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32nd out of 292 books
—
417 voters
Agents of Light and Darkness (Nightside #2)
The New York Times bestselling author takes readers back to the Nightside.
A quest for the Unholy Grail-the goblet from which Judas drank at the Last Supper-takes private eye John Taylor deep into the secret, magical heart of London...called the Nightside.
A quest for the Unholy Grail-the goblet from which Judas drank at the Last Supper-takes private eye John Taylor deep into the secret, magical heart of London...called the Nightside.
Paperback, 233 pages
Published
October 28th 2003
by Ace
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This is the second book in multi-volume series by Simon R. Green. The story once again follows the almost always abstruse John Taylor, the private detective who is really good at finding things. In the first book you learn John is a former Nightside badass who in his time away from the Nightside developed a conscious. He went back into the disturbing scene that is the Nightside to help someone in need. Agents of Light and Darkness follows a similar premise, except on a larger scale. This time it...more
As I think I've mentioned somewhere before, I am the biggest sucker for pulp fiction. Simon R. Green's Nightside series take pulp fiction an extra step & meld it to the supernatural and the weird sci-fi realm. You may be a little lost if Agents of Light and Darkness is where you start in the series; I would definitely start with the first one "Something From the Nightside" and go through the books in order.
In this episode, our hero, John Taylor, is back in the Nightside again, and finds hims...more
In this episode, our hero, John Taylor, is back in the Nightside again, and finds hims...more
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Well this is the 2nd in the Nightside series of books and I must say its an improvement over the first in my mind. The Nightside is still a world of greys where things are never quite explained enough for my liking but the story definately worked better for me here, A lot of the characters from the first book reappeared which I think helps ease you into the book as things immediately feel familiar, and while I am atheist I can enjoy stories written around idea's about religion as long as they st...more
This series has promise as it is full of interesting ideas and settings, but the author seems dead set against examining them in depth. Ideas and settings that could fill an entire novel are explored in a matter of pages and dismissed. The world of the Nightside is presented as something extremely old and filled with interesting characters and story lines. Yet in book two, the size of the world already feels small as we are already re-visiting many of the same locales and characters from the fi...more
John Taylor is back in the Nightside with his ability to find anything, anything at all, anywhere.
Which makes him in high demand when the Grail disappears – the Unholy Grail. The cup that Judas drank from. A cup that corrupts all those around it, a cup that could very well bring about the end of the world.
It’s in the Nightside and lots of people want it. More than people – the Angels of Light and Darkness want it as well – and they’re willing to rip apart the entire Nightside to get it. They’re...more
Which makes him in high demand when the Grail disappears – the Unholy Grail. The cup that Judas drank from. A cup that corrupts all those around it, a cup that could very well bring about the end of the world.
It’s in the Nightside and lots of people want it. More than people – the Angels of Light and Darkness want it as well – and they’re willing to rip apart the entire Nightside to get it. They’re...more
Agents of Light and Darkness is the second book in Simon Green's Nightside series. Here's my review from Audible. It pretty much says it all.
"I just can't decide"
Parts of these stories are so well told it can bring a tear to your eye and part of it feels repetitive and part of it bugs me to no end. You'll have to find the good bits on your own. I'm not going to spoil it.
The repetitive, is the instance that anything out of this world is possible in the Nightside. That's fine, I got it the first...more
"I just can't decide"
Parts of these stories are so well told it can bring a tear to your eye and part of it feels repetitive and part of it bugs me to no end. You'll have to find the good bits on your own. I'm not going to spoil it.
The repetitive, is the instance that anything out of this world is possible in the Nightside. That's fine, I got it the first...more
The last chapter of this book is worthy of 5 stars, that's how amazing it is! I don't think I've ever seen a better representation of Jesus's character in a non-Christian book than right there in that chapter. No, the story is not Biblical and I know that, so please don't send me messages regaling me for thinking so. But at the same time, the last chapter contains what to me is exactly what Jesus's character, love, and forgiveness CAN do.
The second to last chapter was not so cool, and in fact I...more
The second to last chapter was not so cool, and in fact I...more
There were angels all over the Nightside, crossing the night sky n such numbers that they blocked out the stars in places. At first, people came out into the streets, laughing and pointing, marvelling and loudly blaspheming, and more often than not discussing ways to profit from the new situation. And then the angels started dropping down into the Nightside like birds of prey, winged Furies in search of information and retribution, and God and the Devil help anyone who dared refuse them.
In the s...more
In the s...more
Honestly, rating this book was hard. Three stars was the low end, four stars would have been the higher end. I went with three only because this book did seem a bit repetitive. It's short, and a quick read, so it should not be repetitive. Another issue with the novel is his search for his mother. It's like the author already had a huge plan for what would happen when Taylor found his mother but did not want to give the plot too soon. The third, and I swear the last, issue was that it was predict...more
Second in the Nightside urban fantasy series taking place in the Nightside, a far from salubrious neighborhood located under the Underground in a contemporary England.
The underlying theme in the Nightside is John's hunt for information about his Mother. A being who terrifies him but for some reason he needs to learn more about her. Green sparks our curiosity in Something From the Night Side and Mean Streets: Difference a Day Makes and continues it with the absolute refusal of everyone to comme...more
The underlying theme in the Nightside is John's hunt for information about his Mother. A being who terrifies him but for some reason he needs to learn more about her. Green sparks our curiosity in Something From the Night Side and Mean Streets: Difference a Day Makes and continues it with the absolute refusal of everyone to comme...more
"Agents of Light and Darkness" is the second novel of the "Nightside" series by Simon R. Green, but it can be read as a stand-alone adventure as well. Nightside is a hidden part of London, which is actually bigger than the city itself and is populated by all kind of creatures and beings from all kind of places and times. The most important character is likely John Taylor, a detective who can find really anything. Now he'll have to defend his reputation, however. A mysterious man called Jude clai...more
This is the second book in the Nightside series by Simon Green. This was a great book; much in par with the first book.
John Taylor is good at finding things; anything. When he is contacted by the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, the most vile and evil of artifacts, he knows he is in trouble. The Unholy Grail is somewhere in the Nightside and everyone who is anyone is trying to get their hands on it. With the assistance of Shotgun Suzie, John starts the long dangerous quest to find the Unholy gr...more
John Taylor is good at finding things; anything. When he is contacted by the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, the most vile and evil of artifacts, he knows he is in trouble. The Unholy Grail is somewhere in the Nightside and everyone who is anyone is trying to get their hands on it. With the assistance of Shotgun Suzie, John starts the long dangerous quest to find the Unholy gr...more
The second John Taylor novel has our protagonist back in the Nightside on a regular basis, which is a transition from the introductory novel, in which he had returned to the Nightside only hesitantly to do a job for a client.
In this story more of his secretive magical powers are revealed as the story progresses and we get to revisit some of the characters introduced in the initial offering by Simon Green: Shotgun Suzie, Razor Eddie, Walker, and the Collector. We are also introduced to a few oth...more
In this story more of his secretive magical powers are revealed as the story progresses and we get to revisit some of the characters introduced in the initial offering by Simon Green: Shotgun Suzie, Razor Eddie, Walker, and the Collector. We are also introduced to a few oth...more
A fast read, but not necessarily a good one.
The omnibus edition is definitely not a good idea - I think that if I'd read this some considerable time after reading Something from the Nightside, I would've liked it better. As it stands, reading one on the heels of the other, I noticed a LOT of passages lifted directly from the first book - whole descriptions that were exactly like the original descriptions from the first book, right down to talking about Razor Eddie and how flies fall out of the a...more
The omnibus edition is definitely not a good idea - I think that if I'd read this some considerable time after reading Something from the Nightside, I would've liked it better. As it stands, reading one on the heels of the other, I noticed a LOT of passages lifted directly from the first book - whole descriptions that were exactly like the original descriptions from the first book, right down to talking about Razor Eddie and how flies fall out of the a...more
Still not entirely sure what to make of Simon Green's magical noir series. It's part 1920's-style noir detective fiction, with a heavy dose of modern urban fantasy, and a touch of sci-fi tossed in for fun that I'm not really sure works. Green seems to be tossing in every possible fantastic element he can think of to populate his "Nightside", which is sort of a City on the Edge of Never, where dark powers walk the streets, Merlin is buried in the basement (still only a minor inconvenience to him)...more
Oct 17, 2011
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Dark Fantasy
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
Gerri Leen
This is the second book in the Nightside series and I liked it more than the first. I'd give this three and a half stars if GoodReads allowed. The first book introduced us both to our first person narrator, John Taylor, private eye, and to his otherworldly home hidden within London the way Harry Potter's Diagon Alley is hidden from the mundane.
The Nightside "is a square mile of narrow streets and back alley in the centre of city linking slums and tenement that were old when the last century was...more
The Nightside "is a square mile of narrow streets and back alley in the centre of city linking slums and tenement that were old when the last century was...more
Angels with Brass Knuckles (3.5 out 5)
As the second book in Simon R. Green’s Nightside series, Agents of Light and Darkness is much better than its debut novel. Green gives us a no bars attached version of the Nightside, where the villains are not as silly as the evil house-monster in the first book. John Taylor, once again, finds himself on a well-paid mission, but this time, he’s hired by an emissary from the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, Judas Iscariot’s cup from the Last Supper. Unfortun...more
As the second book in Simon R. Green’s Nightside series, Agents of Light and Darkness is much better than its debut novel. Green gives us a no bars attached version of the Nightside, where the villains are not as silly as the evil house-monster in the first book. John Taylor, once again, finds himself on a well-paid mission, but this time, he’s hired by an emissary from the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, Judas Iscariot’s cup from the Last Supper. Unfortun...more
you don't like the macabre, stay away from any Nightside book by Simon R. Green. But if you have a good imagination and can shudder well, you'll appreciate Agents of Light and Darkness.
John Taylor is an investigator who works in Nightside, the under underworld below London. It's always 3 AM in Nightside. If you're looking for something kinky, bad, or evil, Nightside is the place to go. Taylor works there, but he's one of the good guys - as much as anyone can be in a place like that. His talent...more
John Taylor is an investigator who works in Nightside, the under underworld below London. It's always 3 AM in Nightside. If you're looking for something kinky, bad, or evil, Nightside is the place to go. Taylor works there, but he's one of the good guys - as much as anyone can be in a place like that. His talent...more
Angels and Demons come to the nightside... looking for the Unholy Grail, and they're making a real mess. John Taylor to the rescue!
After being a recluctant visitor last time, Taylor seems to have embraced the Nightside, which is a pretty big change without much explanation... those it's implied this book takes place some time (maybe a year) after the 1st, so I guess that's ok.
Good story, which continues to flesh out the most important character in the book (the Nightside itself), with a fun endi...more
After being a recluctant visitor last time, Taylor seems to have embraced the Nightside, which is a pretty big change without much explanation... those it's implied this book takes place some time (maybe a year) after the 1st, so I guess that's ok.
Good story, which continues to flesh out the most important character in the book (the Nightside itself), with a fun endi...more
Overall, I liked Agents of Light and Darkness. The plot moved quickly forward, something was always happening. There were no stale, dragging moments. The action was great!
However, I found that I just couldn't connect to the main character, at all. Even though he was supposed to be in great danger very often, I never actually felt that he was. And, this was confirmed by the times when he used his power to destroy what was described as a terrible, awful threat within the span of a paragraph and n...more
However, I found that I just couldn't connect to the main character, at all. Even though he was supposed to be in great danger very often, I never actually felt that he was. And, this was confirmed by the times when he used his power to destroy what was described as a terrible, awful threat within the span of a paragraph and n...more
This book is actually the second in the Nightside series but I had to read it first because the book store didn't have the first. That said,
ZOMG IT WAS SO FUN!!!!!!!
John Taylor is a PI that works in Nightside, a city that exists in London for those that seek things that are a little...off. It's always 3:00 am in Nightside, a Biblically fragile time if you believe that sort of thing.
John's a little special and, for once in a character, doesn't apologize for it or for the dark things he sometimes...more
ZOMG IT WAS SO FUN!!!!!!!
John Taylor is a PI that works in Nightside, a city that exists in London for those that seek things that are a little...off. It's always 3:00 am in Nightside, a Biblically fragile time if you believe that sort of thing.
John's a little special and, for once in a character, doesn't apologize for it or for the dark things he sometimes...more
So, this book just didn't live up to my expectations. The concept was interesting enough, and there was plenty of action, but I just kept catching myself rolling my eyes at all the crap that was added in....
There were ghosts, vampires, angels, mummys, werewolves, Merlin, ...you name it, it was in here. There was even a frankenstein monster, ordering a can of oil in a bar. Really? You couldn't edit any of that out? I kept waiting for Green to poke fun of himself by having a kitchen sink monster....more
There were ghosts, vampires, angels, mummys, werewolves, Merlin, ...you name it, it was in here. There was even a frankenstein monster, ordering a can of oil in a bar. Really? You couldn't edit any of that out? I kept waiting for Green to poke fun of himself by having a kitchen sink monster....more
This is the second book in the series and you should go back and read numer one first to get a feel for the atmosphere. Once again Green keeps me interested by bringing new charaters to play. This guy has really got an imagination. I did like this book and do plan on reading more in the future it's just that someone has them all checked out right now and is taking their sweet time with them. That is so rude! I understand that it is frustrating to be in a series and go to the library hyped up abo...more
I am always amazed at any writer that can put together 200 pages worth of thoughts into a coherent, cohesive and interesting story line. I doubt very much that I have in me what it takes to put together anything that is a fraction as good as the lowest rated books that I have ever read.
That being said, it amazes me further when an author can take those few pages and the few words on those pages and weave not only a theme worth following, but an entire previously undefined world and in such intri...more
That being said, it amazes me further when an author can take those few pages and the few words on those pages and weave not only a theme worth following, but an entire previously undefined world and in such intri...more
Angels are attacking the Nightside. These aren't caring, gauardian-type, every-time-a-bell-rings angels, but incredibly violent agents of their respective master's will, the masters being God or Satan. From a mortals perspective, it's a toss-up as to which is worse. The supreme being in this book is the vengeful smiter of the Old Testament and Satan is, well, Satan.
First the negative. Sometimes this book seems to be a series of vignettes strung together along an overly simplistic plotline. Some...more
First the negative. Sometimes this book seems to be a series of vignettes strung together along an overly simplistic plotline. Some...more
John Taylor gets hired by a priest from the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, the cup Judas drank from at the last supper. Standing in Taylor's way are all the other people looking for the Grail: Walker from the Authorities, angels from Above and Below, Nasty Jack, and others. With Suzie Shooter at his side, can Taylor find the Grail and walk out of this situation alive?
Agents of Light and Darkness is like a Ramones song. Short but, at the same time, the perfect length. Both the humor and horror...more
Agents of Light and Darkness is like a Ramones song. Short but, at the same time, the perfect length. Both the humor and horror...more
Angels have invaded the Nightside. Angels from both above and below; and they're searching for something. As luck would have it, John Taylor is searching for the same item. And, he needs to find it before either set of angels finds it. If he doesn't then there could be serious consequences for the entire world - Armageddon type consequences.
I listened to this book a couple of weeks ago (I'm a wee bit behind on my blogging). It's a fairly short listen but it's a good listen. This is just the seco...more
I listened to this book a couple of weeks ago (I'm a wee bit behind on my blogging). It's a fairly short listen but it's a good listen. This is just the seco...more
Agents of Light and Darkness was not as good as the first book in the series. Though I liked the idea and finish of the story a lot more this time I found John's constant need to remind us how life is like in Nightside tiring. We get it, people come to Nightside to do bad things, it's dark, it's full of neon lights, you can't trust people, blah blah blah. One should not repeat themselves so much in such a short novel.
I did like that we got to learn a lot more about Suzie and Merlin. He did flush...more
I did like that we got to learn a lot more about Suzie and Merlin. He did flush...more
While book 1 of the Nightside introduced us to this strange underbellyof a world, book 2 throws us straight into the mix.
John is mixed up in a case to find the missing Grail, the Unholy Grail that is, the last cup used by Judas at the last supper. He is hired by the Vatican to locate the Grail and along the way falls into bad company with Angels (again both Holy and Fallen) also on the lookout for the Grail.
Always a fun if not overly comfortable read, we see more of Suzie Shotgun and are intro...more
John is mixed up in a case to find the missing Grail, the Unholy Grail that is, the last cup used by Judas at the last supper. He is hired by the Vatican to locate the Grail and along the way falls into bad company with Angels (again both Holy and Fallen) also on the lookout for the Grail.
Always a fun if not overly comfortable read, we see more of Suzie Shotgun and are intro...more
This is the second of Simon Green's Nightside novels. Our hero, John Taylor is a typical private eye with a dark past and a unique talent for finding things - trouble being the most common among his finds. The Nightside is a distinctly paranormal realm somewhere in the heart of our world's London and a sometimes reluctant Taylor's home base. When rumor has it that the unholy grail, the cup from which Judas drank at the last supper, has found it's way to the Nightside, all hell (and a good chunk...more
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Simon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted...more
More about Simon R. Green...
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted...more
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“It's tucked away in a quiet corner, shadowed and obscured, no part of the Nightside's usual bright gaudy neon noir. It doesn't advertise and it doesn't care if you habitually pass by on the other side. It's just there for when you need it. Dedicated to the patron saint of lost causes, St. Jude's is an old old place... St. Jude's isn't a place for comfort for frills and fancies and the trappings of religion. just a place where you can talk to your god and sometimes get an answer.”
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8 people liked it
“It's always thoughts of family that drive me crazy, and it's always my friends who bring me back.
Agents of Light and Darkness p.218”
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6 people liked it
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Agents of Light and Darkness p.218”
