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23rd out of 85 books
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Thicker Than Water (Felix Castor #4)
by
Mike Carey
In the fourth gripping book in how much is the only question. Not the best of times, then, for an unwelcome confrontation with his holier-than-thou brother, Matthew, and just when he thinks things can't possibly get any worse, along comes Father Gwillam and the Anathemata. Oh joy.
Paperback, 504 pages
Published
July 9th 2010
by Little, Brown Book Group
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This fourth book in the Felix Castor series is my favorite so far. The occult is not my favorite urban fantasy subject, but the exorcist theme works for me in these books. I also love the depiction of modern-day London and the British slang, and that the story has a nice mix of fantasy and the prosaic.
This is richly written and suspenseful. It's very focused on Castor himself, and the other characterizations are admittedly a bit neglected. There seems to have been an off-camera recon...more
This is richly written and suspenseful. It's very focused on Castor himself, and the other characterizations are admittedly a bit neglected. There seems to have been an off-camera recon...more
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Mike Carey's Felix "Fix" Castor series is one that is maturing nicely. In Thicker Than Water, Fix's fourth outing, he finds himself--much against his will--thrust back into his own past, dredging up memories he'd just as soon remained submerged and forcing a deeper examination of his own ghosts than he'd prefer.
DS Gary Coldwell, Fix's sometimes grudging friend and ally on the police force, awakens him in the middle of the night to call him in to do a reading at a crime scen...more
DS Gary Coldwell, Fix's sometimes grudging friend and ally on the police force, awakens him in the middle of the night to call him in to do a reading at a crime scen...more
The fourth in the Felix Castor series, this is by far the best and most consistent in the series, with no mistakes (editing gaffes?) like with the 2nd and 3rd books. It is also the darkest in the series (so far), that starts with a bloody murder victim writing Castor's name on the windshield and ends with a riot in a housing complex.
Characters good and bad come back, like Castor's brother Father Matt, Father Gwillam, and (unfortunately) Basquiat, the overly determined cop with a heart ...more
Characters good and bad come back, like Castor's brother Father Matt, Father Gwillam, and (unfortunately) Basquiat, the overly determined cop with a heart ...more
Hali Sowle
rated it
The fourth in the Felix Castor series sees Felix returning, briefly, to his roots and reliving some of the "joy" he had as a child. We also be a bit more of brother Matt, or rather Father Matt, his brother the priest and the return of Gwillam and his religious zelots. When an old "buddy" of Fix's is almost murdered and leaves F Castor written in blood on his windshield all attention turns to Fix but even though Fix has an alibi he can't use it since what he was doing was no...more
Well, the shit really hits the fan in this one. Felix "Fix" Castor, exorcist-extraordinaire is faced with a massive entity that is causing havoc in the Salisbury Estate in South London. He is also implicated in the mysterious stabbing death of a former childhood nemesis, who happens to have lived in the Salisbury. Fix goes to investigate and runs into Father Gwillam, the Pope's favorite exorcist and his band of soldiers. Then Fix's older brother, Father Matthew, shows up too and Fix is...more
This is the fourth in the Felix Castor series and the best so far. And why is that?
Well, first of all, he is pulling together all his themes into a very cogent universe with a hint at a big back story to come. A major twist at the end of the book tells us something important about his demon world that shifts our perception and reminds us that this is the graphic novelist who brought us Constantine. I can't tell you more because I am not into spoilers. The surprise is part of the fun....more
Well, first of all, he is pulling together all his themes into a very cogent universe with a hint at a big back story to come. A major twist at the end of the book tells us something important about his demon world that shifts our perception and reminds us that this is the graphic novelist who brought us Constantine. I can't tell you more because I am not into spoilers. The surprise is part of the fun....more
The 4th Felix (Fix) Castor Novel. Brilliant continuation of the series. While it could, perhaps, be read as a standalone novel, I would highly recommend reading the first three (The Devil You Know; Vicious Circle; Dead Men's Boots) to get the full backstory. Fix is once more out of his depth but keeps barrelling through, determined to solve the problem. Something is causing the inhabitants of a London towerblock estate to go on a rampage, but it's not what Fix thought it was.
Perhap...more
Perhap...more
Darker and more cynical than Harry Dresden of Jim Butcher's the Dresden Files, Mike Carey's Felix Castor novels are always interesting, and keep me guessing until the end. We got to learn more about Fix himself in this one, which shed a lot of light on the person he is. I have always thought that Matt, Felix's brother, was an interesting character, and he played a main role in this story. Also, we got to meet Mrs. Castor, and see the streets of Liverpool, where the two boys grew up. All in all, ...more
The idea of an exorcist whose main beef is the human establishment and a renegade sect of self-appointed Vatican knights, and only reluctantly taking on the occasional demon or ghost because he has a soft spot for ghosts and demons is pretty comical in itself. But in the hands of the witty Mike Carey you will laugh outright at the pickles of his improbable hero, Felix Castor.
But like his previous three Castor books, this is a horror thriller, and Carey's success lies in the way he ba...more
But like his previous three Castor books, this is a horror thriller, and Carey's success lies in the way he ba...more
Fourth in the series following the noir exploits of Felix 'Fix' Castor, tin-whistling freelance exorcist. There's a really louche charm to these books that's entirely generated by Fix being a great narrator. He's the dry, dogged door to an increasingly well realised world where werewolves, ghosts, and demons are commonplace. This time, Fix's family play a larger role than before, and we get to see some of what it was like growing up in Liverpool, adding previously unseen layers to his charact...more
Felix "Fix" Castor is back in a new exorcist adventure, more gloomy and noir-ish than ever. I grew tired of awaiting the 4th book to be published in the U.S., so when I found a cheap UK paperback I snatched it up.
All the principal characters return, but the focus this time is squarely upon Felix himself. The reader gets to see Felix and his upbringing in Liverpool, as the case he's on takes him to his old stomping grounds. Because Carey focuses so much time on Felix, the...more
All the principal characters return, but the focus this time is squarely upon Felix himself. The reader gets to see Felix and his upbringing in Liverpool, as the case he's on takes him to his old stomping grounds. Because Carey focuses so much time on Felix, the...more
This was my least favourite of the series so far. It was very slow to start and heavy on the exposition. Soon as Fix visited his mother, I knew where everything was heading & I think that was a bit too soon in the story for that. I did think the end was excellent & I'm glad the next book is on its way.
I am hoping that the tired and hoary plot device of the detective being suspected by the authorities of perpetrating the crime he's investigating will not make another appearance in thi...more
I am hoping that the tired and hoary plot device of the detective being suspected by the authorities of perpetrating the crime he's investigating will not make another appearance in thi...more
Being an exorcist means Felix Castor can usually be relied on when there is something ghostly going on. It comes as a bit of a surprise when his name turns up written in blood by a man he hasn’t seen or heard of for nearly twenty years. Called to the scene as a consultant with the Met, he now finds he has to defend himself from accusations of assault and no clue as to what happened. And something strange is going on in the surrounding estate. Names and faces from a painful past come to the f...more
As series go, it's often hard to top the first book, but Mike Carey's "Thicker Than Water" comes close to knocking "The Devil You Know" off the throne. Not quite, but close. While it doesn't have as much action as his first three books, "Thicker Than Water" loses none of its charm or gritty noir feel. What the book lacks for in good ol' supernatural action and exorcism, it makes up for in mystery that will keep you guessing along with Felix Castor, the series protag...more
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Wow, so I knew the twist was coming, and I thought I knew what it was, but 1.) I did not know what it was, and 2.) I'm so, so glad I didn't get it right. This is another excellent Mike Carey book in the Felix Castor series. I will admit to being a bit stunned in the beginning. It seemed as though a lot had changed and some of it was strange and confusing. Occasionally, when I start a Felix Castor book, I'm not entirely on board at the beginning. I just have hope that it will get better. This boo...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Carey has taken the criticism of his characterization abilities to heart and overcompensated. We're all about reveling in sordid memories of the past and formative influences in this book. And it still has that slightly irritating denouement-through-new-metaphysics thing going on, though at least in this case it also comes as a surprise to the protagonist. And, dammit, it's a really good read.
A touch of dark humor lightens the grimness of the story line, but the high stakes Carey sets for his protagonist insure that not everything could possibly be wrapped up neatly by the conclusion. The author has mastered the challenge of incorporating the paranormal into a modern urban setting, and his refusal to pull punches makes this a harder-hitting genre entry than many others.
B+
B+
Tonya
rated it
While we don't see much of the usual side characters in this novel, we do get a very interesting and rich look into Fix's childhood. I reads like a Stephen King 'childhood is a hell that you can't ever escape' scenario in all the best ways. There are also some, what I would consider startling, revelations in the book and the ending leaves me eager to read the next installment.
"I did what I had to do, which -when it comes right down to it- is the epitaph to most of my days."
When a dying man writes his name in blood on a windshield, supernatural detective Felix Castor is under suspicion. His search for the truth leads to run-ins with zombies, werewolves, demons, and fellow exorcists as well as a trip back to his childhood home of Liverpool. More action-packed fun with the wise-cracking ghost buster.
When a dying man writes his name in blood on a windshield, supernatural detective Felix Castor is under suspicion. His search for the truth leads to run-ins with zombies, werewolves, demons, and fellow exorcists as well as a trip back to his childhood home of Liverpool. More action-packed fun with the wise-cracking ghost buster.
Felix Castor is back and yet again he's in trouble with the law. This time they suspect him of the murder of a former boyhood acquaintance. As is usually the case with Carey's novels, you don't want to put this down and anything else goes out the window as you accompany Felix Castor on his adventure to root out the truth. Ghosts, demons and exorcisms. What more could you want.
The story this time around felt shallow - more like a short story than the usually more complicated plots that Carey delivers. Besides that, it just flat out wasn't as interesting and fun as the previous three installments. It was, dare I say, boring. The final few pages nearly make it all worth it though! You'll see...
Another excellent book in the Felix Castor series. This book was a great addition to an already fantastic series. There are some excellent and surprising reveals about Fix and the world he inhabits and a blowout ending to set up the next book. Mike Carey has a unique approach to urban fantasy. If you're a fan of Harry Dresden, you'd do well to check out this series.
Carey raises the stakes for his characters in this installment of the Castor novels, exploring the bonds of friendship and gradually raising the curtain on some of the more exotic aspects of his magic system. The world continues to feel fantastical, the characters prove interesting foils to each other, and overarching plot threads are advanced as well as the arc contained within the novel itself.
How a guilt-ridden, widely disliked, professionally conflicted, often friendless, drunken exorcist can be such an appealing character is beyond me. Mike Carey's Felix Castor is a brilliantly written anti-hero: a fundamentally decent guy who's made a lot of bad choices and alienated almost everyone he's ever met. His complicated personality is what makes this gritty series work.
The other significant factor is Carey's exceptional skills as a writer, which include vivid descriptions, be...more
The other significant factor is Carey's exceptional skills as a writer, which include vivid descriptions, be...more
First Castor book that I read (unavailable on audio - damn shame) but luckily I could still hear that posh British accent in my mind. Advancing the larger plot and more of an "origin story" for Fix but not the best individual plot. I get it though -- setting up for the big showdown!
More nasty goings on for Fix and co.
Some big reveals for readers and more backstory for Fix and family...and some unexpected deaths
At times there's a hint at Carey going semi-autobiographical during a vist to Liverpool.
Good cliffhanger ending, the 5th in the series should be interesting.
Some big reveals for readers and more backstory for Fix and family...and some unexpected deaths
At times there's a hint at Carey going semi-autobiographical during a vist to Liverpool.
Good cliffhanger ending, the 5th in the series should be interesting.
I can see I'm going to hate cataloging - trying to figure out which tag or "shelf" to apply is frustrating.
I enjoy the "Felix Castor" series, nominally three stars, but the cliff-hanger bumped this one to four stars. Especially if you've been reading through the series.
I enjoy the "Felix Castor" series, nominally three stars, but the cliff-hanger bumped this one to four stars. Especially if you've been reading through the series.
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Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comi...more
More about Mike Carey...
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comi...more
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