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85th out of 132 books
—
356 voters
Devil Said Bang (Sandman Slim #4)
Getting out of hell is just the beginning
What do you do after you've escaped Hell, gone back, uncovered the true nature of God, and then managed to become the new Lucifer?
Well, if you're James Stark, you have to figure out how to run Hell while also trying to get back out of it . . . again. Plus there's the small matter of surviving. Because everyone in Heaven, Hell, and i...more
What do you do after you've escaped Hell, gone back, uncovered the true nature of God, and then managed to become the new Lucifer?
Well, if you're James Stark, you have to figure out how to run Hell while also trying to get back out of it . . . again. Plus there's the small matter of surviving. Because everyone in Heaven, Hell, and i...more
Hardcover, 399 pages
Published
August 28th 2012
by Harper Voyager
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Aug 27, 2012
AH
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
arc-edelweiss,
angels,
dark,
demons,
ghosts,
nephilim,
read-august-2012,
urban-fantasy,
babr-reviews
“Welcome to Hell. It’s just like high school but with more boredom and entrails.”I must confess, I have not read all the books in this series. I’ve read Sandman Slim and enjoyed it immensely, but I missed books 2 and 3. Having said that, I honestly feel that I really didn’t feel lost when I read Devil Said Bang. The author did an excellent job of recapping prior events. I will go back and read Kill the Dead and Aloha from Hell soon, just to fill in the details.
I loved Devil Said Bang and here’s...more
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I was number five on the hold list and very excited when I got the text that it was in. In fact, it broke my obsessive glut of Christopher Moore reading and I finished it in about a day.
The first half of the book does what Kadrey does best, which is bringing to live new ideas and characters while acknowledging earlier books, then we get to re-visit old beloved characters and places in the second half. Maybe not as much as I would have liked, but there are enough twists to make it feel like a new...more
The first half of the book does what Kadrey does best, which is bringing to live new ideas and characters while acknowledging earlier books, then we get to re-visit old beloved characters and places in the second half. Maybe not as much as I would have liked, but there are enough twists to make it feel like a new...more
I just purchased the hardcover edition of this book last week. I have loved the Sandman Slim series since discovering it earlier this year. I eagerly awaited this book (is it the beginning of a new trilogy) since I found out about it. I just finished it and I am very happy with it. While a few things changed for the character since the last novel in the series, Stark finds himself traveling further than ever in an attempt to find resolution. He finds, pretty early on in the book, that running he...more
When we last left Sandman Slim he had been tricked by Samel into becoming the next Lucifer and his angel half had ditched him in hell. This book opens with Stark learning how to be Lucifer and to avoid being killed. The hellions are not impressed to have a human in the top spot and seek to overload him with bureaucracy because hell needs to be rebuilt. He taken his ancestor wild Bill on as sort of an adviser but longs to be back in LA.
I am pretty sure that this is going to be the last book in th...more
I am pretty sure that this is going to be the last book in th...more
Kadrey steps it back up after a mild slump in books two and three. Despite some pretty annoying problems with the Amazon e-book on the day of publication, it is none the less quite good, once the editors fixed the copy which omitted the middle third of the novel.
Sandman Slim is back, and on a journey to recover his humanity, quit his job as the Prince of Lies, maintain the jittery balance between the universal powers that be and slay a few bad guys, including the rat in his own pack.
The book d...more
Sandman Slim is back, and on a journey to recover his humanity, quit his job as the Prince of Lies, maintain the jittery balance between the universal powers that be and slay a few bad guys, including the rat in his own pack.
The book d...more
Alright, when we last left Slim, he was downtown, Hell for you new readers to the series, and had become the new Lucifer. With the novella that was introduced in between this novel and “Aloha from Hell”, we learn that it is not easy being Lord of the dark.
Sandman does indeed have his hands full with Hell politics and enemy factions wanting his job, which he himself would gladly give up if there was somebody that he could trust. Having stopped Mason’s war with heaven and leaving the Hellions to...more
Sandman does indeed have his hands full with Hell politics and enemy factions wanting his job, which he himself would gladly give up if there was somebody that he could trust. Having stopped Mason’s war with heaven and leaving the Hellions to...more
Reading this book, I came to realise that Kadrey has carved a niche for Sandman Slim in the fantasy pantheon. Sure it's one of the children of the Dresden Files or Mike Carey's Lucifer, but it's got some tricks up its sleeve.
Sharp, snappy dialogue. Mostly blasphemous ideas and plot developments. A little bit of self-pity and a lot of witty banter. Stark (the hero, or anti-hero depending on the phase of the moon) has more one-liners up his sleeve than Spider-Man; and a lethal, nuke-'em brand of j...more
Sharp, snappy dialogue. Mostly blasphemous ideas and plot developments. A little bit of self-pity and a lot of witty banter. Stark (the hero, or anti-hero depending on the phase of the moon) has more one-liners up his sleeve than Spider-Man; and a lethal, nuke-'em brand of j...more
The first three entries in this series -- Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead. and Aloha From Hell -- were terrific fun. Richard Kadrey juiced the urban fantasy genre with plenty of dark humor and blasphemous wit. His energy and invention flag, unfortunately, with the fourth novel, Devil Said Bang. Considering that the previous tale ended with Lucifer returning to heaven and the hero stuck with the task of running hell, Kadrey may have painted himself into a creative corner. This starts promisingly enou...more
By way of full disclosure, Richard Kadrey is an "insta-buy" author for me. I can't get enough of the dirty, gritty descriptions, off-the-wall action scenes and (best of all) the dialogue and voice of every character absolutely KILLS every time.
The latest installment of the series has our anti-hero in Hell, a not unfamiliar situation for him. But Sandman Slim is calling the shots and has some big changes in mind. Kadrey continues to unveil his impressive backstory of existence and the attention t...more
The latest installment of the series has our anti-hero in Hell, a not unfamiliar situation for him. But Sandman Slim is calling the shots and has some big changes in mind. Kadrey continues to unveil his impressive backstory of existence and the attention t...more
When we last saw Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, Heaven didn’t want him and Hell was afraid he’d take over.
As Devil Said Bang opens, Stark is trying to rule Hell and doing a miserable job of it. Being the Devil is one of the most boring jobs Stark can imagine (not that he wanted the job in the first place), and the only thing breaking the tedium is the fact that all the rest of Hell is trying to kill him.
I loved the first thee books in Richard Kadrey’s series (Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, and Aloha...more
As Devil Said Bang opens, Stark is trying to rule Hell and doing a miserable job of it. Being the Devil is one of the most boring jobs Stark can imagine (not that he wanted the job in the first place), and the only thing breaking the tedium is the fact that all the rest of Hell is trying to kill him.
I loved the first thee books in Richard Kadrey’s series (Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, and Aloha...more
Sandman Slim is out of the arena and dealing with... paperwork.
I love this series almost as much as I love me some Dresden files, in fact I started reading Sandman Slim as a fix to hold me over till Ghost Story. It worked a little too good and now I crave it almost as much. The two stories only share a genre, nothing else. Let me say for the record I'm not comparing them.
This book starts slow, painfully slow, and I think that's what the author was going for. Our "hero" and current leader of th...more
I love this series almost as much as I love me some Dresden files, in fact I started reading Sandman Slim as a fix to hold me over till Ghost Story. It worked a little too good and now I crave it almost as much. The two stories only share a genre, nothing else. Let me say for the record I'm not comparing them.
This book starts slow, painfully slow, and I think that's what the author was going for. Our "hero" and current leader of th...more
Sep 12, 2012
Tizroc
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
To anyone who has read the previous books in the series.
Recommended to Tizroc by:
My unbridled additicion to reading. I am a junkie and now have to wait till 2013 for my next fix.
THIS REVIEW IS FROM THE AUDIOBOOK from AUDIBLE.COM.
Another awesome addition to the sandman Slim series.
Recently Sandman Slim has been left in charge of "Downtown" as the new Satan. Being seen by the fallen Angels (now demons) as the Monkey in charge hasn't left him many friends. His Angelic half is off causing problems back in LA, The Demon hordes want to put the monkey in his place and if it wasn't for the final gift of the Previous Satan (The Magic Armour) he would be dead several times over.
T...more
Another awesome addition to the sandman Slim series.
Recently Sandman Slim has been left in charge of "Downtown" as the new Satan. Being seen by the fallen Angels (now demons) as the Monkey in charge hasn't left him many friends. His Angelic half is off causing problems back in LA, The Demon hordes want to put the monkey in his place and if it wasn't for the final gift of the Previous Satan (The Magic Armour) he would be dead several times over.
T...more
I think my favourite books in this series so far were 1 and 3. Least favourite, 2. This one, meh. Didn't really like the storyline as much and it didn't really grip me. Didn't stop me looking around for no.5 and being annoyed when I realised I didn't have it, though. I agree with the comment that it's like a B-movie in a book. Sometimes that works for me, but four books in and I'm not 100% convinced.
I have to caveat this by saying that I simultaneously read Cold Days by Jim Butcher - so it may h...more
I have to caveat this by saying that I simultaneously read Cold Days by Jim Butcher - so it may h...more
Sandman Slim is in hell. Again. This time, he's been tricked into running the joint. The supernatural denizens of hell aren't too impressed with a human-ish overlord, and it's a race as to whether physical violence or intolerable bureaucracy will kill him first.
This is the fourth instalment in the Sandman Slim series, and an enjoyable read. I found the first half of the book dragged on a bit too much, Kadrey kept turning the tension up further and further without any release. Then I hit the seco...more
This is the fourth instalment in the Sandman Slim series, and an enjoyable read. I found the first half of the book dragged on a bit too much, Kadrey kept turning the tension up further and further without any release. Then I hit the seco...more
The 4th Sandman Slim novel by Richard Kadrey, "Devil Said Bang" maybe one of the more tedious reads I've ever had. The book deals with James Stark who in his role as Lucifer is trying to get out of Hell again & also to reconnect with the loves of his life in modern day LA. Kadrey's story isn't badly done & is full of action, intrigue & an occasion act of love. However, where things run afoul is that the story is all 1 long chapter with no breaks. It forces you as a reader to almost r...more
I've been a fan of the Sandman Slim but this book was a jumbled pity party. Sandman slim was better when he was driven by his anger at the world and those that had wronged him. The emo version of Stark that the reader is forced to suffer in this book is not the same guy. Somewhere in the endless complaining I think I saw something that looked like a plot but it’s hard to be sure. I vaguely remember something about reality threatening to unravel and random appearances by volcanoes, icebergs, and...more
This is the fourth book in the series. The snappy noirish dialogue is still there but this one is a little slower paced, not hitting its frenetic stride until halfway through the book. The central drive to the plot is a lot subtler and a lot less dickish. I would have liked a well formed "mystery" like in many of the good old noirs but this was still good.
Reminds me of a cross between Philip Kerr's metaphysical book on killing God or Charles Bukowski crossed with a modern sensibility of Hayter....more
Reminds me of a cross between Philip Kerr's metaphysical book on killing God or Charles Bukowski crossed with a modern sensibility of Hayter....more
4.5 stars
This is the 4th book in the Sandman Slim series by Kadrey. I got an eGalley for review from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This one started off a little slower than previous books, but really picked up speed as the book went on. I ended up loving this one just as much as previous books. It’s gritty, darkly humorous, and Stark is the perfect anti-hero.
The book starts with Stark down in Hell trying to do his job as Lucifer. When he finds out Lucifer mainly does a lot of p...more
This is the 4th book in the Sandman Slim series by Kadrey. I got an eGalley for review from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This one started off a little slower than previous books, but really picked up speed as the book went on. I ended up loving this one just as much as previous books. It’s gritty, darkly humorous, and Stark is the perfect anti-hero.
The book starts with Stark down in Hell trying to do his job as Lucifer. When he finds out Lucifer mainly does a lot of p...more
1 like · like · see review
4 Stars
I am giving this book 4 stars even though I really enjoy Sandman Slim at the 5 star level. This book by its very nature of taking place after Aloha from Hell(book 3) which ended many of the main story lines is at a disadvantage. It does bring to conclusion the few remaining open ends and really brings Sandman Slim back to his center but offers up little extra.
This is a fun read that takes place first in Hell and then back on the streets of LA. Without spoilers James Stark spends much of t...more
I am giving this book 4 stars even though I really enjoy Sandman Slim at the 5 star level. This book by its very nature of taking place after Aloha from Hell(book 3) which ended many of the main story lines is at a disadvantage. It does bring to conclusion the few remaining open ends and really brings Sandman Slim back to his center but offers up little extra.
This is a fun read that takes place first in Hell and then back on the streets of LA. Without spoilers James Stark spends much of t...more
4 likes · like · see review
cigarettes are called Maledictions in this book.
that should tell you a lot.
cigarettes are called Maledictions in this whole series, though, and i'm 83% certain that the stars i'm giving for this book is really a knee-jerk to richard kadrey's snappy dialogue and cool, in general, and not to this book, exclusively.
when i watch Equilibrium, i know what i want: badassery and cool toys. and i get those things here, plus the wonderfully idiosyncratic language that immediately tells me this is kadrey...more
that should tell you a lot.
cigarettes are called Maledictions in this whole series, though, and i'm 83% certain that the stars i'm giving for this book is really a knee-jerk to richard kadrey's snappy dialogue and cool, in general, and not to this book, exclusively.
when i watch Equilibrium, i know what i want: badassery and cool toys. and i get those things here, plus the wonderfully idiosyncratic language that immediately tells me this is kadrey...more
Stark,
Can we get married, or at least break some furniture? I swear I love you and your ways. Because of my love for you, I endured page after page of Devil Said Bang, knowing it would finally find its cohesive fluidity. It kinda did, but not really. Surely this is because I didn't revisit the last installment, and that caused me to be lost in a few places. It most certainly wasn't your tangent action sequences that just happened without enough back story. It is ok. I still adore you.
This isn't...more
Can we get married, or at least break some furniture? I swear I love you and your ways. Because of my love for you, I endured page after page of Devil Said Bang, knowing it would finally find its cohesive fluidity. It kinda did, but not really. Surely this is because I didn't revisit the last installment, and that caused me to be lost in a few places. It most certainly wasn't your tangent action sequences that just happened without enough back story. It is ok. I still adore you.
This isn't...more
A gloriously trashy mix of mythology, theology, guns, motorbikes and lots and lots of blood. Don't expect high literature and don't bother if you haven't read any of the previous books in the series. Sometimes you want a steak, and sometimes you just want a hot and greasy burger that's really, really bad for you. This book is a quarter pounder with cheese.
Note: if you read the Kindle version when it first came out and got a bit confused when Stark seemed to leap from one situation to another an...more
Oct 10, 2012
Shara
marked it as dnf
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Getting out of hell is just the beginning...
What do you do after you've escaped Hell, gone back, uncovered the true nature of God, and then managed to become the new Lucifer?
Well, if you're James Stark, you have to figure out how to run Hell while also trying to get back out of it . . . again. Plus there's the small matter of surviving. Because everyone in Heaven, Hell, and in between wants to be the fastest gun in the universe, and the best way to do so is to ta...more
What do you do after you've escaped Hell, gone back, uncovered the true nature of God, and then managed to become the new Lucifer?
Well, if you're James Stark, you have to figure out how to run Hell while also trying to get back out of it . . . again. Plus there's the small matter of surviving. Because everyone in Heaven, Hell, and in between wants to be the fastest gun in the universe, and the best way to do so is to ta...more
Devil Said Bang was my least favorite of the series thus far. I feel like the plot never really came together. Lots of things happened but there was no real order to it. This book was like two separate novellas that were loosely tied together and I hate to sund pretentious but it didn't work for me. I think that the actual novella, The Devil in the Dollhouse and the first half of this book work better together. I don't understand why Stark became Lucifer. It didn't develop the character at all....more
I have enjoyed this series. This book, however, there seemed to be something missing. Stark is his usual sarcastic, witty self but the first half of the book dealt with his trying to figure out a way to get out of his gig as Lucifer and the other trying to figure out who was sending him cryptic messages. This book was all about Stark, no meetings between conspirators, nothing that would suggest anyone was trying to get to him, just that they were. There is only so much you can take with respect...more
If you don't like Sandman Slim, don't read on. That's my caveat.
This was a VERY satisfying ending to the cliff hanger that was left in Aloha From Hell: it settled the points, did more of that awesomeness that Stark is known for, and ... it was kinda interesting. It ends a bit up beat. Life is finally going right for James Stark. It ain't perfect, but if you expected that from his previous books...
I'll leave questions about your intelligence on the wayside.
I devoured it in a single sitting, beca...more
This was a VERY satisfying ending to the cliff hanger that was left in Aloha From Hell: it settled the points, did more of that awesomeness that Stark is known for, and ... it was kinda interesting. It ends a bit up beat. Life is finally going right for James Stark. It ain't perfect, but if you expected that from his previous books...
I'll leave questions about your intelligence on the wayside.
I devoured it in a single sitting, beca...more
A good installment in the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey. In this one, Sandman has been made King of Hell and has to find a way to get back home to Candy and his other friends. But, when he does, LA is not a much better place...same amount of backstabber and evil going on. I always like the characters in this series....lots of ones who make you think of the lyric "Freedom's just another word for something left to lose." Yet, despite their continual disappointments, they keep slogging away...more
This 4th book in the series which started with Sandman Slim, was as enjoyable as the others. We meet some new characters, but some of our favorites (whether to love or hate and shake our heads at) are still with us. Our hero- James Stark aka Sandman Slim- is stuck in his new job running Hell and trying to avoid assassination attempts. He is still a little challenged on thinking things through, although he can be very clever in outwitting his enemies. As the story progresses, he seems to start ma...more
Devil Said Bang by Richard Kadrey (HarperVoyager) is the fourth novel in the Sandman Slim series about James Stark, a Nephilim (half angel/half human), the only live person ever sent to Hell who then broke out. In Aloha From Hell, Stark found God (literally) and when Lucifer left town was anointed the new Lucifer—which does not make him happy for a number of reasons, including the fact that there seems to be plot to kill him. Meantime, back in L.A. a serial killing ghost is loose and someone els...more
There is hardly a part of poor James Stark that has not been shot, cut, set on fire, hacked off, or sent to live in Burbank.
There is no weird woman in Los Angeles he has no history with, no kind of supernatural life he has not kicked the ass of, no lame bar where he has not had a drink, no clever but tough yet deep inside nice bartender he has not hit for a smoke, no repulsive act he has not commited.
You get the same thing as in the other three books. Extra noir dialogue, smartassness, a clever...more
There is no weird woman in Los Angeles he has no history with, no kind of supernatural life he has not kicked the ass of, no lame bar where he has not had a drink, no clever but tough yet deep inside nice bartender he has not hit for a smoke, no repulsive act he has not commited.
You get the same thing as in the other three books. Extra noir dialogue, smartassness, a clever...more
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Richard Kadrey is a freelance photographer and writer living in San Francisco. He photographs under the name Kaos Beauty Klinik. His new novel is Sandman Slim (Eos, 2009).
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“Hell didn't make me a monster. It just confirmed all my worst fears about myself.”
—
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