Redemption Song

Daniel Faust #2

by Craig Schaefer, Adam Verner (Narrator)

Daniel Faust, Las Vegas sorcerer and career criminal, has never pulled the trigger on an innocent man. When the infernal Prince Sitri challenges him to do just that, though, he can't walk away. His lover, Caitlin, is Sitri's right hand...and if Daniel refuses the job, he'll never see her again.

While Daniel works to unravel Sitri's twisted game, putting his principles and his life on the line, Caitlin has problems of her own. A pack of renegade halfbloods are in town, armed to the teeth and aiming to go to war with hell itself. Their leader is a bad memory from Caitlin's past, one she thought dead and buried centuries ago, and he's got revenge on his mind.

As if that isn't bad enough, the fallout from Daniel's last job descends in the form of an FBI task force, aimed at putting him and everyone he cares about behind bars. The feds have a magician of their own, one who knows all of Daniel's dirty little secrets. Throw in a mythical road map to hell and the ghost of a 15th-century serial killer, and the stage is set for a deadly collision.

Sitri's games are never what they seem. Everything is connected. If Daniel and Caitlin can't solve the puzzle in time, the consequences will tear them apart forever.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Fiction, Demons, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published June 13, 2014

About the author

Craig Schaefer's books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow (the Daniel Faust series), to a world torn by war, poison and witchcraft (the Revanche Cycle), and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies (the Harmony Black series).

Despite this, people say he's strangely normal. Suspiciously normal, in fact. His home on the Web is www.craigschaeferbooks.com.

Reviews

[Adina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky to be told from the beginning that this is the worse from the series, otherwise I would have abandoned it somewhere in the beginning. I almost vomited in my mouth a couple of times because of all the teeth-killing sweetness of the love story between Daniel and Caitlin. I said from the 1st volume that their relationship was the only reason that th book did not receive 5*, I really hate insta-love. In this novel it gets even worse. The nauseating experience of having to listen to Faust calling Caitlin the love of his life (and other saccharine infused bullshit) was very hard to bear. I do not mind love, do not get me wrong, but this one feels sooo artificial. Apparently there is an explanation for it and it would be a spoiler to be told about it in advance. Iwas also told something about book 8. Damn, I was hoping Cait would die in flames a lot sooner but it seems not.

Anyway, let's go back to the plot. I am bit reluctant to go there because I have a few complains about that aspect as well. The dark atmosphere from the 1st instalment was gone, poof, everything was mellowed down by love. Things went back on track somewhere in the middle when Faust kills a young cambion, slashing his throat. I know...I felt very weird cheering for a murder but too much love does some ugly things to my brain. For a detailed description of what happens you can read the blurb, it is pretty good. Do not worry if you read the 1st volume a long time ago, the author does a good job summarising what happened without being too repetitive (I am looking at you Karen Marie Moning).

The ending was interesting enough, it felt like it was Now You See Me part III. I am still waiting to see more magic and less trickery from Faust but it seems I might have to wait for a while. The magician bits are pretty cool but we are told Faust is a powerful sorcerer and I did not get that impression at all until now. I will continue with the series because Carol. and Milda encouraged me to do so. Girls, I will be blaming you if the series will not get better from here.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➽ And the moral of this rerereread is: I finished this book three days ago. ♫ Redemption Song ♫ is still bloody stuck in my bloody little head.



P.S. Who knew 15th century knights could be such hot babes deliciously revolting creeps?

👋 Until next time and stuff.



[February 2020]

🃏 Get Those Magic Decks Of Cards Out of Storage We're Doing the Danny-Boy-IS-MINE⁠ Thingie Again Buddy Reread (GTMDoCOoSWDtDBIMTABR™) with the MacHalos and Stuff 🃏

➽ And the moral of this rereread is: this series is one of the best antidepressants on the market. And rerereading it never fails to makes me Slightly Very Nefariously Happy (SVNH™). Because delicious stuff like this:

“So let me get this straight,” Pixie said. “Some of the bad guys are bad guys, some of the bad guys are the good guys, and there aren’t any good good guys.” “That’s right.” “Hey, Faust?” “Yeah, Pix?” “You ever think,” she said, “your moral compass might be just a little bit fucked up?” “Every damn day.”

Let's dance and stuff.





[February 2018]

☢ Daniel Faust and Cait are Mine Mine Mine Buddy Reread with my MacHalo Wives and Daughters and Stuff (DFaCaMMMBRwmMWaSaS™) ☢

Previous rating: 4.5 stars. I was young, naive, stupid and hadn't yet read enough crap didn't know any better when I first read this book.
New rating: 5 stars. Because now I am ancient and wise and have read tons of crap and know much better. Also: DUH.

➽ And the moral of this reread is : in case you didn't know, Daniel Faust is mine. Also, in case you didn't know, Caitlin is mine. Also also, I have breaking news for you: I am officially adopting Daniel's adoptive daddies, Corman and Bentley. So that they can, in turn, adopt me. Yeah, I know, being adopted by your boyfriend's adoptive daddies (ergo your daddies-in-law) seems sort of weird, but you're only thinking that because you haven't met the guys and don't know how bodaciously amazing they are. Besides, it's not like I need your approval and stuff, so feel free to erroneously think what you want. Besides besides, Corman and Bentley happen to think I'm the coolest daughter-in-law ever, so I'm pretty sure they'd be thrilled to adopt me. What? You don't think they like me that much? Ha! Look at the tee-shirts they were wearing just this morning:



Told you they thought I was Super Extra Cool and stuff. Ha again!



[Original review]

Actual rating: 4.5++++ stars. My finger is dangerously hovering over the number 5 key on my keyboard right now. I think I might be very slightly in LUUURRRVVVVVE. Not much, though. Just a teensy little bit.

Yes, I know. I've already non-reviewed book 3 in this series. So what? Are you outrageously outraged by my mixing reviews in such a blatantly disrespectful way? You are? Too bad. Because that's the way we roll in Shrimp Land. Besides, chaos is fun. Order is overrated.

Sooooo, let's do the Cut the Crap Non-Review Thingy (CtCNRT™), shall we? All you need to know about this baby is:

① Danny Boy The Grifter-Trickster-Thief and his lethal deck of cards are MINE. I might have said this before, but I don't think so. I mean, I'd remember if I had, right? Right. Anyway. Why do I want to lock Danny Boy up in my high security harem, you ask? Because morals are not very high on Danny Boy's list of priorities. It's absolutely delicious. Okay, MY Danny does have principles, but they're of the highly bendable, highly flexible variety. And "thou shalt not kill" is definitely not one of them. Yum, yum, yum.




② Caitlin aka The Hound aka The Wingtaker is mine. She's a demon, so that makes her mine on principle. Because all demons are yummy and all demons are mine. Apart from that? She's ruthless. She's an Awesome Blood-Shedding Babe (ABSB™). She's unforgiving. She kicks ass (obviously). She takes no BS. She's got several beautiful sets of pearly serrated teeth. And, much to her pet's Danny Boy's utter dismay, she keeps ordering his food for him. Which amuses me to no end. Girls rule, my Little Barnacles! GIRLS RULE!

③ All bad guys, all the time! This series has such a glorious Black Company vibe! No good guys in this world, only delicious layers of double-crossing assholes, unscrupulous lowlifes, villainous villains, cunning liars and shady underworld sorts! This is pure bliss, people! Glee is me!



④ Darker is cooler. This series is the love child of film noir and grimdark. Okay, so it's not lusciously bleak, but things still get exquisitely dreary and gloomy and stuff. Besides, there's blood-and-gore-yay, which is always a plus. The cool thing is, the story isn't ALL dismal and somber and stuff, ALL the time. Nope, nope, nope. There's lots of humour here. Because, yes, MY Danny Boy can be a very funny guy when he wants to. Albeit a darkly funny one. With a delightfully twisted sense of humour. I think might be very slightly in ♥♥♥ LUUUUURRRRVE ♥♥♥ (pointing this out in case you hadn't noticed. You're welcome.)

⑤ The Shady Bunch. Danny Boy's weirdly-assorted clique is kinda-sorta uber awesome. They operate on the wrong side of the law 99.9999% of the time, which is most excellent, if you ask me. And despite their being deliciously criminally inclined, they're the good bad guys. The kind that take the bad bad bad guys down, you know? And their moral compasses might be slightly fucked up, but, like Danny Boy, they do know the difference between right and wrong. More or less.



» And the much-awaited moral of this Non-Full Totally Crappy Non-Review (NFTCNR™) is: forget about Silly Happy Dresden (SHD™)! Forget about Lackluster Atticus O’Sullivan (LAOS™)! Danny Boy is the man! This is the best UF series with a male lead you'll ever read, my Little Barnacles! Because I said so and stuff.

· Book 1: The Long Way Down ★★★★★
· Book 1.5: The White Gold Score ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Living End ★★★★★
· Book 4: A Plain-Dealing Villain ★★★★★
· Book 5: The Killing Floor Blues ★★★★★
· Book 6: The Castle Doctrine ★★★★★
· Book 6.1: Sweet, Blissful Certainty ★★★
· Book 7: Double or Nothing ★★★★★
· Book 7.1: A Drive in the Country ★★★★
· Book 7.2: Sixty Six Seconds ★★★★
· Book 8: The Neon Boneyard ★★★★★
· Book 9: The Locust Job ★★★★★
· Book 10: Down Among the Dead Men ★★★★★
· Book 11: Dig Two Graves ★★★★★

[carol. · Rating 3 out of 5]

broken finger review #2
the more this finger repair draws out, the crabbier i get. i definitely had no tolerance for the pidgeon dialect i was encountering in Lagoon, so i thought i'd go for the softly lobbed ball and give a try at faust book two. here's the problem:
wait, there's a couple of problems.
the first, and most likely reason is that We Are Not Amused by farces, whether it is The Comedy of Errors or John Dies at the End. And i say that because being a farce has got to be the best explanation of some of the glaring annoyances in this book. because:

although the reader is told that the magic community takes care of its own and has a strict code of non-disclosure, faust tells no less than three mundanes explicit details. it also becomes clear that mundanes are often in inter species marriages. so, wth, world-building?

add that to the fact that he appears to be verbalizing his plans to nearly every single character he meets and i'm feeling he might have a case of tstl coming on.

so let me get this straight,' pixie said. 'some of the bad guys are bad guys, some of the bad guys are good guys and there aren't any good good guys.'

Faust makes numerous references to being a 'less bad' guy, yet we are provided with no evidence of this as true, except that he tries--and really likes--mystery meat.

actually, i can empathize--i could be a happy vegetarian if it wasn't for fucking bacon. cripes.

at any rate, he saves a priest, refuses kill-shots unless shot at first, is tolerant of sullen teens (mundane or otherwise), avoids innocent casualties, cries with relief and shows up to social functions when his girlfriend asks him to. i'd call that a good guy, especially when one of those is a ten-minute notice to meet the boss. Especially considering, and i mean especially, when he later says, i kept my principles and lost everything else."

whaaat? where's the bad-good guy?


the writing feels less thoughtful this time, finesse lost in the press of the action. there's a couple instances when faust says "four words to never say..." and "six most dangerous words to say..." schaefer should write one of those toss out magazine articles, "ten phrases to avoid when dealing with demons."

so, on the plus side, it has one of the best opening lines in a long time:
The ghost of Merle Haggard kept Sophia trapped in her house for two weeks". The action is steady. Good feel for las vegas, although too many truisms like "Vegas loves a winner and hates a loser" The Demon Prince is scary, although his house of BDSM, not so much.

you know what was a little nauseating? faust taking time out from his day to relax his hell-mistress girlfriend by plying her with wine and rubbing her shoulders until she takes a nap. and oh yes: part of the plot is about assimilation... quite a kumbaya for a book with hell demons. and--how can i forget--all the supernatural ladies want to make a slave of faust.

oh man. did i stumble into the paranormal romance section?

and, as something i don't normally notice, so consider it especially odd--i think the title had nothing to do with the book. feel free to explain...

overall, it left me suspicious this was a joke after the noir ambiguity of the first. decent, but not really what i was expecting.

review #1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Note from future and less-finger-impaired-carol.: book 3 was one of my favorites, so it does, indeed, get better.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4.35 ***

Daniel Faust is back and getting in trouble with everyone. There doesn't seem to be a faction that is not after him and wanting him dead. For just a simple human with some minor magic and not a very wide repertoire, he sure knows how to make enemies. At least he has the relationship he never had dared to hope he would ever have. Faust has The Hound, Caitlin, as a girlfriend and nothing can stand in their way. Or they thought, until the Prince of Hell gives him a test - either do as he asks, or he loses Caitlin.

"... “According to Caitlin, he’d been on the throne since Hannibal discovered elephants, and he was so slippery he would orchestrate assassination plots against himself when he got bored, just to keep his wits sharp.”..."

Yep, the Prince is a tricky one, so Faust has to dig deep into his bag of tricks in order to pull something almost impossible off. Only the police, the mob, The Redemption quire ( a group of half-human half-demon young people who want to become "pure" humans, led by a full demon who knows how to manipulate them...), the local psycho "we-want-to-take-over-the-world" group and several other entities are bent on standing in his way and hopefully kill and damn him to hell on the way. For a trickster like Faust, the only thing that is left to lean on is his magical made-up family and his gumption. He is put in some very difficult and tight spots, but somehow is able to survive, not necessarily coming off a winner.

"... “How about you, Dan? What do you do for a living?” Well, Ben, until recently I was a hired wand for the biggest gang boss in Las Vegas, but we had a falling-out, so mostly I just run short cons and sometimes busk on Fremont Street doing sleight-of-hand tricks for spare change. I guess you could say I’m sort of a criminal bum. “I’m between jobs right now,” I told him. “The economy being what it is.”
“Hey, you don’t have any financial background, do you?” “I robbed a bank once,” I said, and Caitlin kicked my shin under the table. To their credit, Emma and Ben favored me with polite chuckles. Melanie smirked. I liked the kid. “Daniel is too modest,” Caitlin said.” ..."

Caitlin has been my dream woman-demon ever since last book, but I think I am starting to truly appreciate Faust as a character as well. Loved the introduction of Pixie and was pleased to see more of some of the other secondary characters, especially Melanie:):):) The introduction of Harmony Black was just as I expected it would be - she is the perfect FBI agent with some witchy powers but straight as the job demands, and it was to be expected that a less than pristine character like Faust would totally grade on her nerves and turn all of her danger lights on. They make a great team when they put their hostilities aside though. I loved everything about this book and I can't wait to continue with the series!!!

"... “There was a modern family for you. Demon mom, human dad, cambion kid. Just like Caitlin and me, minus the kid and the wedding rings. Wasn’t sure how I felt about that.” ..."

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!

[Jokoloyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A buddy read with Orient and Craig. I took some time when reading it, due to RL issue, not the book.

This book is a bit above 3.5 star, so I rounded up. It doesn't have overly-dark horror as the beginning of book 1. So I can understand if some people don't like the changes. The promise of first book is not repeated in this book 2. It is not a grimly dark UF anymore, a bit humorous, actually. I heard next books are darker again.

On the other hand, I like the trick-versus-trick plots of this novel. This book reminded me of a detective-wuxia novel that I've read years ago: the action scenes are pretty good at the beginning and middle parts, but the climax would not be satisfactory without revelations of the tricks. Fortunately, this is the way of ending that I like.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Vegas loves a winner and hates a loser. As long as you’re flush with cash, this town will treat you like a king while it milks you for every last cent. Once your pockets are empty, though, the ride jerks to a stop like the yank of a hangman’s noose.'

This is a great urban fantasy series! A blend of noir, magic- sleight of hand and black magic, demons, hounds of hell and a distinctly morally 'grey' main character who somehow manages to be the good guy:

'“The world is full of good men who make bad decisions,” I told her. “Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. You just have to figure things out the best you can. Make the best choices you can. Choices you can live with.”

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just as much fun as the first book in the Daniel Faust series. It was actually so enjoyable that I'm now ready to call this series one of my favourites in the UF genre!

Daniel Faust has more problems than ever. He just prevented an Armageddon, but has no time to rest on his laurels as the twisted mastermind of that plot is still one the loose and views the whole incident as merely a delay to achieving her ultimate goal. As if that is not bad enough Daniel is being ordered by Caitlin's boss, the Demon Prince Sitri, to prove his loyalty by killing an innocent priest. If he fails he will be forbidden from seeing Caitlin again! The problems just keep piling up for Daniel as the situation is complicated further by the fact that a Cambian terror group is being forced into Vegas by the manipulations of a rival of Prince Sitri.

Daniel was pushed to his limits as he sought to outfox Demons, Cambians, evil sorcerers, and even a twisted soul that managed to escaped from Hell!

The story was a ton of fun. Craig Schaefer has an engaging writing style and Daniel is an easy character to root for. He is no angel, but he follows his own moral code and is never short of a witty remark along the way. I love the fact that the humor offers balance to some of the darker aspects of this series.

Roll on book 3!

Rating:4.5 stars.

Audio Note: I'm warming more to Adam Verner as a narrator all the time. His general narration is fantastic and he is a great fit for the Daniel and the story. He even improved a bit with the female voices. Though Caitin's accent is still horrific!

[Orient · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The journey of a thousand miles,” he said, “begins with a single step. A human sage said that, and I’ve always found it admirable advice. Can anyone change their nature? Can anyone be redeemed, and put their past behind them? I’m still on that journey, young lady, so I can’t say where it will end. I can only have faith.”



A great BR with two wonderful GR friends-BR partners, fellow assassins of Danny Boy, Craig and Jokoloyo. A year passed after I read book 1, I was charmed and wanted to get a better look into the series.

My impression after reading book 2 is that it isn't a perfect series, but it's quite well written. The one thing I like in Schaefer's books and characters is that they are gripping, true, messed up, the characters are down to earth, they have flaws and like Pixie said:

“Some of the bad guys are bad guys, some of the bad guys are the good guys, and there aren’t any good good guys.”

Characters. My lovely pair <3 I like the love relationship between Faust and Cait, it adds nice spices to the story and I love it that Mr. Schaefer doesn’t rush things or make their love too sweet and fluffy.

Despite that Faust can be a great villain with his amazingly dark past and present, he shines with his strange moral compass, which “might be just a little bit fucked up”. And to make matters worse he finds himself a playtoy in the demon prince game. It sounds perfect for another gripping adventure with Danny Boy, as to think that he can be played with, is understatement. Also I liked the Faust's banter with others. The villain of this book is quite interesting, not very bizarre or cruel. To tell the truth I wanted more of the great main villain lady.


Sully :)

Narrative. From the very start this story was a bit peculiar and I felt that it is a bit weaker than in book one. I was a bit disappointed with this book as the mystery was thin sometimes, I liked some twists (the one with Prince Sitri and the both chats with him) and the final revelation of Pinfeather was quite unexpected. But IDK, I had a struggle with this book. Maybe Slade spoiled me, dang it :) The reveal at the end, when all the real plans were shown, I liked the cleverness, but it wasn’t mind blowing. I liked the historical spices, it was interesting to know about the creepy fellow Giles.

To sum up, this book was interesting to read, it didn’t grip me fully, but I enjoyed my ride with Faust. I am very looking forward to seeing where it will all go.

“Our blood doesn’t make us who we are. We do. Our choices, our lives.”


Bob Marley “Redemption Song”

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a delicious treat for any UF fan. Here are few non-spoilery snippets so you can judge for yourself. :)


“This is Detective Gary Kemper of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police,” Agent Black said with a gesture to the goateed man. “And this very large gentleman to my left is Agent Lars Jakobsen of the DEA.”
I leaned back in my chair and whistled, trying to keep my nerves from showing. “You all came down here just for me? It’s not even my birthday.”

How about you, Dan? What do you do for a living?”
(Well, Ben, until recently I was a hired wand for the biggest gang boss in Las Vegas, but we had a falling-out, so mostly I just run short cons and sometimes busk on Fremont Street doing sleight-of-hand tricks for spare change. I guess you could say I’m sort of a criminal bum.) “I’m between jobs right now,” I told him. “The economy being what it is.”
“I hear you, I hear you. Hey, you don’t have any financial background, do you?”
“I robbed a bank once,”

Ronald Reagan once said the nine scariest words in the English language were, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

“So let me get this straight,” Pixie said. “Some of the bad guys are bad guys, some of the bad guys are the good guys, and there aren’t any good good guys.”
“That’s right.”
“Hey, Faust?”
“Yeah, Pix?”
“You ever think,” she said, “your moral compass might be just a little bit fucked up?”
“Every damn day.”

I prefer my government the same way I prefer my cops: clueless, helpless, and out of my way.

“War has become the province of peasants in this day,” he said with a tinge of regret. “The sword, the lance, those are a real man’s weapons. Weapons of skill and courage. Now you forge portable cannons and allow any fool to carry one in his pocket. Is it any wonder that the right of kings is a distant memory?”
“We like our violence democratic these days,” I said. “It’s fairer to everybody that way.”

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption Song by Craig Schaefer has Daniel having to deal with Caitlin's boss! Caitlin being a demon who Daniel is in love with. Her boss makes it clear to them that Daniel must kill an innocent person he states or never see Caitlin again! So much happens to work around this...great action and very clever!
Narration was excellent too!

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great second chapter of the series. Daniel Faust is as flawed as they come, and the other characters are just as good, underworld Vegas included. They are interesting and well-rounded, which is refreshing, and there is room for more development.

“Ladies! Gentlemen! You’re both right! You were all about to betray each other. Congratulations and welcome to Las Vegas. If I could have the floor for a moment?”

Story and plot are well-executed and I really like the writing style and the snarky, spot-on humor lighting the darker parts of the tale; again the author didn’t resort to a cliffhanger to keep my interest high and instead he let his creation build it up on its own. I’m going to read book #3 right away.

“Were we the good guys tonight?”

I had to think about that one. Finally, I nodded.

“As good as it gets, Pix. As good as it gets. You can only expect so much, you know. We’re only human.”

[Mr. Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up on the heels of the first Daniel Faust book, Long Way Down. Faust is back and gets swept up in a Mexican stand-off (of sorts) between a gang of demons-spawn Cambion, the ruthless escaped villains of book one, and the sinister plots of Caitlin's demon prince. Oh, and he's also working out what it means to be in a relationship with his demon girl-friend, Caitlin.

Redemption Song was a very fun read. Like the first book I like the ambiguity of the main characters - are they good or are they evil? Who are the good guys anyway? I like Daniel's style and sense of justice. I like the fact that he will risk his life on a roll of the dice and the fate of humanity on the love of his (demon) woman.

The book is funny, engaging and action packed. My problem with it is similar to my problems with the first book. I accept the premise that these are kinder, gentler, more complex demons, but still. I have a hard time accepting that these soul sucking demons that will gleefully rip someone's spleen out via their chest cavity, can settle down in a thoroughly domestic way, e.g., Emma, Ben and Melanie.

Four stars out of five. I rounded the first book up to five because I had been so pleasantly surprised by it. There was no surprise here. I knew that I would like the book, and I did. Bottom line: these Faust books are pretty darn good. Best new Urban Fantasy that I've seen in a while.

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Faust is a sly rebel. I'm also going to be a sly rebel and not review the book ;) all you need to know is that I'm looking up the price of part 3 right away.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up not long after Daniel Faust saved all of creation from within the borders of Las Vegas, we find he's still dating a very powerful demon, still in good graces with various friends, and still looking to bring down the near-world-ending Lauren Carmichael. So, of course, girlfriend Caitlin's prince, Sitri, orders Daniel to either kill an innocent priest or never see Caitlin again. And Caitlin can't disobey Sitri. Ever. Sheesh

Naturally, Daniel doesn't want to kill the priest. He may be a con artist, a thief, and a practitioner of the black arts, but even he has standards. So, it's off on another adventure. While Dresden Files protagonist Harry Dresden will plow through his enemies and win out, often out of sheer power and goodness, Daniel Faust isn't that kind of sorcerer. He tries to be for the first half of the book, then realizes that is a really bad way to go about things and does it his own way, con artist that he is, by being the craftiest man in the room.

Faust's books tend to be quick reads for me, which is nice. I do like how Schaefer imagines hell and its minions: most seem to be regular folks who occasionally do really bad things, but the whole place seems to be more full of accountants and pencil-pushers than anything else. Really, most demons on the surface at least seem to be decent people, and the half-breeds that populate the world can be as dangerous or harmless as anyone else. That's not too bad since it distracts from how potentially awful Faust's world is. Faust himself says there's no proof of a God, or anyone that might be considered a force for good. Good, instead, is determined by what individuals like him do to make the world a better place. The only angel even mentioned in two books was...removed ages ago.

As such, kudos for Schaefer's world-building that even with all the demons it doesn't look like that bad a place to hang out. His characters are fun and unique, and my only complaint was in the end of the book when Faust explains to an apparently very patient big bad how he was conned, with said big bad just apparently listening to a long story. Oh well.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

A great follow up to The Long Way Down. Redemption Song starts with a bang and never lets up, keeping a breathless pace all the way through to the finale.

The book picks up only a few weeks after the end of The Long Way Down. Lauren and her corporation are still a threat and Daniel is then given an impossible choice by his girlfriend’s employer, the demon prince Sitri. Kill an innocent man or walk away from Caitlin. Forever.

That dilemma kicks off a mad rush by Daniel to try and figure out a way to avoid murdering an innocent man without losing Caitlin. He quickly finds out there is more going on than he imagined as he gets sucked into a deadly game.

All of the fun elements from the first book are back. A gritty, moody setting. A strong lead character who makes plenty of decisions of shall we say questionable morality who nevertheless is trying to do what he thinks is right. Fast paced action sprinkled with some fun magic. A supporting cast of interesting characters.

Speaking of the supporting cast, there were some great additions in this book. Pixie and Special Agent Harmony Black were the standouts for me, and I hope to see more of them in future installments. Harmony in particular was interesting, and I’ll definitely be checking out her series in the future.

One thing I’m still curious to see is how much the nature of Caitlin and her work (really, her whole world) gets addressed. Right now there seems to be an uneasy truce where Daniel ignores aspects of who she is and what she does. I hope that at some point that gets more fully explored.

Any UF fans who like their stories a bit darker owes it to themselves to check this series out. Highly recommended.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Redemption Song by Craig Schaefer is a fantastic second book in the Daniel Faust series. Many people draw comparisons of this book to that of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, but this one leans more to the 'R' Rated side than does the really 'PG' Dresden Files. I confess that the whole urban fantasy series has become my guilty pleasure reads. My love for the genre elevates everything I read. I only know that right now, I cannot seem to get enough from a genre filled with everything from ghosts and spirits, to Wolves and vamps, Gods and Demons, and sorcerers and cops. I love it.

Our main protagonist Daniel Faust is a sorcerer, a Thief, and pretty much not a good guy. He is however perfect for our lead role. Faust is not 'PG'. I loved the pacing, the world building, and the magic. I only wish that there was more. Caitlyn is a fantastic character and she pretty much steals all the pages that she is on.

These are not good people:

"so let me get this straight,' pixie said. 'some of the bad guys are bad guys, some of the bad guys are good guys and there aren't any good good guys.'"


The story in Redemption Song ups the stakes and no less than the whole world is in danger once again. This one has quite a few twists and turns and games played that make it even more fun. I devoured this book immediately after reading the first book. It is a Damn fun read. I really like Daniel Faust and cannot wait to read more.

Highly recommended!

[Asya · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Some of the bad guys are bad guys, some of the bad guys are the good guys, and there aren’t any good good guys.”

And this is the best thing about the series :D The second best thing is that it feels like a mix of two genres, urban fantasy - magic, demons, humour, and a crime novel - Daniel has put the pieces of a complicated puzzlе together in order to get to the truth (and not die horribly).

Redemption song wasn't as good as The White Gold Score and I still don't buy the romance, but it was a lot of fun. Thank you, Sarah, for fangirling over the series until I gave in and tried it :D

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy Read with the MacHalos

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel in Daniel Faust urban fantasy about a hardboiled private eye/wizard (“a hired wand for the biggest gang boss in Las Vegas) and his friends. In this volume he faces the remains of the gang that attempted to create an apocalypse in the previous volume, an investigation of police-FBI joint-force, were both magics and half-demons are present, a cult of half-demons lead by a demon, who claims that he will be able to redeem them, and there is a mole among the court of hell, which provides info to its enemies…

Meanwhile, to top it all up, Faust’s paramour Caitlin (a demon’s incarnate), brings him to her boss, the prince of hell ruling over Las Vegas area, who presents Faust with a deal:
“There is a local priest,” the Conduit said, “named Maximilian Alvarez. A recent transplant to his new parish, he is already beloved by his congregation and by all accounts a good and noble man. The prince would like you to murder him.”
“What’s he done?”
The Conduit smiled. “Nothing. Nothing at all. He is the model of an innocent soul. Nonetheless, for reasons of his own, Prince Sitri would like this man dead. And he would like you to do it. Don’t ask why. Just kill the priest.”

The murder has to be finished in three days, or our hero will never meet with his love again. While Faust killed more than once and took part in a lot of shady deals, he cannot kill an innocent man. However, he doesn’t want to lose Catlin either. So he shadows the priest to find more about him and accidentally saves him from a kidnapping. Why the supernatural of all kinds are so interested with the priest?

Another great adventure.

“All right. You really want to know? The only angel I’ve ever seen was a primordial monster who would have incinerated every man, woman, and child on Earth if she’d gotten loose. As far as any God goes, the best-case scenario is he wound up the world like a clock and walked away a long, long time ago. Worst-case is, he’s insane or he’s dead. If there are any good guys out there, fighting the cosmic fight, I’ve never seen them.”

“Done. What’s the RC?”
I dropped the hemming and hawing. She’d shown she could take her answers straight.
“Redemption Choir. Half-demons who want to be human,” I said.
“So they’re the good guys.”
“No,” I said. “They’re nuts, and they just kidnapped a priest. They’re the bad guys.”
“Who’s AB?”
“Special Agent Harmony Black. FBI agent, trying to bust Nicky Agnelli. Honest cop, as far as I know. Straight shooter.”
“So she’s a good guy.”
“No, because she also wants to bust everyone who Nicky’s ever done business with, including me, and Lauren Carmichael’s pulling her strings. So she’s also a bad guy.”
“Who’s S?” Pixie asked.
“Sitri. Demon prince.”
“Definitely a bad guy.”
I sighed. “No. My girlfriend works for him, and she just helped save the world.”
“So let me get this straight,” Pixie said. “Some of the bad guys are bad guys, some of the bad guys are the good guys, and there aren’t any good good guys.”
“That’s right.”
“Hey, Faust?”
“Yeah, Pix?”
“You ever think,” she said, “your moral compass might be just a little bit fucked up?”
“Every damn day.”

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption Song is the sequel to The Long Way Down and the second book in the Daniel Faust series. It picks up soon after the events pictured in CS’s debut.

Daniel Faust’s life isn’t getting easier. He’s still short on cash, like in no cash at all. FBI is interested in him and it seems they have a practicing witch on a payroll. Prince of Hell wants him to kill innocent man, if Daniel hopes to maintain his relationship with Caitlin.

To make things worse, Lauren Carmichael continues to scheme schemes and bring nefarious plans to life. It seems she really wants to finish mysterious Enclave. No one knows what’s the purpose of this place but we can be sure of one thing – it wasn’t devised to spread rainbow and rescue kittens.

It’s much better book than TLWD. It’s well conceived, characters feel more fleshed out and the plot is a joy to unravel. It mixes pulp references, crime and horror story with strong heist feeling. The final twists were both surprising and enjoyable. Additionally, there’s quite a lot of humorous moments that balance gritty reality and occasional bloodbath well.

The character cast is expanded in skillful way. We finally get more light on demons, demons/humans relationships, incarnates and other stuff. Prince Sitri is a cunning bastard who enjoys having Faust as one of his pawns (it has to be said, though, that Daniel manages to promote from the pawn to someone more respectable).

I still don’t know much about the way magic works in this world. I’m especially interested in Jennifer blood magic. It’s some crazy thing. World-building feels richer as we learn more about Hell courts and Cambions history. The reveals felt natural and there was practically no info-dumping.

Writing feels stronger and has better flow than in TLWD. I don’t have any significant problems with it.

It’s a solid read that makes me want to follow the series and see what happens next.

[Efka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still the same like the first book of the series:

Antiheroes, cons, murders, demons, Las Vegas, impending apocalypse... Aaah, what's not to like! Same 4*.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

“The world is full of good men who make bad decisions,” I told her. “Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. You just have to figure things out the best you can. Make the best choices you can. Choices you can live with.”

In some ways I liked this more than the first book. You know those action or horror stories and films where you can't believe the character keeps surviving, convinced he's going to get really hurt? That is this series.

Daniel escapes by the skin of his teeth and it's nerve-wracking. Caitlyn....well, wicked incarnate but I see glimpses of hope with her affection for Daniel, and she's a bona fide bad-ass. Daniel’s family of sorcerers brings delight to the stories. They may be criminals who have each others backs, but they’re fun and fleshed out characters who glue everything together so cohesively well.

Just when you thought the ridiculously good ending was all said and done, the author pulls another rabbit out of the hat (I could have sworn it was empty and smashed....) and lays down a final shocker and Caitlyn takes over and steals the show. Like, really steals the show, didn't see that coming.

That ending was tricky, almost pulling unreliable narrator technique out of the blue - complex labyrinth. Mindblown. The author has a sublime talent of making twists you don’t see coming and ending these powerful notes.

With the Rakshasi (whatever spelling), that scene was simply twisted. Will we ever know what the meat was? Like Daniel, do we ever really want to?

Not happy on the angel wings, but I get to see a side of her I actually like in these stories. I didn't see that twist of deception coming from a certain 'somebody' at all. Overall Caitlyn is hardly in this book once you get past the beginning and end. She’s a fan favorite for a reason.

Daniel's sorcerer family sticks around but a bit more in the backseat this time - we get two new mains - a human hacker friend, Pixie, and a smug and annoying female detective. I wanted to slap her half the time, but she did keep the plot moving. I’m not on board with reading Harmony’s series but she is an important plot point in the earlier Faust novels.

I’m now caught up on the series, just reviewing out of order and behind - as usual.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be in love with Daniel Faust, not in a book boyfriend kind of way but in a hero worship kind of way. He’s not really a hero; heroes don’t commit as many crimes as he does. He an antihero. He’s as gray as it gets. Dan does horrible things like lie, steal, and kill, but I love his strong moral code. As bad as he is, there are just some things he won’t do.

Caitlin aka the Hound is a bad ass. I wish she had more page time in this book though. I’m surprised I like her so much because there is not much good in her. She does bad things without batting an eye and blindly does whatever her prince asks of her. Some things she does are horrible, and one of the worst of them was revealed in this.

The reason everything happened was surprising. I never would have guessed that was why Prince Sitri wanted to see what Dan would do. Dan really should be called the trickster. He is good at manipulating people. What he pulled off at the end was awesome. I didn’t see it coming. This is becoming one of my favorite UF series. It’s that good.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic follow up to the original. It manages to tie together a few of the dangling threads from the first book, but not so many that I lose all curiosity. And it throws in a little more info to those threads lift untied that REALLY pique my interest.

The plot pacing and action in this book are actually a little better than the first. I just don't have many, if any, negative things to say about it.

Annnnnddddd on the third after a brief interlude.

[Fiona Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still really enjoying this series, though Harmony is still my favourite - and she's introduced here!

The shades of grey only continue to get murkier and harder to distinguish this time around, and Craig Schaefer is not afraid to outright tear your heart strings, let alone just tugging on them. I don't normally deal well with bleak, but it's so delicately balanced against moments of hope that I find myself not hating it with this series. Weird and wonderful.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so much fun!

[Daniel Kloke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I just had a bad day when I finished the book (I had driven twelve hours on Thursday and again on Saturday). I'm still going to read book three and see if this series resets itself (I've set my phaser for "prepare to skim" if necessary).

This particular review is a "two-fer." What follows is copied from a response to Carol.'s comments. There are three main points which contributed to this book being a two-star for me.

First, I am developing a nervous tick around the now-cliche notion that if there is a succubus in the story (always irresistibly attractive), then it must be in a relationship with a human (usually by the main character). By itself, this idea smacks of some kind of fan service. In my mind, it is borderline absurd for a demon (admitted in the book as being a being of pure spirit without a body), whose sole purpose is destruction and damnation of souls, to, deep down, just want to be cherished in a good, old-fashioned, loving relationship. What demon does not want to settle down in Radiator Springs with their extended family? Must be particularly true of lust demons.

My second point is really a bit of a spoiler - so let's say I'm not happy with the author's shenanigans at the end of the book. I generally appreciate it when I can't guess how a story is going to resolve. I am not happy about the way the author did it here. Nuff said.

Lastly, I'm just not sure how I feel about the main character. He is written as an "everyman" protagonist. We hear his thoughts and struggles to take care of his friends that he sees as his extended family. He cares about innocent people and considers the underdog. BUT, he also chooses to be part of tribe of demons in literal Hell to be in a relationship with his pure demon girlfriend and team up against some sorcerous people who killed some of his friends. I guess the "bad guys" are out to destroy humanity for their own gain? But both sides have clearly avowed in the book to do that very thing.

Now that I think about it, I should just relax and enjoy the anti-Andy Griffiths Show.

I think I'll create a new bookshelf of "relationship with a succubus" and see how many fall into that section (which presently includes the Faust and Castor series).

[Mihir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic

CLASSIFICATION: Featuring a cast of anti-heroes and with a magician con-man as the protagonist, the Daniel Faust series is Richard Stark's Parker crossed with The Dresden Files and set in Las Vegas.

ANALYSIS: Redemption Song is the sequel to The Long Way Down and the second volume in the Daniel Faust series. It's set close to a month after the events of the first book and about a week or so after the events of The White Gold Score. The book can be read by as a standalone but keep in mind, it references quite a few events from its predecessor and builds up on a couple of plot threads so it won't be ideal to read it before The Long Way Down. In this review, there will be mild spoilers for some minor aspects of the characters cast so fair warning for those who want an absolutely unspoiled read.

The plot of this book builds up from the events of the last book, as Daniel Faust and Jennifer are suckered into a trap. The retribution comes in form of the FBI namely Harmony Black, an FBI agent who also is on the same paranormal threshold as Faust. Forced to defend his ways and his tracks, Faust gets further waylaid when Prince Sitri, Caitlin's boss and lord of the Court of Jade Tears mandates Faust to finish a task or never be able to meet Caitlin EVER again. Trapped between the FBI and Hell (literately), he also has to contend with a cambion (half-human, half-demon hybrids) crisis as a renegade group has come to town to do the impossible.

These are the troika of plot points that power the story, sure there's a lot more going on and much that I'm being vague about as it's essential to prevent spoilers. This book is a solid improvement on The Long Way Down as not only does the reader know a bit more than the first time around, but the author really gets to develop the world, gives the backstory about many of the characters, their history, & much more without it becoming like an infodump. I loved how the author keeps the tension high-strung throughout and every time Faust feels that he's one-upped his circumstances, there's one more wrinkle to keep him on the back foot. There's a lot more backstabbing and double betrayals in this one and all of it seem very organic.

This is what I loved about this story, it's a thriller while being an urban fantasy and the author does his best to introduce some humour from time to time. He also introduces some minor characters who are very intriguing and one such person is Baron Naavarasi who is delightful (to read about) with her intrigue and deadliness. I look to learn more about her and her machinations. There's also a nice plot twist with regards to French history and even though it focusses on a genuinely detestable individual, I liked how the author picked up an obscure character who added so much to the story. The book's pace is such that the reader will be constantly on tenterhooks to see what happens with Sitri, Harmony Black and the main cambion plot.

The character cast is very wonderfully expanded and all of this is done without losing any sheen on Faust. In this aspect, Craig Schaefer manages to comfortably rub shoulders with Jim Butcher. However the one crucial difference between them is that Craig's world is resplendently mired in grey & shades of black with some splashes of white. This is very much shown vividly towards the end of the book (when our main protagonist does something incredibly stupid or smart, I'll let you decide).

I loved this aspect of the storyline as it very much mirrors the real world and the author also gives us (the readers) some background about the nature of magic, the world, Hell and its courts, Cambions (what are they, why are they the way they are, etc). There's a lot of worldbuilding very wonderfully encapsulated between dialogue snippets and plot revelations. The author also shows the growing relationship between Caitlin & Daniel and it seems to glide smoothly from The White Gold Score. I liked how the author switches gender tropes and makes Caitlin the one with all the power cards. Daniel though is not without powers of his own and it's his mental fortitude that makes stand out as a character and a player to be reckoned with.

CONCLUSION: All of the above factors made this book a solid read for me and also cemented this series in my mind. I have to say this book just stops short of being a 5-star book because of some plot threads being left open to be finished in the next book. I don't think this will be a major disappointment for most folks but it might rankle some. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and after finishing immediately jumped onto the next as was the author's plan all along.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

That epilogue was *chef's kiss*

This book gave me a craving for Indian food like no other, so I'm hoping to quell that sometime this week. As with the first, it kept my attention throughout. The new characters were great additions, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Pixie, Melanie, and Winslow in particular. My mind has chosen Lance Henriksen as a fancast for Sullivan, thanks to my love of Near Dark.

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid follow-up book to the first one. I think I liked this one slightly less, however, and wouldn't claim that I would give it 3.5 stars if possible. Three fits just fine here. And again, as with the previous book, it is definitely the romance that annoys me enough to be a problem. Firstly, I still don't get why they're are so in to each other. Secondly, I don't see any chemistry on the pages. Thirdly, their relationship is so unrealistically perfect that it makes me want to scratch my eyes out. Yes, I'm saying "unrealistic" in a book about magic and demons. It's that unrealistic. The suspension of disbelief can only go so far.

Alright, but overall the book wasn't bad to read and was entertaining enough. This was the kind of book that I could read for hours at a time, but then never think about again once I've finished it.