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Nightside #10
Hodný, zlý a nevyzpytatelný
Na Noční straně – ve skryté oblasti uprostřed Londýna, kde se čas zastavil na třech hodinách po půlnoci a slunce nikdy nevychází – kráčí ulicemi noční můry ve vypůjčených tělech a ne všechno, co na vás pohlédne lidskýma očima je doopravdy člověk. Ale koho to zajímá, v noci, která nikdy nekončí? Mne ano. Jsem John Taylor, soukromý detektiv obdařený talentem nacházet věci a lidi; díky tomuto svému nadání jsem dost bohatý, abych si případy vybíral a mohl pomáhat těm, které Noční strana sežvýkala a zrovna se je chystá vyplivnout. Když se to vezme kolem a kolem, v poslední době byl můj život docela příjemný, dokonce i na tomto ponurém místě. Takže bylo jen otázkou času, kdy padne lejno na ventilátor a já zjistím, že jsem přijal práci, kterou jsem rozhodně měl odmítnout. Nejprve jsem se uvolnit doprovázet po městě elfa – tvora, který není vítán ani na Noční straně, pak mne mrtvý detektiv Larry Zapomnění požádal, abych mu pomohl nalézt jeho bratra, ztraceného za války s Lilith. A nakonec za mnou přišel Walker – mocný, všudypřítomný a naprosto nepředvídatelný agent, který řídí Noční stranu pro Autority. Řekl mi, že umírá a že má pro mne také práci. Důležitou práci. Tu svou…
246 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
86 people are currently reading
2090 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
312 books3,211 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 250 reviews
January 8, 2018
And so its time to return to finishing off series - and todays challenge is Simon R Green's highly entertaining Nightside series.
The series comprises of 12 books (and a number of short stories too). Now there is a loose story arc running through the books (well there has been for the first 10 at least) however there are side stories going on and the fact that the story is pretty loose means you can enter the series at any place and not feel you are missing something vital.
That said the series is so entertaining that you may want to read them all just in case you miss some of the manic and often bizarre action. However like I say you can enter the series at any point and know you can read on and catch up - as demonstrated by me after I left this series for some time before returning to essentially the closing stages of the series.
So what about the book - I will admit I was a bit disappointed - not so much in the lack of action (oh there was plenty of that) the pale dialogue (not the black humour with lashings of sarcasm were very much in play) or the fact that you dont seem to meet them same characters as you used to (no Mr Green still appears to be as creative as ever on that front)
So why the less than glowing review - I guess for me it felt that it was trying too hard. Yes when you get to this stage in a series you are bracing yourself for the final push and this book felt like a prelude to the really big (and final) action. It was that feeling when you know a really big storm is coming and you can feel it gathering over head - well this book had that air.
That said Simon Green is a master at his trade and even a book such as this is a lot of fun I just think there were better books in the series and I think that is the problem. there are better books and I guess a series such as this suffer more than most in this situation. Where one book is compared to the rest of the series (as compared to just simply the last) and if it does not measure up its eternally stained by the idea that its okay but such and such was better.
Okay I think I have laboured that point enough - but yes there are seismic changes both in this book and even more to come and I think I need to hold my nerve for the last two books in the Nightside series.
The series comprises of 12 books (and a number of short stories too). Now there is a loose story arc running through the books (well there has been for the first 10 at least) however there are side stories going on and the fact that the story is pretty loose means you can enter the series at any place and not feel you are missing something vital.
That said the series is so entertaining that you may want to read them all just in case you miss some of the manic and often bizarre action. However like I say you can enter the series at any point and know you can read on and catch up - as demonstrated by me after I left this series for some time before returning to essentially the closing stages of the series.
So what about the book - I will admit I was a bit disappointed - not so much in the lack of action (oh there was plenty of that) the pale dialogue (not the black humour with lashings of sarcasm were very much in play) or the fact that you dont seem to meet them same characters as you used to (no Mr Green still appears to be as creative as ever on that front)
So why the less than glowing review - I guess for me it felt that it was trying too hard. Yes when you get to this stage in a series you are bracing yourself for the final push and this book felt like a prelude to the really big (and final) action. It was that feeling when you know a really big storm is coming and you can feel it gathering over head - well this book had that air.
That said Simon Green is a master at his trade and even a book such as this is a lot of fun I just think there were better books in the series and I think that is the problem. there are better books and I guess a series such as this suffer more than most in this situation. Where one book is compared to the rest of the series (as compared to just simply the last) and if it does not measure up its eternally stained by the idea that its okay but such and such was better.
Okay I think I have laboured that point enough - but yes there are seismic changes both in this book and even more to come and I think I need to hold my nerve for the last two books in the Nightside series.
June 16, 2021
This one seems kinda tired. I mean, yes, Walker is trying to groom Taylor for his job and all but we already got that idea at the end of the previous volume and this book seems to be all about milking it.
It's sometimes funny and I always get a kick out of the wide cast of colorful characters in Nightside, but between some bar tales and a wild goose chase, I'm not sure this one was one of the better ones. It could have been handled a little better.
Not that it was precisely bad... but it was quite predictable. I think we're hanging on by the side characters again.
It's sometimes funny and I always get a kick out of the wide cast of colorful characters in Nightside, but between some bar tales and a wild goose chase, I'm not sure this one was one of the better ones. It could have been handled a little better.
Not that it was precisely bad... but it was quite predictable. I think we're hanging on by the side characters again.
August 15, 2015
Amazing as always. I even cried in this one.
Just read the series my friends, I can't recommend these books enough.
Just read the series my friends, I can't recommend these books enough.
April 4, 2010
John Taylor is hired to escort an elf with a secret across the Nightside, and then he joins a rival, Larry Oblivion, to find out what really happened to Larry's brother Tommy during the Lilith War.
It felt like three separate short stories. There's the story of John and the elf, that mostly seemed like setup for a plot that didn't continue during the rest of this novel. Then there's a story about how Larry Oblivion got his weapon, which was nearly a third of the book jarringly told from Larry's point of view. Finally there was the story of the search for Tommy Oblivion and the confrontations that leads to.
Things just didn't come together for me. Too much of the book felt like random encounters, and the ongoing story stuff I just plain didn't like. Oh, I loved the idea of why Walker wanted to talk to John, but some of the revelations, and especially the story's resolution, felt off. I liked Walker better in the early books, back when he was a relatively flat character. The way he's been presented since we started to get to know him better has been inconsistent, and in this novel particularly he comes off like a comic book mastermind rather than a person capable of keeping the Nightside going.
The biggest problem with these books, and the reason I'm starting to judge them more harshly, is that they're really, really repetitive. Part of it is the author's insistence on constantly talking about the Nightside and its inhabitants and its dangers in similar terms (or the exact same ones) from book to book. Part of it is just a stylistic quirk, one that unfortunately bleeds over into the Eddie Drood books.
Every character, group, and location gets an epithet and a couple of sentences (or even paragraphs) worth of back story. And it's not just the important people or places, we get random filler about every person John Taylor passes on the street or even thinks about. I think it's intended to give the setting depth, but constant asides about this hero or that god or the other criminal gang have the opposite effect on me. The overdone, similar descriptions make everyone blend together, like they're the same generic person wearing a different mask.
There's a lot of potential for the next book's story, but I worry that the stylistic choices that have been bothering me will keep me from enjoying it even if I like the plot choices.
It felt like three separate short stories. There's the story of John and the elf, that mostly seemed like setup for a plot that didn't continue during the rest of this novel. Then there's a story about how Larry Oblivion got his weapon, which was nearly a third of the book jarringly told from Larry's point of view. Finally there was the story of the search for Tommy Oblivion and the confrontations that leads to.
Things just didn't come together for me. Too much of the book felt like random encounters, and the ongoing story stuff I just plain didn't like. Oh, I loved the idea of why Walker wanted to talk to John, but some of the revelations, and especially the story's resolution, felt off. I liked Walker better in the early books, back when he was a relatively flat character. The way he's been presented since we started to get to know him better has been inconsistent, and in this novel particularly he comes off like a comic book mastermind rather than a person capable of keeping the Nightside going.
The biggest problem with these books, and the reason I'm starting to judge them more harshly, is that they're really, really repetitive. Part of it is the author's insistence on constantly talking about the Nightside and its inhabitants and its dangers in similar terms (or the exact same ones) from book to book. Part of it is just a stylistic quirk, one that unfortunately bleeds over into the Eddie Drood books.
Every character, group, and location gets an epithet and a couple of sentences (or even paragraphs) worth of back story. And it's not just the important people or places, we get random filler about every person John Taylor passes on the street or even thinks about. I think it's intended to give the setting depth, but constant asides about this hero or that god or the other criminal gang have the opposite effect on me. The overdone, similar descriptions make everyone blend together, like they're the same generic person wearing a different mask.
There's a lot of potential for the next book's story, but I worry that the stylistic choices that have been bothering me will keep me from enjoying it even if I like the plot choices.
August 29, 2024
This was a half step up from the previous book but it was still a bit of a dull read.
March 1, 2012
http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2012...
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny is the tenth novel by Simon R. Green in the Nightside series; enter at your own peril. I would have shortened the title to The Bad as this book is simply, well, bad.
This is the part of the review in which I give you the setup of the novel, well can't really do that here. I can tell you this much, it has an 80 page introductory portion, including about 40 pages of an entertaining action packed car chase. Only that by the end of it, you still don't know what the heck this book is going to be about. Once you finish the novel, you'll notice that this early portion was simply the setup for the next book. Needless to say that something, the most horrible thing you can imagine that will end up destroying everyone we love and the world as we know it is coming to the Nightside. Then again, everything introduced in this series is like that. I'll give you the setup for the next one then. Excalibur is coming, we don't know what the crap it is, but know that shit will hit the fan and eat your babies in an inexplicable way.
Up to this point in the series, I've had a bit of love and hate relationship with it, but at the very least the Nightside has always entertained me, with a few very good installments in the middle. That's all I'm asking, a little bit of fun and entertainment. But when you have gone through 140 pages of a 275 page novel and still looking for the book's plot to pick up in some way, then there's something seriously wrong with it by my estimation. The worst part of it is that we had to go through 40 pages of a fairly pointless flashback narrated by a minor character one doesn't care for and within the first few sentences you can pretty much tell what the whole flashback is going to be about and how it'll conclude. So why torture your readers through this?
Even worse than the worst, and inside the Nightside that's possible, is that the final portion of the book where everything comes together is actually promising and the prospect of excitement finally makes you want to forget the journey to this point. It's the culmination of what was begun in the first novel, a moment we've all been waiting for, and in typical The Bad style, it falls flat on its face; completely anti-climatic and uninspiring. Just another day in the Nightside I guess.
Above all of this, as hard as it may be to believe, what has really gotten to me is that for a place that should be unique and different, everything is the same. We enter a shop, careful with the plates, they eat balls for breakfast. "Buyer beware!" We enter another shop, don't look at the mirror, it'll suck the light out of your eyes and steal your soul. "Buyer beware!". We enter a bar, it's filled with the worst criminals of the Nightside. "Enter at your own peril!" We got to a different bar, it's filled with the worst criminals. What? "Enter at your own peril!" Careful with Timmy the man-eating blob, it's so horrible it can't be described. Don't pet the Garakunta, the half-dragon half-rabbit beast, it's so horrible it can't be described. I think you get the idea. Every time we enter a new establishment we spend pages in passages like this one, and everything is the freaking same, the same old shit over and over. Though I particularly never cared for this type of dynamic, I can admit it had its charm early on. Ten books later, and still doing the same crap? Well, it's gotten old.
The Nightside series has a lot of parodical elements, but it has become a parody of itself. Though I've enjoyed most of it to this point, I've kept waiting for the series to take that other step, and things were looking up after five or so novels, but now, I'm just not sure if it'll ever get there for me. I'll keep reading, and I hope that this particular installment is simply an aberration, but at this moment I'm completely disenamored with the Nightside .
The Nightside has a big fanbase and they'll enjoy the heck out of this novel, and it seems like most have, but it just didn't do anything for me other than to wish to get to the end of it. The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny was the perfect storm of everything I've disliked of this series and ruined some of what I've enjoyed the most. I'm hoping for the best for the next ones, but hard to feel optimistic about the prospects. For all the attempts of being fun, funny, entertaining, witty, exciting I simply got bored and that's a hard thing to do. Seems fitting that the next one is titled A Hard Day's Knight .
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny is the tenth novel by Simon R. Green in the Nightside series; enter at your own peril. I would have shortened the title to The Bad as this book is simply, well, bad.
This is the part of the review in which I give you the setup of the novel, well can't really do that here. I can tell you this much, it has an 80 page introductory portion, including about 40 pages of an entertaining action packed car chase. Only that by the end of it, you still don't know what the heck this book is going to be about. Once you finish the novel, you'll notice that this early portion was simply the setup for the next book. Needless to say that something, the most horrible thing you can imagine that will end up destroying everyone we love and the world as we know it is coming to the Nightside. Then again, everything introduced in this series is like that. I'll give you the setup for the next one then. Excalibur is coming, we don't know what the crap it is, but know that shit will hit the fan and eat your babies in an inexplicable way.
Up to this point in the series, I've had a bit of love and hate relationship with it, but at the very least the Nightside has always entertained me, with a few very good installments in the middle. That's all I'm asking, a little bit of fun and entertainment. But when you have gone through 140 pages of a 275 page novel and still looking for the book's plot to pick up in some way, then there's something seriously wrong with it by my estimation. The worst part of it is that we had to go through 40 pages of a fairly pointless flashback narrated by a minor character one doesn't care for and within the first few sentences you can pretty much tell what the whole flashback is going to be about and how it'll conclude. So why torture your readers through this?
Even worse than the worst, and inside the Nightside that's possible, is that the final portion of the book where everything comes together is actually promising and the prospect of excitement finally makes you want to forget the journey to this point. It's the culmination of what was begun in the first novel, a moment we've all been waiting for, and in typical The Bad style, it falls flat on its face; completely anti-climatic and uninspiring. Just another day in the Nightside I guess.
Above all of this, as hard as it may be to believe, what has really gotten to me is that for a place that should be unique and different, everything is the same. We enter a shop, careful with the plates, they eat balls for breakfast. "Buyer beware!" We enter another shop, don't look at the mirror, it'll suck the light out of your eyes and steal your soul. "Buyer beware!". We enter a bar, it's filled with the worst criminals of the Nightside. "Enter at your own peril!" We got to a different bar, it's filled with the worst criminals. What? "Enter at your own peril!" Careful with Timmy the man-eating blob, it's so horrible it can't be described. Don't pet the Garakunta, the half-dragon half-rabbit beast, it's so horrible it can't be described. I think you get the idea. Every time we enter a new establishment we spend pages in passages like this one, and everything is the freaking same, the same old shit over and over. Though I particularly never cared for this type of dynamic, I can admit it had its charm early on. Ten books later, and still doing the same crap? Well, it's gotten old.
The Nightside series has a lot of parodical elements, but it has become a parody of itself. Though I've enjoyed most of it to this point, I've kept waiting for the series to take that other step, and things were looking up after five or so novels, but now, I'm just not sure if it'll ever get there for me. I'll keep reading, and I hope that this particular installment is simply an aberration, but at this moment I'm completely disenamored with the Nightside .
The Nightside has a big fanbase and they'll enjoy the heck out of this novel, and it seems like most have, but it just didn't do anything for me other than to wish to get to the end of it. The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny was the perfect storm of everything I've disliked of this series and ruined some of what I've enjoyed the most. I'm hoping for the best for the next ones, but hard to feel optimistic about the prospects. For all the attempts of being fun, funny, entertaining, witty, exciting I simply got bored and that's a hard thing to do. Seems fitting that the next one is titled A Hard Day's Knight .
April 4, 2015
-Simon is an intelligent, eloquent and well read writer able to casually throw in references to Dante’s Inferno, Macbeth and the Bible without sounding pretentious. I’m almost certain there are other references in there I overlooked.
-Please note I picked this book up without reading any of the previous novels and keep that in mind when reading this review.
In a tucked away part of London where nightmares run wild and things are rarely what they seem, John Taylor is a PI with a sordid past. Bored because life is too perfect, John goes looking for trouble and finds it, mirroring the sentiment that we all feel, “[some days] you just shouldn’t get out of bed.”
This is not a book for the weak stomached. The scenes are graphic and disturbingly creative. Anyone who manages not to shudder when John stops his pursuers by using a vanishing spell to remove all of their fillings and crowns has never had dental work. The way Simon describes them slinking off when John threatens to do the same to their testicles is just one of the many cinema worthy passages. Think Gone in Sixty Seconds had a good chase scene? This book puts that chase scene to shame.
The characters are witty with dark sarcasm and dry humor. A cross dressing super hero ominously named Ms. Fate and an exceptionally snobby elf start the story on the right track as they race through the parts of town that everyone who knows better avoids in a bright pink “Fatemobile” that screams “look at me, look at me.” Even on their “best” behavior, they are unable to keep their fists to themselves or their words friendly.
Without giving answers, the book stirs up many questions. What is a society if not a group of people trying to live together? Are certain people more valuable than others? Do some people have more right to life than others? Does power corrupt or is it the personality of people who seek power that makes them susceptible to being corrupted by it? What is valuable to us? What is worth dying for?
Love, love, love, loved it. Some people will tell authors not to use large words where short ones will do, but I don’t appreciate being talked down to, in writing especially. Humbug. I enjoy authors who challenge my vocabulary and reference other works. If you want something to breeze through in an afternoon, pick up something else, but for everyone else, this is a quality read and I will most definitely be picking up other Nightside books by Simon R. Green so look for them in upcoming reviews.
5 out of 5 stars
-Eliabeth Hawthorne
-Please note I picked this book up without reading any of the previous novels and keep that in mind when reading this review.
In a tucked away part of London where nightmares run wild and things are rarely what they seem, John Taylor is a PI with a sordid past. Bored because life is too perfect, John goes looking for trouble and finds it, mirroring the sentiment that we all feel, “[some days] you just shouldn’t get out of bed.”
This is not a book for the weak stomached. The scenes are graphic and disturbingly creative. Anyone who manages not to shudder when John stops his pursuers by using a vanishing spell to remove all of their fillings and crowns has never had dental work. The way Simon describes them slinking off when John threatens to do the same to their testicles is just one of the many cinema worthy passages. Think Gone in Sixty Seconds had a good chase scene? This book puts that chase scene to shame.
The characters are witty with dark sarcasm and dry humor. A cross dressing super hero ominously named Ms. Fate and an exceptionally snobby elf start the story on the right track as they race through the parts of town that everyone who knows better avoids in a bright pink “Fatemobile” that screams “look at me, look at me.” Even on their “best” behavior, they are unable to keep their fists to themselves or their words friendly.
Without giving answers, the book stirs up many questions. What is a society if not a group of people trying to live together? Are certain people more valuable than others? Do some people have more right to life than others? Does power corrupt or is it the personality of people who seek power that makes them susceptible to being corrupted by it? What is valuable to us? What is worth dying for?
Love, love, love, loved it. Some people will tell authors not to use large words where short ones will do, but I don’t appreciate being talked down to, in writing especially. Humbug. I enjoy authors who challenge my vocabulary and reference other works. If you want something to breeze through in an afternoon, pick up something else, but for everyone else, this is a quality read and I will most definitely be picking up other Nightside books by Simon R. Green so look for them in upcoming reviews.
5 out of 5 stars
-Eliabeth Hawthorne
May 18, 2018
5 Stars
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green is book number 10 in the Nightside series. I really enjoyed this book and it was one of the darker books of the series. The Nightside series is one of my favorite today and a perfect example of how good the Urban Fantasy genre can be. I would read about John Taylor everyday if I could.
These stories are classic noir like private eye mysteries in an urban fantasy setting. They are perfect for my interests today. I have been reading a lot of urban fantasy lately. Combine my new favorite genre with a detective noir like story and you have made me something special. I loved this book. I loved the writing of Green. I loved the world of Nightside. And I especially loved our main character (can't call him the good guy), John Taylor.
These marvelous urban fantasies have worked because of the amazing place, the scary and relatable hero John Taylor, and his equally interesting friends and associates. I love the humor, the action, and the writing...
This story is dark and centers on the man...Walker. 10 books of thread lines come together in this one. I could read these books all day every day. Thank you Simon R. Green for the amazing series and kick-ass, bad-ass, and simply cool hero in John Taylor.
Highest recommendations for the series.
The amazing world building combined with the fantastic writing of Simon Green make the Nightside series a favorite of mine.
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green is book number 10 in the Nightside series. I really enjoyed this book and it was one of the darker books of the series. The Nightside series is one of my favorite today and a perfect example of how good the Urban Fantasy genre can be. I would read about John Taylor everyday if I could.
These stories are classic noir like private eye mysteries in an urban fantasy setting. They are perfect for my interests today. I have been reading a lot of urban fantasy lately. Combine my new favorite genre with a detective noir like story and you have made me something special. I loved this book. I loved the writing of Green. I loved the world of Nightside. And I especially loved our main character (can't call him the good guy), John Taylor.
These marvelous urban fantasies have worked because of the amazing place, the scary and relatable hero John Taylor, and his equally interesting friends and associates. I love the humor, the action, and the writing...
This story is dark and centers on the man...Walker. 10 books of thread lines come together in this one. I could read these books all day every day. Thank you Simon R. Green for the amazing series and kick-ass, bad-ass, and simply cool hero in John Taylor.
Highest recommendations for the series.
The amazing world building combined with the fantastic writing of Simon Green make the Nightside series a favorite of mine.
January 21, 2010
It's an entertaining crime noir meets modern fantasy fiction series but after ten other books, some of the descriptions are frustratingly repetitive. This far into the series, I think we all know about the dark nature of the Nightside and we don't need to be reminded about all the various forms of sin and suffering over and over again. A lot of the descriptions felt like a copy-and-paste from previous books and a little like filler.
Also filler-ish was the first job Taylor takes on in this installation, seeming to be more about needing to round out the page count rather than really forwarding the ongoing plot lines.
Towards the end, things wrap up pretty quickly, suddenly and with a bit of a jolt - and then the book ends on a one-liner clearly meant to draw you into coming back for book 12.
Still a good series for light reading. There's never been high-brow literature in here but not every book needs to have such lofty goals. An enjoyable story and characters should be appreciated for their entertainment face value. I just wish there was a little bit new and less rehashed in future Nightside novels but I fear the very nature of the series and setting may work against such freshness from happening.
Also filler-ish was the first job Taylor takes on in this installation, seeming to be more about needing to round out the page count rather than really forwarding the ongoing plot lines.
Towards the end, things wrap up pretty quickly, suddenly and with a bit of a jolt - and then the book ends on a one-liner clearly meant to draw you into coming back for book 12.
Still a good series for light reading. There's never been high-brow literature in here but not every book needs to have such lofty goals. An enjoyable story and characters should be appreciated for their entertainment face value. I just wish there was a little bit new and less rehashed in future Nightside novels but I fear the very nature of the series and setting may work against such freshness from happening.
February 17, 2011
2.5
Definitely not the strongest in the series. It actually took about half the book to just get past the set-up and exposition - which is rare. It didn't help that Larry Oblivion isn't really the most interesting of secondary characters - we need more Dead Boy, Razor Eddie, and Susie Shooter.
That said, I wouldn't call this book filler as much as set-up. It's certainly set up some interesting things which will definitely have consequences to-come and oculd lead to some very fun/dangerous things. So while this book doesn't stand well on its own, it could lead to bigger and better, or dreadfully worse, things. I wish the ending was a bit less anti-climactic, but I hold out hope that the arc it's creating and the eventual pay-out will be well worth the set-up.
And, the great strength of the series, it's still filled with random weird and wonderful little references, such as the blind Greek man singing the love song to his mother.
Definitely not the strongest in the series. It actually took about half the book to just get past the set-up and exposition - which is rare. It didn't help that Larry Oblivion isn't really the most interesting of secondary characters - we need more Dead Boy, Razor Eddie, and Susie Shooter.
That said, I wouldn't call this book filler as much as set-up. It's certainly set up some interesting things which will definitely have consequences to-come and oculd lead to some very fun/dangerous things. So while this book doesn't stand well on its own, it could lead to bigger and better, or dreadfully worse, things. I wish the ending was a bit less anti-climactic, but I hold out hope that the arc it's creating and the eventual pay-out will be well worth the set-up.
And, the great strength of the series, it's still filled with random weird and wonderful little references, such as the blind Greek man singing the love song to his mother.
June 5, 2021
One of the best Nightside books in a while, this volume heralded a shift in the normal order is business for that crazy little corner of London. Walker is dying and wants John to take over. Several interesting new characters are introduced and we get an answer on what happened to you be of John’s allies during the war with his mother.
Looking forward to the next book after the reveal in the epilogue.
Looking forward to the next book after the reveal in the epilogue.
December 14, 2017
Mini-Review:
In many ways, this also felt like a filler novel in the series but several plot points are wrapped up in a fashion that one would call 'a very Nightside' manner. There's a portion where I was a little confused because I was wondering why JT would act like that but it wasn't JT at all. That portion was about Larry. Duh. One of the downsides of the way Marc Vietor chooses to narrate the story.
If I keep this meandering pace up, I may finish up the series before the year is out. =D
In many ways, this also felt like a filler novel in the series but several plot points are wrapped up in a fashion that one would call 'a very Nightside' manner. There's a portion where I was a little confused because I was wondering why JT would act like that but it wasn't JT at all. That portion was about Larry. Duh. One of the downsides of the way Marc Vietor chooses to narrate the story.
If I keep this meandering pace up, I may finish up the series before the year is out. =D
February 9, 2012
The Nightside's one of my favorite places to visit, but this time it really managed to piss me off.
It wasn't the plot, which started out with a bang and then spent 150 pages whimpering, which I could bear with because let's face it, it's tough to keep a series fresh by the 10th book. It wasn't the writing, which remains clean and liquid (although someone should do a wordcount on the next ms. for blossoms that are "pulpy"). No, it was the book's treatment of women.
Look: I get that this is a P.I. series at heart and that genre staunchly remains the land where cock is king, but with this Nightside outing, the whole thing really got to me. The only women in the book were either explicitly evil (Lilith, Queen Mab, Polly, Alex's ex-wife) or missing (Suzie Shooter, the mutilated naked supermodels -- which don't even get me started there). Oh, and there's Taylor's teenage secretary (o.O) who only gets a mention because Taylor's worried about who she's sleeping with.
There's an extended sequence at the beginning with a superheroine, but she's a transvestite, so...the only decent woman in this world is a man? Bitch, please.
Along with the lackluster plot -- oh, Walker, will he? won't he? Oh look, he's chasing John. He's chasing John some more. John and Walker are angsting. John is fleeing, Walker is chasing. How many times did the Timeslip get busted out? 3? 4? I lost count.
If the book hadn't been set in the Nightside, it would've gotten one star. Let's hope the next outing in the series pulls its act together.
It wasn't the plot, which started out with a bang and then spent 150 pages whimpering, which I could bear with because let's face it, it's tough to keep a series fresh by the 10th book. It wasn't the writing, which remains clean and liquid (although someone should do a wordcount on the next ms. for blossoms that are "pulpy"). No, it was the book's treatment of women.
Look: I get that this is a P.I. series at heart and that genre staunchly remains the land where cock is king, but with this Nightside outing, the whole thing really got to me. The only women in the book were either explicitly evil (Lilith, Queen Mab, Polly, Alex's ex-wife) or missing (Suzie Shooter, the mutilated naked supermodels -- which don't even get me started there). Oh, and there's Taylor's teenage secretary (o.O) who only gets a mention because Taylor's worried about who she's sleeping with.
There's an extended sequence at the beginning with a superheroine, but she's a transvestite, so...the only decent woman in this world is a man? Bitch, please.
Along with the lackluster plot -- oh, Walker, will he? won't he? Oh look, he's chasing John. He's chasing John some more. John and Walker are angsting. John is fleeing, Walker is chasing. How many times did the Timeslip get busted out? 3? 4? I lost count.
If the book hadn't been set in the Nightside, it would've gotten one star. Let's hope the next outing in the series pulls its act together.
January 18, 2011
It's good to see that the Nightside is picking up some steam again. I didn't know if it could go any longer after the Lilith War and so far the stories have been decent (just decent as compared to the more exciting ones previously) and you could tell that there was something tying them together but was suffering from a lack of completion.
In this one, things are coming to a head. Walker is Walker to the very end and John Taylor, well he's John Taylor. You'll know what I'm talking about if you read this.
I missed Suzie and it would've been great to see Dead Boy but we did get to hang out with Larry Oblivion again and this time, it was interesting.
As with all of Green's works, word choice can be repetitive to the point of annoying and his constant reference to how bad ass the Nightside or John Taylor is can be tiresome but it's par for the course and only hampers the reading a little.
This book is really a circle, a very vicious circle of family lines, long standing arguments, successions, regressions and the age old question of what makes a ruler, doesn't necessarily make a man. It's a progression but it's also an ending.
In this one, things are coming to a head. Walker is Walker to the very end and John Taylor, well he's John Taylor. You'll know what I'm talking about if you read this.
I missed Suzie and it would've been great to see Dead Boy but we did get to hang out with Larry Oblivion again and this time, it was interesting.
As with all of Green's works, word choice can be repetitive to the point of annoying and his constant reference to how bad ass the Nightside or John Taylor is can be tiresome but it's par for the course and only hampers the reading a little.
This book is really a circle, a very vicious circle of family lines, long standing arguments, successions, regressions and the age old question of what makes a ruler, doesn't necessarily make a man. It's a progression but it's also an ending.
January 26, 2019
4 Stars
Well, now you've done it John Taylor!
I could see the set up... this is how it all ends. I mean, this ending is how it begins. I really love this character and hope that when it does end, that he gets redeemed. It's not his fault, it's destiny. Mmmm
Well, now you've done it John Taylor!
I could see the set up... this is how it all ends. I mean, this ending is how it begins. I really love this character and hope that when it does end, that he gets redeemed. It's not his fault, it's destiny. Mmmm
February 21, 2014
Same as the last book which was the same as the book before that which was the same as the book before that.
September 4, 2024
Welcome back to The Nightside, Green’s outstanding and outlandish world inhabited by every monster that’s ever lived! Having taken ten trips to the Nightside I had expected the plot and pacing to get better, however this and the last novel in the series had glaring issues. Specifically, character issues.
The Good, The Bad and The Uncanny served as a set up book for the series finale, having no clear overriding plot thread. Our hero John Taylor is first employed by an Elf as a tour guide and bodyguard, making up the first third of the novel. This portion is action packed as usual, with fun enemies and sequences.
During this, Walker shows up seemingly to stop the elf but mostly to try to convince John to take over his gig as judge, jury, executioner and overseer of all the Nightside. This is where the cracks show as in the previous nine novels Walker has been a standup ‘good guy’ in terms of getting things done. Green has essentially chosen to change his character into a vindictive, murdering bad guy. Basically because he got lazy and needed an ending. That’s surely how it seemed. Having done something similar with his last novel I can’t overlook it.
The series is super entertaining and often very well written. However turning agents of good into agents of bad because you can’t strive to come up with something better is just lazy.
While I still enjoyed the book and its setting up the next novel this was the weakest entry into the series thus far.
The Good, The Bad and The Uncanny served as a set up book for the series finale, having no clear overriding plot thread. Our hero John Taylor is first employed by an Elf as a tour guide and bodyguard, making up the first third of the novel. This portion is action packed as usual, with fun enemies and sequences.
During this, Walker shows up seemingly to stop the elf but mostly to try to convince John to take over his gig as judge, jury, executioner and overseer of all the Nightside. This is where the cracks show as in the previous nine novels Walker has been a standup ‘good guy’ in terms of getting things done. Green has essentially chosen to change his character into a vindictive, murdering bad guy. Basically because he got lazy and needed an ending. That’s surely how it seemed. Having done something similar with his last novel I can’t overlook it.
The series is super entertaining and often very well written. However turning agents of good into agents of bad because you can’t strive to come up with something better is just lazy.
While I still enjoyed the book and its setting up the next novel this was the weakest entry into the series thus far.
March 16, 2025
My main complaint about this is that it was a collection of three shorter stories that had virtually nothing in common:
Taylor escorts an elf through Nightside while everyone tries to stop/kill them
How the Oblivion brothers got their special powers (Tommy's gift and Larry's wand)
Taylor looks for Tommy Oblivion
The previous book hinted that Walker wanted Taylor to be his replacement, so a big part of this one is Walker trying to convince him. This resulted in showing more about how Walker does his job, which is somehow worthy of a Nightside resident - brutally efficient and morally ambiguous. However, I could not make myself believe that Walker's schemes made sense - while knowing everything and being everywhere he is needed has been a great part of Walker's persona, trying to pull off a Xanatos gambit is not him. It felt like he had turned from maintaining the status quo to trying to rule the Nightside, using whatever means necessary. There is a big difference between killing someone because they have to be stopped and killing someone to make your job easier.
All in all, I'm waiting for the series to be over.
Taylor escorts an elf through Nightside while everyone tries to stop/kill them
How the Oblivion brothers got their special powers (Tommy's gift and Larry's wand)
Taylor looks for Tommy Oblivion
The previous book hinted that Walker wanted Taylor to be his replacement, so a big part of this one is Walker trying to convince him. This resulted in showing more about how Walker does his job, which is somehow worthy of a Nightside resident - brutally efficient and morally ambiguous. However, I could not make myself believe that Walker's schemes made sense - while knowing everything and being everywhere he is needed has been a great part of Walker's persona, trying to pull off a Xanatos gambit is not him. It felt like he had turned from maintaining the status quo to trying to rule the Nightside, using whatever means necessary. There is a big difference between killing someone because they have to be stopped and killing someone to make your job easier.
All in all, I'm waiting for the series to be over.
December 3, 2017
این جلد یکم متفاوت بود. و بیشتر هم به خاطر گفت و گوهای مفصل با شخصیت خاص واکر در نایت ساید. چیزهایی که آدم انتظار نداره اصلا و البته بخش های قابل پیش بینی...
اما ... کم کم راه نویسنده روشن میشه. با اینکه خیلیا ممکنه این مجموعه رو وسط راه ول کنن، هنوز هم بنظرم شخصیت پردازی خیره کننده و داستانی داره که در هر جلد ما میتونی ماجراهای قبلی رو به یاد بیاریم و مرور کنیم بدون اینکه توی حافظمون مشکل ایجاد بشه. با اینکه بین خوندن جلد هشت و نه فاصله ی زمانی انداختم اما با به یاد اوردن جلدای قبل اصلا مشکلی ندارم. اتفاقا مبهم نیستن، خسته کننده نیستن و در نهایت چه بخوای چه نخوای خودم رو در تلاش برای درک کردن نایت ساید پیدا کردم. بطرز خطرناکی یه سری چیزا رو درک میکنم که باورم هم نمیشه. اما خیلی از گفت و گو های جان و واکر مشخص کرد که نویسنده واقعاً برای خلق نایت ساید زحمت کشیده.
البته پایان های به ظاهر آبکی هر جلد چیزهایی هستن که هنوز درک نکردم.
ولی خب ادامه میدم و یه حسی بهم میگه پایان نایت ساید ممکنه عجیب تر از این حرف ها باشه.
اما ... کم کم راه نویسنده روشن میشه. با اینکه خیلیا ممکنه این مجموعه رو وسط راه ول کنن، هنوز هم بنظرم شخصیت پردازی خیره کننده و داستانی داره که در هر جلد ما میتونی ماجراهای قبلی رو به یاد بیاریم و مرور کنیم بدون اینکه توی حافظمون مشکل ایجاد بشه. با اینکه بین خوندن جلد هشت و نه فاصله ی زمانی انداختم اما با به یاد اوردن جلدای قبل اصلا مشکلی ندارم. اتفاقا مبهم نیستن، خسته کننده نیستن و در نهایت چه بخوای چه نخوای خودم رو در تلاش برای درک کردن نایت ساید پیدا کردم. بطرز خطرناکی یه سری چیزا رو درک میکنم که باورم هم نمیشه. اما خیلی از گفت و گو های جان و واکر مشخص کرد که نویسنده واقعاً برای خلق نایت ساید زحمت کشیده.
البته پایان های به ظاهر آبکی هر جلد چیزهایی هستن که هنوز درک نکردم.
ولی خب ادامه میدم و یه حسی بهم میگه پایان نایت ساید ممکنه عجیب تر از این حرف ها باشه.
May 29, 2025
je l'aurais peut-être plus aimé si j'avais commencé par le premier 😅🤣
August 21, 2017
Nr 10 i serien "Tales from the Nightside". Urban fantasy och deckare i en härlig mix. 😊
January 4, 2021
you are never bored with a Simon Green novel, just plain good fun without any pretence at being "big literature". The Nightside is full of clichés and quite unbelievable characters,even for urban fantasy but it has lots of lol moments in the process and a little bit surprising end
December 30, 2010
This is the tenth, yes the tenth, book in the Nightside series by Simon Green. While the last couple books in the series have been a bit less spectacular than the rest of the series, this book picks up the slack and starts a wonderful new storyline.
The book starts out with John Taylor being hired to help an elf deliver an elven peace treaty across the Nightside (what is it about Green and his evil elves?). Anyway Walker doesn't want the treaty delivered and tries to stop John. At the conclusion of this event John is then approached by Larry Oblivion who wants help finding Tommy Oblivion. On top of all this John is getting odd warnings about Excalibur (yes, the sword from Arthurian legend) and Walker has decided that John should be his replacement as, the Man.
This was a wonderful Nightside novel. You get to learn a lot more about the Oblivion brothers. They aren't my favorite Nightside characters but they have interesting powers and an interesting family history. So, if you have always wondered where the dead Larry Oblivion got that elven wand, well this is the book for you...Larry will finally tell his story in his own words.
As usual the book is a lot of craziness. The usual over-the-top but oh-so-amusing descriptions of the horribleness of the Nightside are still here in force, some of the phrases you've heard before but some are new. John Taylor and crew always talk like they are walking through the frames of a comic book. Green is extremely creative with all the side descriptions of things John sees while passing through the Nightside; I love the fact that you never can guess what's going to be around the corner. The action scenes are phenomenal and the plot moves at a quick clip; always engaging never boring.
I also loved the fact that a new huge storyline is starting in this book...it deals with Excalibur and possibly other aspects of Arthurian legend. Again I love how Green doesn't shy away from mashing whatever he wants to in this story. The first big story-arc dealt mostly with the bible and John's mother Lilith; occasionally Green would through some mythological and Arthurian elements in there as well. It is great fun!
Let me see what else should you know about this book... We get to spend time with Mrs. Fate. We learn a lot more about Walker and how he runs the Nightside. Shotgun Suzie and Dead Boy (two of my favorites) are mainly absent from the story, but the story doesn't suffer from their absence. The Lord of Thorns comes back in a big way and we learn a lot more about Larry and Tommy's older brother; who is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Razor Eddie makes a few brief appearances, but mainly only to deliver dire warnings.
Overall I was really pleased with this book. I thought books 8 and 9 were kind of slow and disappointing, but I love this series so I decided to read book 10. I am so happy I did. This book is action packed, very creative, starts a great new story, and was a wonderful read! I can't wait for the next one.
The book starts out with John Taylor being hired to help an elf deliver an elven peace treaty across the Nightside (what is it about Green and his evil elves?). Anyway Walker doesn't want the treaty delivered and tries to stop John. At the conclusion of this event John is then approached by Larry Oblivion who wants help finding Tommy Oblivion. On top of all this John is getting odd warnings about Excalibur (yes, the sword from Arthurian legend) and Walker has decided that John should be his replacement as, the Man.
This was a wonderful Nightside novel. You get to learn a lot more about the Oblivion brothers. They aren't my favorite Nightside characters but they have interesting powers and an interesting family history. So, if you have always wondered where the dead Larry Oblivion got that elven wand, well this is the book for you...Larry will finally tell his story in his own words.
As usual the book is a lot of craziness. The usual over-the-top but oh-so-amusing descriptions of the horribleness of the Nightside are still here in force, some of the phrases you've heard before but some are new. John Taylor and crew always talk like they are walking through the frames of a comic book. Green is extremely creative with all the side descriptions of things John sees while passing through the Nightside; I love the fact that you never can guess what's going to be around the corner. The action scenes are phenomenal and the plot moves at a quick clip; always engaging never boring.
I also loved the fact that a new huge storyline is starting in this book...it deals with Excalibur and possibly other aspects of Arthurian legend. Again I love how Green doesn't shy away from mashing whatever he wants to in this story. The first big story-arc dealt mostly with the bible and John's mother Lilith; occasionally Green would through some mythological and Arthurian elements in there as well. It is great fun!
Let me see what else should you know about this book... We get to spend time with Mrs. Fate. We learn a lot more about Walker and how he runs the Nightside. Shotgun Suzie and Dead Boy (two of my favorites) are mainly absent from the story, but the story doesn't suffer from their absence. The Lord of Thorns comes back in a big way and we learn a lot more about Larry and Tommy's older brother; who is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Razor Eddie makes a few brief appearances, but mainly only to deliver dire warnings.
Overall I was really pleased with this book. I thought books 8 and 9 were kind of slow and disappointing, but I love this series so I decided to read book 10. I am so happy I did. This book is action packed, very creative, starts a great new story, and was a wonderful read! I can't wait for the next one.
July 7, 2010
First Sentence: This is the Nightside.
Things are changing in Nightside. An elf—never trust an elf—hires PI John Taylor as an escort across Night. Then Larry Oblivion, the Dead Detective, asks to help him find his brother who disappeared during the Lilith War. But the biggest concern is Walker, who runs Nightside on behalf of the Authorities. He wants to retire and have PI John Taylor assume his position.
A book with a compelling opening is a joy, and Green writes great openings. I am always staggered by imagination and his ability to make the unreal seem real, unpleasant as that sometimes is.
This book blends humans—sometimes loosely defined as such—monsters and mythical characters, such as Puck; but not Shakespeare’s Puck. To balance the graphicness, Green employs a delightful humor and includes references to contemporary culture and the occasional nod to Shakespeare. In fact, the book itself has a rather Shakespearean feel to it.
These are not pure fantasy books; there is some real substance and insightful observations and truth tucked in amongst the action, including a rather sad but honest observation on drugs. When John asks Walker whether the power ever goes to his head, Walker responds “…There isn’t one of them that really likes or even respect me. It’s the position, and the power that comes with it.” Isn’t that true for most people who are famous or powerful—people agree with them and laugh at their jokes not because of who they are but because of the power they hold.
At one point, Taylor talks about the value of the less important…”Is their pain any less? Their deaths any less final”…leading me to think of Shylock's speech about the Jews “…If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?...”
Green is an excellent writer and this is clearly a transitional book. I cannot help but look forward to my next visit to the Nightside.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNCANNY (Para/Mys-John Taylor-Nightside/London-Cont) – VG
Green, Simon R. – 10th in series
ACE Books, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780441018161
Things are changing in Nightside. An elf—never trust an elf—hires PI John Taylor as an escort across Night. Then Larry Oblivion, the Dead Detective, asks to help him find his brother who disappeared during the Lilith War. But the biggest concern is Walker, who runs Nightside on behalf of the Authorities. He wants to retire and have PI John Taylor assume his position.
A book with a compelling opening is a joy, and Green writes great openings. I am always staggered by imagination and his ability to make the unreal seem real, unpleasant as that sometimes is.
This book blends humans—sometimes loosely defined as such—monsters and mythical characters, such as Puck; but not Shakespeare’s Puck. To balance the graphicness, Green employs a delightful humor and includes references to contemporary culture and the occasional nod to Shakespeare. In fact, the book itself has a rather Shakespearean feel to it.
These are not pure fantasy books; there is some real substance and insightful observations and truth tucked in amongst the action, including a rather sad but honest observation on drugs. When John asks Walker whether the power ever goes to his head, Walker responds “…There isn’t one of them that really likes or even respect me. It’s the position, and the power that comes with it.” Isn’t that true for most people who are famous or powerful—people agree with them and laugh at their jokes not because of who they are but because of the power they hold.
At one point, Taylor talks about the value of the less important…”Is their pain any less? Their deaths any less final”…leading me to think of Shylock's speech about the Jews “…If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?...”
Green is an excellent writer and this is clearly a transitional book. I cannot help but look forward to my next visit to the Nightside.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNCANNY (Para/Mys-John Taylor-Nightside/London-Cont) – VG
Green, Simon R. – 10th in series
ACE Books, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780441018161
November 20, 2025
One of the weaker entries in this 2000s urban fantasy series, which is unfortunate, since it also directly sets up the endgame and includes the deaths of some fairly major recurring characters. But plotwise, this is a mess. These books are never very long to begin with, and this installment features an extended early case of the protagonist escorting a fugitive elf across the city that doesn't especially connect with the remainder of the tale. After that resolves he's hired to find an old ally who vanished back in volume six, while his frenemy Walker keeps trying to convince him to take over his job as what passes for an authority figure in the Nightside.
Individual moments here work okay, but the writing is as repetitive as ever, which is increasingly noticeable this deep into the saga, and none of the action scenes or worldbuilding descriptions stand out as particular creative highlights. With only two novels remaining, it's a shame this title doesn't make a stronger impression or significantly challenge our hero, who's been in any number of more desperate scrapes before now. But at least it clears the board of a few issues we don't need to revisit again, I guess.
[Content warning for drug abuse and gore.]
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Individual moments here work okay, but the writing is as repetitive as ever, which is increasingly noticeable this deep into the saga, and none of the action scenes or worldbuilding descriptions stand out as particular creative highlights. With only two novels remaining, it's a shame this title doesn't make a stronger impression or significantly challenge our hero, who's been in any number of more desperate scrapes before now. But at least it clears the board of a few issues we don't need to revisit again, I guess.
[Content warning for drug abuse and gore.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
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--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
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--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
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September 17, 2025
The Nightside is a scary place for the lowest of the low and the most deviant. I’ve already accepted the author’s over-the-top and somewhat repetitive way of describing the various establishments in it. Additionally, I’m now used to a very Dresden-esque treatment of any female characters in this universe. Either they’re evil or they’re tough-due-to-an-unnecessarily-traumatic-past. So, what’s new in this one? Three things:
Hence, the abysmal rating.
Also reviewed at WP
Review of Book 9 here
Hence, the abysmal rating.
Also reviewed at WP
Review of Book 9 here
October 21, 2010
I was disappointed in this book. The plot seemed aimless and wandering and John Taylor seemed to be phoning everything in.
But the worst part of this book was Walker's actions and subsequent death.
Walker has always been one of the most interesting characters in the Nightside series. He doesn't fight for right or wrong, good or evil, but simply to maintain the current order. Sometimes that means killing heroes, sometimes villains, and sometimes letting them slaughter each other. He might not have liked his job, but he believed in the necessity of it and he believed that it deserved to be done well.
It made sense for Walker to want to recruit John Taylor to take his place. Taylor is also a man used to making hard decisions, letting the ends justify the means, and he really is Walker's spiritual son. In spite of or maybe because of the animosity and death-threats between the two.
So it seems utterly unbelievable to me that Walker would go off the rails, kill outside the context of the job (and with his own hands, nonetheless) and then actually try to extend his life by taking over John Taylor's body. It turned Walker into the subtle-but-necessary conniver into your run-of-the-mill mad-for-power villain. Boo.
But the worst part of this book was Walker's actions and subsequent death.
Walker has always been one of the most interesting characters in the Nightside series. He doesn't fight for right or wrong, good or evil, but simply to maintain the current order. Sometimes that means killing heroes, sometimes villains, and sometimes letting them slaughter each other. He might not have liked his job, but he believed in the necessity of it and he believed that it deserved to be done well.
It made sense for Walker to want to recruit John Taylor to take his place. Taylor is also a man used to making hard decisions, letting the ends justify the means, and he really is Walker's spiritual son. In spite of or maybe because of the animosity and death-threats between the two.
So it seems utterly unbelievable to me that Walker would go off the rails, kill outside the context of the job (and with his own hands, nonetheless) and then actually try to extend his life by taking over John Taylor's body. It turned Walker into the subtle-but-necessary conniver into your run-of-the-mill mad-for-power villain. Boo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2012
I'm not giving away anything like a spoiler to tell you that this book ends with a blackmail-like demand that you go immediately to read the next one in the series. No blackmail to the characters or anything like that. No, the book ends with a sentence that will force you, without mercy, to go get the next book.
The thrill-ride to get to that sentence is brilliant, convoluted, rife with suggestion and double-dealing, and going places that you didn't quite expect. In other words, another great entry in the Nightside series. In the past few books, we get to learn more about Walker than ever before. Without any spoilers, it's safe to say that we learn still more, and the revelations are ... revealing. (Yeah, that was weak. But accurate.)
This is one of the best in the series, if for no other reason than that we get to see... no, that really would be a spoiler. You'll just have to take my word for it. Oh, and to Simon R. Green himself: To quote Larry Oblivion, I've got a slap in my pocket that I haven't used yet... you stinker! Well done.
The thrill-ride to get to that sentence is brilliant, convoluted, rife with suggestion and double-dealing, and going places that you didn't quite expect. In other words, another great entry in the Nightside series. In the past few books, we get to learn more about Walker than ever before. Without any spoilers, it's safe to say that we learn still more, and the revelations are ... revealing. (Yeah, that was weak. But accurate.)
This is one of the best in the series, if for no other reason than that we get to see... no, that really would be a spoiler. You'll just have to take my word for it. Oh, and to Simon R. Green himself: To quote Larry Oblivion, I've got a slap in my pocket that I haven't used yet... you stinker! Well done.
September 12, 2014
I really enjoyed #10. It has the right combination of characters, tongue in cheek humor, philosophical reflection, and action to make this a page turner for me. And the ending did - and didn't - surprise me. The reader who's read these in order will know what is coming, but how it comes about is rather fascinating.
My one complaint, and it's not really much of one, was the repetition. Still with the "I opened my private eye, my third eye...". Some of the descriptions of Nightside I've felt I've read before. Perhaps some descriptive paragraphs have been cut, pasted, and re-worded a bit? After Walker and John take yet another stroll around Nightside, I was beginning to feel like there was some filler scenes happening. A lot like, yup, yup, Street of the Gods, been there, done that...
As I said, small complaint. Overall I was quite happily entertained and picked up the next one at the library when I dropped #10 off. This might be my favorite to date.
Recommended. Also recommend starting at the beginning of the series.
My one complaint, and it's not really much of one, was the repetition. Still with the "I opened my private eye, my third eye...". Some of the descriptions of Nightside I've felt I've read before. Perhaps some descriptive paragraphs have been cut, pasted, and re-worded a bit? After Walker and John take yet another stroll around Nightside, I was beginning to feel like there was some filler scenes happening. A lot like, yup, yup, Street of the Gods, been there, done that...
As I said, small complaint. Overall I was quite happily entertained and picked up the next one at the library when I dropped #10 off. This might be my favorite to date.
Recommended. Also recommend starting at the beginning of the series.
March 15, 2010
I will say this, The Good, the Bad and the Uncanny, the 10th book in the Nightside series, was a lot of fun and a great reminder of why I love and still continue to read each of the books right when they're released. However, now 10 books in, I find a lot of the repetitive nature in these books quite tiresome. To be fair, I've been feeling this way probably since the 4th book. By now, readers should know how dark the Nightside is and how grumpy PI John Taylor is, and how everyone fears him, and how there's secrets around every corner. I get it! I've been reading those descriptions in each of the 10 books. Still, those are just minor inconveniences to this wonderful series and this new entry into the series opens up a whole new world, a whole new storyline that I can't wait to be fleshed out in future installments.
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