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Remy Chandler #3
Where Angels Fear to Tread
Six year-old Zoe York has been taken and her mother has come to Remy for help. She shows him crude, childlike drawings that she claims are Zoe's visions of the future, everything leading up to her abduction, and some beyond. Like the picture of a man with wings who would come and save her-a man who is an angel. Zoe's preternatural gifts have made her a target for those who wish to exploit her power to their own destructive ends. The search will take Remy to dark places he would rather avoid. But to save an innocent, Remy will ally himself with a variety of lesser evils-and his soul may pay the price...
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2010
21 people are currently reading
912 people want to read
About the author
Thomas E. Sniegoski
281 books1,105 followersThomas E. Sniegoski, often credited as Tom Sniegoski is the author of more than two dozen novels for adults, teens, and children. His teen fantasy YA series Fallen was adapted into a trilogy of monstrously successful TV movies by ABC Family Channel. His other books for teens include Sleeper Code, Sleeper Agenda, and Force Majeure, as well as the upcoming series The Brimstone Network. The author's first adult novel, A Kiss Before the Apocalypse, hit the shelves in 2008, with its sequel, Dancing on the Head of a Pin to be released in 2009.
Sniegoski's work for younger readers includes Billy Hooten: Owlboy, and the fantasy quartet OutCast, which he co-authored with Christopher Golden. OutCast is in development as a film at Universal. Sniegoski and Golden have also collaborated on the adult dark fantasy series The Menagerie, and multiple creator-owned comic book series, including The Sisterhood, which is being prepped for a feature film by InterMedia, and Talent, currently in development at Universal after a major bidding war.
As a comic book writer, Sniegoski's work includes Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails, a prequel miniseries to international hit, Bone. Sniegoski collaborated with Bone creator Jeff Smith on the prequel, making him the only writer Smith has ever asked to work on those characters. Sniegoski and Golden also wrote the graphic novel BPRD: Hollow Earth, a spinoff from Hellboy.
Sniegoski was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his wife LeeAnne and their Labrador Retriever, Mulder. Tom recently completed the new young adult novel, Legacy, which is set to be released in October of 2009.
Sniegoski's work for younger readers includes Billy Hooten: Owlboy, and the fantasy quartet OutCast, which he co-authored with Christopher Golden. OutCast is in development as a film at Universal. Sniegoski and Golden have also collaborated on the adult dark fantasy series The Menagerie, and multiple creator-owned comic book series, including The Sisterhood, which is being prepped for a feature film by InterMedia, and Talent, currently in development at Universal after a major bidding war.
As a comic book writer, Sniegoski's work includes Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails, a prequel miniseries to international hit, Bone. Sniegoski collaborated with Bone creator Jeff Smith on the prequel, making him the only writer Smith has ever asked to work on those characters. Sniegoski and Golden also wrote the graphic novel BPRD: Hollow Earth, a spinoff from Hellboy.
Sniegoski was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his wife LeeAnne and their Labrador Retriever, Mulder. Tom recently completed the new young adult novel, Legacy, which is set to be released in October of 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 22, 2023
There’s just something about an angel superhero. This Seraphim is, once again, so cool! Remy Chandler does not disappoint as he struggles with an ancient god/demon who’s, you guessed it, trying to talks over the world. The Sampson and Delilah subplot adds an interesting element too.
Classic Remy Chandler Line: (p. 253) (addressing said god/demon) “God eats punks like you for breakfast.”
Classic Remy Chandler Line: (p. 253) (addressing said god/demon) “God eats punks like you for breakfast.”
April 25, 2011
3.5 stars
Deryn York comes to Remy and asks him to help finding her six-year-old daughter, Zoe, who has been taken by her father. The new case brings Remy to a child with autism who seems to be able to see the future, Church occult who tries to ressurect an ancient God, an army of men without soul with the mark of a kiss, a succubus who wants to take God's power to bring back her paradise, and a blind man whose sole goal is to kill the succubus.
The third Remy Chandler book strays from the ending of book two, Dancing on the Head of a Pin; as it lacks addressing the outcome of Lucifer resurrection. In one hand, I'm a bit dissapointed for the fact. I think since Lucifer is now back in restoring Hell, it provides a great basis for a more sinister story. In the otherhand, this story is a whole lot creepier (first chapter alone makes me shudder) AND it takes a new spin to Samson and Delilah (yes, THAT Samson and Delilah).
The story is pretty well-paced; this time it switches back and forth from Remy's point of view, to other characters, including the villains, which I kind of like. The idea of an autistic child, who actually sort of a "vessel" of God's power is not really new -- I think I remember watching movies or TV series with that sort of plot -- but it's still entertaining.
Marlowe remains adorable. I miss Francis as he was Remy's alliance when they're fighting the power of fallen angels. I'm not sure I like the tease of Remy with Linda, since Linda is sort of the woman Francis had a crush with. It diminishes my hope that Francis is still alive.
All in all, a good addition to the series. And by the way, the cover ROCKS!
Deryn York comes to Remy and asks him to help finding her six-year-old daughter, Zoe, who has been taken by her father. The new case brings Remy to a child with autism who seems to be able to see the future, Church occult who tries to ressurect an ancient God, an army of men without soul with the mark of a kiss, a succubus who wants to take God's power to bring back her paradise, and a blind man whose sole goal is to kill the succubus.
The third Remy Chandler book strays from the ending of book two, Dancing on the Head of a Pin; as it lacks addressing the outcome of Lucifer resurrection. In one hand, I'm a bit dissapointed for the fact. I think since Lucifer is now back in restoring Hell, it provides a great basis for a more sinister story. In the otherhand, this story is a whole lot creepier (first chapter alone makes me shudder) AND it takes a new spin to Samson and Delilah (yes, THAT Samson and Delilah).
The story is pretty well-paced; this time it switches back and forth from Remy's point of view, to other characters, including the villains, which I kind of like. The idea of an autistic child, who actually sort of a "vessel" of God's power is not really new -- I think I remember watching movies or TV series with that sort of plot -- but it's still entertaining.
Marlowe remains adorable. I miss Francis as he was Remy's alliance when they're fighting the power of fallen angels. I'm not sure I like the tease of Remy with Linda, since Linda is sort of the woman Francis had a crush with. It diminishes my hope that Francis is still alive.
All in all, a good addition to the series. And by the way, the cover ROCKS!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2011
A surprisingly quick read. Perhaps because the plot was more straightforward than the previous novels in the series. A little girl is in danger and Remy is hired to track down those responsible. Marlowe, Remy's black Lab, reprises his role as the adorable sidekick; I've said it before and I hope to say it again, Sniegoski writes great dogs.
There are some somewhat more subtle (than in the last 2 books) digs at the Christian god and his role in our world, along with some interesting questions, and Remy's continued wrestling with his dual nature as a former angle who wants to live as a man. Which is really the heart of the series. Some will complain that the book departs from the plot about Lucifer, which is referred to but is seemingly left for another day. That's fine with me because it allows for further development of Remy's character and leaves more fun for future installments. Overall it was a good tale and a nice visit with characters who are coming to feel like old friends.
There are some somewhat more subtle (than in the last 2 books) digs at the Christian god and his role in our world, along with some interesting questions, and Remy's continued wrestling with his dual nature as a former angle who wants to live as a man. Which is really the heart of the series. Some will complain that the book departs from the plot about Lucifer, which is referred to but is seemingly left for another day. That's fine with me because it allows for further development of Remy's character and leaves more fun for future installments. Overall it was a good tale and a nice visit with characters who are coming to feel like old friends.
September 28, 2013
The Archangel Remiel of the Order of Seraphim makes a most engaging anti-hero,Sherlock Holmes wannabe with a twist,and the series continues strong in this fast paced third adventure. TES has the ability to empathize with the vilest personalities,which is important because we encounter quite a few unpleasant life forms here,some resembling humans or with a remnant of humanity cloaking an older evil,and a whole army of those who have been summoned from death.TES doesn't actually use the word evil to describe his succubus villian,but he allows the reader to draw that conclusion.
More engagingly,his empathy serves him well in his depiction of his relationship with the frisky and devoted Marlowe,and I enjoyed their conversations.
My one reservation about the series is the escalation of graphic violence. But there is tenderness and hope and humour,a bit of ancient theology and a thorough discusion of what it means to be human.
If this is a morality tale,enough loose ends were left lying around for me to start looking for vol 1V.
More engagingly,his empathy serves him well in his depiction of his relationship with the frisky and devoted Marlowe,and I enjoyed their conversations.
My one reservation about the series is the escalation of graphic violence. But there is tenderness and hope and humour,a bit of ancient theology and a thorough discusion of what it means to be human.
If this is a morality tale,enough loose ends were left lying around for me to start looking for vol 1V.
May 30, 2010
Sniegoski produced another amazing addition to the Remy Chandler novels with this book. I will say that I was slightly disappointed that the end of the second book isn't really addressed in the third, but the new plot was still excellent. The book flashes pretty consistently between Remy's investigation and the brutal methods used by Delilah to find Zoe. The primary plot line still involves a Biblical story (hopefully, you caught the references to both Samson and Delilah), but Sniegoski begins to expand his supernatural repertoire and strays from strictly Biblical material with the addition of creatures like a minotaur and the pagan god Dagon. The pacing was rapid and the characters you love from the first two books, such as Marlowe and Mulvehill, make appearances. The pacing of the plot was good and there is a lot of action leading up to the climax of the book.
April 24, 2014
I admit that the angel storyline is a huge draw, and the concept of the seraphim lurking within Remy appeals very much. I liked the different look at some very well known Old Testament biblical figures, even though one was quite chilling and the other very irreverently portrayed. This is urban fantasy that jumps back and forth across the horror line, sometimes even in the same chapter. I liked it a lot, so that's why it gets a four star rating from me.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
March 23, 2010
I enjoy these books and the fact that Remy is an angel just makes them that much more interesting. I'm always interested to see what Biblical characters might show up in the books and I wasn't disappointed with the characters in this one. Remy is hired to find a little girl who has very special skills who has been abducted by her father. There are others who are after the child, too, because of her "abilities", so the path to finding her is going to get nasty. The first one is still my favorite, but all make for great "escape" reading.
January 1, 2011
I love the tortured and lonely hero in this series. I can't wait to read the next one. I do wish they were available for my eReader.
April 30, 2018
Remy Chandler is back in the third of the series. Again, he makes his dashing way into the world, showing Angelic wrath and Human frailty in practically the same scene, as he attempts to discover what is so special about little Zoe that her father would kidnap her and her mother desperately try to get her back. The drawings done by the child help bring light and reason into this fast paced adventure with many unpleasant beings, several pretending to be holy members of a church family and others just plain evil.
This book gave a nod to the current fascination with zombies but does not dwell on them for the whole, bringing instead a myriad of other life forms, some which also still have a remnant of humanity, but all cloaking evil.
The labrador Marlowe is back, and his good humor and occasional shrewd judgements are wonderful.
This book introduces a few more Biblical characters, and I have to admit I look for them, but will leave them out so as not to spoil the story too much.
I will say that this go-round shows an outlet for violence on a less Ragnarok scale, so in a way it was good, but still contains a great deal of descriptive violence even as it brings in the humor and hope and a discussion of the meaning of life and humanity as a child of God.
This book gave a nod to the current fascination with zombies but does not dwell on them for the whole, bringing instead a myriad of other life forms, some which also still have a remnant of humanity, but all cloaking evil.
The labrador Marlowe is back, and his good humor and occasional shrewd judgements are wonderful.
This book introduces a few more Biblical characters, and I have to admit I look for them, but will leave them out so as not to spoil the story too much.
I will say that this go-round shows an outlet for violence on a less Ragnarok scale, so in a way it was good, but still contains a great deal of descriptive violence even as it brings in the humor and hope and a discussion of the meaning of life and humanity as a child of God.
January 30, 2020
Where Angels Fear to Tread is the third book in Remy Chandler series written by Thomas E. Sniegoski. It stars Remy Chandler, an investigator, who just happens to be a former angel.
Seraphim-turned-Private Investigator, Remy Chandler is drawn into the case of Zoe York, a missing little girl with prophetic gifts. Also searching for the child is the biblical character Delilah, now cursed to endless life without love. Naturally, the blind but still powerful Samson also gets drawn into the mix, as do the followers of the ancient god Dagon, leading to an inevitable showdown in Dagon's West Virginia lair.
Where Angels Fear to Tread is written rather well. Chandler is a great lead, who has great development in this installment, but the interesting supporting characters take a back seat to the generically villainous Delilah, the blustering Samson, and the missing girl's bland parents. Once again, Sniegoski text is rather heavy and in some places rather rough to get through, but it a great narrative regardless.
All in all, Where Angels Fear to Tread is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Seraphim-turned-Private Investigator, Remy Chandler is drawn into the case of Zoe York, a missing little girl with prophetic gifts. Also searching for the child is the biblical character Delilah, now cursed to endless life without love. Naturally, the blind but still powerful Samson also gets drawn into the mix, as do the followers of the ancient god Dagon, leading to an inevitable showdown in Dagon's West Virginia lair.
Where Angels Fear to Tread is written rather well. Chandler is a great lead, who has great development in this installment, but the interesting supporting characters take a back seat to the generically villainous Delilah, the blustering Samson, and the missing girl's bland parents. Once again, Sniegoski text is rather heavy and in some places rather rough to get through, but it a great narrative regardless.
All in all, Where Angels Fear to Tread is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
June 30, 2017
I actually started reading this series some time ago, and liked it enough to pick it up if I had a hiatus on new or other books I wanted to read. They are relatively short and an easy read, and well written in a professional manner.
That having been said I wasn't desperate to get to the next one, so make of that what you will. There is a certain disposable quality about the books which means they don't really stick with you or demand your commitment.
To be fair I believe that 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' is the best so far. Nicely plotted, interesting characters, particulary the villains, and an 'old God' taking on a voluntarily fallen angel (as well as the return of some old biblical characters, which is nicely done). So - well worth a read if you like your urban fantasy with a noir and angelic flavour.
That having been said I wasn't desperate to get to the next one, so make of that what you will. There is a certain disposable quality about the books which means they don't really stick with you or demand your commitment.
To be fair I believe that 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' is the best so far. Nicely plotted, interesting characters, particulary the villains, and an 'old God' taking on a voluntarily fallen angel (as well as the return of some old biblical characters, which is nicely done). So - well worth a read if you like your urban fantasy with a noir and angelic flavour.
October 2, 2017
The book itself is good, fast paced and a fun read. I enjoy the series in general. What I find distracting is the inconsistency in the use of theology and metaphysics. While the theology itself (from a point of view of Christian theology) is not good, it is not a theological text. That's forgivable. What is more difficult to accept is the internal inconsistency in the use of theology and metaphysics. The author seems to use a Thomistic [yes, that is the correct adjective despite what the red line indicates....separate rant] principles to prove the existence of God, then claims that God is the Christian God, then seems to move to a quasi-pantheistic point of view. These sorts of things could be caught easily by good editor or finding a consistent world view to tell the story in.
December 24, 2019
After a one-year hiatus from this series, this book is just as good as the previous two. I only have two small annoyances with this though, first, is the multiple point of views from the cast of characters. I get that it was meant to build up to the showdown, and give views from where Remy wasn't present, but then it tries to give some of these characters a background right near the last few pages. I seriously think that could have been down shortly after the introduction from some of the newcomers. Overall, I still think this book holds up well enough for me to continue with the rest of this series.
October 12, 2021
How is it that this series only gets better? I'm going to have to buy the next ones sooner than later. In a race to save a kidnapped child with visionary powers, Remy comes across the unexpected: a woman with mind-control powers, a strong man with an ancient grudge, another type of angel and a cult leader who is much more than he seems. Meanwhile, the mind-controlling woman is seeking for an artifact, and she will stop at nothing to get it.
February 28, 2019
Clear writing, simple characters, straightforward plot: a quick read. So why two stars: too much sick violence is the answer. I was expecting maybe fantasy, maybe wisecracking cynical detective, maybe a bit of humour, maybe a bit of romance. What I found was a book that would be more at home on the horror shelf.
March 29, 2011
**Synopsis** Six year-old Zoe York has been taken by her father Carl and her mother Deryn has come to Remy Chandler for help. She shows him crude, childlike drawings that she claims are Zoe's visions of the future, including everything leading up to her abduction, and some beyond. It also includes a picture of a man with wings who would come and save her; a man who is an angel.
Zoe's preternatural gifts have made her a target for those who wish to exploit her power to their own destructive ends. The search will take Remy to dark places he would rather avoid. But to save an innocent, Remy will ally himself with a variety of lesser evils-and his soul may pay the price.
**Review** Where Angels Fear to Tread is the third installment in the Remy Chandler series, following A Kiss Before the Apocalypse and Dancing On the Head of a Pin. Remy, who is working as a P.I. has been through some hard times recently. His love of his life Madeline has succumbed to illness and old age, and he can’t seem to do anything without her in his constant thoughts. He even goes into a fugue state and talks to her about what he is feeling and dealing with.
Remy is the known as the Seraphim Remiel, a heavenly host who turned his back on heaven for a mortal existence. His Seraphim has been itching for some action for a long time now, and Remy is struggling to keep up his humanity. Remy has recently dealt with the disappearance of Death (Israfil), and stopped the apocalypse. He watched as Lucifer returned to Hell, and is making it his own creation now. His friend Francis, who was a guardian angel to the gates of hell, has either been killed, or is missing.
As luck, or fate would have it, at least he’s not truly alone. He has his friend Steven Mulvehill a Boston PD Homicide Detective who knows Remy’s true identity, and thinks nothing of being friends with him. Then there’s his faithful sidekick Marlowe, the 4 year old retriever, who Remy can speak to and understand without any problems.
Where Angels Fear to Tread dives into biblical legends Delilah, and Samson, as well as another deity named Dagon who wants a piece of god’s creation that seems to have found itself within the body of Zoe.
Delilah, after having the Philistine’s cut Samson hair which made him virtually indestructible, is forced by God into becoming a succubus in order to live. It’s her penalty for messing with God’s creation. She has been looking for the vessel that the creation of god holds for a very long time, and believes she is finally close. Delilah has eaten the souls of her followers, and they are basically zombies to her each and every whim. If Delilah gets her hands on the vessel, and creation, she believes she can rid herself of Gods curse.
Samson, after having his eyes carved out by the Philistines and his hair cut off, has vowed revenge on Delilah, and has been after her ever since. Samson was able to grow his hair back by the grace of God after Delilah betrayed him, and he was given a second chance to prove his worth. Samson appears to have a bunch of children who play parts in this book. I found that interesting in that both Delilah and Samson both had children, and only his survived. In this book, they finally come face to face with each other while searching for the child Zoe. Samson's only desire is for her to die painfully for what she did to him.
Zoe is a little girl who was born with autism. She has the ability of premonition that allows her to see into the future and draw what she sees. She also is the carrier of the piece of creation. Her parents were followers of the Church of his Holy Abundance; which I called a cult immediately after reading about its members. Neither parent is near as likable as the little girl is. They both made huge mistakes in believing in any church who beieves in a fake fertility God.
Remy’s job is to get Zoe back, as well as remain human as hard as that’s been to do recently. Remiel really wants out, and in this story, he gets his chance when drawn out by Dagon. Samson was basically a non-factor in this book. Yes, the ending is what is expected between him and Delilah, and I would have found fault in the writers ability to tie up the storyline had he not done so.
The only problem I have with this story is this. The apocalypse may have been averted, but, are we really going to ignore the fact that Lucifer is trying to tie up loose ends, which may cause yet another war between heaven and hell? Also, is Francis really dead, or was he given his wish to return to heaven after he sacrificed himself trying to stop Lucifer from rising?
I don’t mind the understory between Remy and his dead wife. It’s almost like she’s his muse, who continues to love and believe in him even though she’s gone from this world. The subtle references to Linda Somerset as a possible love interest also become clearer thanks to Zoe’s drawings.
Overall, a good story, but not the best of the three I’ve read thus far. Yes, I will read the next book once it comes out, and my library makes it available. This is one of the few male Fantasy characters I can actually find myself reading about as long as the story continues.
Zoe's preternatural gifts have made her a target for those who wish to exploit her power to their own destructive ends. The search will take Remy to dark places he would rather avoid. But to save an innocent, Remy will ally himself with a variety of lesser evils-and his soul may pay the price.
**Review** Where Angels Fear to Tread is the third installment in the Remy Chandler series, following A Kiss Before the Apocalypse and Dancing On the Head of a Pin. Remy, who is working as a P.I. has been through some hard times recently. His love of his life Madeline has succumbed to illness and old age, and he can’t seem to do anything without her in his constant thoughts. He even goes into a fugue state and talks to her about what he is feeling and dealing with.
Remy is the known as the Seraphim Remiel, a heavenly host who turned his back on heaven for a mortal existence. His Seraphim has been itching for some action for a long time now, and Remy is struggling to keep up his humanity. Remy has recently dealt with the disappearance of Death (Israfil), and stopped the apocalypse. He watched as Lucifer returned to Hell, and is making it his own creation now. His friend Francis, who was a guardian angel to the gates of hell, has either been killed, or is missing.
As luck, or fate would have it, at least he’s not truly alone. He has his friend Steven Mulvehill a Boston PD Homicide Detective who knows Remy’s true identity, and thinks nothing of being friends with him. Then there’s his faithful sidekick Marlowe, the 4 year old retriever, who Remy can speak to and understand without any problems.
Where Angels Fear to Tread dives into biblical legends Delilah, and Samson, as well as another deity named Dagon who wants a piece of god’s creation that seems to have found itself within the body of Zoe.
Delilah, after having the Philistine’s cut Samson hair which made him virtually indestructible, is forced by God into becoming a succubus in order to live. It’s her penalty for messing with God’s creation. She has been looking for the vessel that the creation of god holds for a very long time, and believes she is finally close. Delilah has eaten the souls of her followers, and they are basically zombies to her each and every whim. If Delilah gets her hands on the vessel, and creation, she believes she can rid herself of Gods curse.
Samson, after having his eyes carved out by the Philistines and his hair cut off, has vowed revenge on Delilah, and has been after her ever since. Samson was able to grow his hair back by the grace of God after Delilah betrayed him, and he was given a second chance to prove his worth. Samson appears to have a bunch of children who play parts in this book. I found that interesting in that both Delilah and Samson both had children, and only his survived. In this book, they finally come face to face with each other while searching for the child Zoe. Samson's only desire is for her to die painfully for what she did to him.
Zoe is a little girl who was born with autism. She has the ability of premonition that allows her to see into the future and draw what she sees. She also is the carrier of the piece of creation. Her parents were followers of the Church of his Holy Abundance; which I called a cult immediately after reading about its members. Neither parent is near as likable as the little girl is. They both made huge mistakes in believing in any church who beieves in a fake fertility God.
Remy’s job is to get Zoe back, as well as remain human as hard as that’s been to do recently. Remiel really wants out, and in this story, he gets his chance when drawn out by Dagon. Samson was basically a non-factor in this book. Yes, the ending is what is expected between him and Delilah, and I would have found fault in the writers ability to tie up the storyline had he not done so.
The only problem I have with this story is this. The apocalypse may have been averted, but, are we really going to ignore the fact that Lucifer is trying to tie up loose ends, which may cause yet another war between heaven and hell? Also, is Francis really dead, or was he given his wish to return to heaven after he sacrificed himself trying to stop Lucifer from rising?
I don’t mind the understory between Remy and his dead wife. It’s almost like she’s his muse, who continues to love and believe in him even though she’s gone from this world. The subtle references to Linda Somerset as a possible love interest also become clearer thanks to Zoe’s drawings.
Overall, a good story, but not the best of the three I’ve read thus far. Yes, I will read the next book once it comes out, and my library makes it available. This is one of the few male Fantasy characters I can actually find myself reading about as long as the story continues.
May 24, 2017
I
FRIGGING
LOVE
THIS
SERIES
The world could use more people like Remy Chandler.
FRIGGING
LOVE
THIS
SERIES
The world could use more people like Remy Chandler.
August 3, 2018
Series keeps rolling and keeping it interesting.
March 10, 2020
Awesome read
Awesome read suspenseful and kept me wanting to turn the pages.... or scrolling! Thank you for the great book and the visual images I was able to conjure
Awesome read suspenseful and kept me wanting to turn the pages.... or scrolling! Thank you for the great book and the visual images I was able to conjure
September 5, 2020
Remy is a complicated person. And he finds himself in complicated situations. Especially since he’s a detective and a retired angel.
August 3, 2012
Remy Chandler, private investigator and seraphim, is still in a rut from the death of his wife, fighting both depression and his angelic nature that flares more strongly with his loneliness. Even his friend is beginning to worry about him – and not much worries the veteran cop.
He also has a new case – a man has run off with his daughter without the mother’s consent, and she is desperately worried for her child. More, this child, Zoe, seems capable of seeing the impossible including both the future and Remy’s true nature.
She has a power inside of her, a power that isn’t meant for humanity but is highly desired. Remy is faced with the challenged of finding the child with what erstwhile allies he can gather, while both the soul-consuming seductress Delilah (yes, of Samson and Delilah) and the long weakened god Dagon both seek the same prize for their own reasons – and that doesn’t include the welfare of the child.
I’ve said before that there’s a lot of research that goes into this series and it really does show. It has a very rich, wide and broad world with a lot of weight to it. Everything is solid, non-contradictory and holds up well and still brings in a vast amount of information and different legends. The introduction of Samson and Delilah was nicely done with their lives after the Biblical legend. It was another level of richness and depth to this world.
It’s also interesting to see the depiction of deity – because it does seem to be the ultimate personification of a righteous – but incredibly harsh and unforgiving god. After all, the plot here revolves so much around Delilah trying to escape her excessively cruel punishment. I am curious where this is going to go – because it does fit very well with what we’ve seen of Remy’s Seraphim side and the other angels. Just, right, powerful, determined to fight evil – and utterly lacking in any kind of mercy, compassion or empathy. Yet, at the same time, the scene with the reclaimers suggests the powers that be have at least some level of compassion. I’m curious and I definitely want to see more and how it fits.
In fact, the world has been expanded generally here with the introduction of other deities (albeit ones under god), other powers and a suggestion that there is a lot more out there beyond the Judeo-Christian style divinity we’ve seen so far. I always like to see a world developing and growing.
Remy Chandler is a complicated character – his angelic nature constantly pushes at him, all the more as weird cases are drawn to him. He is still very much grieving for his dead wife which, in turn, makes his angelic nature – and it’s uncompromising, vengeful attitude – far harder to resist and hold down. He has some strong friendships, but even with them the hole in his life is palpable He is a very rounded and powerful character.
Pacing wise, this book is much better than previous books. We have many different points of view as we can see different people focus in on Zoe and what she has, from Delilah to Dagon to her father to Remy. The multiple plot lines are spaced out and do come together well, none of them drag too long and we’re not bogged down in too much extraneous knowledge, red herrings or unnecessary side tracks. I found the writing much tighter and much more exciting than the previous 2 books. There is still some issues with over-description, I think, especially in fight scenes that can drain some of the sense of movement and action out of the depiction, but otherwise it fits nicely and it wasn’t nearly as frustrating as I’ve found in the past.
The story itself wasn’t unpredictable, but there were enough interesting and fascinating elements – and so many different actors all with their own motivations, their own methods and their own slant on things to make it original and interesting. The destination was something we’ve seen before, but the journey had lots of interesting and new things along the way.
This book does have a very large cast of characters and, sadly, like the previous books it is extremely erased. Everyone was straight and the only POC were in minor roles – and 2 out of 3 of them ended up dead. That was about it, it was pretty depressing.
Read More
He also has a new case – a man has run off with his daughter without the mother’s consent, and she is desperately worried for her child. More, this child, Zoe, seems capable of seeing the impossible including both the future and Remy’s true nature.
She has a power inside of her, a power that isn’t meant for humanity but is highly desired. Remy is faced with the challenged of finding the child with what erstwhile allies he can gather, while both the soul-consuming seductress Delilah (yes, of Samson and Delilah) and the long weakened god Dagon both seek the same prize for their own reasons – and that doesn’t include the welfare of the child.
I’ve said before that there’s a lot of research that goes into this series and it really does show. It has a very rich, wide and broad world with a lot of weight to it. Everything is solid, non-contradictory and holds up well and still brings in a vast amount of information and different legends. The introduction of Samson and Delilah was nicely done with their lives after the Biblical legend. It was another level of richness and depth to this world.
It’s also interesting to see the depiction of deity – because it does seem to be the ultimate personification of a righteous – but incredibly harsh and unforgiving god. After all, the plot here revolves so much around Delilah trying to escape her excessively cruel punishment. I am curious where this is going to go – because it does fit very well with what we’ve seen of Remy’s Seraphim side and the other angels. Just, right, powerful, determined to fight evil – and utterly lacking in any kind of mercy, compassion or empathy. Yet, at the same time, the scene with the reclaimers suggests the powers that be have at least some level of compassion. I’m curious and I definitely want to see more and how it fits.
In fact, the world has been expanded generally here with the introduction of other deities (albeit ones under god), other powers and a suggestion that there is a lot more out there beyond the Judeo-Christian style divinity we’ve seen so far. I always like to see a world developing and growing.
Remy Chandler is a complicated character – his angelic nature constantly pushes at him, all the more as weird cases are drawn to him. He is still very much grieving for his dead wife which, in turn, makes his angelic nature – and it’s uncompromising, vengeful attitude – far harder to resist and hold down. He has some strong friendships, but even with them the hole in his life is palpable He is a very rounded and powerful character.
Pacing wise, this book is much better than previous books. We have many different points of view as we can see different people focus in on Zoe and what she has, from Delilah to Dagon to her father to Remy. The multiple plot lines are spaced out and do come together well, none of them drag too long and we’re not bogged down in too much extraneous knowledge, red herrings or unnecessary side tracks. I found the writing much tighter and much more exciting than the previous 2 books. There is still some issues with over-description, I think, especially in fight scenes that can drain some of the sense of movement and action out of the depiction, but otherwise it fits nicely and it wasn’t nearly as frustrating as I’ve found in the past.
The story itself wasn’t unpredictable, but there were enough interesting and fascinating elements – and so many different actors all with their own motivations, their own methods and their own slant on things to make it original and interesting. The destination was something we’ve seen before, but the journey had lots of interesting and new things along the way.
This book does have a very large cast of characters and, sadly, like the previous books it is extremely erased. Everyone was straight and the only POC were in minor roles – and 2 out of 3 of them ended up dead. That was about it, it was pretty depressing.
Read More
August 15, 2011
Where Angels Fear to Tread
By Thomas E. Sniegoski
I will be the first to admit I’m a very particular reader. I tend to stray wildly across the genre-scape and like to think that what attracts me to my favorite books is good writing. Of course, what reader doesn’t? For an example of this straying, I love Butcher’s Dresden Files but couldn’t stand Green’s Nightside books.
That being said, I read the back cover of Sneigoski’s book and was captured. An angel who wants to be human and pretends to be while working as a PI in Boston, well, how does that not sound awesome? I flipped through the first few pages in the bookstore and the clear nods to Raymond Chandler (one of the original noir writers) hooked me even more. I couldn’t wait to get home and get started on the book.
I wound up reading it over the course of a weekend and while I think there are a lot of good points, there were also some lows that have convinced me to wait for a few more Remy Chandler books to come out before getting back into them.
The bad. Most of the characters came across as very flat. Remy presents a compelling character as an angel trying to be human, but his motives for this compulsion are either very well hidden, very shallow, or were presented elsewhere and I missed it by starting on the third book of the series. His cop friend, Mulvane, is perfectly set up to provide interesting and humorous banter, but tends to miss the mark more often than not and for some reason gets very little scene time. Speaking of scenes, they tend to run short and feel a little rough. The dialogue is driven by the need to forward the plot and conversations come across as the bare minimum needed. I also felt that I was either old or out of touch with society, there were quite a few places where I felt like I should be laughing but I just didn’t get it. I also felt by the end that either I hadn’t been paying attention or not everything was explained very well, as I felt lost with a lot of the characters.
The above may sound harsh and overly critical. But take it with a grain of salt and check out the good. The concept is really incredible and has a ton of potential. The interplay between Remy and Marlowe (Remy’s Labrador) is wonderfully written and practically leaps off the page with a vibrant sense of life. I personally found it the most enjoyable parts of the book. The plot was well conceived and kept on track, and there was enough side plot to keep you wondering where everything was going and how it would tie in at the end. Sniegoski also provides enough details to show that he’s done research and background work, but doesn’t sacrifice the pace of the story to showing off how much of it was done. While the ending was predictable, it was also neatly brought together and mostly satisfying.
I probably won’t rush to buy the next Remy Chandler book immediately, but I will be keeping an eye on the series. I think there is an enormous amount of potential in this series and I think most of the bad points I hit are areas that are going to get better as Sniegoski becomes a more experienced and polished writer. For those of you who feel skeptical, I would remind you of the first books in the Dresden Files. They are rough and unpolished and if you read Ghost Story and then Storm Front the improvement is incredible. Sniegoski is a good writer, with a solid grasp of the craft, and he tells a fast paced and interesting story. For those of you on the fence, grab a copy, give it a read, and keep an eye on this guy. It’s only going to get better from here.
By Thomas E. Sniegoski
I will be the first to admit I’m a very particular reader. I tend to stray wildly across the genre-scape and like to think that what attracts me to my favorite books is good writing. Of course, what reader doesn’t? For an example of this straying, I love Butcher’s Dresden Files but couldn’t stand Green’s Nightside books.
That being said, I read the back cover of Sneigoski’s book and was captured. An angel who wants to be human and pretends to be while working as a PI in Boston, well, how does that not sound awesome? I flipped through the first few pages in the bookstore and the clear nods to Raymond Chandler (one of the original noir writers) hooked me even more. I couldn’t wait to get home and get started on the book.
I wound up reading it over the course of a weekend and while I think there are a lot of good points, there were also some lows that have convinced me to wait for a few more Remy Chandler books to come out before getting back into them.
The bad. Most of the characters came across as very flat. Remy presents a compelling character as an angel trying to be human, but his motives for this compulsion are either very well hidden, very shallow, or were presented elsewhere and I missed it by starting on the third book of the series. His cop friend, Mulvane, is perfectly set up to provide interesting and humorous banter, but tends to miss the mark more often than not and for some reason gets very little scene time. Speaking of scenes, they tend to run short and feel a little rough. The dialogue is driven by the need to forward the plot and conversations come across as the bare minimum needed. I also felt that I was either old or out of touch with society, there were quite a few places where I felt like I should be laughing but I just didn’t get it. I also felt by the end that either I hadn’t been paying attention or not everything was explained very well, as I felt lost with a lot of the characters.
The above may sound harsh and overly critical. But take it with a grain of salt and check out the good. The concept is really incredible and has a ton of potential. The interplay between Remy and Marlowe (Remy’s Labrador) is wonderfully written and practically leaps off the page with a vibrant sense of life. I personally found it the most enjoyable parts of the book. The plot was well conceived and kept on track, and there was enough side plot to keep you wondering where everything was going and how it would tie in at the end. Sniegoski also provides enough details to show that he’s done research and background work, but doesn’t sacrifice the pace of the story to showing off how much of it was done. While the ending was predictable, it was also neatly brought together and mostly satisfying.
I probably won’t rush to buy the next Remy Chandler book immediately, but I will be keeping an eye on the series. I think there is an enormous amount of potential in this series and I think most of the bad points I hit are areas that are going to get better as Sniegoski becomes a more experienced and polished writer. For those of you who feel skeptical, I would remind you of the first books in the Dresden Files. They are rough and unpolished and if you read Ghost Story and then Storm Front the improvement is incredible. Sniegoski is a good writer, with a solid grasp of the craft, and he tells a fast paced and interesting story. For those of you on the fence, grab a copy, give it a read, and keep an eye on this guy. It’s only going to get better from here.
December 16, 2016
An evil creature is seeking out great power, hidden from her by devoted holy men, and will do anything to track it down. The power resides inside an autistic child called Zoe who puts visions of the future into her drawings. When her estranged father takes her away from her mother and is tempted to go back into a demon cult who wants Zoe's power, she turns to Remy who featured in Zoe's drawings as someone who would save her.
This book was again very slow in getting to the story featuring Remy. We follow instead the evil Delilah as she battles to grab the power she seeks before the holy men put it beyond her. We follow her as she seeks out an unwilling psychic who can find out where to look. We follow her as she moves from place to place seeking out where Zoe is. It is all very long drawn out and I don't really find Delilah and her desire for world domination greatly stimulating to read about. The scenes with her using the psychic seem to be never ending as she is part tortured yet part worshipping her.
Zoe's parents Carl and Deryn once belonged to a cult that worshipped a demon and had agreed to allow it to reside in their daughter when she was born but Carl got cold feet and reported the cult to the authorities. Now with Zoe being autistic, he wonders if he made the wrong decision and considers taking her back to them to make amends. We get a fair bit of Carl's kidnapping of Zoe and it wasn't greatly exciting to read either. It made for a somewhat slow and dull start to the plot. The only bits that really interested me were when Remy was knee deep in trouble when trying to find Zoe. The rest felt like uninteresting padding.
Remy battles unsuccessfully to stop Deryn being taken by Delilah's people and is rescued by an old friend Samson-yes, THE Samson, onetime love of Delilah who now exists to kill her for betraying him. Now I liked Samson and his family. He makes a living as a troll fighter and wants to know what Remy knows about Delilah's plans, agreeing that they need to work together to stop her. I think it was here that I started to like the story a bit better, but by now we were well into the book and I had been struggling.
From when Samson enters the story it does improve. Samson is like Francis in the way he interests and entertains me so I was pleased by his introduction. I also liked the battle scenes involving Remy's people and the cult people. I previously said in other reviews that I liked the way that the author writes his action scenes and that was true here again. It just took way too long to get to the fights. The one disappointing thing with the big battle at the end is the same complaint that I had about the big battle at the end of the last book-too much death for the sake of it. I felt it was a bit overboard again.
This wasn't the greatest book in the world. I didn't greatly enjoy the plots that dominated the opening half of the book. It felt like a lot of extra setting that was not needed and could have been condensed a lot more. It is a constant issue that I'm having with this series. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to see the end of this series.
2.5 stars
This book was again very slow in getting to the story featuring Remy. We follow instead the evil Delilah as she battles to grab the power she seeks before the holy men put it beyond her. We follow her as she seeks out an unwilling psychic who can find out where to look. We follow her as she moves from place to place seeking out where Zoe is. It is all very long drawn out and I don't really find Delilah and her desire for world domination greatly stimulating to read about. The scenes with her using the psychic seem to be never ending as she is part tortured yet part worshipping her.
Zoe's parents Carl and Deryn once belonged to a cult that worshipped a demon and had agreed to allow it to reside in their daughter when she was born but Carl got cold feet and reported the cult to the authorities. Now with Zoe being autistic, he wonders if he made the wrong decision and considers taking her back to them to make amends. We get a fair bit of Carl's kidnapping of Zoe and it wasn't greatly exciting to read either. It made for a somewhat slow and dull start to the plot. The only bits that really interested me were when Remy was knee deep in trouble when trying to find Zoe. The rest felt like uninteresting padding.
Remy battles unsuccessfully to stop Deryn being taken by Delilah's people and is rescued by an old friend Samson-yes, THE Samson, onetime love of Delilah who now exists to kill her for betraying him. Now I liked Samson and his family. He makes a living as a troll fighter and wants to know what Remy knows about Delilah's plans, agreeing that they need to work together to stop her. I think it was here that I started to like the story a bit better, but by now we were well into the book and I had been struggling.
From when Samson enters the story it does improve. Samson is like Francis in the way he interests and entertains me so I was pleased by his introduction. I also liked the battle scenes involving Remy's people and the cult people. I previously said in other reviews that I liked the way that the author writes his action scenes and that was true here again. It just took way too long to get to the fights. The one disappointing thing with the big battle at the end is the same complaint that I had about the big battle at the end of the last book-too much death for the sake of it. I felt it was a bit overboard again.
This wasn't the greatest book in the world. I didn't greatly enjoy the plots that dominated the opening half of the book. It felt like a lot of extra setting that was not needed and could have been condensed a lot more. It is a constant issue that I'm having with this series. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to see the end of this series.
2.5 stars
October 10, 2013
RE-READ REVIEW (Oct. 2013)
The Remy series continues to improve, as this book strikes a great balance between otherworldly and grounded, earthly limits. It also broadens the palette upon which the series is grounded from the baddies being just about Miltonian wars in Heaven and Hell.
There are still some problems with fully engaging, as a reader, with Remy. It occurred to me, as I read this volume, the core problem is that Remy is screaming to be done from a First Person PoV. So much of the background struggle is Remy dealing with his Inner Seraph, and Sniegoski keeps telling rather than showing that conflict. The Seraph communicates emotions, frustration, anger, and even ideas to Remy, but the Third Person narrative just references them rather than letting us hear them. Remy's angelic and human natures ebb and flow, but we know that more from being told than because we can see and hear it in his thoughts. It keeps us at double arm's-length from the protagonist, which is not where I want to be.
On the other hand, doing Remy in First Person here would have been challenging, because this book includes multiple PoV shifts to various parties (most of them bad guys) in the tale. This works well to keep the complex story moving, though it again weakens the bonds between the reader and Remy.
Another important and welcome change in this volume was making Remy's world about more than just angels (fallen and otherwise). We get demons. We get mythic figures. We get characters from the Old Testament. We get pagan gods. We get --
Well, aside from a minotaur, it's still mostly Biblically grounded, but it's still a nice expansion. It also opens the question of what other deities from ancient (or even current) pantheons may be lurking out there.
It also raises the question of where the heck Jesus is in all of this Godly Morality Play. We have Christian churches and symbology raised more than one this book, but Remy has never even referred to the central mythic elements of the New Testament (whether one believes in them or not), and that seems either a huge oversight or (more likely) an intentional dodge. Sooner or later, that dam has to break.
In sum, as I said, my favorite to date of the saga, though with room for improvement -- I'd give it a 3.5, if I could, as I liked it a fair amount, and don't regret at all having gone through it again on a re-read. On to the next!
----------
ORIGINAL REVIEW (Mar. 2010)
"Where Angels Fear to Tread" great angel-noir-PI fun w/ dash of apocalypse on the side. Hitting his stride. A-
[Okay, not very in-depth, but it was just a tweet.]
The Remy series continues to improve, as this book strikes a great balance between otherworldly and grounded, earthly limits. It also broadens the palette upon which the series is grounded from the baddies being just about Miltonian wars in Heaven and Hell.
There are still some problems with fully engaging, as a reader, with Remy. It occurred to me, as I read this volume, the core problem is that Remy is screaming to be done from a First Person PoV. So much of the background struggle is Remy dealing with his Inner Seraph, and Sniegoski keeps telling rather than showing that conflict. The Seraph communicates emotions, frustration, anger, and even ideas to Remy, but the Third Person narrative just references them rather than letting us hear them. Remy's angelic and human natures ebb and flow, but we know that more from being told than because we can see and hear it in his thoughts. It keeps us at double arm's-length from the protagonist, which is not where I want to be.
On the other hand, doing Remy in First Person here would have been challenging, because this book includes multiple PoV shifts to various parties (most of them bad guys) in the tale. This works well to keep the complex story moving, though it again weakens the bonds between the reader and Remy.
Another important and welcome change in this volume was making Remy's world about more than just angels (fallen and otherwise). We get demons. We get mythic figures. We get characters from the Old Testament. We get pagan gods. We get --
Well, aside from a minotaur, it's still mostly Biblically grounded, but it's still a nice expansion. It also opens the question of what other deities from ancient (or even current) pantheons may be lurking out there.
It also raises the question of where the heck Jesus is in all of this Godly Morality Play. We have Christian churches and symbology raised more than one this book, but Remy has never even referred to the central mythic elements of the New Testament (whether one believes in them or not), and that seems either a huge oversight or (more likely) an intentional dodge. Sooner or later, that dam has to break.
In sum, as I said, my favorite to date of the saga, though with room for improvement -- I'd give it a 3.5, if I could, as I liked it a fair amount, and don't regret at all having gone through it again on a re-read. On to the next!
----------
ORIGINAL REVIEW (Mar. 2010)
"Where Angels Fear to Tread" great angel-noir-PI fun w/ dash of apocalypse on the side. Hitting his stride. A-
[Okay, not very in-depth, but it was just a tweet.]
March 11, 2016
Third in the Remy Chandler urban fantasy series about a fallen angel working as a P.I. in Boston.
My Take
In his search for Zoe, Remy takes us to some interesting bars with even more interesting characters before he prepares to do battle after battle.
Sneigoski teases us with Delilah's actions and the veiled references as to her purpose in hunting down Zoe are maddening. As for Remy, it's heartening to read of his becoming more reconciled to Madeline's death. Of course, part of that is due to his growing interest in Linda in whom Francis was so interested. Mulvehill is trying to persuade Remy to see her in hopes of encouraging him to retain his humanity.
Part of my interest in this series is how God is portrayed. It's so very different from the norm and seems more realistic. Fascinating.
The Story
The autistic Zoe has been kidnapped, and her mother comes to Remy for help getting her back. Her kidnapper intends to use her as his penance for what he sees as a betrayal of his god.
And yet another is after the girl. A timeless woman who will stop at nothing, will kill anyone to take Zoe and what she holds within her body.
The Characters
Remy Chandler has chosen to push his seraphim inside himself and immerse himself in being human as he pursues cases. Madeline is the wife who died. Marlowe is his Labrador with whom he can speak due to his angelic gifts. Detective Steve Mulvehill is a homicide detective with the Boston PD and is Remy's best friend, and the only everyday friend left to Remy after Francis' demise? disappearance? in Dancing on the Head of a Pin , 2.
Linda Somerset is a waitress with whom Francis, a fallen angel and assassin, is in love. And with whom Remy is becoming interested.
Zoe York is a six-year-old girl with a gift for seeing the future. Deryn York is her mother. Carl is Zoe's deluded father.
Delilah is the wicked woman who wants to exploit Zoe.
The Cover
I like the cover. It's an obscure scene from the book: Remy in his long coat with Marlowe at his head, electricity sparking around his hand clutching his sword as he faces off against an armor-clad Retriever of the Lord.
My Take
In his search for Zoe, Remy takes us to some interesting bars with even more interesting characters before he prepares to do battle after battle.
Sneigoski teases us with Delilah's actions and the veiled references as to her purpose in hunting down Zoe are maddening. As for Remy, it's heartening to read of his becoming more reconciled to Madeline's death. Of course, part of that is due to his growing interest in Linda in whom Francis was so interested. Mulvehill is trying to persuade Remy to see her in hopes of encouraging him to retain his humanity.
Part of my interest in this series is how God is portrayed. It's so very different from the norm and seems more realistic. Fascinating.
The Story
The autistic Zoe has been kidnapped, and her mother comes to Remy for help getting her back. Her kidnapper intends to use her as his penance for what he sees as a betrayal of his god.
And yet another is after the girl. A timeless woman who will stop at nothing, will kill anyone to take Zoe and what she holds within her body.
The Characters
Remy Chandler has chosen to push his seraphim inside himself and immerse himself in being human as he pursues cases. Madeline is the wife who died. Marlowe is his Labrador with whom he can speak due to his angelic gifts. Detective Steve Mulvehill is a homicide detective with the Boston PD and is Remy's best friend, and the only everyday friend left to Remy after Francis' demise? disappearance? in Dancing on the Head of a Pin , 2.
Linda Somerset is a waitress with whom Francis, a fallen angel and assassin, is in love. And with whom Remy is becoming interested.
Zoe York is a six-year-old girl with a gift for seeing the future. Deryn York is her mother. Carl is Zoe's deluded father.
Delilah is the wicked woman who wants to exploit Zoe.
The Cover
I like the cover. It's an obscure scene from the book: Remy in his long coat with Marlowe at his head, electricity sparking around his hand clutching his sword as he faces off against an armor-clad Retriever of the Lord.
June 25, 2011
After six-year-old Zoe is kidnapped, her mother seeks help from Remy Chandler, once known as the angel Remial, but now a Boston PI. The girl has something everyone wants, and Remy will have a hard time tracking her down and saving her.
I didn't care for this book at all. The blurb made it sound interesting, but I guess I didn't realize this was Book #3 in the series, so I was mostly lost from the very beginning as the author explained very little of what had come before, though Remy spends a great deal of time agonizing over the loss of his wife. Even he realizes it's time for him to move on. The biggest aggravation happened right away. I was most interested in reading about Remy as he sounded like an interesting character. Instead we start off with Delilah, a soul-sucking succubus in search of something. We don't really get an indication of what she's looking for or why, but she wants it bad, and is prepared to do anything to get it. Her chapters, combined with chapters featuring the viewpoints of minor characters, as well as the major bad guy were unable to retain my interest. These characters just seemed flat and uninteresting--the archetypal evil--and I didn't care to get to know them, or their motivations (which the author didn't do a good job of explaining anyway). So there was a lot of switching back and forth between characters, a huge turn-off considering this book wasn't overly long.
The author is also guilty of a pet peeve of mine: the heavy use of adverbs. Especially adverbs that added nothing to the story. I wanted to smack him upside the head every time I encountered one. If that wasn't enough to drive me crazy, many sentences are just poorly written. I took plenty of time trying to puzzle out exactly what the author meant because they were structured so poorly.
Since I was a new reader to the series, I felt a bit lost, as I mentioned. And the author didn't bother explaining much about what came before. Not only that, but even the characters didn't understand why they were doing certain things at certain times. They did a lot of things for 'some reason.' I realize that some of this was because Delilah could force them to do things against their will, but seriously...the character wasn't smart enough to come to that conclusion?
At the end, not to give too much away, Remy doesn't even end up starting a relationship with the person I thought he should, so the entire book was a waste to me. I'm very disappointed I picked this up as I don't think it deserved my hard-earned money.
I didn't care for this book at all. The blurb made it sound interesting, but I guess I didn't realize this was Book #3 in the series, so I was mostly lost from the very beginning as the author explained very little of what had come before, though Remy spends a great deal of time agonizing over the loss of his wife. Even he realizes it's time for him to move on. The biggest aggravation happened right away. I was most interested in reading about Remy as he sounded like an interesting character. Instead we start off with Delilah, a soul-sucking succubus in search of something. We don't really get an indication of what she's looking for or why, but she wants it bad, and is prepared to do anything to get it. Her chapters, combined with chapters featuring the viewpoints of minor characters, as well as the major bad guy were unable to retain my interest. These characters just seemed flat and uninteresting--the archetypal evil--and I didn't care to get to know them, or their motivations (which the author didn't do a good job of explaining anyway). So there was a lot of switching back and forth between characters, a huge turn-off considering this book wasn't overly long.
The author is also guilty of a pet peeve of mine: the heavy use of adverbs. Especially adverbs that added nothing to the story. I wanted to smack him upside the head every time I encountered one. If that wasn't enough to drive me crazy, many sentences are just poorly written. I took plenty of time trying to puzzle out exactly what the author meant because they were structured so poorly.
Since I was a new reader to the series, I felt a bit lost, as I mentioned. And the author didn't bother explaining much about what came before. Not only that, but even the characters didn't understand why they were doing certain things at certain times. They did a lot of things for 'some reason.' I realize that some of this was because Delilah could force them to do things against their will, but seriously...the character wasn't smart enough to come to that conclusion?
At the end, not to give too much away, Remy doesn't even end up starting a relationship with the person I thought he should, so the entire book was a waste to me. I'm very disappointed I picked this up as I don't think it deserved my hard-earned money.
December 30, 2010
This is the third book in the Remy Chandler series; the most recent information that I can find says Sniegoski was contracted for four books in this series. This book was a great addition to the series.
Remy gets contacted to work a missing child case; only this missing child is drawing prophetic pictures in crayon and is more than she seems. Deliliah, cursed to forever live without love, is also looking for the child. Samson gets pulled into the mess in an attempt to help Remy fight Deliliah, as he has been tasked by God to destroy her. Drawn into the mess is also an ancient god Dagon, who is trying to use the child to be reborn.
There are some interesting characters in this book but they aren't necessarily the strong point of the story. What really distinguishes this book (as well as the first two) from others in the genre is the tight plot and great action scenes. Sniegoski does an excellent job of weaving a tight and engaging mystery/plot that doesn't waste space. Remy always has a clear goal and follows a logical path to get there. I just love that there is no rambling in these books or any sense of Sniegoski not knowing what he wants the characters to do.
Those who were hoping that this book would expand on the changes that happened in Hell in book 2 may be disappointed. Though the reformed Hell is mentioned in passing, it is not a focal point of this story. In fact this book could be read without reading the first two (although you would be missing some of Remy's background); in general it is a very contained story.
This books are also starting to get a bit formulaic for me. They always start with Remy getting a case, they always end with Remy having to yield to his angelic nature in order to save humanity from destruction. I am not saying this is bad; in general the books in this series have been quick, fun reads that are well written and enjoyable.
Overall I thought this was another solid addition to the Remy Chandler series. I was a little disappointed that the main story arc involving the reformation of Hell wasn't dealt with much; in fact many of the side characters from previous book were missing. Still, it was an entertaining read. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Remy gets contacted to work a missing child case; only this missing child is drawing prophetic pictures in crayon and is more than she seems. Deliliah, cursed to forever live without love, is also looking for the child. Samson gets pulled into the mess in an attempt to help Remy fight Deliliah, as he has been tasked by God to destroy her. Drawn into the mess is also an ancient god Dagon, who is trying to use the child to be reborn.
There are some interesting characters in this book but they aren't necessarily the strong point of the story. What really distinguishes this book (as well as the first two) from others in the genre is the tight plot and great action scenes. Sniegoski does an excellent job of weaving a tight and engaging mystery/plot that doesn't waste space. Remy always has a clear goal and follows a logical path to get there. I just love that there is no rambling in these books or any sense of Sniegoski not knowing what he wants the characters to do.
Those who were hoping that this book would expand on the changes that happened in Hell in book 2 may be disappointed. Though the reformed Hell is mentioned in passing, it is not a focal point of this story. In fact this book could be read without reading the first two (although you would be missing some of Remy's background); in general it is a very contained story.
This books are also starting to get a bit formulaic for me. They always start with Remy getting a case, they always end with Remy having to yield to his angelic nature in order to save humanity from destruction. I am not saying this is bad; in general the books in this series have been quick, fun reads that are well written and enjoyable.
Overall I thought this was another solid addition to the Remy Chandler series. I was a little disappointed that the main story arc involving the reformation of Hell wasn't dealt with much; in fact many of the side characters from previous book were missing. Still, it was an entertaining read. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in this series.
October 25, 2012
This is the third in the series of Remy Chandler stories. Remy is a Private Detective. He's also an Angel. Since the war in Heaven which banished Lucifer and his followers, Remy (Remiel) decided he had had enough of Heaven and went to live his life on Earth. There he met his wife Madeline and eventually confided his true identity to her. They lived a happy life together although they never had children, due to his angelic nature, causing any offspring which would be deemed to be "unnatural". Instead they got a dog they named Marlowe. One of Remy's Angelic talents is that he can communicate with animals and this book mentions the day Remy and Madeline adopted Marlowe which is quite sweet because as a puppy he was so sad and afraid to leave his "pack".
In the this book Remy is still running his Detective Agency, and mourning the loss of Madeline, who has died from cancer. He has a human friend in the Police Force whose life Remy had saved previously. Remy is living day to day looking after Marlowe and carrying on with his business. Marlowe is a dog of simple needs but Remy gains a lot of comfort from him and always makes sure he is cared for. There is a lot of light relief in these books during Remy's interactions with Marlowe.
Due to Remy's Angelic nature (which lives inside him and constantly fights and screams to be let loose) it seems certain types of cases of the Angelic and demonic variety seem to come his way and in this book he is asked by a mother to take on the case of finding her autistic daughter who has been abducted by her father. This ends up to be more than it first appears.
There are some parts (especially the battle scenes) that I found to be hard work, but there is a continuing story which I want to follow so I will keep reading the rest of the series so far.
In the this book Remy is still running his Detective Agency, and mourning the loss of Madeline, who has died from cancer. He has a human friend in the Police Force whose life Remy had saved previously. Remy is living day to day looking after Marlowe and carrying on with his business. Marlowe is a dog of simple needs but Remy gains a lot of comfort from him and always makes sure he is cared for. There is a lot of light relief in these books during Remy's interactions with Marlowe.
Due to Remy's Angelic nature (which lives inside him and constantly fights and screams to be let loose) it seems certain types of cases of the Angelic and demonic variety seem to come his way and in this book he is asked by a mother to take on the case of finding her autistic daughter who has been abducted by her father. This ends up to be more than it first appears.
There are some parts (especially the battle scenes) that I found to be hard work, but there is a continuing story which I want to follow so I will keep reading the rest of the series so far.
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