naturaleza del caso. Me recuerda a los típicos episodios de la famosa serie “Supernatural” que tanto me enganchaban: ángeles, demonios, apocalipsis, magia, cristianismo, satanismo. ¿Qué más puedo pedir? Estas cosas son unos de mis puntos débiles.
En este caso, John Taylor recibe desde el vaticano la misión de encontrar el cáliz perdido de Judas Iscariote, un objeto por el que tanto ángeles y demonios ansían. Sin embargo, el simple hecho de tenerlo en su poder desataría el apocalipsis.
Los personajes se quedan un poco planos, pero no me puedo esperar más de 160 páginas. Son misiones entretenidas y me lo tomo como si fuera una serie de televisión policiaca de fantasía, además te dejan con ganas de leer el siguiente caso para indagar más sobre ese mundo tan oscuro que es el Nightside y los misterios que esconde.
August 21, 2009
John Taylor gets hired by a priest from the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, the cup Judas drank from at the last supper. Standing in Taylor's way are all the other people looking for the Grail: Walker from the Authorities, angels from Above and Below, Nasty Jack, and others. With Suzie Shooter at his side, can Taylor find the Grail and walk out of this situation alive?
Agents of Light and Darkness is like a Ramones song. Short but, at the same time, the perfect length. Both the humor and horror are turned up a notch from the first volume. Stuff like Belle and the Speaking Gun gave me the shivers. The relationship between Taylor and Suzie is well done not a cliche. The mystery surrounding who Taylor's mother is deepens, as well as her connection to The Collector. A lot of things in this book make me hungry for the next one: Merlin Satanspawn, Walter, Suzie Shooter's past, The Collector, etc.
So, after two books, how does the Nightside stack up against the Dresden Files? I'm not prepared to say which I prefer but I will say this. I like the pace of the Nightside better. The overall plot advances much faster than that of the Dresden Files. Also, the horror factor much higher and Taylor's enemies are much more memorable because of it. Belle, Jessica Sorrow, and Nasty Jack and his ragdoll dance partner will stick with me for a long time.
Agents of Light and Darkness is like a Ramones song. Short but, at the same time, the perfect length. Both the humor and horror are turned up a notch from the first volume. Stuff like Belle and the Speaking Gun gave me the shivers. The relationship between Taylor and Suzie is well done not a cliche. The mystery surrounding who Taylor's mother is deepens, as well as her connection to The Collector. A lot of things in this book make me hungry for the next one: Merlin Satanspawn, Walter, Suzie Shooter's past, The Collector, etc.
So, after two books, how does the Nightside stack up against the Dresden Files? I'm not prepared to say which I prefer but I will say this. I like the pace of the Nightside better. The overall plot advances much faster than that of the Dresden Files. Also, the horror factor much higher and Taylor's enemies are much more memorable because of it. Belle, Jessica Sorrow, and Nasty Jack and his ragdoll dance partner will stick with me for a long time.
December 16, 2012
This series has promise as it is full of interesting ideas and settings, but the author seems dead set against examining them in depth. Ideas and settings that could fill an entire novel are explored in a matter of pages and dismissed. The world of the Nightside is presented as something extremely old and filled with interesting characters and story lines. Yet in book two, the size of the world already feels small as we are already re-visiting many of the same locales and characters from the first book. This wouldn't be so bad if we spent some valuable time with the characters and settings and took some time to explore them, but every scene and every character seems to exist to simply advance the plot to the next checkpoint. This book doesn't give any time for the characters, plot or setting to breathe and stretch their legs. Once the author has typed in the period at the last sentence of plot point A, he introduces plot point B in the very next sentence. It feels like Green is in a hurry to get the end. And that is unfortunate, because the Nightside seems like a world worth visiting.
Thankfully these books are quick reads, so I will likely be picking up the third book in the hopes that the world and characters get expanded.
Thankfully these books are quick reads, so I will likely be picking up the third book in the hopes that the world and characters get expanded.
March 3, 2025
Wyrób dresdeno-podobny. Kilka fajnych pomysłów na magię, kilka zabawnych momentów. Ale czegoś mi w tej książce brakowało :(
October 1, 2009
This is the second book in multi-volume series by Simon R. Green. The story once again follows the almost always abstruse John Taylor, the private detective who is really good at finding things. In the first book you learn John is a former Nightside badass who in his time away from the Nightside developed a conscious. He went back into the disturbing scene that is the Nightside to help someone in need. Agents of Light and Darkness follows a similar premise, except on a larger scale. This time it's the Nightside itself that's really in danger. Heaven and Hell are at war and John is stuck in between. He must locate the Unholy Grail before time runs out and the Nightside becomes collateral damage.
I liked this book more than the first. I always try to read at least two books of a series before truly deciding if I like it or not. In Agents of Light and Darkness, Simon R. Green takes the hyperbole that annoyed me so much from the first book and tones it down a level or two. He spends less time talking about how wild, crazy and scary his world is and more time developing the characters that so desperately needed expanded upon. This is a short book (as are most of the Nightside books) and a very enjoyable read. The pacing is much like the first, fast and fun. There are a ton of cool and colorful characters such as Suzie Shooter, Razor Eddie, The Collector, and many many more. I look forward to seeing how these characters develop through the series. Pick this one up if you think you’d enjoy a fast paced urban fantasy.
I liked this book more than the first. I always try to read at least two books of a series before truly deciding if I like it or not. In Agents of Light and Darkness, Simon R. Green takes the hyperbole that annoyed me so much from the first book and tones it down a level or two. He spends less time talking about how wild, crazy and scary his world is and more time developing the characters that so desperately needed expanded upon. This is a short book (as are most of the Nightside books) and a very enjoyable read. The pacing is much like the first, fast and fun. There are a ton of cool and colorful characters such as Suzie Shooter, Razor Eddie, The Collector, and many many more. I look forward to seeing how these characters develop through the series. Pick this one up if you think you’d enjoy a fast paced urban fantasy.
April 25, 2021
I didn’t much like the first one in this series which I read several years ago, but I caught a positive review of one book from the series and it made me think I should give it a second chance. I didn’t bother rereading the first one, but I really enjoyed this. I think when I read the first I was still quite new to UF as a genre so maybe that explains it, maybe not. Anyway this was good, funny, fast paced and not too heavy. I might even read the next one!
October 5, 2012
I am always amazed at any writer that can put together 200 pages worth of thoughts into a coherent, cohesive and interesting story line. I doubt very much that I have in me what it takes to put together anything that is a fraction as good as the lowest rated books that I have ever read.
That being said, it amazes me further when an author can take those few pages and the few words on those pages and weave not only a theme worth following, but an entire previously undefined world and in such intricate detail that you can picture the writer's thoughts like a movie playing in your mind and the scenes like a painting hanging on the wall.
In his Nightside series, Simon R. Green, has created a secret, dark heart of London where horror and depravity are the norm. He has populated his world with a cast of characters that may be the only beings capable of navigating this strange world. And, he has mixed in a heavy dose of mystery and just enough wit to have you snickering every couple of pages. Fantastic books!
4 STARS
That being said, it amazes me further when an author can take those few pages and the few words on those pages and weave not only a theme worth following, but an entire previously undefined world and in such intricate detail that you can picture the writer's thoughts like a movie playing in your mind and the scenes like a painting hanging on the wall.
In his Nightside series, Simon R. Green, has created a secret, dark heart of London where horror and depravity are the norm. He has populated his world with a cast of characters that may be the only beings capable of navigating this strange world. And, he has mixed in a heavy dose of mystery and just enough wit to have you snickering every couple of pages. Fantastic books!
4 STARS
May 24, 2025
Interesting and good pacing, though it took me like too long to finish but it was worth reading.
January 13, 2009
As I think I've mentioned somewhere before, I am the biggest sucker for pulp fiction. Simon R. Green's Nightside series take pulp fiction an extra step & meld it to the supernatural and the weird sci-fi realm. You may be a little lost if Agents of Light and Darkness is where you start in the series; I would definitely start with the first one "Something From the Nightside" and go through the books in order.
In this episode, our hero, John Taylor, is back in the Nightside again, and finds himself seated face to face with an emissary from the Vatican. It seems that the Unholy Grail is missing and is believed to be somewhere in the Nightside. Taylor's gift is to be able to find anything, so his skills are wanted to find the Unholy Grail. As opposed to the Holy Grail, the Unholy Grail is the cup from which Judas drank before betraying Jesus to the Romans. Its possession gives the owner great temptations & special powers strong enough to control any and everything and it is most wanted not only by the Vatican emissary, so that he can bury it so that it never surfaces again, but by the Heavenly Angels & the Angels from Hell who each have their own agendas for the cup; and this is not to mention the evil ones in the Nightside who will stop at nothing to obtain the cup. So besides finding the cup, Taylor & his best friend Suzie have their work cut out for them just to stay alive.
As usual, this Nightside book is a definite treat. And, for those of you who are Lovecraft aficionados, such as myself, there is a hidden treat in here: on a visit to The Collector, Taylor is going through the Collector's crates & finds one labeled "Antarctic Expedition 1936; Do not open until the Elder Ones Return."(207) This sentence made me chuckle. For those of you who don't have a clue of what I'm talking about, well, never mind.
Sci-fi/fantasy fans, readers of steampunk and even horror readers will enjoy this series.
Recommended; fun, meant to entertain for a few hours.
In this episode, our hero, John Taylor, is back in the Nightside again, and finds himself seated face to face with an emissary from the Vatican. It seems that the Unholy Grail is missing and is believed to be somewhere in the Nightside. Taylor's gift is to be able to find anything, so his skills are wanted to find the Unholy Grail. As opposed to the Holy Grail, the Unholy Grail is the cup from which Judas drank before betraying Jesus to the Romans. Its possession gives the owner great temptations & special powers strong enough to control any and everything and it is most wanted not only by the Vatican emissary, so that he can bury it so that it never surfaces again, but by the Heavenly Angels & the Angels from Hell who each have their own agendas for the cup; and this is not to mention the evil ones in the Nightside who will stop at nothing to obtain the cup. So besides finding the cup, Taylor & his best friend Suzie have their work cut out for them just to stay alive.
As usual, this Nightside book is a definite treat. And, for those of you who are Lovecraft aficionados, such as myself, there is a hidden treat in here: on a visit to The Collector, Taylor is going through the Collector's crates & finds one labeled "Antarctic Expedition 1936; Do not open until the Elder Ones Return."(207) This sentence made me chuckle. For those of you who don't have a clue of what I'm talking about, well, never mind.
Sci-fi/fantasy fans, readers of steampunk and even horror readers will enjoy this series.
Recommended; fun, meant to entertain for a few hours.
June 18, 2012
Agents of Light and Darkness is the second book in Simon Green's Nightside series. Here's my review from Audible. It pretty much says it all.
"I just can't decide"
Parts of these stories are so well told it can bring a tear to your eye and part of it feels repetitive and part of it bugs me to no end. You'll have to find the good bits on your own. I'm not going to spoil it.
The repetitive, is the instance that anything out of this world is possible in the Nightside. That's fine, I got it the first time but it's repeated often and gets tiresome.
As for what bugs me, well there don't seem to be any rules in the Nightside and while that is all well and good it affords the writer to pull stuff directly from his.....collective....mind for convenience. Some times it just feels contrived and some time's it all comes together beautifully. That's irritating. I'm sure I'll listen to the next one if for no other reason than to see if I can decide whether I like this type of storytelling or not.
Then there is the narrator, he's the one thing I'd never change and I'll look for his work and try things just to listen to him. He's wonderful.
"I just can't decide"
Parts of these stories are so well told it can bring a tear to your eye and part of it feels repetitive and part of it bugs me to no end. You'll have to find the good bits on your own. I'm not going to spoil it.
The repetitive, is the instance that anything out of this world is possible in the Nightside. That's fine, I got it the first time but it's repeated often and gets tiresome.
As for what bugs me, well there don't seem to be any rules in the Nightside and while that is all well and good it affords the writer to pull stuff directly from his.....collective....mind for convenience. Some times it just feels contrived and some time's it all comes together beautifully. That's irritating. I'm sure I'll listen to the next one if for no other reason than to see if I can decide whether I like this type of storytelling or not.
Then there is the narrator, he's the one thing I'd never change and I'll look for his work and try things just to listen to him. He's wonderful.
June 17, 2009
What lessons did I learn from this book? Angels are as scary as they are majestic. Whew. I really don't want the angel apocalypse hitting anywhere I live like it does in the Nightside. Also don't get in the way of an angel with a mission. You will not survive the encounter. In this case, the angels are after someone who has the Judas Cup, not the Holy Grail. Yeah, you can guess this cup is probably not going to be used for benevolent purposes.
The action is fierce, the horror is very evident, the humor is crisp, and the glimpses of humanity in the characters make it go down nicely when it could have been over the top. There are folklore bits nicely woven into this story that I really appreciated, such as Black Annis, one scary lady for kids and grownups alike. Although I had my shuddery moments, I loved this book, and am eager to read more in the series.
The action is fierce, the horror is very evident, the humor is crisp, and the glimpses of humanity in the characters make it go down nicely when it could have been over the top. There are folklore bits nicely woven into this story that I really appreciated, such as Black Annis, one scary lady for kids and grownups alike. Although I had my shuddery moments, I loved this book, and am eager to read more in the series.
February 5, 2021
While this was quite some fun and kept me entertained, I had a bit of a harder time to get into the story. The plot was just a bit too over the top for me. And while easy prose, action and fast pace are just why I like this sort of Urban fantasy, I still want to be able to at least kind of believe most of the story. Some of it can be over the top (Dresden riding a revived dinosaur skeleton...) and funny because of it, but if it gets too much it takes from the book for me. This is why one star is missing here.
Otherwise again great fun, easy read, fast paced, lots of action, quite some gore, adventure, danger, friendship, offensive language and a fuckload of angels. ;)
Otherwise again great fun, easy read, fast paced, lots of action, quite some gore, adventure, danger, friendship, offensive language and a fuckload of angels. ;)
August 26, 2015
3.5
خیلی بهتر از کتاب 1 بود. حداقل پایانش اونقدر تخیلی و چرت نبود
پایان منطقی تر و شگفت آورتری داشت
تخیل همچنان بی حد و حصر بود و هرجا گرین کم می آورد از تخیلات بی حد و حصر نایت ساید، بستری که برای این کار به وجود آورده، استفاده می کرد
استفاده از منطق ِ خودش در عین بی منطقی
نایت شاید مکان شگفت آوریه اما هنوز زیادی گنگ و مبهمه
این کتاب هم یه دور تند از اتفاقات پشت سر هم ردیف شده بود به نظر من. تند تند جلو رفت و اتفاقات مختلفی افتاد.
خوب بود. بیشتر از پایان جلد 1 مشتاق شدم به خوندن کتاب بعدیش
:)
خیلی بهتر از کتاب 1 بود. حداقل پایانش اونقدر تخیلی و چرت نبود
پایان منطقی تر و شگفت آورتری داشت
تخیل همچنان بی حد و حصر بود و هرجا گرین کم می آورد از تخیلات بی حد و حصر نایت ساید، بستری که برای این کار به وجود آورده، استفاده می کرد
استفاده از منطق ِ خودش در عین بی منطقی
نایت شاید مکان شگفت آوریه اما هنوز زیادی گنگ و مبهمه
این کتاب هم یه دور تند از اتفاقات پشت سر هم ردیف شده بود به نظر من. تند تند جلو رفت و اتفاقات مختلفی افتاد.
خوب بود. بیشتر از پایان جلد 1 مشتاق شدم به خوندن کتاب بعدیش
:)
May 3, 2018
Reading this book is like watching a cartoon, reading a comic book without pictures or playing a crazy computer game. I think it would work perfectly for all of these media.I would not call it "literature - literature" but it is a series you can escape into, the pace is fast and there are no limits to imagination and creativity!
December 26, 2017
Having read 2 of these now, I can see that:
1) This overarching plot involving John's parents is going to be dangled in front of us for awhile, and
2) the author likes to set up cheesy lines for fun, like "Hey, Jude" or the one from the first book...
Neither of these things are really bothering me, at the moment, and when they start to, I'll just take a break... in the mean time, I'm continuing to greatly enjoy these stories, even if I sometimes see the big reveals coming a mile away...
1) This overarching plot involving John's parents is going to be dangled in front of us for awhile, and
2) the author likes to set up cheesy lines for fun, like "Hey, Jude" or the one from the first book...
Neither of these things are really bothering me, at the moment, and when they start to, I'll just take a break... in the mean time, I'm continuing to greatly enjoy these stories, even if I sometimes see the big reveals coming a mile away...
July 16, 2024
A solidly entertaining adventure. I'm just not that into the Nightside or any other similar realm/world where anything can and does happen, it gets a little dull.
August 10, 2018
Throughly entertaining entry in The Nightside series.
December 17, 2019
This is the second book in the "Nightside" series by Simon R. Green. John Taylor is a private detective in the Nightside. The Nightside is a hidden city below London where supernatural beings live and find their pleasures. Pleasures that can't be found in the mundane world. John Taylor has a unique Talent. He finds things. He has a power that lets him find anything or anyone, anywhere. When he is hired to find the Unholy Grail, the cup of Judas Iscariot, he knows that there will be trouble. He isn't prepared for Angels of the light and also fallen Angels coming to the Nightside also trying to find the unholy cup. There may be a holy war on Earth if he can't find the cup first and see it put into safe hands. This book is a good read in this unique series.
April 19, 2017
the fantasy in this series, the horror, the action,......wow....just wow.
the idea of a dark london was great, i simply adored the main protagonist , John Taylor. overall the whole book was fantastic.
the idea of a dark london was great, i simply adored the main protagonist , John Taylor. overall the whole book was fantastic.
April 10, 2014
The many shortcomings are made up for with pitch black gallows humor. Actually, is there a color darker than black? Because that would describe this parody of urban-fantasy-noir Perfectly.
May 9, 2020
The main plot of this book goes something like this ... I have powers and mommy issues. I help people in the alternative world of the Nightside. My powers are vague but as far as you know I cand find stuff and take the bullets out of guns with my brain.
Bad people and sometimes good people hire me to find things. It is usually dangerous. This time, I am supposed to find an ancient artifact. As soon as I take the job, "people" are trying to kill me or use me. So I go get a friend to help, who has her own issues. Everyone we find is dead or we kill them except for the ones who help us.
The clues lead us to people that are living, who help us find said artifact. We kill people. We see someone use a meat gun. I use my powers and it's awesome.
I find said artifact with an ancient old guy. I don't die because there is book three. And I still have mommy issues.
Bad people and sometimes good people hire me to find things. It is usually dangerous. This time, I am supposed to find an ancient artifact. As soon as I take the job, "people" are trying to kill me or use me. So I go get a friend to help, who has her own issues. Everyone we find is dead or we kill them except for the ones who help us.
The clues lead us to people that are living, who help us find said artifact. We kill people. We see someone use a meat gun. I use my powers and it's awesome.
I find said artifact with an ancient old guy. I don't die because there is book three. And I still have mommy issues.
April 5, 2021
6,5/10
It's kitsch, it's cheesy, predictable and full of deus ex machina. The worldbuilding is clearly more focused on impressing the reader with the great creativity of the author, scariness of creatures or the everpresent danger in nightside, but it does so through telling rather than showing. You are always told who the character is and why exactly you should fear him before he has any time to act. It's, to put it lightly, not a very good book and at the same time, it's everything I need it to be.
It's kitsch, it's cheesy, predictable and full of deus ex machina. The worldbuilding is clearly more focused on impressing the reader with the great creativity of the author, scariness of creatures or the everpresent danger in nightside, but it does so through telling rather than showing. You are always told who the character is and why exactly you should fear him before he has any time to act. It's, to put it lightly, not a very good book and at the same time, it's everything I need it to be.
April 29, 2019
I love John Taylor and his escapades in the Nightside, they are crazy. There's no lack of action, that's for sure, or lack of excellent secondary characters that seem to appear in the overall story. This is not a nice place full of good people, there is however, some morally gray folks with some sense of good and bad, and a lot of magical powers running through most. It makes for great reading. It's complete escapism.
August 20, 2017
شاید سه و نیم
نمیدونم چرا این نمره ولی دلم هم نمیاد پایینتر بدم. به نسبت جلد قبل فانتزیش خیلی بهتر بود
نمیدونم چرا این نمره ولی دلم هم نمیاد پایینتر بدم. به نسبت جلد قبل فانتزیش خیلی بهتر بود
September 23, 2017
4 Stars
Yes, I read this out of order. As most of you know, I am going on to Book 8, now; and somehow managed to skip book 2.
Ah, well; doesn't matter. John Taylor trying to solve a mystery in the one place where mystery is the norm..... so is murder and mayhem, but let's not go there.
Yes, I read this out of order. As most of you know, I am going on to Book 8, now; and somehow managed to skip book 2.
Ah, well; doesn't matter. John Taylor trying to solve a mystery in the one place where mystery is the norm..... so is murder and mayhem, but let's not go there.
April 7, 2019
Skimmed a lot because of too much repetition and OVER THE TOP comments. I think Green had a great imagination, creating the Nightside and its denizens, but he could use a bit of "less is more" attitude.
February 2, 2021
Even better than the first the depth of description and gore is pretty amazing.
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