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Sam Linnifer #1
Waywalkers
Sam Linnifer works part-time at a London university as a translator of obscure ancient texts. He's a quiet fellow with a few friends and an affection for cats. He's also immortal and the Son of Time. You might know him better as Lucifer, the Devourer of Souls, or the Devil. And with all the gods in Heaven about to go to war over the ownership of Earth, you're going to be extremely glad he's not exactly who legend makes him out to be.
312 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
10 people are currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Webb
20 books348 followersAn English science fiction author, she is best known for her Carnegie Medal-nominated books, Timekeepers (2005) and The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle (2006). She wrote her first novel, Mirror Dreams, when she was only fourteen years old.
She began writing mostly in the young adult genre and has since begun authoring books for adults. Also a performing arts enthusiast, she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2010. She also attended the London School of Economics.
She helped pioneer a new genre of writing called Urban Magic, which combines fantasy elements with modern-day city environments.
She grew up in London, England. Her father, Nick Webb, also had a career as a writer.
Catherine Webb also writes adult fiction under the pen names Kate Griffin and Claire North
She began writing mostly in the young adult genre and has since begun authoring books for adults. Also a performing arts enthusiast, she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2010. She also attended the London School of Economics.
She helped pioneer a new genre of writing called Urban Magic, which combines fantasy elements with modern-day city environments.
She grew up in London, England. Her father, Nick Webb, also had a career as a writer.
Catherine Webb also writes adult fiction under the pen names Kate Griffin and Claire North
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 21, 2016
I thought this was an absolute gem of a book especially as Catherine Webb was apparently still a teenager when she wrote it. It is one of those YA books which has appeal to all ages as long as you like a taste of fantasy on the side.
Sam Linnifer , the hero, is actually Lucifer only he is a little different from the Devil we normally hear about. I loved reading about his amazing talents and I think he may have been a fore runner to my favourite of this author's characters, Matthew Griffin in The Midnight Mayor ( written under one of her pseudonyms).
Whichever name she is writing under this is a very talented author with a huge imagination. Apparently this book has a part two. I cannot wait!
Sam Linnifer , the hero, is actually Lucifer only he is a little different from the Devil we normally hear about. I loved reading about his amazing talents and I think he may have been a fore runner to my favourite of this author's characters, Matthew Griffin in The Midnight Mayor ( written under one of her pseudonyms).
Whichever name she is writing under this is a very talented author with a huge imagination. Apparently this book has a part two. I cannot wait!
May 6, 2020
I despair at the lack of attention this book, in fact any book by this author, receives from goodreads, actually from the entire population of this wee planet, she deserves so much more. This lady is remarkable...in my humble opinion.
Ok, yes, I've only read two books from this author, the other being A Madness of Angels under the name of Kate Griffin, but I still feel that's enough to use the word 'adore' when discussing her prose.
This lady, in my mind, is an utterly phenomenal writer. Her imagination is quite remarkable but the effortless way she seems to be able to affect me with her writing is nothing short of intoxicating. I know I'm gushing here, but why shouldn't I? There is no other writer out there, that I've read, who genuinely lifts me with their words, let alone amazing stories. I would imagine even a shopping list written by Catherine would excite me.
Oh, what did I think of the book? Wait, do you really need to ask that after reading my previous thoughts?
Needless to say, Waywalkers is a fantastic book. It may have been written when she was quite young but don't let that fool you, it most definitely doesn't show in the writing. It is incredibly imaginative, it skews a few mythical tropes, gives us a rather different Lucifer than you might expect, not to mention a number of other popular names you'll recognise and is incredibly ambitious. All of which slip from the page to your imagination with blissful ease. I think it's safe to say I thought the book was pretty good.
Ok, yes, I've only read two books from this author, the other being A Madness of Angels under the name of Kate Griffin, but I still feel that's enough to use the word 'adore' when discussing her prose.
This lady, in my mind, is an utterly phenomenal writer. Her imagination is quite remarkable but the effortless way she seems to be able to affect me with her writing is nothing short of intoxicating. I know I'm gushing here, but why shouldn't I? There is no other writer out there, that I've read, who genuinely lifts me with their words, let alone amazing stories. I would imagine even a shopping list written by Catherine would excite me.
Oh, what did I think of the book? Wait, do you really need to ask that after reading my previous thoughts?
Needless to say, Waywalkers is a fantastic book. It may have been written when she was quite young but don't let that fool you, it most definitely doesn't show in the writing. It is incredibly imaginative, it skews a few mythical tropes, gives us a rather different Lucifer than you might expect, not to mention a number of other popular names you'll recognise and is incredibly ambitious. All of which slip from the page to your imagination with blissful ease. I think it's safe to say I thought the book was pretty good.
March 5, 2019
Just about okay.
According to the Goodreads rating system, I would rate this 2.5/5 (where 2= it was okay and 3= I liked it).
I chose this book because I loved this author's debut series as a schoolgirl, and still as an adult. I downloaded the kindle sample and indeed that sample was promising, with a story I wanted to read and seemingly interesting characters.
The story has all the elements, but it doesn't deliver. The lead character is many centuries in age, and often seems to behave or think like a teenager. As the devil incarnate he still has to keep repeating that he is the devil incarnate for enemy characters to take him more seriously, which I found repetitive.
The themes the author has tried to explore in the book are deep and heavy, but her inexperience when she wrote it shows through. This book could have been a 3.5 or 4 with good editing, which is what ultimately let it down. I won't be reading the sequel for the moment.
According to the Goodreads rating system, I would rate this 2.5/5 (where 2= it was okay and 3= I liked it).
I chose this book because I loved this author's debut series as a schoolgirl, and still as an adult. I downloaded the kindle sample and indeed that sample was promising, with a story I wanted to read and seemingly interesting characters.
The story has all the elements, but it doesn't deliver. The lead character is many centuries in age, and often seems to behave or think like a teenager. As the devil incarnate he still has to keep repeating that he is the devil incarnate for enemy characters to take him more seriously, which I found repetitive.
The themes the author has tried to explore in the book are deep and heavy, but her inexperience when she wrote it shows through. This book could have been a 3.5 or 4 with good editing, which is what ultimately let it down. I won't be reading the sequel for the moment.
July 27, 2019
More like 2.5 stars.
I read this as a curiosity as a book written by the current author Claire North as a teenager. I have read a couple of North's books and thought them quite good.
This book is a mix of mythologies and treats the gods as a tribe coming from Father Time with internal politics. So characters from different mythologies are intermixed in the story line. The pacing is fairly good, but the story didn't quite carry my interest or deliver. I did like the interpretation of the main character Lucifer. Overall, readable and fascinating to watch the development of an author.
I read this as a curiosity as a book written by the current author Claire North as a teenager. I have read a couple of North's books and thought them quite good.
This book is a mix of mythologies and treats the gods as a tribe coming from Father Time with internal politics. So characters from different mythologies are intermixed in the story line. The pacing is fairly good, but the story didn't quite carry my interest or deliver. I did like the interpretation of the main character Lucifer. Overall, readable and fascinating to watch the development of an author.
October 2, 2024
I read this book as a teenager and really loved it, and recently came across it again and decided to re-read. Maybe it's just the nostalgia I have attached to it, but I have to say it still found it very enjoyable. I love some of the concepts like the mythological figures tied into it, and the protagonist is likable and the story pretty gripping. It maybe has a little bit of a YA vibe but still a good fantasy read.
June 2, 2021
I particularly liked this. The protagonist was unexpected and well defined and surprising likable, but it became clear towards the end of the book that it was the first part of a series and did not come to a definite conclusion. Still it was oddly satisfying.
November 28, 2021
this is fine
A competent fantasy novel built using elements of several religions, notably Christianity. I just didn’t get into the characters as much as I am accustomed to with this author, presumably because this is her early work.
A competent fantasy novel built using elements of several religions, notably Christianity. I just didn’t get into the characters as much as I am accustomed to with this author, presumably because this is her early work.
January 29, 2022
I think I would have liked this book (and its' sequel) better if it had been written by Claire North:). I prefer the deeper, slower, more philosophical bent of those books
It's a good novel, with some interesting aspects. I read both because I liked the voice of the main character.
It's a good novel, with some interesting aspects. I read both because I liked the voice of the main character.
December 16, 2025
If you like mythological fantasy, fantasy war, Gods and Goddesses or just really well written characters, this book is for you. It’s beautifully written, has complex plot points and characters, includes many cliffhangers and makes you never want to put it down.
February 1, 2022
This is one of my favourite books
June 28, 2022
Should have been one book!
It's a great story but I feel it was forced into a series.
It's a great story but I feel it was forced into a series.
September 9, 2016
Review originally posted at Mhairi Reads:
An oldie but a goodie, Waywalkers was published in 2003 by Catherine Webb. It’s the first of two novels about Sam Linnfer (or The Devil as he is more commonly known). He’s out to discover who is responsible for the murder of his half-sister Freya. Sam soon learns that Freya’s death is part of a much larger plot to control Heaven, Hell and Earth and whoever is behind it is now trying to eliminate Sam as well.
Webb draws from several mythologies for this series in a kind of religious free-for-all. We get Jehovah, Lucifer, archangels, and the denizens of Hell. In addition to these Judeo-Christian staples, the Scandanavian gods of Valhalla, Egyptian Seth, Greek Cronus and Buddha also make appearances. Rather than being seperate groups they are all part of the same family, spawned from personified concepts like Time, Wisdom, Love and Magic. Also included are the fey folk of many cultures. It makes a colourful collection for worldbuilding and Webb does a good job of tying it all together.
The pacing is good and we learn more of Sam’s history as the book progresses which builds his character nicely. I also liked the way Webb built up Annette’s character over the book. However, at points Webb swaps perspectives to random minor characters and it could be quite jarring. There were a couple of occasions where I had to read back to clarify what was going on and who’s perspective I was reading.
The climax of the novel was a great break point to lead into the second novel. It resolved enough of the mystery around Freya’s death and the battle for Heaven, Earth and Hell to be a satisfying conclusion while still leaving me invested in Sam and what is to come in the second novel, Timekeepers.
3.5 stars
Similar reads: Fated by Benedict Jacka, The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond.
An oldie but a goodie, Waywalkers was published in 2003 by Catherine Webb. It’s the first of two novels about Sam Linnfer (or The Devil as he is more commonly known). He’s out to discover who is responsible for the murder of his half-sister Freya. Sam soon learns that Freya’s death is part of a much larger plot to control Heaven, Hell and Earth and whoever is behind it is now trying to eliminate Sam as well.
Webb draws from several mythologies for this series in a kind of religious free-for-all. We get Jehovah, Lucifer, archangels, and the denizens of Hell. In addition to these Judeo-Christian staples, the Scandanavian gods of Valhalla, Egyptian Seth, Greek Cronus and Buddha also make appearances. Rather than being seperate groups they are all part of the same family, spawned from personified concepts like Time, Wisdom, Love and Magic. Also included are the fey folk of many cultures. It makes a colourful collection for worldbuilding and Webb does a good job of tying it all together.
The pacing is good and we learn more of Sam’s history as the book progresses which builds his character nicely. I also liked the way Webb built up Annette’s character over the book. However, at points Webb swaps perspectives to random minor characters and it could be quite jarring. There were a couple of occasions where I had to read back to clarify what was going on and who’s perspective I was reading.
The climax of the novel was a great break point to lead into the second novel. It resolved enough of the mystery around Freya’s death and the battle for Heaven, Earth and Hell to be a satisfying conclusion while still leaving me invested in Sam and what is to come in the second novel, Timekeepers.
3.5 stars
Similar reads: Fated by Benedict Jacka, The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond.
January 24, 2019
Aka Kate Griffin’s baby book from her baby days writing baby YA -- and I’m still shaking my head that this woman’s first published book was written at the age of 14. ONE FOUR, this is not a drill.
Anyway. I didn’t seek her baby YA on purpose -- my self-appointed keikaku was to move on to her books written as Claire North, of which I have several -- but I saw the book in my local library and decided to give it a try.
I generally have a weird track record with my favourite author’s very early books. TP’s Blink of a Screen -- which I paused and didn’t finish but not purposefully so -- was a mixed bag, because the stories in it were a mixed bag in terms of calibre and tone. Sanderson’s Aether of the Night was earnestly adorable when I was in need of something earnestly adorable, but objectively raw as a story. This, too, is only interesting in context: you can see pretty clearly what themes and imagery has interested the author for a while, and what she had NOT learnt to do with it by then. There are bits of London that are almost Matthew-like in their magic. There are dodgy sidekicks who could have made less shabby evil minions. There are myths coming alive in flesh and blood. Burocratic demons. And yet there is this other nonsense that I can most charitably describe as “I read Nine Princes in Amber and Really Wanted Some of My Own”, and Mystic Buddhist Temples of Wisdom, and Secret Superspy Organizations and WW2!Paris Nostalgie. (But then again. She was 14. ONE FOUR. I think back then I too was writing about Nordic gods with purple eyes dwelling beautifully among goo goo eyed mortals).
Anyway. I am very pleased Catherine Webb grew on to become Kate Griffin, and one day I will grow up to become a Claire North reader, and all will continue to be well.
February 12, 2017
3.5 stars, but given that this is from one of my favorite authors (The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, Touch, The Sudden Appearance of Hope written as Claire North) and that she wrote this while she was still a teenager, I've ticked the 4 stars icon. I liked how Webb combines religious and mythological characters (Lucifer, Jehovav, Buddah), places (Heaven, Earth, Hell) and concepts (Love, Hate, Greed, etc) into a single coherent family and uses them in an action-packed story. Nonetheless, I wasn't as impressed as by her later books which I read before this one.
July 8, 2016
When I found this book on goodreads, I gotta admit I was pretty excited to read it (so of course it was the last book to arrive in the mail nearly 2 weeks after I ordered smh). But yeah, I love it when authors put a new spin on the Satan mythos, especially when they make him out to be very different than how he’s portrayed in religion. Waywalkers totally delivered on that front and more. Not only was good ol’ Lucifer given a personality makeover, but so was religion in general, with all the major gods of many religions made out to be one family and related to one another. I thought Webb did an amazing job of re-imagining how all that would work and it all made sense as you kept reading the book and were given more insight into this new, but familiar, world.
The story was pretty fast paced, since it mostly consisted of Sam running around trying to figure out who killed his sister, why she was killed, why people are now trying to kill him, etc, etc. So it was nice to not really have a dull moment; you just kept moving along with Sam. It engaged me as a reader and kept me interested.
Webb also did a good job of seamlessly inserting memories from Sam’s past into the story as well, giving the reader more insight and background knowledge of Sam and this world she created for the series.
Anyway, I don’t wanna say too much plot wise cuz it’s kinda nice to find clues, and see how things fit as Sam figures stuff out. I will say that it wasn’t boring (at least in my opinion) and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
The story was pretty fast paced, since it mostly consisted of Sam running around trying to figure out who killed his sister, why she was killed, why people are now trying to kill him, etc, etc. So it was nice to not really have a dull moment; you just kept moving along with Sam. It engaged me as a reader and kept me interested.
Webb also did a good job of seamlessly inserting memories from Sam’s past into the story as well, giving the reader more insight and background knowledge of Sam and this world she created for the series.
Anyway, I don’t wanna say too much plot wise cuz it’s kinda nice to find clues, and see how things fit as Sam figures stuff out. I will say that it wasn’t boring (at least in my opinion) and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
August 20, 2012
(May contain minor spoilers)
It was only after reading the book that I noticed that Catherine Webb, at the time of writing, was only just doing her A-Levels! Personally I was very impressed as the book, for me, was a non stop action packed thrill ride. A lot of the book was the protagonist, Sam, running from one battle to the next on various train journeys before winding up near dead back in Hell again. A seemingly repetitive maybe even tedious story when said like that, but I for one was on the edge of my seat by the end of every chapter, as Webb presents Sam's journey in a manner that leaves the reader hanging off her every word. The unlikely hero faced struggle after struggle and that made it ten times more engaging than if Sam had just been as immortal as his title suggested. I very much liked the way many religious figures, be it mythological, Christian, Norse even Buddhist, were all brought together in a co-existence whilst still handling each one with respect and care to avoid offense from people of various faiths. To summarise, I shall certainly be buying the sequel.
It was only after reading the book that I noticed that Catherine Webb, at the time of writing, was only just doing her A-Levels! Personally I was very impressed as the book, for me, was a non stop action packed thrill ride. A lot of the book was the protagonist, Sam, running from one battle to the next on various train journeys before winding up near dead back in Hell again. A seemingly repetitive maybe even tedious story when said like that, but I for one was on the edge of my seat by the end of every chapter, as Webb presents Sam's journey in a manner that leaves the reader hanging off her every word. The unlikely hero faced struggle after struggle and that made it ten times more engaging than if Sam had just been as immortal as his title suggested. I very much liked the way many religious figures, be it mythological, Christian, Norse even Buddhist, were all brought together in a co-existence whilst still handling each one with respect and care to avoid offense from people of various faiths. To summarise, I shall certainly be buying the sequel.
August 7, 2012
The blurb for this book is intriguing, but also misleading. As soon as Sam Linnifer has been introduced as this slightly weird academic, he goes home to find a couple of policemen in his flat wanting to ask him questions about the death of one Freya Oldstrom, and from there on his cover identity is abandoned and never mentioned again. He has his own questions to ask about Freya's death, and a much better chance of getting answers than the police have...though the answers come slowly, and sometimes painfully (for him, or for others).
I enjoyed this book. It's one of those ones that plays with mythologies and puts ancient gods (and other beings) into the modern world, and it links up several mythologies into its own private uber-mythology, and the main character is Lucifer, who is not in fact anywhere near as bad as his reputation. And the Light-bringer thing is important. And Jehovah's an arse.
And now I have to wait at least two days for the library to get me the sequel. Bah.
I enjoyed this book. It's one of those ones that plays with mythologies and puts ancient gods (and other beings) into the modern world, and it links up several mythologies into its own private uber-mythology, and the main character is Lucifer, who is not in fact anywhere near as bad as his reputation. And the Light-bringer thing is important. And Jehovah's an arse.
And now I have to wait at least two days for the library to get me the sequel. Bah.
May 23, 2012
I reread this book as a comfort read. I do a fair bit of reading of new material as part of my job of a high-school librarian. However, every now and again I feel the need to read something I know I will enjoy, which is not necessarily something I could recommend to a student. This book is one of those books.
A highly original take on the many different religions which have populated the earth since very early days, and using the last person one would normally think of as the hero, this is an excellent read and a favourite of mine from the time I first came across it.
A highly original take on the many different religions which have populated the earth since very early days, and using the last person one would normally think of as the hero, this is an excellent read and a favourite of mine from the time I first came across it.
February 6, 2017
One of the best books of fiction I've ever read. Simple but rich in plot and material. I especially like the use of deities and from different religions and mythologies into a novel divine council so to speak.
February 10, 2014
Interesting concept, poor execution. Dull action scenes and a main character who turns out to be pretty featureless don't help matters. Poorly defined powers and plot points kill off any real joy. In the end, I was reading simply to finish, rather than because I wanted to know what happened in the end.
February 14, 2015
I'd give it 2.5 stars, but that's not possible. It was OK, but ... I really enjoyed 15 Lives of Harry August, so thought I'd try another by the same author, but this one just didn't grip me. Too much of a muchness and too much telling rather than showing and too little on plot and character development.
August 11, 2012
This book mixes mythologies and gods from various pantheons. Normally I love this kind of thing but this book left me cold. There's lots of action and missioning around the globe from Tibet to London to New York via Hell but not enough meat on the bones for me.
April 8, 2008
Anybody who can make a world where Lucifer is the hero has got to be good - and to think the author was only a teen at the time! Insanely jealous!
June 5, 2008
I don't remember much about it, but I remember enjoying the tone. Catherine Webb has a very nice writing style and tone.
July 22, 2008
i loved this :)
June 27, 2010
Gave up half way through!
September 13, 2012
You can find my video review of this novel on my blog.
July 19, 2013
I really enjoy stories like this. It was a refreshing change to read it from the Devil's point of view and find out that he's not as bad as he's made out to be!
August 2, 2016
An enjoyable read
An enjoyable book, although the premise isn't a startlingly new one. Good pacing and a sympathetic protagonist in the same vein as MAtthew Swift.
An enjoyable book, although the premise isn't a startlingly new one. Good pacing and a sympathetic protagonist in the same vein as MAtthew Swift.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews