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Nightside #1-3
A Walk on the Nightside
Working in Nightside, a dark underworld hidden beneath the streets of London, John Taylor, a detective gifted with the ability to find things that are lost, searches for the missing daughter of a wealthy client, the Unholy Grail, and a missing singer whose voice has the power to cause death, in a trio of novels--Something from the Nightside, Agents of Light and Darkness, and Nightingale's Lament. Original.
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2004
6 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
312 books3,207 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 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 26, 2011
What i liked the most was the urban fantasy feel, he has of way of making you say wow as your reading the story. A lot of cool concepts about what a world of magic might be like. The stories were very entertaining and I felt compelled to sit for long periods just reading his stuff. I know I like a book when it can draw me into the story and I lose myself.
August 26, 2011
Admitting you like the Nightside series by Simon Greene is exactly like saying "Hi, I'm AJ and I'm an addict." It just feels SO good to "Get It Out There." There I've said it and maybe, just maybe, someone else in the scary dark will admit it too. Fair warning though: If you read volume one and then two? Buckle up boyo, you're in for the lot. It's my guiltiest pleasure that's true . . . but I'd put this irreverent, wildly scoped, WHOOP! of a way-noir fantasy ride right next to Neil Gaimen's, Neverwhere, on my "I feel so dirty, but oh-so-good after each novel" bookshelf.
Not for everyone, but if number 1 gets your number, you might as well buckle up and hunker down, because you're gonna buy 'em all as quickly as your Demonic little black heart, and pocket book will allow.
Not for everyone, but if number 1 gets your number, you might as well buckle up and hunker down, because you're gonna buy 'em all as quickly as your Demonic little black heart, and pocket book will allow.
October 1, 2014
A very enjoyable read and as good as Harry Dresden. Butcher fan's should pick it up. A wild romp through the first 3 books for the talented finder Mr. John Taylor. Simon Green paints a panoramic canvas of creatures, time warps, monsters, angels and demons and even some stuff I had never heard of. I highly recommend it for fans of the paranormal bent.
July 22, 2016
At times horrific and weird as hell all the time. Really really strange stuff.
September 11, 2019
I just love Simon R. Green - he comes up with the greatest characters and places. Not a single person in those three first books of the series was boring, they were all creative and original and I loved all of them - including the protagonist. Everything's so well thought out and feels like something completely fresh and not like anything I've read before. Suzy Shooter, Dead Boy... geez, I would so love to see movie versions of those guys!
The first book was just like Green's first Secret Histories novel - just jumping from one action scene into the next which feels a bit exhausting, but that gets better from the second book onwards and the first two also have wonderfully surprising endings.
I definitely need to continue this series and read absolutely everything Green has to offer.
The first book was just like Green's first Secret Histories novel - just jumping from one action scene into the next which feels a bit exhausting, but that gets better from the second book onwards and the first two also have wonderfully surprising endings.
I definitely need to continue this series and read absolutely everything Green has to offer.
November 7, 2019
These books build an interesting world and have a fun noir flair. They're clearly trying to be inclusive but they're kind of old enough that they get a lot of things wrong, especially terminology. There was definitely some wincing during my reads. You have to be willing to overlook that to enjoy them. If you can handle that, though, it's a fun little dark world to spend some time in. Enjoyable, if forgettable, fun.
May 24, 2019
Once of the weirdest books I have ever read.
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January 17, 2024:
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September 26, 2014
After I started reading and became addicted to The Dresden Files, I've been looking into and trying some other urban fantasy series.
One thing that is fairly unique about these novels is their length. The book I'm reviewing here was under 400 pages and consisted of three separate novels. They're technically all long enough to be novels, but they're probably closer to novellas. I found the length a nice change of pace.
The world Green has created is a very interesting one. Whereas Jim Butcher's Dresden stories take place (mostly) within the actual confines of Chicago, the Nightside, while technically within the boundaries of London, is its own separate entity. Indeed, the fact that the Nightside is at least seemingly located in the heart of London is rarely if ever touched upon in the first three novels. Aside from some language unique to the country (use of the word bloody for emphasis, British spellings of words that are likely more due to the fact that Green himself is from England than the fact the Nightside is there), the Nightside could be located anywhere in the world (or not in the world, for that matter.)
I do think it would be interesting if Green explored the Nightside's connection (or lack thereof) with the outside world a bit more. It is clear that people travel back and forth regularly, but why people come to the Nightside (outside of general statements about them being able to get things there they can't in London) and the impact of London's proximity to the Nightside has on both places is not really discussed. I believe that to be perhaps the weakest part of Green's otherwise strong world building.
When I read the novels, I could very easily visualize the Nightside in my mind. When I read, I tend to develop a kind of picture in my head of the events, though often parts are a bit fuzzy and it's a bit more like seeing ideas of images than seeing images, if that makes any sense. I'm not sure if anyone else is the same way. I find that locations tend to be a bit fuzzier for me than people, but not in this case.
I believe the novels get stronger toward the end. I think the first, where Green is introducing the world, to be the weakest of the three, and then they become steadily stronger. I think Green's ideas are stronger than his actual writing skills, as he has a tendency to be highly repetitive ("I don't carry a gun. I've never felt the need.) must be said about seven or eight times in the three books and he tends to add "in the Nightside" to the end of every third sentence.
The dialogue is inconsistent. Sometimes it is strong, but there are a lot of paragraph long dialogue from characters talking to Green's protagonist, John Taylor, where they basically describe who they are, information Taylor already knows. These are pretty clearly exposition dumps for the reader. The issue improves a bit in the later books in this collection, but not as much as I was hoping. Hopefully as I read more, the problem diminishes even further as there are less characters to introduce.
The tone of the books is probably a bit darker than Dresden, but not as dark as Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim, another series in the genre I discovered and began reading recently.
I found the first three novels as a whole to be flawed but very intriguing. While I think it's very likely the novels (or perhaps just their publication) were inspired by the success of the Dresden series, there are enough differences that it doesn't feel like a cheap knock-off. I will definitely continue reading beyond book three, and I would recommend giving the series a try if you enjoy Dresden or urban fantasy as a genre.
One thing that is fairly unique about these novels is their length. The book I'm reviewing here was under 400 pages and consisted of three separate novels. They're technically all long enough to be novels, but they're probably closer to novellas. I found the length a nice change of pace.
The world Green has created is a very interesting one. Whereas Jim Butcher's Dresden stories take place (mostly) within the actual confines of Chicago, the Nightside, while technically within the boundaries of London, is its own separate entity. Indeed, the fact that the Nightside is at least seemingly located in the heart of London is rarely if ever touched upon in the first three novels. Aside from some language unique to the country (use of the word bloody for emphasis, British spellings of words that are likely more due to the fact that Green himself is from England than the fact the Nightside is there), the Nightside could be located anywhere in the world (or not in the world, for that matter.)
I do think it would be interesting if Green explored the Nightside's connection (or lack thereof) with the outside world a bit more. It is clear that people travel back and forth regularly, but why people come to the Nightside (outside of general statements about them being able to get things there they can't in London) and the impact of London's proximity to the Nightside has on both places is not really discussed. I believe that to be perhaps the weakest part of Green's otherwise strong world building.
When I read the novels, I could very easily visualize the Nightside in my mind. When I read, I tend to develop a kind of picture in my head of the events, though often parts are a bit fuzzy and it's a bit more like seeing ideas of images than seeing images, if that makes any sense. I'm not sure if anyone else is the same way. I find that locations tend to be a bit fuzzier for me than people, but not in this case.
I believe the novels get stronger toward the end. I think the first, where Green is introducing the world, to be the weakest of the three, and then they become steadily stronger. I think Green's ideas are stronger than his actual writing skills, as he has a tendency to be highly repetitive ("I don't carry a gun. I've never felt the need.) must be said about seven or eight times in the three books and he tends to add "in the Nightside" to the end of every third sentence.
The dialogue is inconsistent. Sometimes it is strong, but there are a lot of paragraph long dialogue from characters talking to Green's protagonist, John Taylor, where they basically describe who they are, information Taylor already knows. These are pretty clearly exposition dumps for the reader. The issue improves a bit in the later books in this collection, but not as much as I was hoping. Hopefully as I read more, the problem diminishes even further as there are less characters to introduce.
The tone of the books is probably a bit darker than Dresden, but not as dark as Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim, another series in the genre I discovered and began reading recently.
I found the first three novels as a whole to be flawed but very intriguing. While I think it's very likely the novels (or perhaps just their publication) were inspired by the success of the Dresden series, there are enough differences that it doesn't feel like a cheap knock-off. I will definitely continue reading beyond book three, and I would recommend giving the series a try if you enjoy Dresden or urban fantasy as a genre.
October 26, 2011
John Taylor is our narrator, a private investigator complete with the expected trench coat. John isn't just a "private eye" he has a mystical third "private eye" through which he can find things--at least in London's Nightside. The Nightside "is a square mile of narrow streets and back alley in the centre of city linking slums and tenement that were old when the last century was new.... It's always three o' clock in the morning, and the dawn never comes." It's filled with demons, trolls, ghosts, giants, fairies, poltergeists, zombies, and talking horses. That's the strength of the book--the Dali-esque phantasmagorical setting.
Something from the Nightside The very first sentence lets us know we're in the land of noir. Then a beautiful wealthy client, Joanna Barrett, walks in (from the rain of course) asking Taylor to find her missing teenage daughter. I have to tell you, just knowing the hard-boiled detective genre as I do, I was pretty sure right there what role Joanna would play. The major weakness for me in this first book is the character of Joanna and John's relationship with her. She's supposed to be part of the normal world, and yet she doesn't need any convincing that her daughter is lost in this magical world part Harry Potter's Diagon Alley and part Neverworld's "London Below." The dialogue that comes out of her mouth is often eye-rolling, her character inconsistent and the way John fell for her unbelievable. Three Stars
Agents of Light and Darkness I liked this second in the series quite a bit more than the first. In this one Taylor, with "Shotgun Suzy" at his side, has been hired to find "the Unholy Grail." The object, once drunk from by Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper, "magnifies all evil by its presence, encourages and accelerates evil trends and events, and utterly corrupts all who come in contact with it." Vying for ownership are those "agents of Light and Darkness." Angels from "above and below" who are fallen and unfallen. And even those angels from Heaven are not nice. They threaten to tear apart the Nightside to find the dark object. It makes for an intriguing MacGuffin. And as with the first book the fun in this is Green's wild imagination loose in his depiction of his setting and characters, only here sharper, more immersive and less predictable than in the first book. It's also if anything more gross, gory and grisly in a very pulp fiction way. Fast-paced, enjoyable read. Three and a Half Stars
Nightingale's Lament With this series, it was the third novel that's the charm. Maybe it's just that Taylor and the Nightside has grown on me, but I don't think so. This one just had so many memorable scenes. One in particular was a fun romp--a visit to the Night Times, the local newspaper. It sported a poltergeist copyboy, two ravens for fact-checkers, a typewriter haunted by their ghostwriter, a goblin drag queen doing the horoscope and Argus, a shifter, as their gossip columnist. The publisher and editor, Julien Advent, is worthy of a book of his own. Add characters such as Dead Boy and Rossignol, a nightclub singer with a voice to die for. What's not to love? Four Stars
So, given Nightingale's Lament was quite good, I may take other walks on the Nightside someday and keep the omnibus volume on my shelf.
Something from the Nightside The very first sentence lets us know we're in the land of noir. Then a beautiful wealthy client, Joanna Barrett, walks in (from the rain of course) asking Taylor to find her missing teenage daughter. I have to tell you, just knowing the hard-boiled detective genre as I do, I was pretty sure right there what role Joanna would play. The major weakness for me in this first book is the character of Joanna and John's relationship with her. She's supposed to be part of the normal world, and yet she doesn't need any convincing that her daughter is lost in this magical world part Harry Potter's Diagon Alley and part Neverworld's "London Below." The dialogue that comes out of her mouth is often eye-rolling, her character inconsistent and the way John fell for her unbelievable. Three Stars
Agents of Light and Darkness I liked this second in the series quite a bit more than the first. In this one Taylor, with "Shotgun Suzy" at his side, has been hired to find "the Unholy Grail." The object, once drunk from by Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper, "magnifies all evil by its presence, encourages and accelerates evil trends and events, and utterly corrupts all who come in contact with it." Vying for ownership are those "agents of Light and Darkness." Angels from "above and below" who are fallen and unfallen. And even those angels from Heaven are not nice. They threaten to tear apart the Nightside to find the dark object. It makes for an intriguing MacGuffin. And as with the first book the fun in this is Green's wild imagination loose in his depiction of his setting and characters, only here sharper, more immersive and less predictable than in the first book. It's also if anything more gross, gory and grisly in a very pulp fiction way. Fast-paced, enjoyable read. Three and a Half Stars
Nightingale's Lament With this series, it was the third novel that's the charm. Maybe it's just that Taylor and the Nightside has grown on me, but I don't think so. This one just had so many memorable scenes. One in particular was a fun romp--a visit to the Night Times, the local newspaper. It sported a poltergeist copyboy, two ravens for fact-checkers, a typewriter haunted by their ghostwriter, a goblin drag queen doing the horoscope and Argus, a shifter, as their gossip columnist. The publisher and editor, Julien Advent, is worthy of a book of his own. Add characters such as Dead Boy and Rossignol, a nightclub singer with a voice to die for. What's not to love? Four Stars
So, given Nightingale's Lament was quite good, I may take other walks on the Nightside someday and keep the omnibus volume on my shelf.
July 2, 2012
Read the first: Something From the Nightside. It's like a B-version of The Dresden Files, seems to me. Story has potential; writing isn't that great (like mine! HA.). The author repeats himself quite a few times ("I've never carried a gun," anyone?). Still, the story could really be taken somewhere. I'll read the next one (or two) and see if they're any better. There are 13 in the series, after all... surely there's room for improvement!
Update July 2, 2012-
Just a few chapters into book 2, and I've changed my mind. The writing isn't any better and the main character seems to have gotten more vulgar. Just not my cup of tea. I'm giving it up.
Update July 2, 2012-
Just a few chapters into book 2, and I've changed my mind. The writing isn't any better and the main character seems to have gotten more vulgar. Just not my cup of tea. I'm giving it up.
May 2, 2018
Includes
Something from the Nightside read NEW 10/19/2003
Agents of Light and Darkness
and
Nightingale's Lament
Something from the Nightside read NEW 10/19/2003
Agents of Light and Darkness
and
Nightingale's Lament
July 30, 2011
I read this book (really three books) poolside on summer vacation with my small kids. Since I usually don't like 'noir' or spooky, I'm glad I read it in full sunshine. Quick read, enjoyable romp with quality pulp writing in a unique setting. Now I look forward to reading more about John Taylor and Nightside!
August 9, 2007
Other than an incredibly annoying tendency to stick "in the Nightside" at the end of every other line, Simon Green has constructed an interesting world. I don't find myself able to believe in it, and I don't feel the fascination I think he wants me to feel, but it's interesting.
March 15, 2008
These nightside books are a little campy, but it is an interesting approach to the detective novel. Throw in there that I love sci-fi and fantasy, of which this series has both, and I enjoyed these books quite a bit. They are pretty short, so this three for one package I recommend.
August 26, 2012
I loved the vividness of the Nightside itself and its residents—no punches pulled in the creepiness, and surprisingly inventive too. But I thought the characters were maybe a little too cliché, and that's why I think the book didn't really grab me.
December 11, 2016
Omnibus edition collecting together the first three Nightside books: Something from the Nightside, Agents of Light and Darkness and Nightingale's Lament.
Urban fantasy in the vein of the Dresden Files - offering Simon R. Green's wonderful pulp fiction blend of pop culture references and humour.
Urban fantasy in the vein of the Dresden Files - offering Simon R. Green's wonderful pulp fiction blend of pop culture references and humour.
January 9, 2021
contains the books "something from the nightside" "agents of light and darkness" and "nightingales lament"
Read
March 2, 2009good
Want to read
August 8, 2009Omnibus of books 1-3 of "Nightside" series.
Something from the Nightside (Book 1)
Agents of Light and Darkness (Book 2)
Nightingale's Lament (Book 3)
Something from the Nightside (Book 1)
Agents of Light and Darkness (Book 2)
Nightingale's Lament (Book 3)
August 28, 2010
fantastic
February 23, 2011
I didn't like his writing style. It all seemed too cliche so I only got through the first story before I quit.
June 12, 2012
What an incredibly fast and easy read!
Lots of action.. def geared towards a male audience i think due to the lack of girly dialougue but i did really enjoy it.
Lots of action.. def geared towards a male audience i think due to the lack of girly dialougue but i did really enjoy it.
November 2, 2012
Oh wow—this was one of those books I started and couldn't put down—and was surprised when I got to the end of book III. Doesn't hurt that his name's John Taylor—cause—I'm a Duran Duran fan.
March 24, 2016
One of my favourites, I've read these books over and over Love them!
November 14, 2009
Supernatural
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews