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Bobby Dollar #3
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day
Bobby Dollar thinks he's seen it all - after all, he's been to Hell and back again. Literally.
But he has another think coming. Sleeping Late on Judgement Day will find Bobby back in his adopted hometown of San Judas, California, trying to stay out of trouble... and failing. His love life is still a mess, there are one too many people who have it out for him, and drowning his sorrows in a nice glass of whisky won't keep the demons at bay forever.
Bobby's going to have to pull himself together and make a few tough decisions before time runs out. The problem is, time could run out at any moment. In the final Bobby Dollar novel in Tad Williams' groundbreaking epic fantasy trilogy, fallen angel Bobby Dollar will finally be force to confront the one problem he can't talk his way out of: his own.
But he has another think coming. Sleeping Late on Judgement Day will find Bobby back in his adopted hometown of San Judas, California, trying to stay out of trouble... and failing. His love life is still a mess, there are one too many people who have it out for him, and drowning his sorrows in a nice glass of whisky won't keep the demons at bay forever.
Bobby's going to have to pull himself together and make a few tough decisions before time runs out. The problem is, time could run out at any moment. In the final Bobby Dollar novel in Tad Williams' groundbreaking epic fantasy trilogy, fallen angel Bobby Dollar will finally be force to confront the one problem he can't talk his way out of: his own.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2014
74 people are currently reading
1741 people want to read
About the author
Tad Williams
350 books7,846 followersTad Williams is a California-based fantasy superstar. His genre-creating (and genre-busting) books have sold tens of millions worldwide, in twenty-five languages. His considerable output of epic fantasy and science fiction book-series, stories of all kinds, urban fantasy novels, comics, scripts, etc., have strongly influenced a generation of writers: the ‘Otherland’ epic relaunches June 2018 as an MMO on steam.com. Tad is currently immersed in the creation of ‘The Last King of Osten Ard’, planned as a trilogy with two intermediary novels. He, his family and his animals live in the Santa Cruz mountains in a suitably strange and beautiful house. @tadwilliams @mrstad
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
January 4, 2015
First impression:
I love it.
Only downside: It does not seem finished yet as there are several unsolved questions.
I also have the feeling that there was not enough time to find out enough about the characters. I would love to hear more about Clarence (sorry, Harrison) or Caz or Eligor the Horseman. And Sam, of course.
The good thing about this is that I may hope for another Bobby Dollar novel.
I love it.
Only downside: It does not seem finished yet as there are several unsolved questions.
I also have the feeling that there was not enough time to find out enough about the characters. I would love to hear more about Clarence (sorry, Harrison) or Caz or Eligor the Horseman. And Sam, of course.
The good thing about this is that I may hope for another Bobby Dollar novel.
May 27, 2016
This is Urban Fantasy. While that is not my 'go-to' genre, I've read some pretty amazing books that fall nicely into this genre. So for the most part, I liked this one. I don't know whether to go with 3 or 4 stars. I liked the world building. I liked the characters. And I liked the main story. It was a solid 3 stars in the beginning but by the end, I was completely pulled in (it just took me a while for that to happen.)
Another thing, is that some of the characters shared too many similar traits, especially where dialogue and language were concerned. There were just too many shared qualities. So 3 stars for now.
Another thing, is that some of the characters shared too many similar traits, especially where dialogue and language were concerned. There were just too many shared qualities. So 3 stars for now.
October 7, 2014
4.5 Stars
This is a darker version of the series. There are bigger and scarier things at play and our Angel hero Bobby is really down on his luck. This one takes place right after the last book and even though he survived Hell, things are not going well for the $ Man.
I love this series. It is simply a blast to read. I love the dark and dirty style that Williams has made, even when Angels and Heaven are the main subject.
I am a huge fan of all things Tad Williams and his Urban Fantasy is just as good as his amazing epic fantasy writing.
Highly recommended.
This is a darker version of the series. There are bigger and scarier things at play and our Angel hero Bobby is really down on his luck. This one takes place right after the last book and even though he survived Hell, things are not going well for the $ Man.
I love this series. It is simply a blast to read. I love the dark and dirty style that Williams has made, even when Angels and Heaven are the main subject.
I am a huge fan of all things Tad Williams and his Urban Fantasy is just as good as his amazing epic fantasy writing.
Highly recommended.
August 20, 2014
originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
2012 saw the release of the first book, The Dirty Streets of Heaven, in Tad Williams new trilogy: Bobby Dollar. This trilogy hallmarked a new direction for Tad Williams, his venture into Urban Fantasy. Tad Williams is the best selling author of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Otherland and The Shadowmarch Quartet and many others. I have been a long time fan from his works and so far the Bobby Dollar series, with The Dirty Street of Heaven and Happy Hour in Hell have been one big blast to read. Where I do have to give an extra praise for is that the Bobby Dollar series is tight on schedule, all three books were released with only a year in between! So no hidden surprises with longer waits or anything. This is how a series has to be published. Ok that on the side. Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is the third and final book in the trilogy. You know, I actually felt bad picking up this book as it would mean saying goodbye to Bobby and Sam and Caz and the mule and Eligor and a lot more memorable characters. I do have to say, once you start be sure to strap yourself in because you will be in for one crazy, wild and terrific ride with Bobby once more...
Bobby's life so far hasn't been great. In the first book The Dirty Streets of Heaven you were introduced to the Angel Doloriel or also known by the name Bobby Dollar, an advocate for Heaven. When someone dies he and an advocate of Hell have a short round to see whether the deceased person goes to Heaven or Hell. Bobby is appointed a new case but the souls goes missing, it is neither present in Heaven nor in Hell and this greatly upsets the balance of all, this is just the start of a whole lot of trouble. Furthermore Bobby encounters the Countess of Cold Hands Casimira or in short Caz, she is a demon... being and Angel himself this brings on quite a moral challenge... Bobby finds himself under suspicion and threat of not only Hell but also several high players of Heaven. Happy Hour in Hell was a direct sequel to The Dirty Streets of Heaven. Here Tad Williams readily explored his story further developing a better grip on the Third Way initiative and his girlfriend Caz is being kept prisoner by the Grand Duke Eligor. After a lot of trouble especially with an supposedly dead psychopathic killer and the side job for the Archangel Temuel, Bobby makes it out of the fiery depths of Hell but without Caz... but with a lot more interesting information and leads though. These latter moments in the book did make me think of how the third book, Sleeping Late on Judgement Day would go. Again I am blown away with the story that Tad Williams writes down, though I have to admit that I was expecting a different kind of story, in the light and dark of it all, the Bobby Dollar series couldn't have gotten a better ending... or did it really?
Lets get on with the story of Sleeping Late of Judgement Day. Bobby's problems haven't been solved yet, he didn't manage to save Caz from the clutches of the Grand Duke Eligor and he is still being looked for by some enemies that he made earlier on either on purpose or incidentally. With those adventures partially behind him, things do have seem to have quietened down a bit and Bobby is slowly picking up his old job again, that of being an advocate, but he lacks his true confidence in his job and the effort he puts in it. I guess that is more than normal considering that he has been to both Heaven and Hell and back. As you might have come to learn from Bobby's character is that he isn't shy of a drink and soon runs into a person, Walter, who he met back in Hell. Walter had important information for Bobby, which he forgot, all he knows was that it was connect to some high persons up in heaven. Now Booby finds himself back on track, well actually he never lost track of his ultimate goal of finding Caz back, but he is once again determined just find out what in Heaven (excuse the pun) is going on. New leads bring him back in contact with a couple of Amazonian women and Neo-Nazis where the latter aren't making things any easier for him to say the least...
For Bobby it's now sink or swim, eat or be eaten, kill or be killed, the hunter or the hunted, are there anymore? Since all of his older friend are abondoning him, he has to make new ones or rely on himself. The part above only describes the first part of the story as Tad Williams slowly build up the story of Sleeping Late on Judgement Day, all along the way the story is picking up pace. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it is as I mentioned already, something quite unexpected, it wasn't the action packed, guns shooting, angels with fiery swords and gigantic demon showdown at all. Trust me when I say that there is still a lot of action taking place, mainly so due to the Amazonian women, but this all happens at a 75-85% mark of the book, after this there is a big, big, BIG revealing that.... This is exactly what the book need to make it stand out above many others, introducing such a thing in the end put a smile on my face and reminds my why Tad Williams is one of my favorite authors, he always has a trick up his sleeve to keep the story excited.
It is that time again that I have to rave about how a awesome a character Bobby Dollar is. From the first introduction I think I fell in love with him. His whole attitude of how he stands and thinks about in the world is just I don't even know how to put it in to words. He is an advocate, with an important job for those souls he has to argue for, and in his jobs he is perhaps serious but when he is off of it Tad Williams paints his character with some funny and humorous personality traits and a great air of non-chalance. Bobby Dollar when he was, doing his thing, before all the stuff that went down with the Third Way initiative, one lazy bastard who would rather sit around and watch than have that proactive attitude. Though this might place him in a certain category of person with some of these vices, not all for the better, when it comes down to his friends and the people he cares about he is all virtuous and in dangerous situations he always places himself in front of the others to make sure they stay unharmed. This might all seem contradictive but well perhaps Bobby is one like that, one who doesn't really know what to do and what he wants, except for Caz, which he wants badly.
As for the other characters of the series like Caz, Sam and Temuel. I love them as well. I already said in the review of Happy Hour in Hell Bobby Dollar is a pronounced voice, but he doesn't completely steal the show. Many of the secondary characters are shown just as powerful, they come quite near Bobby to be honest. The story does still revolve around Bobby and that the higher forces are hunting him, if you take Sam and Temuel for example they are crucial to the storyline and looking back over not only the story in Sleeping Late on Judgement Day but also on the whole story of the series, several things fall nicely into place when you read the ending of the series. I still have a smile on my face when it comes down to Sam's character and his God glove, how cool it that! Also I actually thought Temuel to be a bit of an asshole, though he did have some funny scenes together with Bobby, when I read his ulterior motives I can actually only sympathize for him. Caz takes once again a role in the background and you only see her short communication with Bobby wherein you see both parties having a tough time dealing with their separation, but luckily for Caz, Bobby has some perseverance. Once again Tad Williams has written up some great characters that you can only feel for and grow attached to as you read along in the series. He goes against the normally seen themes and characteristics in Urban Fantasy and carves out his own ones. Good stuff.
Though I expected a different type of story in Sleeping Late on Judgement Day as I explained above, but no worries there, Tad Williams still went above Heaven and through Hell to deliver one final, explosive and grande plot twist that will leave you with an echoing WOW. Trust me you won't see this one coming. It takes skill to write the story features in Sleeping Late in Judgement Dayas the action takes places at the 3/4 mark of the book but this is followed by how everything fit together with the Third Way initiative. Tad Williams keeps up the lively and entertaining persona of Bobby Dollar and his friends but also introducing a gritty undertone and maintaining the dark visions of Hell in his story.
It's been a wonderful two years enjoying three Bobby Dollar books on after the other. Sadly the series has now come to an end, or is it... You know I have a gut feeling about a certain something that happens right at the end of the book...
I cannot recommend Sleeping Late on Judgement Day or Happy Hour in Hell or The Dirty Street of Heaven often enough. These books are a lot of fun to read and breakthrough the current tropes of Urban Fantasy, I have read most of Tad Williams' other books and with the Bobby Dollar series he proves that he is on top of his game and knows how to write Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Children stories and Urban Fantasy. I hope he doesn't leave me waiting to long for his next book.
2012 saw the release of the first book, The Dirty Streets of Heaven, in Tad Williams new trilogy: Bobby Dollar. This trilogy hallmarked a new direction for Tad Williams, his venture into Urban Fantasy. Tad Williams is the best selling author of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Otherland and The Shadowmarch Quartet and many others. I have been a long time fan from his works and so far the Bobby Dollar series, with The Dirty Street of Heaven and Happy Hour in Hell have been one big blast to read. Where I do have to give an extra praise for is that the Bobby Dollar series is tight on schedule, all three books were released with only a year in between! So no hidden surprises with longer waits or anything. This is how a series has to be published. Ok that on the side. Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is the third and final book in the trilogy. You know, I actually felt bad picking up this book as it would mean saying goodbye to Bobby and Sam and Caz and the mule and Eligor and a lot more memorable characters. I do have to say, once you start be sure to strap yourself in because you will be in for one crazy, wild and terrific ride with Bobby once more...
Bobby's life so far hasn't been great. In the first book The Dirty Streets of Heaven you were introduced to the Angel Doloriel or also known by the name Bobby Dollar, an advocate for Heaven. When someone dies he and an advocate of Hell have a short round to see whether the deceased person goes to Heaven or Hell. Bobby is appointed a new case but the souls goes missing, it is neither present in Heaven nor in Hell and this greatly upsets the balance of all, this is just the start of a whole lot of trouble. Furthermore Bobby encounters the Countess of Cold Hands Casimira or in short Caz, she is a demon... being and Angel himself this brings on quite a moral challenge... Bobby finds himself under suspicion and threat of not only Hell but also several high players of Heaven. Happy Hour in Hell was a direct sequel to The Dirty Streets of Heaven. Here Tad Williams readily explored his story further developing a better grip on the Third Way initiative and his girlfriend Caz is being kept prisoner by the Grand Duke Eligor. After a lot of trouble especially with an supposedly dead psychopathic killer and the side job for the Archangel Temuel, Bobby makes it out of the fiery depths of Hell but without Caz... but with a lot more interesting information and leads though. These latter moments in the book did make me think of how the third book, Sleeping Late on Judgement Day would go. Again I am blown away with the story that Tad Williams writes down, though I have to admit that I was expecting a different kind of story, in the light and dark of it all, the Bobby Dollar series couldn't have gotten a better ending... or did it really?
Lets get on with the story of Sleeping Late of Judgement Day. Bobby's problems haven't been solved yet, he didn't manage to save Caz from the clutches of the Grand Duke Eligor and he is still being looked for by some enemies that he made earlier on either on purpose or incidentally. With those adventures partially behind him, things do have seem to have quietened down a bit and Bobby is slowly picking up his old job again, that of being an advocate, but he lacks his true confidence in his job and the effort he puts in it. I guess that is more than normal considering that he has been to both Heaven and Hell and back. As you might have come to learn from Bobby's character is that he isn't shy of a drink and soon runs into a person, Walter, who he met back in Hell. Walter had important information for Bobby, which he forgot, all he knows was that it was connect to some high persons up in heaven. Now Booby finds himself back on track, well actually he never lost track of his ultimate goal of finding Caz back, but he is once again determined just find out what in Heaven (excuse the pun) is going on. New leads bring him back in contact with a couple of Amazonian women and Neo-Nazis where the latter aren't making things any easier for him to say the least...
For Bobby it's now sink or swim, eat or be eaten, kill or be killed, the hunter or the hunted, are there anymore? Since all of his older friend are abondoning him, he has to make new ones or rely on himself. The part above only describes the first part of the story as Tad Williams slowly build up the story of Sleeping Late on Judgement Day, all along the way the story is picking up pace. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it is as I mentioned already, something quite unexpected, it wasn't the action packed, guns shooting, angels with fiery swords and gigantic demon showdown at all. Trust me when I say that there is still a lot of action taking place, mainly so due to the Amazonian women, but this all happens at a 75-85% mark of the book, after this there is a big, big, BIG revealing that.... This is exactly what the book need to make it stand out above many others, introducing such a thing in the end put a smile on my face and reminds my why Tad Williams is one of my favorite authors, he always has a trick up his sleeve to keep the story excited.
It is that time again that I have to rave about how a awesome a character Bobby Dollar is. From the first introduction I think I fell in love with him. His whole attitude of how he stands and thinks about in the world is just I don't even know how to put it in to words. He is an advocate, with an important job for those souls he has to argue for, and in his jobs he is perhaps serious but when he is off of it Tad Williams paints his character with some funny and humorous personality traits and a great air of non-chalance. Bobby Dollar when he was, doing his thing, before all the stuff that went down with the Third Way initiative, one lazy bastard who would rather sit around and watch than have that proactive attitude. Though this might place him in a certain category of person with some of these vices, not all for the better, when it comes down to his friends and the people he cares about he is all virtuous and in dangerous situations he always places himself in front of the others to make sure they stay unharmed. This might all seem contradictive but well perhaps Bobby is one like that, one who doesn't really know what to do and what he wants, except for Caz, which he wants badly.
As for the other characters of the series like Caz, Sam and Temuel. I love them as well. I already said in the review of Happy Hour in Hell Bobby Dollar is a pronounced voice, but he doesn't completely steal the show. Many of the secondary characters are shown just as powerful, they come quite near Bobby to be honest. The story does still revolve around Bobby and that the higher forces are hunting him, if you take Sam and Temuel for example they are crucial to the storyline and looking back over not only the story in Sleeping Late on Judgement Day but also on the whole story of the series, several things fall nicely into place when you read the ending of the series. I still have a smile on my face when it comes down to Sam's character and his God glove, how cool it that! Also I actually thought Temuel to be a bit of an asshole, though he did have some funny scenes together with Bobby, when I read his ulterior motives I can actually only sympathize for him. Caz takes once again a role in the background and you only see her short communication with Bobby wherein you see both parties having a tough time dealing with their separation, but luckily for Caz, Bobby has some perseverance. Once again Tad Williams has written up some great characters that you can only feel for and grow attached to as you read along in the series. He goes against the normally seen themes and characteristics in Urban Fantasy and carves out his own ones. Good stuff.
Though I expected a different type of story in Sleeping Late on Judgement Day as I explained above, but no worries there, Tad Williams still went above Heaven and through Hell to deliver one final, explosive and grande plot twist that will leave you with an echoing WOW. Trust me you won't see this one coming. It takes skill to write the story features in Sleeping Late in Judgement Dayas the action takes places at the 3/4 mark of the book but this is followed by how everything fit together with the Third Way initiative. Tad Williams keeps up the lively and entertaining persona of Bobby Dollar and his friends but also introducing a gritty undertone and maintaining the dark visions of Hell in his story.
It's been a wonderful two years enjoying three Bobby Dollar books on after the other. Sadly the series has now come to an end, or is it... You know I have a gut feeling about a certain something that happens right at the end of the book...
I cannot recommend Sleeping Late on Judgement Day or Happy Hour in Hell or The Dirty Street of Heaven often enough. These books are a lot of fun to read and breakthrough the current tropes of Urban Fantasy, I have read most of Tad Williams' other books and with the Bobby Dollar series he proves that he is on top of his game and knows how to write Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Children stories and Urban Fantasy. I hope he doesn't leave me waiting to long for his next book.
July 17, 2015
I wanted to like this book more. The first book in the series was very good, the second not quite on the same level, and unfortunately this third is establishing a downward trend.
Williams is a solid writer and a good story-teller, but there's not too many ways you can dress up a Dresden knock-off. Jaded protagonist living in a magical world who always has a smart-aleck quip handy for all the trouble he gets himself in. But getting this formula right is way trickier than it seems. The tone is very similar to Dresden and others, but the main character does not gel with his setting.
In Dresden novels, Harry is just trying to carve out a small section of the crazy world and keep his head down. Even though Harry blasts everyone and everything to hell, you pull for him because you're constantly being reminded of his limitations, of his struggles and his issues. He's a smarmy smart-aleck sure, but when it comes to doing right by the world, he's also unafraid to be a good guy.
Bobby Dollar always seems to want to apologize for being a good person. He trips over himself to try to be more of an ass than he needs to be for no apparent reason. Now in the first two books this wasn't as much of an issue because despite people claiming Dollar was a grade A jerk, he was really just an angel annoyed at the bureaucracy of Eternity. I even made mention of this as an issue in one of my other two reviews. This is not a problem in this particular book, because Dollar's jerkiness is turned up to eleven. Unfortunately matching up Dollar to supporting cast expectations of him has not turned out for better reading. I came away from the book wondering why people bother associating with Bobby in the first place. His treatment of his angel "friend" Harrison was cringe-worthy, and his spat with Sam would've been more interesting had the end result been something other than Bobby getting to say "I told you so". In a world in which you can't even trust the highest servants of God, having your loner, dickish main character be the only one who can see "the truth" asks for too much.
The book has a little too much going on. He smells something rotten in Heaven, trying to get to the bottom of this Third Way, trying to get his lover out of Hell, and feeling out several new factions all in one book. Any one of these storylines would've been fine for a book in a serial, but throwing them all together muddies the waters. Simplify the storyline so that the depth this material deserves can be introduced. All this intricacy creates a real shallow experience.
After book three, would only recommend people who like Dresden and are voracious for something similar.
P.S. This may be nitpicky, and this may be not, but if you take pains to paint your angels as having essentially human psyches, and then you subject that psyche to the equivalent of EONS AND EONS of torture, coming out of it with no lasting residual effects is so comically absurd that I had to pretend it didn't happen.
Williams is a solid writer and a good story-teller, but there's not too many ways you can dress up a Dresden knock-off. Jaded protagonist living in a magical world who always has a smart-aleck quip handy for all the trouble he gets himself in. But getting this formula right is way trickier than it seems. The tone is very similar to Dresden and others, but the main character does not gel with his setting.
In Dresden novels, Harry is just trying to carve out a small section of the crazy world and keep his head down. Even though Harry blasts everyone and everything to hell, you pull for him because you're constantly being reminded of his limitations, of his struggles and his issues. He's a smarmy smart-aleck sure, but when it comes to doing right by the world, he's also unafraid to be a good guy.
Bobby Dollar always seems to want to apologize for being a good person. He trips over himself to try to be more of an ass than he needs to be for no apparent reason. Now in the first two books this wasn't as much of an issue because despite people claiming Dollar was a grade A jerk, he was really just an angel annoyed at the bureaucracy of Eternity. I even made mention of this as an issue in one of my other two reviews. This is not a problem in this particular book, because Dollar's jerkiness is turned up to eleven. Unfortunately matching up Dollar to supporting cast expectations of him has not turned out for better reading. I came away from the book wondering why people bother associating with Bobby in the first place. His treatment of his angel "friend" Harrison was cringe-worthy, and his spat with Sam would've been more interesting had the end result been something other than Bobby getting to say "I told you so". In a world in which you can't even trust the highest servants of God, having your loner, dickish main character be the only one who can see "the truth" asks for too much.
The book has a little too much going on. He smells something rotten in Heaven, trying to get to the bottom of this Third Way, trying to get his lover out of Hell, and feeling out several new factions all in one book. Any one of these storylines would've been fine for a book in a serial, but throwing them all together muddies the waters. Simplify the storyline so that the depth this material deserves can be introduced. All this intricacy creates a real shallow experience.
After book three, would only recommend people who like Dresden and are voracious for something similar.
P.S. This may be nitpicky, and this may be not, but if you take pains to paint your angels as having essentially human psyches, and then you subject that psyche to the equivalent of EONS AND EONS of torture, coming out of it with no lasting residual effects is so comically absurd that I had to pretend it didn't happen.
November 20, 2014
This is the final book in the Bobby Dollar series. And I am sad to see it end as this was a great series. Tad Williams outdid himself with the twists and turns and bumps in the plot. Even though he handed you enough answers in each of the books to keep you happy, you still were chomping at the bit to learn more and to figure out who was the bad guy.What angel was on the lam from God. Could Bobby save the day and get his girl? Or were they destined to live apart, serving opposite bosses and pretending nothing was missing? And can the 'Third option' of an afterlife be open for everyone or can it even continue as is? Would God let it?
November 20, 2014
I love this series and can't wait for the next one Bobby Dollar is fantastic as a noir angel detective. (Yes, that is right.) There are players even in heaven.
January 28, 2019
This short (3-book) series by Tad Williams is highly entertaining and well-written. Recommended read.
May 28, 2019
Gdyby nie te ciągłe powtórzenia.. to byłyby 4⭐
April 30, 2015
With urban fantasy being the biggest game in town, I was quite happy with the fact that the Bobby Dollar books turned out to be Tad Williams' most accessible series to date. Still, as entertaining as the novels turned out to be, it appears that they were mostly ignored by the wider urban fantasy/paranormal romance readership. None of the installments received blurbs from bestselling or well-known urban fantasy authors, and there has been a near total radio silence regarding the series on various SFF resources. To all ends and purposes, it seems that only Tad Williams' fans gave this series a shot and no one else. Given the popularity of this subgenre, I find this odd. . .
And Tad Williams brings this trilogy to a close with the same snarky style and aplomb which have made the first two volumes such enjoyable reads! Though it leaves the door open for more to come, Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is a fitting and satisfying ending to a quality series!
Here's the blurb:
Where does an angel go when he’s been to Hell and back?
Renegade angel Bobby Dollar does not have an easy afterlife. After surviving the myriad gruesome dangers Hell oh-so-kindly offered him, Bobby has returned empty-handed – his demon girlfriend Casmira, the Countess of Cold Hands, is still in the clutches of Eligor, Grand Duke of Hell. Some hell of a rescue.
Forced to admit his failure, Bobby ends up back at his job as an angel advocate. That is, until Walter, an old angel friend whom Bobby never thought he’d see again, shows up at the local bar. The last time he saw Walter was in Hell, when Walter had tried to warn him about one of Bobby’s angel superiors. But now Walter can’t remember anything, and Bobby doesn’t know whom to trust.
Turns out that there’s corruption hidden within the higher ranks of Heaven and Hell, but the only proof Bobby has is a single feather. Before he knows it, he’s in the High Hall of Heavenly Judgement – no longer a bastion for the moral high ground, if it ever was, but instead just another rigged system – on trial for his immortal soul…
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is the third installment of Tad Williams’ urban fantasy Bobby Dollar series!
The worldbuilding in the previous two volumes was quite interesting. Williams' depiction of Heaven in The Dirty Streets of Heaven was intriguing, but his depiction of Hell in Happy Hour in Hell was a bit over-the-top. When the author's imagination runs wild and go wherever his inspiration takes him, unexpected things tend to happen. With the groundwork laid down and the plotlines established, the worldbuilding aspect doesn't play as important a role in this final volume. Which allows the author's storytelling skills to shine.
Pace was an issue in the second book, as Williams occasionally put the plot aside to explore some weird and quirky corners of Hell. Not so with Sleeping Late on Judgement Day. The storylines keep moving forward, heading toward a final confrontation. The rhythm remains crisp, and like The Dirty Streets of Heaven this one is pretty much a page-turner from beginning to end.
The first person narrative of Angel Doloriel, also known as Bobby Dollar, makes for another fun-filled ride. Actually, it's probably my favorite facet of this series. Not always the sharpest tool in the shed, a lovesick Bobby becomes an even bigger dumbass from time to time. But for all his faults, it's impossible not to root for the poor guy! Once more, a number of familiar faces return in this third volume and new characters make the supporting cast even stronger. The addition of the Ukrainian Amazons was hilarious and made for some priceless moments with Bobby.
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is a relatively fast-paced affair and each chapter brings the reader closer to the final showdown. Problem is, the ending doesn't offer much in terms of resolution. Tad Williams wanted to keep the door open for possible sequels, this goes without saying. A number of loose ends do get tied up, mind you, offering a resolution of sorts. And yet, as far as the main story arc is concerned, answers to many of the most sought-after questions are not revealed. The Good vs Evil love affair was so clichéd that I was persuaded Tad Williams had something unanticipated in mind in store for us. Otherwise, that plotline was just way too easy, and the author has never been known for taking the path of least resistance. Well, I'm glad to report that Williams didn't go for the sugarcoated "All is well that ends well" sort of ending.
Overall, Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is another fun and entertaining read. Although some will likely find the lack of resolution off-putting, this final volume remains a fine conclusion to what has been a cool series filled with captivating concepts and engaging protagonists. And it's Tad Williams' most accessible work thus far!
For more reviews: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
And Tad Williams brings this trilogy to a close with the same snarky style and aplomb which have made the first two volumes such enjoyable reads! Though it leaves the door open for more to come, Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is a fitting and satisfying ending to a quality series!
Here's the blurb:
Where does an angel go when he’s been to Hell and back?
Renegade angel Bobby Dollar does not have an easy afterlife. After surviving the myriad gruesome dangers Hell oh-so-kindly offered him, Bobby has returned empty-handed – his demon girlfriend Casmira, the Countess of Cold Hands, is still in the clutches of Eligor, Grand Duke of Hell. Some hell of a rescue.
Forced to admit his failure, Bobby ends up back at his job as an angel advocate. That is, until Walter, an old angel friend whom Bobby never thought he’d see again, shows up at the local bar. The last time he saw Walter was in Hell, when Walter had tried to warn him about one of Bobby’s angel superiors. But now Walter can’t remember anything, and Bobby doesn’t know whom to trust.
Turns out that there’s corruption hidden within the higher ranks of Heaven and Hell, but the only proof Bobby has is a single feather. Before he knows it, he’s in the High Hall of Heavenly Judgement – no longer a bastion for the moral high ground, if it ever was, but instead just another rigged system – on trial for his immortal soul…
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is the third installment of Tad Williams’ urban fantasy Bobby Dollar series!
The worldbuilding in the previous two volumes was quite interesting. Williams' depiction of Heaven in The Dirty Streets of Heaven was intriguing, but his depiction of Hell in Happy Hour in Hell was a bit over-the-top. When the author's imagination runs wild and go wherever his inspiration takes him, unexpected things tend to happen. With the groundwork laid down and the plotlines established, the worldbuilding aspect doesn't play as important a role in this final volume. Which allows the author's storytelling skills to shine.
Pace was an issue in the second book, as Williams occasionally put the plot aside to explore some weird and quirky corners of Hell. Not so with Sleeping Late on Judgement Day. The storylines keep moving forward, heading toward a final confrontation. The rhythm remains crisp, and like The Dirty Streets of Heaven this one is pretty much a page-turner from beginning to end.
The first person narrative of Angel Doloriel, also known as Bobby Dollar, makes for another fun-filled ride. Actually, it's probably my favorite facet of this series. Not always the sharpest tool in the shed, a lovesick Bobby becomes an even bigger dumbass from time to time. But for all his faults, it's impossible not to root for the poor guy! Once more, a number of familiar faces return in this third volume and new characters make the supporting cast even stronger. The addition of the Ukrainian Amazons was hilarious and made for some priceless moments with Bobby.
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is a relatively fast-paced affair and each chapter brings the reader closer to the final showdown. Problem is, the ending doesn't offer much in terms of resolution. Tad Williams wanted to keep the door open for possible sequels, this goes without saying. A number of loose ends do get tied up, mind you, offering a resolution of sorts. And yet, as far as the main story arc is concerned, answers to many of the most sought-after questions are not revealed. The Good vs Evil love affair was so clichéd that I was persuaded Tad Williams had something unanticipated in mind in store for us. Otherwise, that plotline was just way too easy, and the author has never been known for taking the path of least resistance. Well, I'm glad to report that Williams didn't go for the sugarcoated "All is well that ends well" sort of ending.
Overall, Sleeping Late on Judgement Day is another fun and entertaining read. Although some will likely find the lack of resolution off-putting, this final volume remains a fine conclusion to what has been a cool series filled with captivating concepts and engaging protagonists. And it's Tad Williams' most accessible work thus far!
For more reviews: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
May 3, 2015
I'm a big fan of this novel, but not for the usual reasons. Its flaws suddenly became its strengths, its air of hopelessness became a song, and the utter enormity of his drowning in the deep end was also his salvation. Not that there was that much salvation going on, of course, but the epilogue made me cry. If I can tell everyone to hold fast to the troubles this guy has gone through to the very end, I'd be telling everyone to keep hope alive in the good fight. The rewards aren't exactly spectacular, but there's enough to make me want to revisit this world over and over and over again forever. That being said, this better not be a normal trilogy despite the perfect setup of rises and falls. I want more. More More More. This was, among so many other things, a long distance love story, and it was sweet as hell.
November 26, 2017
Fun ending to a fun series. I was surprised that I liked the series that much, considering I didn't really enjoy most urban fantasy that I tried in the last year or two.
As far as the series goes, I found books 1 and 3 somewhat better than book 2.
As far as the series goes, I found books 1 and 3 somewhat better than book 2.
May 1, 2020
Das spektakulärere Ende einer phantastischen Trilogie
May 13, 2015
I came across Sleeping Late On Judgement Day at the start of the year but held off buying it as I decided to try the first book before I went ahead and bought this one. As it turns out, the Bobby Dollar novels have been the find of the year for me.
This is the third entry in Tad Williams Bobby Dollar trilogy and is much closer in tone to The Dirty Streets Of Heaven than the last book, Happy Hour In Hell. It tells the story of Bobby trying to come to terms with life without his lover, Kaz, who is still in hell under the watchful eye of the vengeful Lord Eligor, and the fact that he is now also on Heaven’s hit list due to him crossing an extremely powerful angel in Anaita who is intent on ensuring that he doesn’t expose her plans for a third way between heaven and hell. For all his troubles, he finds himself also hounded by people allied to Lord Sitri, a demonic high-duke of hell who is looking to bring now down Eligor who, for reasons known only to himself, is in league with Anaita.
Bobby’s life goes from bad to worse when he finds that the people allied to Lord Sitri, a Neo-Nazi group called Black Sun Faction, have been living in the flat above him and have managed to find a way to bring some of Lord Sitri’s demon’s to Earth. This provides possibly the creepiest moment in the book as Bobby comes face to face with what is in effect a large, black, hairy spider with the hands of children for legs and a baby’s head for a body. His efforts to corner it in his flat definitely send a shiver down your spine.
The only weakness in the story, for me, is the fact that Bobby is very much one of those been there, seen it, got the T-shirt kind of characters and this tends to mean that what might be shocking is almost reduced to laughs by Bobby’s reaction which tends to be to play down the danger (after all the guy has been to hell.) The strength of this book is, once again, Bobby’s hard boiled sense of humour. This means we are privy to Bobby’s thoughts (the story is told in first person all the way through) and there are some very funny observations as the story proceeds, particularly Bobby’s habit of giving irreverent names to a lot of the characters he meets along the way.
There were moments when the story dragged, which I think is inevitable in any book that is 400 plus pages in length, and this was a problem on a couple of occasions where it felt like you had to wade through some unnecessary plotting to get to the meat of the story but this only happened a couple of times and, to be honest, is only a really minor gripe. Also a couple of characters felt more like plot devices than genuine additions to a story which really had no need of them.
I really enjoyed this book and Tad William’s has brought a fitting conclusion to the trilogy. There are, however, enough loose ends and characters which didn’t seem necessary here but may have an interesting role later on, to pretty much guarantee that there will be more Bobby Dollar novels in the future.
And I can’t wait.
This is the third entry in Tad Williams Bobby Dollar trilogy and is much closer in tone to The Dirty Streets Of Heaven than the last book, Happy Hour In Hell. It tells the story of Bobby trying to come to terms with life without his lover, Kaz, who is still in hell under the watchful eye of the vengeful Lord Eligor, and the fact that he is now also on Heaven’s hit list due to him crossing an extremely powerful angel in Anaita who is intent on ensuring that he doesn’t expose her plans for a third way between heaven and hell. For all his troubles, he finds himself also hounded by people allied to Lord Sitri, a demonic high-duke of hell who is looking to bring now down Eligor who, for reasons known only to himself, is in league with Anaita.
Bobby’s life goes from bad to worse when he finds that the people allied to Lord Sitri, a Neo-Nazi group called Black Sun Faction, have been living in the flat above him and have managed to find a way to bring some of Lord Sitri’s demon’s to Earth. This provides possibly the creepiest moment in the book as Bobby comes face to face with what is in effect a large, black, hairy spider with the hands of children for legs and a baby’s head for a body. His efforts to corner it in his flat definitely send a shiver down your spine.
The only weakness in the story, for me, is the fact that Bobby is very much one of those been there, seen it, got the T-shirt kind of characters and this tends to mean that what might be shocking is almost reduced to laughs by Bobby’s reaction which tends to be to play down the danger (after all the guy has been to hell.) The strength of this book is, once again, Bobby’s hard boiled sense of humour. This means we are privy to Bobby’s thoughts (the story is told in first person all the way through) and there are some very funny observations as the story proceeds, particularly Bobby’s habit of giving irreverent names to a lot of the characters he meets along the way.
There were moments when the story dragged, which I think is inevitable in any book that is 400 plus pages in length, and this was a problem on a couple of occasions where it felt like you had to wade through some unnecessary plotting to get to the meat of the story but this only happened a couple of times and, to be honest, is only a really minor gripe. Also a couple of characters felt more like plot devices than genuine additions to a story which really had no need of them.
I really enjoyed this book and Tad William’s has brought a fitting conclusion to the trilogy. There are, however, enough loose ends and characters which didn’t seem necessary here but may have an interesting role later on, to pretty much guarantee that there will be more Bobby Dollar novels in the future.
And I can’t wait.
April 20, 2019
Harry Bosch joins forces with Dean and Sammy of "Supernatural" to take on Heaven and Hell in Tad William's "Bobby Dollar" series. Toss in a little extraneous sex and blood, and you get an entertaining fantasy written for grown-ups. You can forgive the rather egotistical main character, and some of his more outrageous antics, in the name of good storytelling. I gave Tad a 5* for "Sleeping," not that it's the next "East of Eden," but rather that he stuck the landing. Williams fans (and I'm one) know that his books sometimes end a little flat. Well, he nailed this one... 'nuff said.
December 1, 2019
Bobby's mission to rescue Caz from Hell failed and now he is hauled into "Heaven court" to be tried for treason but he is yanked out of the place of eternal punishment for a new mission, but someone is determined to stop him and his apartment is being haunted by malicious beings.
Someone is angry Bobby escaped punishment and wants him out of the way for good but with the "highest" plotting and counter plotting against each other who of his overseers can he trust...?
Heaven, Hell and even the new Third way is crumbling, can Bobby save the world, himself, his friends AND Caz???
Someone is angry Bobby escaped punishment and wants him out of the way for good but with the "highest" plotting and counter plotting against each other who of his overseers can he trust...?
Heaven, Hell and even the new Third way is crumbling, can Bobby save the world, himself, his friends AND Caz???
August 13, 2017
I wanted to give this just four stars, due to it feeling sluggish about 3/4 of the way into the book, but I bumped it back up with the conclusion being what it was. I read the whole trilogy of Bobby Dollar just in the last month so the story as a whole cannot really be broken down into equal parts, but I felt that this title buttoned up the story quite well. I recommend this story if you are into reading about an account on Heaven and Hell as told from an angelic perspective.
July 17, 2019
What a brilliant end to a very good trilogy.
Bobby Dollar is in deep trouble and his latest exploits has left him in trouble with the higher ups in Heaven.
Tad Williams has with this book once again shown that he can master any genre within the speculative umbrella. Lovely characters, believable and flawed. I can't speak highly enough about Williams' books and this is another really good one and a great end to the Bobby Dollar trilogy.
Bobby Dollar is in deep trouble and his latest exploits has left him in trouble with the higher ups in Heaven.
Tad Williams has with this book once again shown that he can master any genre within the speculative umbrella. Lovely characters, believable and flawed. I can't speak highly enough about Williams' books and this is another really good one and a great end to the Bobby Dollar trilogy.
February 28, 2018
There's a lot more going on in this book than the previous one. A lot of stuff happens, the plot advances etc, but it raises far more questions than it answers. This feels firmly like the middle of a series. Unless there's another trilogy planned this is the most disappointing end to a series that I have ever read.
November 13, 2019
As much as I have read and loved all of Tad Williams better known series, this one is my favorite. I picture it as a movie in my head, done in a 'hellboy' style. from the first book right through I enjoyed the narrative style and character inner narrative. If you like to look at heaven and hell from a not so typical angle, give this series a go! Start with Book 1 - The Dirty Streets of Heaven.
March 20, 2018
Tad Williams is a good writer. I haven't read a series by him yet that I didn't like. This was a good book to end the Bobby Dollar trilogy. It brought some resolution, but wasn't cute in tying things up too neatly.
July 4, 2018
SUCH an amazing book that keeps the action going, as well as has the right amount of snark that makes the story fun! We all need a Bobby Dollar angel 😁! Can't wait for the next installment (hurry up and write it, Mr. Williams!!!) Enjoy!
July 31, 2020
Maybe you have to read the first two books to understand how a barely functional angel somehow stumbles onto a conspiracy that God and the Heavenly Host have completely missed.
Read it if you like heavenly scenarios that fit your jaded view of humanity and the afterlife.
Read it if you like heavenly scenarios that fit your jaded view of humanity and the afterlife.
December 31, 2014
3.5
По- добра от първата, но не може да се сравни с втората. Бях останал впечатление, че ще е трилогия, но свърши с доста отворен край...
По- добра от първата, но не може да се сравни с втората. Бях останал впечатление, че ще е трилогия, но свърши с доста отворен край...
December 30, 2020
This review is for the series itself, not just the last book.
Overall I loved it. In classic Tad style it was very readable. He paints the pictures of other worlds so well. It’s like you’re there with such vivid detail. Loved his depiction of Kianos, heaven, and hell. This series especially was very readable with the quick wit of the main character and the pace of the book. Always something new around the corner. Not slow at all.
The only downside was that I just hated the love story that the book was based on. It all seemed so shallow... they spent a couple nights together and now he’s willing to risk it all for this “love” he feels? I just wish the love story went a little deeper than just sex. It was pretty hard to think that everything was worth it for that. You had a good lay and now you’re willing to risk it all, put your friends lives at risk, go to Hell, and suffer endless torture, even willing to expose Kainos to Heaven so that gets torn down all so he could have sex with this girl again? (Which I realize there was corruption that needed to be exposed - I hated Anaita and wanted her to go down). Still though, just seems selfish and shallow. If it was based on a true love story I could have seen the reasoning behind it a bit better. I know Tad is better at developing love stories than this. Just didn’t seem believable or worth it.
Other than that I really enjoyed the storyline. Loved his relationships with his friends and loved the inner workings of the corruption in heaven. Also loved the idea of Kianos and wish the book spent more time there. And last i just loved the interesting take on Heaven and Hell. Very creative. There did seem to be some loose ends at the end of the book. I was most concerned about the people in Hell that Temuel sent the message to. Maybe an opening for a new series?
Overall I really liked the book. Definitely wasn’t up there with Tad’s other tops series’s though, because what was meant to be the backbone of this book, his “love” for Caz, really didn’t seem to be built up from enough to make me believe his reasoning to risk it all.
Overall I loved it. In classic Tad style it was very readable. He paints the pictures of other worlds so well. It’s like you’re there with such vivid detail. Loved his depiction of Kianos, heaven, and hell. This series especially was very readable with the quick wit of the main character and the pace of the book. Always something new around the corner. Not slow at all.
The only downside was that I just hated the love story that the book was based on. It all seemed so shallow... they spent a couple nights together and now he’s willing to risk it all for this “love” he feels? I just wish the love story went a little deeper than just sex. It was pretty hard to think that everything was worth it for that. You had a good lay and now you’re willing to risk it all, put your friends lives at risk, go to Hell, and suffer endless torture, even willing to expose Kainos to Heaven so that gets torn down all so he could have sex with this girl again? (Which I realize there was corruption that needed to be exposed - I hated Anaita and wanted her to go down). Still though, just seems selfish and shallow. If it was based on a true love story I could have seen the reasoning behind it a bit better. I know Tad is better at developing love stories than this. Just didn’t seem believable or worth it.
Other than that I really enjoyed the storyline. Loved his relationships with his friends and loved the inner workings of the corruption in heaven. Also loved the idea of Kianos and wish the book spent more time there. And last i just loved the interesting take on Heaven and Hell. Very creative. There did seem to be some loose ends at the end of the book. I was most concerned about the people in Hell that Temuel sent the message to. Maybe an opening for a new series?
Overall I really liked the book. Definitely wasn’t up there with Tad’s other tops series’s though, because what was meant to be the backbone of this book, his “love” for Caz, really didn’t seem to be built up from enough to make me believe his reasoning to risk it all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2019
Sleeping Late On Judgment Day is the third and final book in the Bobby Dollar series written by Tad Williams and centered on Bobby Dollar, an earthbound angel, who finds himself between the battle for souls between Heaven and Hell.
Still barely recovered from a trip to Hell, Bobby is threatened by fanatical fascists and pokes his nose into a high level angel's un-Heavenly machinations. Bobby is joined by his friends Sam and rookie angel Harrison and his new allies, the Ukrainian Amazons, Oxana, and Halyna. It is up to Bobby and his team to find out what’s being hidden from Heaven, save his lost love, and lead his friends safely through the danger.
Sleeping Late On Judgment Day is written rather well. The various threads and arcs introduced in the previous installments are brought back into focus. The backstory from the previous two books is sketched out gradually, only as needed. It also brings together previously established plot threads and provides a greater level of complexity. It uses secondary characters well, allowing Bobby the interpersonal connections he needs to stop him being either too introspective or too much of a jerk. The ending wraps up most of the loose plot threads, but still leaves mysteries unsolved and hints at yet more hidden agendas.
Overall, the Bobby Dollar trilogy is written rather well. The main protagonist, Bobby "Doloriel" Dollar, is an earth-bound angel that is an advocate for the recently dead. His very casual and irreverent manner provides a lot of the humor. He's very confident and sarcastic in his opinions about people and events, though pretty self deprecating about himself and his plans. One of the main problems of the series is that there are some unresolved plot points, which promises the possibility of more installments.
All in all, Sleeping Late On Judgment Day is written rather well and is a good conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.
Still barely recovered from a trip to Hell, Bobby is threatened by fanatical fascists and pokes his nose into a high level angel's un-Heavenly machinations. Bobby is joined by his friends Sam and rookie angel Harrison and his new allies, the Ukrainian Amazons, Oxana, and Halyna. It is up to Bobby and his team to find out what’s being hidden from Heaven, save his lost love, and lead his friends safely through the danger.
Sleeping Late On Judgment Day is written rather well. The various threads and arcs introduced in the previous installments are brought back into focus. The backstory from the previous two books is sketched out gradually, only as needed. It also brings together previously established plot threads and provides a greater level of complexity. It uses secondary characters well, allowing Bobby the interpersonal connections he needs to stop him being either too introspective or too much of a jerk. The ending wraps up most of the loose plot threads, but still leaves mysteries unsolved and hints at yet more hidden agendas.
Overall, the Bobby Dollar trilogy is written rather well. The main protagonist, Bobby "Doloriel" Dollar, is an earth-bound angel that is an advocate for the recently dead. His very casual and irreverent manner provides a lot of the humor. He's very confident and sarcastic in his opinions about people and events, though pretty self deprecating about himself and his plans. One of the main problems of the series is that there are some unresolved plot points, which promises the possibility of more installments.
All in all, Sleeping Late On Judgment Day is written rather well and is a good conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.
July 6, 2017
I really enjoyed this roller-coaster ride with Bobby and I felt like the climax of the story was pretty awesome... until the whole bit with Karael was revealed. I felt like that extra bit wasn't really necessary and it could have been possible to have Caz brought back without, yet again, being used as some kind of bargaining token (besides, isn't she a pretty powerful demon? Why can she seem to do NOTHING?). I was pleased with Bobby's trial when Karael was the one who seemed to be acting on the side of being just but it turns out that he was just covering his own ass after all. So far, this universe has shown all of the higher angels to be assholes; besides the ones whose names you can't remember because they just don't do anything or show up often enough, it really seems like all of them are asses and not really being very angelic at all. Or maybe that was the point. But still, it made the ending feel a little dragged out and exhausting, since after everything Bobby went through, there was still MORE angelic rebellion to deal with?! It just never ends.
I also feel that the ending didn't give enough credit to Sam; it showed Bobby grieving but never quite seriously enough besides his usual talk of drinking himself unconscious. The death of Sam could have worked to give the story and the character of Bobby more depth if the book would just allow itself a single (longer than one sentence) serious moment without kicking it to the curb with sarcasm, thus destroying the dramatic aspect of the good bits that could have been deeply moving.
I did quite enjoy this adventure with Bobby over all, though. It was fast-paced and definitely action-packed, and I do like all the moments that point out to the reader that the Highest could mean something different since there are Goddesses involved in this and even Bobby has said, "I'm not the Christian type of angel."
I also feel that the ending didn't give enough credit to Sam; it showed Bobby grieving but never quite seriously enough besides his usual talk of drinking himself unconscious. The death of Sam could have worked to give the story and the character of Bobby more depth if the book would just allow itself a single (longer than one sentence) serious moment without kicking it to the curb with sarcasm, thus destroying the dramatic aspect of the good bits that could have been deeply moving.
I did quite enjoy this adventure with Bobby over all, though. It was fast-paced and definitely action-packed, and I do like all the moments that point out to the reader that the Highest could mean something different since there are Goddesses involved in this and even Bobby has said, "I'm not the Christian type of angel."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2024
This might be the best urban fantasy that I've read/listened to. I'm putting off the Christmas novella until we're closer to the Holidays.
I like The Dresden Files, shows like Supernatural and Angel, comics like DC's Hellblazer. That's not the full list, but after comics and science fiction urban fantasy is probably the genre I've invested the most time in.
The question, gentle reader is what makes this series stand out? Williams' writing for one. I've read a little of his stuff, the off the beaten track works, and liked them. But here, oh my here, he takes the Phillip Marlowe trope and does it better than Chandler (and after two Chandler Marlowe tales I remain less than impressed).
Bobby Dollar is every bit the wise cracking, cynical PI that he pretends to be. He is also an angel assigned to Earth to advocate against his demon counterpart for when a person's soul goes when they pass on. The city of Saint Judas is a character is in its own right, as are the many colorful supporting characters.
At this point Bobby is immersed so deep in a conspiracy that we go from the truly horror story underpinnings of the previous book to dealing with all sort of politics among angels. At the same time his chances of re-joining with his demon lover look like less than none.
And, it is how far Bobby will go to re-join with Caz that the questions becomes is he a hero, anti-hero, even possibly a villain? I'll argue Bobby Dollar ends up at the end being one of the more three dimensional characters that I have encountered.
I'm a little disappointed that this is the end. There is a feeling that there is much more to be told. But, this was published 10 years ago, and if the author has not returned to this world in that much time I think that means Williams has said all he wishes to say for this series.
That's all right. I'd rather have this end with a good book than go out with something mediocre.
I like The Dresden Files, shows like Supernatural and Angel, comics like DC's Hellblazer. That's not the full list, but after comics and science fiction urban fantasy is probably the genre I've invested the most time in.
The question, gentle reader is what makes this series stand out? Williams' writing for one. I've read a little of his stuff, the off the beaten track works, and liked them. But here, oh my here, he takes the Phillip Marlowe trope and does it better than Chandler (and after two Chandler Marlowe tales I remain less than impressed).
Bobby Dollar is every bit the wise cracking, cynical PI that he pretends to be. He is also an angel assigned to Earth to advocate against his demon counterpart for when a person's soul goes when they pass on. The city of Saint Judas is a character is in its own right, as are the many colorful supporting characters.
At this point Bobby is immersed so deep in a conspiracy that we go from the truly horror story underpinnings of the previous book to dealing with all sort of politics among angels. At the same time his chances of re-joining with his demon lover look like less than none.
And, it is how far Bobby will go to re-join with Caz that the questions becomes is he a hero, anti-hero, even possibly a villain? I'll argue Bobby Dollar ends up at the end being one of the more three dimensional characters that I have encountered.
I'm a little disappointed that this is the end. There is a feeling that there is much more to be told. But, this was published 10 years ago, and if the author has not returned to this world in that much time I think that means Williams has said all he wishes to say for this series.
That's all right. I'd rather have this end with a good book than go out with something mediocre.
November 20, 2021
Inhalt:
Nachdem Bobby, beim Packt mit Eligor, die Engelsfeder sowie Caz in der Hölle lassen musste, macht er sich nun auf das Teufelshorn von einem Engel zu stehlen ...
Stil:
Simon Jäger liest, wie immer, sehr gut. Er haucht jedem Charakter eine Seele ein und es macht die Geschichte einfach sehr lebendig. Allerdings ist die Geschichte an sich sehr, sehr, sehr lang(weilig). Obwohl es neue Charaktere gibt, andere wieder auftauchen und bekannte Wesen einen größeren Platz erhalten und tiefgründiger beleuchtet werden, fühlt sich dieser Teil eher nach einem Lückenfüller an. Es gibt viele Durststrecken, viele Wiederholungen und ganz viel erzeugte Irrwege. Das Ende lässt dann auch mehr Fragen offen, als dass es diese beantworten würde. Also alles in allem kein schöner Abschluss, obwohl Bobby doch immer für einen reinen Tisch ist. Das passt nicht.
Charaktere:
Bobby legt wieder los. Er will seinen Kopf durchsetzen und das macht er auch, teilweise mit mehr Glück und Beziehungen als es glaubhaft ist.
Eligor wird in diesem Teil richtig gutmütig, auch dies passt nicht so ganz, sondern wirkt arg konstruiert, ebenfalls die anderen Hilfsarbeiter, welche Bobby rekrutiert, wirken sehr eindimensional und nur für die Problemlösung erschaffen.
Cover:
Das Cover passt zu den vorherigen Teilen und zur Geschichte: Ein Engel zwischen Himmel und Hölle.
Fazit:
Ein sehr unbefriedigender letzter Teil, der arg konstruiert und unnatürlich in die Länge gezogen ist. Daher nur 3 Sterne und eine Empfehlung gibt es nur für Fans der Reihe.
Nachdem Bobby, beim Packt mit Eligor, die Engelsfeder sowie Caz in der Hölle lassen musste, macht er sich nun auf das Teufelshorn von einem Engel zu stehlen ...
Stil:
Simon Jäger liest, wie immer, sehr gut. Er haucht jedem Charakter eine Seele ein und es macht die Geschichte einfach sehr lebendig. Allerdings ist die Geschichte an sich sehr, sehr, sehr lang(weilig). Obwohl es neue Charaktere gibt, andere wieder auftauchen und bekannte Wesen einen größeren Platz erhalten und tiefgründiger beleuchtet werden, fühlt sich dieser Teil eher nach einem Lückenfüller an. Es gibt viele Durststrecken, viele Wiederholungen und ganz viel erzeugte Irrwege. Das Ende lässt dann auch mehr Fragen offen, als dass es diese beantworten würde. Also alles in allem kein schöner Abschluss, obwohl Bobby doch immer für einen reinen Tisch ist. Das passt nicht.
Charaktere:
Bobby legt wieder los. Er will seinen Kopf durchsetzen und das macht er auch, teilweise mit mehr Glück und Beziehungen als es glaubhaft ist.
Eligor wird in diesem Teil richtig gutmütig, auch dies passt nicht so ganz, sondern wirkt arg konstruiert, ebenfalls die anderen Hilfsarbeiter, welche Bobby rekrutiert, wirken sehr eindimensional und nur für die Problemlösung erschaffen.
Cover:
Das Cover passt zu den vorherigen Teilen und zur Geschichte: Ein Engel zwischen Himmel und Hölle.
Fazit:
Ein sehr unbefriedigender letzter Teil, der arg konstruiert und unnatürlich in die Länge gezogen ist. Daher nur 3 Sterne und eine Empfehlung gibt es nur für Fans der Reihe.
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