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Felix Castor #1
The Devil You Know
Felix Castor used to cast out demons for a living, and London was his stomping ground. But in a time when the supernatural realm is in upheaval and spilling over into the mundane world of the living, his skills are in renewed demand. With old debts to pay, Castor is left with no choice but to accept one final, well-paying assignment: a seemingly simple exorcism.
Trouble is, the more he discovers about the ghost in the archive, the more things refuse to add up - and the more deeply he's dragged into a world he wants no part of. What should have been a perfectly straightforward job is rapidly turning into a "who can kill Castor first" competition, with demons, were-beings, and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. But that's okay. Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off.
Trouble is, the more he discovers about the ghost in the archive, the more things refuse to add up - and the more deeply he's dragged into a world he wants no part of. What should have been a perfectly straightforward job is rapidly turning into a "who can kill Castor first" competition, with demons, were-beings, and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. But that's okay. Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 6, 2006
644 people are currently reading
17677 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,260 books2,960 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,420 reviews
March 5, 2011
4.0 stars. This book was much better than I had anticipated it to be which was a very pleasant, if UNEXPECTED, SURPRISE.
I thought this was going to be a decent, but somewhat cheesy Urban Fantasy knock-off of the Dresden Files. While certainly these two series share many basic themes (as most UF does), this was a TERRIFIC READ. In fact, in two very important respects I thought this book was actually SUPERIOR to the Dresden books. Given that the Dresden books are the current “standard” at least for male UF, I am going to provide a little insight into my feelings about that series so that you will better understand my comment about this book’s superiority.
HARRY DRESDEN THOUGHTS
For the most part, I am fan of the Harry Dresden BOOKS because I think that the world that Jim Butcher has created is really something special in the realm of Urban Fantasy and that the plots are well developed and engaging....HOWEVER, I have ONE BIG PROBLEM with the Dresden books and that, unfortunately, is good old Harry Dresden himself.
I have two main problems with Harry. The first is his “OVER...THE...TOP...I’ll-be-a-martyr....oh....whoa...is....me....I may be a hero, BUT don’t you ever call me one” attitude. That may be my longest “__” as adjective description ever. Those of you who have read the books will hopefully understand what I am saying. A second, and probably more annoying problem I have with Dresden is the constant torrent of lame jokes and dialogue. To demonstrate, I would like to submit the following into evidence for consideration while holding back the bile forming in my throat:
EXHIBIT 1
.....That sounds like the POT getting into a seriously ironic conversation with the KETTLE about color schemes.
EXHIBIT 2
.....PLEASE, PLEASE BE A SHOTGUN!!!
EXHIBIT 3
...THAT DOES IT.....
END HARRY DRESDEN THOUGHTS
So given my feelings for Harry and his “sense of humor” I was very happy to come across Felix Castor in this story. Felix is a freelance exorcist who you can basically think of as a British “ghostbuster.” I thought he was a very well drawn character with a dry, British sense of humor which I found very funny. He is a good guy, but with a touch more grey then your typical protagonist which again I really liked.
Felix lives in an alternate “London” where around the year 2000, an-as-yet-unexplained phenomenon caused all manner of ghosts (and some rather nastier creatures as well) to begin walking the streets of London. That may sound cheesy or hokey and if so it is my fault because the way the world was introduced (to me at least) was believable and I was instantly sucked into it.
As for the writing, I thought it was much better than I had expected and had a real crisp, polish to it that came across especially well with Felix’s dry, sarcastic dialogue. The plot is fairly conventional (as you can imagine for a first book) but also sufficiently complex to keep your interest and there are some excellent supporting characters.
All and all, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the series. Recommend!!!
I thought this was going to be a decent, but somewhat cheesy Urban Fantasy knock-off of the Dresden Files. While certainly these two series share many basic themes (as most UF does), this was a TERRIFIC READ. In fact, in two very important respects I thought this book was actually SUPERIOR to the Dresden books. Given that the Dresden books are the current “standard” at least for male UF, I am going to provide a little insight into my feelings about that series so that you will better understand my comment about this book’s superiority.
HARRY DRESDEN THOUGHTS
For the most part, I am fan of the Harry Dresden BOOKS because I think that the world that Jim Butcher has created is really something special in the realm of Urban Fantasy and that the plots are well developed and engaging....HOWEVER, I have ONE BIG PROBLEM with the Dresden books and that, unfortunately, is good old Harry Dresden himself.
I have two main problems with Harry. The first is his “OVER...THE...TOP...I’ll-be-a-martyr....oh....whoa...is....me....I may be a hero, BUT don’t you ever call me one” attitude. That may be my longest “__” as adjective description ever. Those of you who have read the books will hopefully understand what I am saying. A second, and probably more annoying problem I have with Dresden is the constant torrent of lame jokes and dialogue. To demonstrate, I would like to submit the following into evidence for consideration while holding back the bile forming in my throat:
EXHIBIT 1
.....That sounds like the POT getting into a seriously ironic conversation with the KETTLE about color schemes.
EXHIBIT 2
.....PLEASE, PLEASE BE A SHOTGUN!!!
EXHIBIT 3
...THAT DOES IT.....
END HARRY DRESDEN THOUGHTS
So given my feelings for Harry and his “sense of humor” I was very happy to come across Felix Castor in this story. Felix is a freelance exorcist who you can basically think of as a British “ghostbuster.” I thought he was a very well drawn character with a dry, British sense of humor which I found very funny. He is a good guy, but with a touch more grey then your typical protagonist which again I really liked.
Felix lives in an alternate “London” where around the year 2000, an-as-yet-unexplained phenomenon caused all manner of ghosts (and some rather nastier creatures as well) to begin walking the streets of London. That may sound cheesy or hokey and if so it is my fault because the way the world was introduced (to me at least) was believable and I was instantly sucked into it.
As for the writing, I thought it was much better than I had expected and had a real crisp, polish to it that came across especially well with Felix’s dry, sarcastic dialogue. The plot is fairly conventional (as you can imagine for a first book) but also sufficiently complex to keep your interest and there are some excellent supporting characters.
All and all, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the series. Recommend!!!
May 3, 2011
Solid three and a half stars. I'm rounding up in Carey's case, because I think his hero is suffering from comparison to Carey's own Constantine, and Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden. I too thought of Harry Dresden while I was reading, but I found Felix Castor to be more likeable, and the overall story more enjoyable. It is clearly a "first book in a series," meaning that there is a great deal of world building. I felt it was worthwhile, and not excessive to me, but I enjoy a well-thought out world and the investment is worth it as I plan to continue with the series.
The worldview itself isn't that unusual, but it's set up nicely, so that we are gentle immersed in it, feeling it build around us. I prefer that over the "throw you in the deep end and let you figure it out" mentality. London geography has me lost, but I don't mind.
Felix is a thoughtful hero, and I appreciate his ability to reflect on his values and perhaps even change. His self-reflection lacks the self-indulgent, whining, "why-me?" tone that some heroes have (I'm talking to you, Harry Dresden). Humor is present in daily interactions, but it is not so ever present that storyline and character are sacrificed for the witty response.
An interesting comparison to Dresden that no one seems to mention is that there is really very little supernatural politics to date. The plot is along the lines of a "resolve the mystery and figure out how the pieces fit together" with a fair amount of action keeping the pace going. However, Castor doesn't take beating after beating until he's so battered you wonder how he is still standing (Harry? You again), which helps sustain a more believable pace.
The worldview itself isn't that unusual, but it's set up nicely, so that we are gentle immersed in it, feeling it build around us. I prefer that over the "throw you in the deep end and let you figure it out" mentality. London geography has me lost, but I don't mind.
Felix is a thoughtful hero, and I appreciate his ability to reflect on his values and perhaps even change. His self-reflection lacks the self-indulgent, whining, "why-me?" tone that some heroes have (I'm talking to you, Harry Dresden). Humor is present in daily interactions, but it is not so ever present that storyline and character are sacrificed for the witty response.
An interesting comparison to Dresden that no one seems to mention is that there is really very little supernatural politics to date. The plot is along the lines of a "resolve the mystery and figure out how the pieces fit together" with a fair amount of action keeping the pace going. However, Castor doesn't take beating after beating until he's so battered you wonder how he is still standing (Harry? You again), which helps sustain a more believable pace.
September 10, 2011
The tone of this novel is bleak, saturnine, and wry. Shades of horror and dark urban fantasy blended into a noir mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I love when a writer is able to pull all the elements together that he introduces to me, from beginning to end. And that's what Mike Carey does here. Tight plotting and subtle characterization. Even the characters that would seem stereotypical have depth and intensity.
Felix Castor gets added to my roster of male lead urban fantasy go-to characters. He is a cynical, flawed, morally unpredictable man who somehow shows a deep sense of right and wrong, even if his means don't exactly scream "Boy Scout." When he could have just walked away several times, or taken the easy road, saving his own skin and putting money in his pockets, he digs deeper, compelled to do the right, although not easy thing. That's what I like in a protagonist. Flawed, questionable, but in the end, someone I can root for.
The world-building and esoterical aspects of this story are distinctive and not at all easy to pin down. Here we have an self-declared atheist, who sees and exorcises ghosts and has had some very uneasy experiences with demons. I don't really see Castor so much as an atheist, but more of a hard-hearted agnostic. How could he not credit the existence of God and the devil if he sees it right in front of him? It's not a matter of belief when it's staring you in the face. Instead, he merely chooses not to look deeply into those aspects of the world he is confronted with, much like a stubborn person who refuses to look at the person who is in authority over him. Just my take, really.
Ghosts fascinate me. This book delves into the whys and wherefore of hauntings, asking the reader to ponder, even if Castor refuses to do so. He merely deals with them, sending them wherever they are supposed to go from this plane of existence in which they linger as melancholy shadows. Carey doesn't force the reader to draw conclusions, but leaves it up to those who care enough to come to their own understanding. This book fits into my view of hauntings at any rate, although I have my own opinions about what comes next, even as I question what forces keep a spirit here on this plane.
Zombies and werebeasts also have a presence in Castor's world of London. I never thought of weres the way that Carey explains them, and I appreciate the novel elements here. Zombies are merely reanimated bodies inhibited by spirits. In fact, Nick, one of Castor's contacts is a reanimated corpse who has a serious case of conspiracy theoriaisis. Which makes him good, very good at finding out information. Clearly zombies (although not called by that name) exist, but they are just another aspect that Carey doesn't explain to death. He merely puts this oddness out there in a real world context, and lets the reader do what they like with the information.
This is a dark read. Surprisingly the supernatural elements aren't what lends the darkest flavor. It's the glimpse at very human evil at the depths that made me shudder as I read. And I think Castor and I are in the same boat on that.
I really want to give this fire stars. I can't say that there was anything lacking in the execution. Carey is a very good writer. For a 500 page novel, my attention didn't wander, and I was drawn fully into this world. His characterization is very good, he sets atmosphere with a deft, expert hand, and he imparts a sophisticated flavor to this noir urban fantasy that I found very seductive. There were more than a few words that I didn't know, and wanted to look up, but I was too busy reading to be bothered, and I was able to figure out through context. He clearly appreciates London in all his flavors, and I appreciated the opportunity to pay this ancient city a visit, even though there was a dark, gritty cast to this venerable metropolis, which is altogether real, I have no doubt.
I was very impressed with this novel. It captures what I like very well in my urban fantasy. The dark and gritty, the wry humor, the intriguing supernatural elements, and in a way that doesn't make me cry same old same. Definitely one for this reader's keeper shelf, and a series that I will happily follow.
Felix Castor gets added to my roster of male lead urban fantasy go-to characters. He is a cynical, flawed, morally unpredictable man who somehow shows a deep sense of right and wrong, even if his means don't exactly scream "Boy Scout." When he could have just walked away several times, or taken the easy road, saving his own skin and putting money in his pockets, he digs deeper, compelled to do the right, although not easy thing. That's what I like in a protagonist. Flawed, questionable, but in the end, someone I can root for.
The world-building and esoterical aspects of this story are distinctive and not at all easy to pin down. Here we have an self-declared atheist, who sees and exorcises ghosts and has had some very uneasy experiences with demons. I don't really see Castor so much as an atheist, but more of a hard-hearted agnostic. How could he not credit the existence of God and the devil if he sees it right in front of him? It's not a matter of belief when it's staring you in the face. Instead, he merely chooses not to look deeply into those aspects of the world he is confronted with, much like a stubborn person who refuses to look at the person who is in authority over him. Just my take, really.
Ghosts fascinate me. This book delves into the whys and wherefore of hauntings, asking the reader to ponder, even if Castor refuses to do so. He merely deals with them, sending them wherever they are supposed to go from this plane of existence in which they linger as melancholy shadows. Carey doesn't force the reader to draw conclusions, but leaves it up to those who care enough to come to their own understanding. This book fits into my view of hauntings at any rate, although I have my own opinions about what comes next, even as I question what forces keep a spirit here on this plane.
Zombies and werebeasts also have a presence in Castor's world of London. I never thought of weres the way that Carey explains them, and I appreciate the novel elements here. Zombies are merely reanimated bodies inhibited by spirits. In fact, Nick, one of Castor's contacts is a reanimated corpse who has a serious case of conspiracy theoriaisis. Which makes him good, very good at finding out information. Clearly zombies (although not called by that name) exist, but they are just another aspect that Carey doesn't explain to death. He merely puts this oddness out there in a real world context, and lets the reader do what they like with the information.
This is a dark read. Surprisingly the supernatural elements aren't what lends the darkest flavor. It's the glimpse at very human evil at the depths that made me shudder as I read. And I think Castor and I are in the same boat on that.
I really want to give this fire stars. I can't say that there was anything lacking in the execution. Carey is a very good writer. For a 500 page novel, my attention didn't wander, and I was drawn fully into this world. His characterization is very good, he sets atmosphere with a deft, expert hand, and he imparts a sophisticated flavor to this noir urban fantasy that I found very seductive. There were more than a few words that I didn't know, and wanted to look up, but I was too busy reading to be bothered, and I was able to figure out through context. He clearly appreciates London in all his flavors, and I appreciated the opportunity to pay this ancient city a visit, even though there was a dark, gritty cast to this venerable metropolis, which is altogether real, I have no doubt.
I was very impressed with this novel. It captures what I like very well in my urban fantasy. The dark and gritty, the wry humor, the intriguing supernatural elements, and in a way that doesn't make me cry same old same. Definitely one for this reader's keeper shelf, and a series that I will happily follow.
September 20, 2010
Yay, this was on my Kindle for a long time, and since my romance-kick has cooled, I picked it up. VERY HAPPY I DID! Felix Castor is an exorcist in an alt-London, attitude-y and very enjoyable. This is a non-romance-type paranormal, so it was a nice break from my usual, and I really loved the mystery aspect of the book, it was well done. In addition, it kinda creeped me out, so I had to check the closet twice before bed-time. Ghosts can be creepy even in print!
Jim Butcher fans will like this series. I am reading the second one tonight!
Jim Butcher fans will like this series. I am reading the second one tonight!
November 5, 2022
Really good. An urban fantasy crime novel in which Felix Castor is not a down on his luck Met detective or private eye but an exorcist. Felix is a great character : cynical and morally grey but not without compassion.
In a slightly alternative London ,in which ghost hauntings are commonplace and the dead can come back to life, Felix is employed to exorcise a ghost 👻 haunting an archive library and attacking an employee.
What follows is a great mystery as to who the ghost is and why she ended up stuck in the building.
Excellent writing and characterisations, this is perfect for fans of Ben Aaronovitch's River of London novels. Although The Devil You Know is a good deal grittier. Highly recommended.
In a slightly alternative London ,in which ghost hauntings are commonplace and the dead can come back to life, Felix is employed to exorcise a ghost 👻 haunting an archive library and attacking an employee.
What follows is a great mystery as to who the ghost is and why she ended up stuck in the building.
Excellent writing and characterisations, this is perfect for fans of Ben Aaronovitch's River of London novels. Although The Devil You Know is a good deal grittier. Highly recommended.
February 9, 2017
There's something about all detective novels that provide a very nice pace for the prospective reader, a gentle lulling between beatings and the solving of murders, and this is only enhanced by the inclusion of ghosts and Succubi.
I only learned later into the reading of this that he's the author of other Constantine stories, so my initial connection made perfect sense. Hell, I like Constantine, so this is pretty much perfect for me.
I know I'm going to like the rest of the series, if this is a good sample. Fun stuff.
I only learned later into the reading of this that he's the author of other Constantine stories, so my initial connection made perfect sense. Hell, I like Constantine, so this is pretty much perfect for me.
I know I'm going to like the rest of the series, if this is a good sample. Fun stuff.
January 21, 2011
Okay, I picked this up on the strength of a recommendation that if I liked Jim Butcher's Dresden series, I'd probably like these. I can't say that. There is a huge difference in this character, the world he functions in and the overall "feel" of the book. When I say the world is different I'm sure some thought (or said aloud) well of course the world's different, did you expect it to take place in the same world?
No. My meaning there was that the world is a much darker more negative place. "Fix" is a far more nihilistic guy than Harry will ever be and the book feels far more "chill" to me in it's over all point of view.
Now, taking the book on it's own terms, the writing is done well and it's readable. The more comfortable you are with English idiom, probably the better, but that can be said about American idiom in many other books, Australian, in others and so on. Fix (Felix) is an exorcist, but don't think ministers, priests, prayers, or anything church related. Fix had a hard childhood (what urban fantasy protagonist didn't?) and is "scarred" (what urban fantasy protagonist isn't?). He has a gift that makes him "sensitive" to the presence of Ghosts....and other creepy critters. He can feel them if they're around and see them (some people can't actually see ghosts).
You see something has happened and dead things are suddenly "very common" and there is really no longer any question that ghosts and "other things" exist. These other things include zombies, demons, "weres" ,all of which are called loup garou (french basically for wolf/man who changes into animal) no matter what animal they are. In this world a "were" is an animal possessed by a ghost of a human....
Fix had a bad experience that introduced him to his "gift" when he was young and then later, as a young man had another that caused him to "swear off" his exorcist gig. Of course that can't stick or we wouldn't have a book.
The novel has a few subtexts and we see Fix all the way through mentally chewing over the after life, what may be going on with all the dead and undead and...big question....where do these ghosts etc. go when he exorcises them?
Not a bad book. I was torn on my rating, I am settling on a 3 though it may be closer to a 2.5. A couple of times I put the book down and almost wrote it off, but finally went back to it and finished. I think at this point I may try one more, but it's not like I don't have a lot to read. If the next doesn't hit me any better I probably won't pursue the series any further.
(Oops. Did an update. Looked back and found several typos...)
No. My meaning there was that the world is a much darker more negative place. "Fix" is a far more nihilistic guy than Harry will ever be and the book feels far more "chill" to me in it's over all point of view.
Now, taking the book on it's own terms, the writing is done well and it's readable. The more comfortable you are with English idiom, probably the better, but that can be said about American idiom in many other books, Australian, in others and so on. Fix (Felix) is an exorcist, but don't think ministers, priests, prayers, or anything church related. Fix had a hard childhood (what urban fantasy protagonist didn't?) and is "scarred" (what urban fantasy protagonist isn't?). He has a gift that makes him "sensitive" to the presence of Ghosts....and other creepy critters. He can feel them if they're around and see them (some people can't actually see ghosts).
You see something has happened and dead things are suddenly "very common" and there is really no longer any question that ghosts and "other things" exist. These other things include zombies, demons, "weres" ,all of which are called loup garou (french basically for wolf/man who changes into animal) no matter what animal they are. In this world a "were" is an animal possessed by a ghost of a human....
Fix had a bad experience that introduced him to his "gift" when he was young and then later, as a young man had another that caused him to "swear off" his exorcist gig. Of course that can't stick or we wouldn't have a book.
The novel has a few subtexts and we see Fix all the way through mentally chewing over the after life, what may be going on with all the dead and undead and...big question....where do these ghosts etc. go when he exorcises them?
Not a bad book. I was torn on my rating, I am settling on a 3 though it may be closer to a 2.5. A couple of times I put the book down and almost wrote it off, but finally went back to it and finished. I think at this point I may try one more, but it's not like I don't have a lot to read. If the next doesn't hit me any better I probably won't pursue the series any further.
(Oops. Did an update. Looked back and found several typos...)
June 5, 2022
“You move on. You move back. On because you're always getting older, back because there's always a set of habits and routines to catch you and suck you back in when your guard is down.”
I loved Mike Carey's writing style, it's sublime - colorful, poetic flow, funny when it's supposed to be, dramatic when it's supposed to be. Not all of the British terminology is familiar, but I adore the British writing tone as long as it's not bone dry. And hey, learn something new every day?
The protagonist Felix is a likeable guy - his outlook works, his humors fun, he's a good sort. He has the unique ability to see ghosts and try to help them cross over to an unknown side he avoids thinking about or even believing in half the time. The woman he's staying with is a likeable mystery. Scary villains are scary. And his friend in the mental asylum was uber disturbing. That succubus though...
The plot was interesting and just that touch of different that makes it stand out from other UF. Felix is a down-on-his-luck sort of guy who gets hired, against his better judgement, to take on a job that he shouldn't have taken on. From there things fall down the lego effect hole and bad goes to worse and then worse still.
So why a 3 star rating? For some reason I just couldn't get into the story much, it wouldn't grab my attention. There's some lagging here and there so perhaps a trimming of book length would help. Fans of male leads in Urban Fantasy series should try this one and see how they like it.
Overall a dark, gritty Urban Fantasy with a strong mystery, an enjoyable voice via the main character, and creepy touches with demon and ghost appearances. I couldn't get fully emerged in this story, but it warrants trying the sequel out.
I loved Mike Carey's writing style, it's sublime - colorful, poetic flow, funny when it's supposed to be, dramatic when it's supposed to be. Not all of the British terminology is familiar, but I adore the British writing tone as long as it's not bone dry. And hey, learn something new every day?
The protagonist Felix is a likeable guy - his outlook works, his humors fun, he's a good sort. He has the unique ability to see ghosts and try to help them cross over to an unknown side he avoids thinking about or even believing in half the time. The woman he's staying with is a likeable mystery. Scary villains are scary. And his friend in the mental asylum was uber disturbing. That succubus though...
The plot was interesting and just that touch of different that makes it stand out from other UF. Felix is a down-on-his-luck sort of guy who gets hired, against his better judgement, to take on a job that he shouldn't have taken on. From there things fall down the lego effect hole and bad goes to worse and then worse still.
So why a 3 star rating? For some reason I just couldn't get into the story much, it wouldn't grab my attention. There's some lagging here and there so perhaps a trimming of book length would help. Fans of male leads in Urban Fantasy series should try this one and see how they like it.
Overall a dark, gritty Urban Fantasy with a strong mystery, an enjoyable voice via the main character, and creepy touches with demon and ghost appearances. I couldn't get fully emerged in this story, but it warrants trying the sequel out.
March 31, 2016
Great urban fantasy (Urban Fantasy?) but man does it move slooooow. Also, it's one of those books where the main character does a lot of thinking and explaining to the audience and I'm left wondering what the other characters are doing when he's taking 10 minutes to explain demons or whatever. Playing
However, it was quite nice to a have a different type of Rosa (a character in the book). We are not just motel maids who sassily give info to rule-breaking cops; no, we're also Eastern European teen strippers who are tired of your shit.
Thank you, Mr. Carey.
November 20, 2018
This was excellent, darker than I thought it would, but better for it. I will definitely be continuing with this series.
July 11, 2016
To be honest I cant be bothered to write an extensive review on this.
Sometimes readers and books just don't click.
I started reading this in the hope of lining it up as my next urban fantasy series as I am running out of Dresden books but the plot was too slow, the characters bordered on boring and it was too light on the fantasy elements.
Sometimes readers and books just don't click.
I started reading this in the hope of lining it up as my next urban fantasy series as I am running out of Dresden books but the plot was too slow, the characters bordered on boring and it was too light on the fantasy elements.
July 13, 2012
This book was a major disappointment :( I’m a huge fan of Mike Carey’s work for DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, and I thought he did a masterful job crafting new tales for characters created by Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore. So when I heard he was working on a series of novels, I was eager to see what he could do with a world of his own creation. Sadly, the answer turned out to be…not very much.
The premise of following the exploits of an exorcist-for-hire sounds promising, but Carey just doesn’t do enough with it. Overall, the story just plods along and takes way too long to get anywhere. Felix Castor is a likeable-enough protagonist, and some of his dialogue was witty, but most of the people and creatures he encounters are dull and one-dimensional. The first 150 pages or so spend way too much time detailing Felix’s search for a ghost that doesn’t have enough presence to be interesting. Later, a new adversary is introduced, but again, the demon isn’t overly exciting or compelling, and I found it hard to care about what was going on. The book does have some good moments, but nearly enough of them.
I think what really hurt this novel was that Mike Carey was writing in a new format and was over-compensating. Carey is used to writing for 22-page comic books, so he’s forced to get to the point. Here, since he has more space, he made the mistake of describing even the most mundane things in excruciating detail, and it ruins the pacing of the novel. Mike Carey is a great writer, but I felt he really missed the mark with this one.
The premise of following the exploits of an exorcist-for-hire sounds promising, but Carey just doesn’t do enough with it. Overall, the story just plods along and takes way too long to get anywhere. Felix Castor is a likeable-enough protagonist, and some of his dialogue was witty, but most of the people and creatures he encounters are dull and one-dimensional. The first 150 pages or so spend way too much time detailing Felix’s search for a ghost that doesn’t have enough presence to be interesting. Later, a new adversary is introduced, but again, the demon isn’t overly exciting or compelling, and I found it hard to care about what was going on. The book does have some good moments, but nearly enough of them.
I think what really hurt this novel was that Mike Carey was writing in a new format and was over-compensating. Carey is used to writing for 22-page comic books, so he’s forced to get to the point. Here, since he has more space, he made the mistake of describing even the most mundane things in excruciating detail, and it ruins the pacing of the novel. Mike Carey is a great writer, but I felt he really missed the mark with this one.
September 25, 2016
Cover: 3/5
Story: 5/5
Action: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Favorite character(s): Felix, Rafi/Asmodeus, Scrub
Most annoying character(s): Juliet, Gabe, Rich, Damjohn
Loved this book. However, I'll take away 1 star because of the bad ending. Seriously?
4 stars!
This big expert on paranormal phenomena is doing a lecture tour of the UK, and he gets to Aberystwyth on a Friday night. And he goes into the hall, and it's packed. Shuffles his notes, clears his throat, and says,
"Let's just see where we stand. How many people here believe in ghosts?"
Every hand in the room goes up.
"Excellent", says the professor. "That's what I value. Truly open minds. OK, how many of you have actually seen a ghost?"
Half the hands go down, half stay up.
"Good enough," says the professor. "And out of you lot, how many have spoken to a ghost?"
Maybe 20 hands stay up, and the professor nods.
"Yes, that takes some courage, doesn't it? And how many of you have touched a ghost?"
All but 3 hands go down.
"Finally, how many of you have made love with a ghost?"
Two hands go down, but one right at the back of the room stays up. It's a little old guy in a grubby mac.
"Sir, you amaze me," says the professor. "I've asked that question a thousand times, and nobody has ever answered yes to it. I've never met anybody before you who's had sex with a ghost."
"Ghost?" says the old guy. "Oh, sorry, I thought you said goat..."
March 5, 2019
This was a solid 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up for series potential. There was a ton to like here I just felt it bogged down a little in the middle but for a series book the ending was really good.
April 27, 2017
This is a reread for me, huge fan of the Castor novels so the next little while will be loads of fun while I revisit that world. They are brilliant. So this is less a review and more a "read them - read them all!"
April 13, 2013
Despite like 20 people I know having read (or wanting to read this), I'd never heard of it until discussing the best Urban Fantasy books and series... And then, because I'm half-demon myself, this one stood out from the crowd and sounded like it'd be something I'd really enjoy. To be quite honest, I'm a little tired of the vampires and the werewolves and whatnot, so demons and ghosts seemed like a nice change.
And it was.
I really enjoyed this book. I've been in a bit of a slump lately, and so it seemed like it took me forever to read this, but I got there in the end and I liked it a lot. I loved the kind of... gritty realism the book had. It felt less like fantasy than real life - if real life had ghosts and demons and those who were capable of seeing and dealing with them.
This book seems to come with an intertwined recommendation: If you like The Dresden Files, read Felix Castor. And vice versa. (Again, odd, because last year I read EVERY SINGLE HARRY DRESDEN BOOK THERE IS and Felix was mentioned not one time to me... HMPH!) Anyway, I can kind of see why, because Felix and Harry both kind of have that snarky, just-a-guy-who-can-do-stuff thing going on. But, they were quite different, too. I've been thinking about it this morning, and it's taken me a little bit of time to realize it, but in SOME ways, I liked Felix more than Harry. (What? Like it's WEIRD to brood over fictional characters or something. Pfft.)
I don't want this to be come off sounding like a criticism of Harry, because it's not. Some of the things that I'm going to mention are parts of WHY I love his character so much. But they work in HIS world - not so much the one that Felix lives in.
First, Harry has this kind of (to use Hermione's words from The Order of the Phoenix) "saving people thing". He's chivalrous and kind-hearted with a dirty mouth and a quick temper. He has a lot of internal doubts about his ability to be the man -or the wizard- that he needs to be. Which is, of course, what makes him that man/wizard. Harry Dresden knows who he is and what his powers can do, and he has a kind of feeling of responsibility to use them to help people. I love these things about Harry, because the man that it makes him (without giving anything away) is one that I love and pity in equal measures.
But Felix was... just a guy. And I liked that. OK - maybe just a guy who was slightly more in tune with the no-longer-alive than most other people. He didn't have the hero thing going on. He didn't really head out into the fray to protect "his" city or to do good deeds... he just got caught up in a mess. He has his own doubts, his own dark history, his own fears. I really hope to see more of this in the remaining books in the series.
I liked the plot as well, and I think that it lent a good deal to the realism of the story. This was an already fucked up situation that went completely FUBAR, and then some. There are books (like The Dresden Files) where the fantasy is so entwined that to remove it would be impossible - and I wouldn't want to. But then there are books like this one, where the fantasy aspect is more... like an addition. Take away the ghosts and demons and whatnot, and you STILL have a really good story. With them, and you have a really good urban fantasy story. And I really liked that. But the fantasy aspects never felt tacked on or like an afterthought. They meshed perfectly with the story and the world, especially old city London with all its history, and I loved it.
I will definitely be reading more of this series.
And it was.
I really enjoyed this book. I've been in a bit of a slump lately, and so it seemed like it took me forever to read this, but I got there in the end and I liked it a lot. I loved the kind of... gritty realism the book had. It felt less like fantasy than real life - if real life had ghosts and demons and those who were capable of seeing and dealing with them.
This book seems to come with an intertwined recommendation: If you like The Dresden Files, read Felix Castor. And vice versa. (Again, odd, because last year I read EVERY SINGLE HARRY DRESDEN BOOK THERE IS and Felix was mentioned not one time to me... HMPH!) Anyway, I can kind of see why, because Felix and Harry both kind of have that snarky, just-a-guy-who-can-do-stuff thing going on. But, they were quite different, too. I've been thinking about it this morning, and it's taken me a little bit of time to realize it, but in SOME ways, I liked Felix more than Harry. (What? Like it's WEIRD to brood over fictional characters or something. Pfft.)
I don't want this to be come off sounding like a criticism of Harry, because it's not. Some of the things that I'm going to mention are parts of WHY I love his character so much. But they work in HIS world - not so much the one that Felix lives in.
First, Harry has this kind of (to use Hermione's words from The Order of the Phoenix) "saving people thing". He's chivalrous and kind-hearted with a dirty mouth and a quick temper. He has a lot of internal doubts about his ability to be the man -or the wizard- that he needs to be. Which is, of course, what makes him that man/wizard. Harry Dresden knows who he is and what his powers can do, and he has a kind of feeling of responsibility to use them to help people. I love these things about Harry, because the man that it makes him (without giving anything away) is one that I love and pity in equal measures.
But Felix was... just a guy. And I liked that. OK - maybe just a guy who was slightly more in tune with the no-longer-alive than most other people. He didn't have the hero thing going on. He didn't really head out into the fray to protect "his" city or to do good deeds... he just got caught up in a mess. He has his own doubts, his own dark history, his own fears. I really hope to see more of this in the remaining books in the series.
I liked the plot as well, and I think that it lent a good deal to the realism of the story. This was an already fucked up situation that went completely FUBAR, and then some. There are books (like The Dresden Files) where the fantasy is so entwined that to remove it would be impossible - and I wouldn't want to. But then there are books like this one, where the fantasy aspect is more... like an addition. Take away the ghosts and demons and whatnot, and you STILL have a really good story. With them, and you have a really good urban fantasy story. And I really liked that. But the fantasy aspects never felt tacked on or like an afterthought. They meshed perfectly with the story and the world, especially old city London with all its history, and I loved it.
I will definitely be reading more of this series.
October 2, 2024
Impressive wordcraft. I loved the voice of the main character, extended to the whole book since it's in first person. It's smoothly erratic and delightfully British, giving us a character who is sharp, street smart, and as wiry in thought as in physique.
I was not surprised to learn part-way through that Carey, who also writes as M.R. Carey, has written for D.C.'s Hellraiser comic, because this is very much like that. Felix is an underdog exorcist, largely unemployed, who takes on a seemingly simple job out of financial need and gets pulled in, by his conscience as much as external events, into something more deadly and complicated than expected.
My rating reflects my overall enjoyment, with the note that urban fantasy rarely turns my crank all the way. That said, there's nothing at fault with this book, and I liked it, just not down in the gut. The only criticism I can make is that the I didn't buy into the core setting, the museum with twisty, maze-like corridors and haphazard additions, nor its awkward tiny staff complement. This became an integral part of the plot, and the plot overall is tightly crafted and a joy, but that starting point kept me at a distance for much of the book, although the stakes, threats, and character investment all ramp up over time. If ghosts, demons, musical charms and urban settings are your bag, this is an excellent series launch as well as a satisfying standalone novel.
I was not surprised to learn part-way through that Carey, who also writes as M.R. Carey, has written for D.C.'s Hellraiser comic, because this is very much like that. Felix is an underdog exorcist, largely unemployed, who takes on a seemingly simple job out of financial need and gets pulled in, by his conscience as much as external events, into something more deadly and complicated than expected.
My rating reflects my overall enjoyment, with the note that urban fantasy rarely turns my crank all the way. That said, there's nothing at fault with this book, and I liked it, just not down in the gut. The only criticism I can make is that the I didn't buy into the core setting, the museum with twisty, maze-like corridors and haphazard additions, nor its awkward tiny staff complement. This became an integral part of the plot, and the plot overall is tightly crafted and a joy, but that starting point kept me at a distance for much of the book, although the stakes, threats, and character investment all ramp up over time. If ghosts, demons, musical charms and urban settings are your bag, this is an excellent series launch as well as a satisfying standalone novel.
August 21, 2007
I'm seriously supposed to write down "what I learned from this book"? (I am not impressed by this review form but as this is my first review I should probably curb my disdain a bit.) Very well then.
What I Learned from This Book: I learned that I very much enjoy books about ghosts and other supernatural creatures that have infested our modern world. I learned that I especially like books of this nature when they are narrated by sardonic and somewhat seedy male narrators who make their livings performing exorcisms. I learned that sometimes those exorcisms go wrong. And sometimes a job that should be a piece of cake turns out to be a much darker business than anyone anticipated. I also learned that succubi, as written by Mike Carey, are pretty damned intimidating creatures. I did not learn that the library (well, the archive but close enough) is a hotbed of hidden secrets, ulterior motives, and questionable co-workers. I already knew that. And finally I learned that Mike Carey writes a fast-moving, well-plotted, and well-written novel with more literary references that I was anticipating because I am a snob. The End.
What I Learned from This Book: I learned that I very much enjoy books about ghosts and other supernatural creatures that have infested our modern world. I learned that I especially like books of this nature when they are narrated by sardonic and somewhat seedy male narrators who make their livings performing exorcisms. I learned that sometimes those exorcisms go wrong. And sometimes a job that should be a piece of cake turns out to be a much darker business than anyone anticipated. I also learned that succubi, as written by Mike Carey, are pretty damned intimidating creatures. I did not learn that the library (well, the archive but close enough) is a hotbed of hidden secrets, ulterior motives, and questionable co-workers. I already knew that. And finally I learned that Mike Carey writes a fast-moving, well-plotted, and well-written novel with more literary references that I was anticipating because I am a snob. The End.
September 4, 2023
I personally could have done with a little less sex (it's not extremely much, and mostly not detailed, but still boring to me...)
Aside from that I really enjoyed it! I liked the different set up to most other UFs I've read - with the main character not being a magician, but someone who for some reason can get rid of ghosts...
I liked all the (good) characters and am looking forward to seeing more of their back stories in the sequels. They did feel like individuals and we'll fleshed out.
The book was a good mix between mystery, action, crime and magic that had me hooked from start to finish.
Definitely will keep reading more of the series!
Aside from that I really enjoyed it! I liked the different set up to most other UFs I've read - with the main character not being a magician, but someone who for some reason can get rid of ghosts...
I liked all the (good) characters and am looking forward to seeing more of their back stories in the sequels. They did feel like individuals and we'll fleshed out.
The book was a good mix between mystery, action, crime and magic that had me hooked from start to finish.
Definitely will keep reading more of the series!
January 6, 2016
I have so many conflicting feelings about this complex book I don't know where to begin. The overall feeling of the book is sadness and loneliness which works really well but still left me feeling sad myself at the end. the next book is much less depressing which is good. The protagonist is believable and multi-layered and I really liked him. The bad guys are really bad but still not flat. The good guys are regular people. All of the characters feel real to me. The plot is good and had me guessing. there wasn't as much action as I usually like but there was some and it was good. The best part were the moral questions he has to grapple with Ina not very cut and dried way.
The greatest thing, though, is that I learned several new words while reading this book and many more than I only know in context and couldn't necessarily define. A couple weren't even in my two dictionary apps on my phone. It has been years since I have read a fiction book with one word I didn't know. (The exception is really specific jargon for a subject gone into great depth like the word for the tool you use to grab the genitals of an obscure amphibian to determine its gender. This is how I sometimes learn new word in nonfiction like medical terminology etc.) But finding a word used as if it were an everyday word makes me feel like I'm studying for the SATs or something. Only a couple of times were they Beitish slang. Generally the words worked and it didn't feel awkward.
Many of the references were foreign to me but usually that was because they were related to British culture and events. He overused metaphors and similes in the beginning. It that went away as the ball got rolling.
In short this is an excellent book on many levels and I highly recommend it. I'm just docking one star for how depressed it made me.
The greatest thing, though, is that I learned several new words while reading this book and many more than I only know in context and couldn't necessarily define. A couple weren't even in my two dictionary apps on my phone. It has been years since I have read a fiction book with one word I didn't know. (The exception is really specific jargon for a subject gone into great depth like the word for the tool you use to grab the genitals of an obscure amphibian to determine its gender. This is how I sometimes learn new word in nonfiction like medical terminology etc.) But finding a word used as if it were an everyday word makes me feel like I'm studying for the SATs or something. Only a couple of times were they Beitish slang. Generally the words worked and it didn't feel awkward.
Many of the references were foreign to me but usually that was because they were related to British culture and events. He overused metaphors and similes in the beginning. It that went away as the ball got rolling.
In short this is an excellent book on many levels and I highly recommend it. I'm just docking one star for how depressed it made me.
March 22, 2016
It's extremely tempting to give this book five stars simply because this is easily one of my favorite series of all time. The writing, however, is a bit rough and it definitely has the feel of a book where the author is setting up his world and character rather than just telling a story.
It may be a bit flawed, but man this is such a great book. I love Felix, I love the supporting characters, I love books that involve supernatural aspects anyway, as long as those aspects are not vampires and werewolves, which I'm incredibly sick of. What I love most about Felix is mostly that he's a smartass and even when he's about to get his ass handed to him he still won't shut up. He also seems to care very much - but really only about the dead. He doesn't treat the living so great.
It may be a bit flawed, but man this is such a great book. I love Felix, I love the supporting characters, I love books that involve supernatural aspects anyway, as long as those aspects are not vampires and werewolves, which I'm incredibly sick of. What I love most about Felix is mostly that he's a smartass and even when he's about to get his ass handed to him he still won't shut up. He also seems to care very much - but really only about the dead. He doesn't treat the living so great.
July 9, 2017
4.5 Stars
The Devil You May Know by Mike Carey is the first book in the Felix Castor series. I have to confess that this is a series that is made for my guilty pleasure. This is a story and a series about an exorcist named Felix. This is an urban fantasy and a detective noir twisted together. Like all great urban fantasy it takes place in a world very much like our own.
This was a great start to the series and I felt that Felix did an okay job at carrying the weight of the book. I am always looking for more books like this and I am glad that I finally read this one. Sure he isn't up to the standards of John Taylor and this isn't the Nightside, but maybe we will get closer to those greats as the series progresses.
very enjoyable and great start.
The Devil You May Know by Mike Carey is the first book in the Felix Castor series. I have to confess that this is a series that is made for my guilty pleasure. This is a story and a series about an exorcist named Felix. This is an urban fantasy and a detective noir twisted together. Like all great urban fantasy it takes place in a world very much like our own.
This was a great start to the series and I felt that Felix did an okay job at carrying the weight of the book. I am always looking for more books like this and I am glad that I finally read this one. Sure he isn't up to the standards of John Taylor and this isn't the Nightside, but maybe we will get closer to those greats as the series progresses.
very enjoyable and great start.
April 20, 2012
A darker, edgier version of the Dresden Files, with a more sophisticated, mature plot than the more crowd-pleasing Dresden stories. I really liked Felix Castor and the more gloomy world created by Mike Carey. I think I'm a fan, and am going to check out book 2 to confirm.
December 20, 2014
~4.5 (Original first read rating was 4.)
Despite the etymology of his name, Felix "Fix" Castor feels anything but happy or lucky. In his altered world, in which the dead have risen and now pace the streets as zombies and ghosts, Felix's skills as an exorcist are at a premium. After a terrible accident in which he helped to bind a friend's soul to a demon, Felix is trying to take early retirement from the ghostbuster business. With money tight and fear on the rise, it's just not that easy for Felix to hang up his exorcism flute. To earn a bit of much-needed cash, he takes on one last exorcism. It seems simple--a ghost in a museum who has suddenly taken to violence--but as always seems to be the case, things are never as simple as they appear. Far too soon, Felix is drawn into a web of conspiracy and brutality, with a mob boss expressing a rather sinister interest in him, a demon ready to hunt him down, and a loup-garou after his blood. Worse still, Felix is forced to question his own beliefs about life, death, and the supernatural.
The Devil You Know is a compelling read, a hardboiled detective story transposed into a gritty apocalyptic world. Castor is an engaging narrator and his wry, humorous voice is effective and appealing. Take his explanation for how he got into ghostbusting:
Most urban fantasy pits the protagonist against supernatural evils, but this book is about man's inhumanity to man, leading to a much darker, more upsetting, and more introspective book. It also calls into question many of the basic assumptions of most urban fantasy worlds. For example, in most urban fantasy novels, because most of the villains faced in urban fantasy are nonhuman, removing them becomes a righteous act. It is taken for granted that vampires don't have souls so a stake through the heart isn't murder, that since souls are just residual carbon copies, a salt-and-burn operation at a graveside is just a guilt-free janitorial exercise, that the creature being hunted is a monster and removing a monster is a moral act. But in Felix Castor's case, the greatest monsters are the other people. Even loup-garou are people in some ways, since they are ghosts possessing animal bodies, and it is the human intelligence that makes them vicious. What happens to an exorcised ghost is unknown. Is he damning the souls of those dead, or releasing them to a better hereafter? That open question makes the tone of the novel very gritty and saturnine, but also creates a complex and compelling world.
The overall feel of the novel is very noir hardboiled detective; we have the standard mob boss and femme fatale plot arcs and quite a reasonable mystery. At the same time, the perpetrator becomes pretty obvious about halfway through, and waiting for the naive Felix to catch up is frustrating. In Castor's world, it is humanity, not supernatural monsters, who are the root of all evil, leading to a plot that at times feels unrelentingly dark. Mike Carey also goes out of his way to castigate the Church as rigid and hypocritical. I'm no longer Christian--I misplaced my faith and it hasn't yet turned up in the lost and found--but even I was appalled at the vitriol applied to the religion. Castor has the jaded world-weariness of a true hardboiled detective, but unlike "protagonists" such as Richard Kadrey's James Stark, he has not caved into self-serving nihilism. Felix still believes in right and wrong and wants to do the right thing with an almost painful intensity. What makes this book such a dark and compelling read is that it is simply not always easy to figure out, in a complex and twisted world, exactly what constitutes the moral act.
Overall, The Devil You Know combines some of the best aspects of urban fantasy with the mood and structure of classic noir. Castor is an appealing narrator, a satisfyingly imperfect protagonist in a world of gritty greys. The book is an intriguing start to a great series. The Felix Castor books only get better from here.
Excerpted from my review on Booklikes.
Despite the etymology of his name, Felix "Fix" Castor feels anything but happy or lucky. In his altered world, in which the dead have risen and now pace the streets as zombies and ghosts, Felix's skills as an exorcist are at a premium. After a terrible accident in which he helped to bind a friend's soul to a demon, Felix is trying to take early retirement from the ghostbuster business. With money tight and fear on the rise, it's just not that easy for Felix to hang up his exorcism flute. To earn a bit of much-needed cash, he takes on one last exorcism. It seems simple--a ghost in a museum who has suddenly taken to violence--but as always seems to be the case, things are never as simple as they appear. Far too soon, Felix is drawn into a web of conspiracy and brutality, with a mob boss expressing a rather sinister interest in him, a demon ready to hunt him down, and a loup-garou after his blood. Worse still, Felix is forced to question his own beliefs about life, death, and the supernatural.
The Devil You Know is a compelling read, a hardboiled detective story transposed into a gritty apocalyptic world. Castor is an engaging narrator and his wry, humorous voice is effective and appealing. Take his explanation for how he got into ghostbusting:
"But how many people do you know who actually get to choose what they do for a living? My careers teacher said I should go into hotel management, so exorcism it was."As one might expect from the title, The Devil You Know is a very dark read, without as much of the genre-savvy absurdism that tends to characterize urban fantasy. There is humour, most of it decidedly British and involving references to Thatcher and Blue Peter, but at least in my first read, I was not once tempted to laugh out loud. However, this speaks more about the underlying darkness of the plot and Carey's ability to generate suspense. On my second read, I found quite a few passages hilarious. I especially love Castor's mixed metaphors such as:
"It wasn’t what I was expecting, but like I’ve always said, if life gives you lemmings, jump off a cliff."
Most urban fantasy pits the protagonist against supernatural evils, but this book is about man's inhumanity to man, leading to a much darker, more upsetting, and more introspective book. It also calls into question many of the basic assumptions of most urban fantasy worlds. For example, in most urban fantasy novels, because most of the villains faced in urban fantasy are nonhuman, removing them becomes a righteous act. It is taken for granted that vampires don't have souls so a stake through the heart isn't murder, that since souls are just residual carbon copies, a salt-and-burn operation at a graveside is just a guilt-free janitorial exercise, that the creature being hunted is a monster and removing a monster is a moral act. But in Felix Castor's case, the greatest monsters are the other people. Even loup-garou are people in some ways, since they are ghosts possessing animal bodies, and it is the human intelligence that makes them vicious. What happens to an exorcised ghost is unknown. Is he damning the souls of those dead, or releasing them to a better hereafter? That open question makes the tone of the novel very gritty and saturnine, but also creates a complex and compelling world.
The overall feel of the novel is very noir hardboiled detective; we have the standard mob boss and femme fatale plot arcs and quite a reasonable mystery. At the same time, the perpetrator becomes pretty obvious about halfway through, and waiting for the naive Felix to catch up is frustrating. In Castor's world, it is humanity, not supernatural monsters, who are the root of all evil, leading to a plot that at times feels unrelentingly dark. Mike Carey also goes out of his way to castigate the Church as rigid and hypocritical. I'm no longer Christian--I misplaced my faith and it hasn't yet turned up in the lost and found--but even I was appalled at the vitriol applied to the religion. Castor has the jaded world-weariness of a true hardboiled detective, but unlike "protagonists" such as Richard Kadrey's James Stark, he has not caved into self-serving nihilism. Felix still believes in right and wrong and wants to do the right thing with an almost painful intensity. What makes this book such a dark and compelling read is that it is simply not always easy to figure out, in a complex and twisted world, exactly what constitutes the moral act.
Overall, The Devil You Know combines some of the best aspects of urban fantasy with the mood and structure of classic noir. Castor is an appealing narrator, a satisfyingly imperfect protagonist in a world of gritty greys. The book is an intriguing start to a great series. The Felix Castor books only get better from here.
Excerpted from my review on Booklikes.
September 11, 2016
This was an entertaining read, a detective story that involved solving something other than your usual crimes; this time the supernatural is involved and who better to battle it than Felix Castor, a freelance exorcist with musical talent.
Witty, charming and intelligent, he maps out the grid of the ghosts he's getting rid by playing music on his tin whistle, but this time something else is going on, for once Felix starts to care about why the ghost is haunting the Bonnington Archive, a posh literary mecca of manuscripts and forgotten memories. Instead of wanting to get rid of the pesky hooded lady in white he realizes that something fishy is going on in the seemingly civilized and proper world of art and treasures and some people have crossed moral lines resulting in a haunting. Felix has other things to worry about, a big guy named Scrub who forces him to take on other projects, a mysterious succubus summoned from hell to get rid of him - someone doesn't want him to solve the enigma - and a brothel pimp who wants him to work on his side. Suffocated by negative sources he must solve the mystery of the mute ghost while under the watchful eyes of Alice, the lady in charge who seems to run the Archive while sleeping with the boss.
I liked the set up; the archives - quite an interesting place since I love libraries and various other paper storage places. It echoed of slight creepiness at night when Felix would sneak in to do his work, while seemingly alone he bumped into some things that kept threatening his life. This book was a fun read, although not too deep it still kept me interested enough to finish it in record time and the ending has quite interesting, I didn't make the connections until they were shown to me, so that's good, surprises are always welcome in my world of reading. I also liked that it left some threads running, I can only conclude that this story line will continue but with different clues and a new crime.
Witty, charming and intelligent, he maps out the grid of the ghosts he's getting rid by playing music on his tin whistle, but this time something else is going on, for once Felix starts to care about why the ghost is haunting the Bonnington Archive, a posh literary mecca of manuscripts and forgotten memories. Instead of wanting to get rid of the pesky hooded lady in white he realizes that something fishy is going on in the seemingly civilized and proper world of art and treasures and some people have crossed moral lines resulting in a haunting. Felix has other things to worry about, a big guy named Scrub who forces him to take on other projects, a mysterious succubus summoned from hell to get rid of him - someone doesn't want him to solve the enigma - and a brothel pimp who wants him to work on his side. Suffocated by negative sources he must solve the mystery of the mute ghost while under the watchful eyes of Alice, the lady in charge who seems to run the Archive while sleeping with the boss.
I liked the set up; the archives - quite an interesting place since I love libraries and various other paper storage places. It echoed of slight creepiness at night when Felix would sneak in to do his work, while seemingly alone he bumped into some things that kept threatening his life. This book was a fun read, although not too deep it still kept me interested enough to finish it in record time and the ending has quite interesting, I didn't make the connections until they were shown to me, so that's good, surprises are always welcome in my world of reading. I also liked that it left some threads running, I can only conclude that this story line will continue but with different clues and a new crime.
November 20, 2017
This is probably more of a 2.5 stars but I'm gonna round up this time, completely arbitrarily and also based on the fact that I've been rounding down so much this week and it's depressing. This book wasn't necessarily bad but it was 1. entirely too long and 2. fairly uninspired.
I feel like coming from comics into novels Carey overcompensated a bit and included a lot of random details / inner monologue that wasn't really necessary to the story because this book just dragged on and on for me. It picked up towards the end but the ending also had its own problems for me personally [see below].
And there's nothing really special about Felix, he's just like Standard Magical Detective Dude #18390. The whole thing just felt like a value-brand Hellblazer to me and once you consider that Carey published this almost immediately after working on Hellblazer it's just like ??? really??? I've heard it gets better so I might try the second book, but probably somewhere very far down the road as I have already discovered that reading this and Hellblazer at the same time is no good.
Also POSSIBLE TW / DEFINITE SPOILERS, the entire ghost-murder-mystery thing is a case of human trafficking / sex slavery and while I wouldn't necessarily say it was handled poorly, it's definitely something that I try to avoid reading whenever possible and had I known I probably wouldn't have even started the book in the first place. So if that's something you also want to stay away from I would just pick from one of the other 500 UF series exactly like this one ;)
I feel like coming from comics into novels Carey overcompensated a bit and included a lot of random details / inner monologue that wasn't really necessary to the story because this book just dragged on and on for me. It picked up towards the end but the ending also had its own problems for me personally [see below].
And there's nothing really special about Felix, he's just like Standard Magical Detective Dude #18390. The whole thing just felt like a value-brand Hellblazer to me and once you consider that Carey published this almost immediately after working on Hellblazer it's just like ??? really??? I've heard it gets better so I might try the second book, but probably somewhere very far down the road as I have already discovered that reading this and Hellblazer at the same time is no good.
Also POSSIBLE TW / DEFINITE SPOILERS, the entire ghost-murder-mystery thing is a case of human trafficking / sex slavery and while I wouldn't necessarily say it was handled poorly, it's definitely something that I try to avoid reading whenever possible and had I known I probably wouldn't have even started the book in the first place. So if that's something you also want to stay away from I would just pick from one of the other 500 UF series exactly like this one ;)
September 14, 2014
Good London-based urban fantasy about an exorcist who's been on hiatus but takes an innocuous sounding job because he desperately needs money. I tried reading this 18 months ago and quit at 1/3 because I couldn't get into it - no such problem this time!
September 13, 2023
Pasaulis, kuriame mirusieji grįžta. Grįžta įvairiai – kas vaiduokliu, kas zombiu, o kas ir loup-garou (savotiškas vilkolakis, kai mirusiojo dvasia apsėda kokį nors gyvūną ir persitvarko jo kūną į daugiau mažiau žmogišką formą). Žinoma, tokiam pasauliui reikalingi egzorcistai. Felixas Castoras – vienas iš jų. Tiesa, po tam tikro nutikimo metęs tą purviną reikalą. Bet finansinė situacija priverčia grįžti į verslą. Felixas apsiima įvykdyti iš pirmo žvilgsnio nesudėtingą užsakymą – tereikia iš vieno muziejaus archyvo išvaryti vaiduoklį. Tačiau tai, ką Holmsas pavadintų „trijų pypkių byla“, greitai pavirsta į šou „Kas pirmas nužudys Felixą“, kuriame dėl prizo varžosi demonai, vaiduokliai ir net sukubas. Bet su šiais Castoras žino, kaip tvarkytis. Blogiau, kad į tą žaidimą įsitraukia ir gyvieji...
Urban fantasy alternatyvaus šių laikų Londono fone. Kažkiek panašu į Butcherio „Drezdeno failus“. Įsibėgėjo kiek sunkokai, bet nuo kokio ketvirtadalio pasičiupo visai rimtai.
Urban fantasy alternatyvaus šių laikų Londono fone. Kažkiek panašu į Butcherio „Drezdeno failus“. Įsibėgėjo kiek sunkokai, bet nuo kokio ketvirtadalio pasičiupo visai rimtai.
December 11, 2023
Zupełnie się tego nie spodziewałam, ale ta seria zapowiada się na godne zastępstwo po Aktach Dresdena. Widzę duże podobieństwa chociaż i podobne wady, między innymi sprośny filtr w głowie głównego bohatera...
Pierwsza część książki jest dosyć lekka, ale druga ma już swój ciężar, jest dużo mroku bo historia schodzi na mroczne tory, handel ludźmi, morderstwa, przemoc.
Pierwsza część książki jest dosyć lekka, ale druga ma już swój ciężar, jest dużo mroku bo historia schodzi na mroczne tory, handel ludźmi, morderstwa, przemoc.
November 18, 2022
That was good! Urban paranormal, thriller, detective, and ghost story was exactly what I needed. I hope the rest of the series is as good as the first book.
Mike Carey is very creative with his paranormal aspect. From how to call and exorcise a ghost to his unique brand of werewolf/werecreature. Definitely a series I look forward to continue.
Mike Carey is very creative with his paranormal aspect. From how to call and exorcise a ghost to his unique brand of werewolf/werecreature. Definitely a series I look forward to continue.
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