Sandman Slim (Sandman Slim, #1)

Jul 15, 2011

Stephen rated it

Shelves: ebooks, audiobook, fantasy, 2006-2010, dark-and-gritty, hardboiled-and-noir, angels-demons-heaven-hell

WOWZA!! Rarely have I encountered a main character so loaded with ANGSTY RAGENESS and OMNIDIRECTIONAL BADITUDE as James Stark (aka Sandman Slim). I mean this guy is full of ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!...and it works...mostly.

Now let me say at the outset that I don’t read a ton of Keith Urban Fantasy. I enjoy The Dresden Files on a casual, non-rabid, basis and despite wanting to bitch-slap the main character for his all too often bouts of annoying. I really liked The Devil You Know and pl...more

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Dec 09, 2010

Kemper rated it

Shelves: horror, magic

Ever read a book and find yourself thinking, "This is pretty good, but it could have been face-melting awesome."? This is one of those books for me. I really liked it, but found myself picking some serious nits while reading it.

Stark was a magician (a real magician, not a sawing-a-woman-in-half kind) who was madly in love with his girlfriend Alice when he was betrayed by another magician named Mason and some others. Mason managed to send Stark to hell, but as a living pe...moreEver read a book and find yourself thinking, "This is pretty good, but it could have been face-melting awesome."? This is one of those books for me. I really liked it, but found myself picking some serious nits while reading it.

Stark was a magician (a real magician, not a sawing-a-woman-in-half kind) who was madly in love with his girlfriend Alice when he was betrayed by another magician named Mason and some others. Mason managed to send Stark to hell, but as a living person, not a dead soul.

11 years later, Stark learns that Alice has been murdered on Earth by Mason and his pals. Determined to get revenge, Stark breaks out of hell with a magical key that allows him to access almost any point in any dimension. His stay in hell has made him supernaturally tough with an extremely bad attitude, but he soon runs across various angels, demons, monsters, alchemists, magicians, Nazi skin-heads and porn shop owners that he has to deal with as he learns that there may be something much bigger than his revenge at stake.

This had a great concept with a lot of original ideas and some terrific action. Mixing magic with various weapons, including shotguns, makes for some awesome carnage when thing really get rolling.

However, for the first 250 pages or so, Stark just comes across as an unlikeable asshole who blunders about warning his enemies he's back and generally getting his ass kicked. (I've noticed a common factor among supernatural characters like Harry Dresden or Joe Pitt that three-quarters of the books seem to consist of them getting beaten to a pulp by various beasties and this book continues that trend.) The first half of this book consists mainly of Stark complaining about all the clothes he's ruined by getting repeatedly abused.

The author has a bad habit of having Stark do stupid things, that he acknowledges as stupid, just to advance the plot and it's just chalked up to him being 'impulsive'. Plus, there are some serious logic gaps. Stark can access any point in any dimesion with his supernatural key. Yet, he seems to prefer stealing cars. And when he needs to dispose of a body, he steals yet another car and thinks about how many chances he's taking as he drops the body in the La Brea tar pits. Why wouldn't he just use the key and take the body to Antartica or the middle of the Amazon and just dump it? It doesn't help that he uses the key about 5 seconds after dumping the body.

However, the ending redeemed this book a lot. When the action finally starts, it gets massive in scale and imaginative in how weapons and magic could be blended. Stark become a bad-ass anti-hero instead of a whining jerk, and the ending sets up a lot of possibilities. I hope future ones are more like the second half of the book and less like the first half.

Oh, and for you Donald Westlake fans, the main character's name is Stark and one of the bad guys is named Parker. Get it?

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Sep 04, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

I guess I'm just getting old, but I'm so tired. I started 3 (4 if you count Tooth Fairy which I gave all of 2 stars) Urban Fantasies recently...one I took off my books completely as a waste of time and I didn't even bother to rate or review it...another I stopped reading and gave 1 star as another in a long line of anti-hero clones etc...now this one, and it's the same. I don't mind antiheroes, if their good antiheroes. This is another mouthy guy with attitude that I can't find even remotely bel...moreI guess I'm just getting old, but I'm so tired. I started 3 (4 if you count Tooth Fairy which I gave all of 2 stars) Urban Fantasies recently...one I took off my books completely as a waste of time and I didn't even bother to rate or review it...another I stopped reading and gave 1 star as another in a long line of anti-hero clones etc...now this one, and it's the same. I don't mind antiheroes, if their good antiheroes. This is another mouthy guy with attitude that I can't find even remotely believable, in a world where "good is rejected and Satan is seen (again) as a fairly reasonable guy. (Heaven and hell are pretty much the same, attitude wise apparently. I mean he has hell, so I guess he had to have "a heaven"). The "protagonist" opens the book having sneaked out of hell apparently having learned nothing from the experience. I mean hell seems to be pretty much pointless. The first thing the guy informs us is that he hates cops and hero types...but sometimes he has to intervene and do the "right thing". He's explaining why he intervened in a brutal carjacking...shameful for any tough, mouthy, antihero. I just couldn't get involved with this guy or his story.

Maybe I'm too old and have read too much of this crap...but enjoy it if you like. I find it just what I called it above.

There are very, very good urban fantasies out there. It's just too bad they seem to be hard to find. Or maybe I'm just too critical or particular...still, I love some Urban Fantasy books, some are pretty good, some just okay and others I find I wish I hadn't put my time into. If you think it's cool to sneer at life, embrace nihilism, and determine what's right and wrong by your own appetites, enjoy. Not for me. I'm frankly tired of idealization of protagonists who are "cool" because they "get away with it", or however you want to state it.Third loser book in a row and I guess I'm a little tired (have I told you that?). Hope I can find a brain candy book next that I enjoy reading. (less)

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May 04, 2011

Brian rated it

Recommends it for: fans of the Dresden Files series and similar

Profane, violent, sarcastic, hilarious. Kick-ass anti-hero with a heart of, well, maybe not gold, but perhaps hell-fire burnished silver. This very likely the first book of a series.

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Dec 13, 2010

VampAngel rated it

Shelves: reviewed

I'm not sure if I should be giving it 3 or 4 stars. I did enjoy the book a lot, but I have a feeling it is the weakest one in the series, as most first books are.

This book is straight up Urban Fantasy, not a drop of Paranormal Romance in there. This doesn't bug me at all, as I'm as much of a fan of UF as I am of PNR. I've been reading a lot of PNR lately which mostly consists of female main characters kicking ass, although I quite enjoy that I was pleased to read a book with a male ...more

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Nov 22, 2011

Kiesha rated it

Shelves: preternatural, fantasy

This was recommended to me by an Angeleno who adores Los Angeles. One of the things she liked was the spot-on descriptions of and references to places in LA. I liked that part, but not being a hard-core Angeleno, that wasn't as important to me as say, the plot.

The storyline in this book has potential. Think 'Die Hard' meets 'Supernatural' (the television show). Protagonist John Stark escapes from hell where he has spent the past eleven years as a hitman for a dark angel. He heads bac...more

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Feb 22, 2011

Venus Stormborn rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, angels, horror, supernatural, series, urban-fantasy, first-read-by-author, demons

This is one of the bad boys in the paranormal genre - it's grim and gritty, it's violent with crass language and basically with no hint of romance, which seems to dominate supernatural and urban fantasy books nowadays.
It's summed up in - Life sucks and then you die.Meet James Stark, a badass and a so-so magician, who was one day dragged to Hell and dropped in the arena to fight all types of monsters for the amusement of Hellions and serving Azazel one of Lucifer's generals, who sometimes ...more

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Jul 05, 2009

Kat Hooper rated it

“Trust me on this — Hell is a tough room.”

James Stark is back and it's time for heads to roll (literally). His “friends” managed to get him pulled into Hell and he's spent the last 11 years entertaining Lucifer and Beelzebub in the gladiatorial arena, learning plenty of new skills (including how to speak High Hellion, which sounds a lot like barking), and acquiring a couple of useful magical objects. Now he's crawled out of the abyss and he's ready for revenge on those who killed his...more

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Aug 04, 2010

David rated it

In Sandman Slim, Richard Kadrey introduces us to Stark, one of the best badasses ever written. You know this on page one, when Stark -- having just escaped from Hell -- comes to on a pile of burning garbage, and treats being on fire with almost nonchalance.

Stark is human, yet somehow survived being a gladiator in Hell. Having escaped, he's back to kill the circle of magicians that sent him there in the first place and killed his girlfriend.

Before he's done, Stark's shotgun mo...more

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Feb 08, 2012

Matthew L. rated it

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Richard Kadrey is not Richard Hell as I had initially mistakenly thought him to be, but boy these two have a lot in common. Punk rock roots. Insightful meanderings and a familiarity with the seedy underbelly of America. Click. Boom.

My experience with this story was somewhat unique. Someone had given it to me as audiobook and the reader's voice had an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Hell's which is why I made the wrong assumption. Nevertheless it was an interesting case of mistaken iden...more

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Jan 18, 2012

The Reading List (Megan) rated it

Being that this is the first book of the Sandman Slim series, I had average expectations for this book. You know what I mean; "average expectations" seems to be a trend with the first book in any series. Interesting enough to make you want to follow the series, but sort of subpar in the way that all first novels. You're struggling to make sense of the story, learn about the characters, master the world building...

What I didn't expect was for this book to draw me in as early a...moreBeing that this is the first book of the Sandman Slim series, I had average expectations for this book. You know what I mean; "average expectations" seems to be a trend with the first book in any series. Interesting enough to make you want to follow the series, but sort of subpar in the way that all first novels. You're struggling to make sense of the story, learn about the characters, master the world building...

What I didn't expect was for this book to draw me in as early as it did.

You still get a little bit of that in Sandman Slim but what author, Richard Kadrey, does early on is give the audience a good sense of Stark's personality... and personality Stark has.

Each fight scene is amped up with Stark's dark, biting wit. Not that the fight scenes wouldn't be awesome without the running dialogue; but I'm pretty sure that an evil Nazi Kissi demon getting the crap kicked out of it wouldn't normally garnish a snicker, but it does when coupled with Stark's comical and snide comments.

I appreciate how Stark isn't the good guy or the bad guy. He's just the guy avenging his girlfriend's dead. God help you if you are the unlucky bastard who gets in his way.

The world building was also quite enjoyable in this novel. In Stark's world, angels aren't good just for the sake of being good, they're good for the sake of having an ulterior motive, and the demons aren't as bad as you'd think. But one thing's for sure, everyone--angels, demons and even Mason seem to be intent on making Stark's life a living hell on earth.

Stark is a magician and not the type that does kids shows. He's the type of magician that can transcend realms and shoot flaming balls of energy during a high powered chase scene that destroys cars, buildings and the occasional mailbox. I honestly wasn't quite sure how the magic element would pan out. Like I said before, I tend to shy away from books with strictly magic themes but I think that Kadrey incorporates the magic element well without it seeming unrealistic or hokey. Not everyone knows magic or knows about it, and those that do are part of some secret underground cult of magicians. While Stark is often arrogant and cocky he has his limits and he isn't absolutely invincible by any means.

Kasabian, one of the guys who helped Mason sacrifice Stark to hell, also provided some comic relief in the story. There's true chemistry between him and Stark, no matter how much they curse at each other or argue like an old married couple. I have a feeling that these two will quickly become friends.

This is definitely a guy's novel, meaning that there's heavy emphasis on the violence, "adult" themes (i.e.-Kasabian owns a video store that sells porn), and magic that makes things explode. There's less emphasis on the romantic angles in the story and Stark's interactions with the female characters. Despite Stark's initial thoughts of "Candy is hot," there's really little interaction that even suggests that Stark and Candy might feel something for each other until the end of the novel.

Allegra, who I initially thought would have a much bigger role in the novel is more of an afterthought, from time to time; but I'm betting that both she and Candy will get their time to shine in the next book.

All in all a fun and dark read, while it's definitely not the most original plot, it makes up for it in wit and humor. (less)

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Jan 02, 2012

John rated it

Shelves: mystery-thriller-crime, sf

Well, wow. I have to admit up front that I know the author a little bit (we have friends in common) so I may be a little bit biased, and that I am a particular sucker for tales that do a good job of introducing superliminal elements to the ordinary world. But still: wow. If you take the Parker series by Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake), and cross it with urban fantasy of Jim Butcher, Simon Green, or Tim Powers, you might end up with something like this supernatural vengeance thriller. Excep...more

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Nov 08, 2011

Marc Weidenbaum added it

In Sandman Slim, a man returns from Hell to track down the people who sent him there, people who in the passing eleven years also killed the woman he loved.

He returns from Hell to LA, which is sort of a joke, because LA is to many people a kind of hell on earth. The book is filled with many such jokes, and they keep things light even as the forces of darkness close in. Me, I happen to love LA, but the endless LA-ribbing didn't keep me from really enjoying Sandman Slim. In part because...more

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Sep 28, 2011

Charles Dee Mitchell rated it

Shelves: contemporary-sf

How could I not read this book? William Gibson called it a "...deeply amusing, dirty-ass masterpiece." The bits I read promised a hard-boiled, noirish novel about a living human who escapes from Hell and returns to Los Angeles to kill the men who not only sent him there but murdered his girlfriend. The bastards. Jack Stark, the narrator, is a magician, as are all those he is sworn to kill. There are also angels, alchemists, a vampire-like creature who's trying to reform, men from the D...more

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Sep 14, 2011

Fangs for the Fantasy rated it

Sandman Slim is about a young man who is tossed into Hell alive by his fellow magicians. Early on he exhibited far more talent than the rest of his circle and he assumed that jealousy caused them to want to be rid of him. Once in hell he was put into an arena reminiscent of the roman Colosseum to fight various creatures. Stark was expected to die immediately, but much to the shock of the fallen angels that populate hell he survived. Eventually, he became a sort of hit man or "the monste...moreSandman Slim is about a young man who is tossed into Hell alive by his fellow magicians. Early on he exhibited far more talent than the rest of his circle and he assumed that jealousy caused them to want to be rid of him. Once in hell he was put into an arena reminiscent of the roman Colosseum to fight various creatures. Stark was expected to die immediately, but much to the shock of the fallen angels that populate hell he survived. Eventually, he became a sort of hit man or "the monster that killed monsters," because being human, no one expected it of him.

Stark is given a key to the room with thirteen doors, that allows him to travel anywhere and when his girlfriend Alice is killed on earth by the very same circle that imprisoned him in hell, he murders his handler Azazel. He escapes hell with The Veritas, a coin which always tells the truth and the black blade. Due to his time in hell, Stark is very hard to kill though being stabbed or shot will still hurt. After one attack with a weapon his body become impenetrable to a similar attack, which is good because this book is absolutely filled with action.

Okay, we should talk about the problems. This book is largely set in L.A. and there are no people of colour. This kind of erasure is commonplace but it is still highly irritating and especially so when the protagonist is a White male destined to save the world. There are also no GLBT characters however they are not completely erased because Kadrey decides to use a homophobic slur twice in the book. First on pg 106:

"Why don't you get out of here Grandpa? We have a reputation and you're driving down property values. Cherry doesn't want to talk to you. And, by the way, you look like a faggot in that jacket."

And then again on pg 121:

Wells snaps, "Don't touch that." He's still not looking at me. "And the Sub Rosa can kiss my ass. I don't work for pixies and necrophiliacs"

He says, "pixie" the way a redneck says faggot."

Okay, here's the deal: If you are going to erase a marginalized group erase them completely. There is no justification for throwing in hateful slurs. It dehumanizes and detracts from the value of the story itself.

Stark's actions are to get revenge for the murder of his girlfriend Alice, and for imprisoning him in hell. We are treated to a few flashbacks of Alice alive but basically, she is just a disembodied heroine. With the exception of one female angel, women have absolutely now power in this story. Allegra who works at the video store which he takes over after beheading Kasabian the owner is quickly drawn into danger because of him. Though she actively chooses to enter into a relationship with him, she does so completely unaware of his complete history. He simply tells her that he is a magician and that she has no power. Of course, I am not surprised that he ends up saving her as a byproduct of saving the world.

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Aug 22, 2011

Rachel Thompson rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

I started reading this book with absolutely no idea what it was about. I downloaded it for free a while back (months and months ago), and finally decided to sit down and read it. I think the main reason it took me so long is because I think the title is stupid. It makes sense (sort of) once you've read about halfway through, but it doesn't give you any hint as to what the book is about, or what genre it falls into. I was expecting a thriller, but it's more a paranormal action/adventure book that...more

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Jun 23, 2011

Dean Lederfeind rated it

So, how do you like your pulp?
Noir?
Hard-Boiled?
Darkly humorous?
Supernatural?
This one has them all and they are all a treat.
I stumbled upon this book after looking into "Johannes Cabal" novels.
It came up as a recommendation and then I noted an endorsement on the front by one of my favorite authors; William Gibson.
Having just reread "Pattern Recognition" I felt this was kismet and did an impulse buy.
Really glad I did.
I think I f...more

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Feb 21, 2011

Cheryl rated it

A young magician, James Stark, is betrayed by friends and is dragged down to Hell. He spends his time there fighting in an arena, and killing most of his opponents. He earns the name "Sandman Slim, the monster who kills monsters." Stark escapes Hell and is back on earth to get revenge on his fellow magicians that sent him to hell and killed his girlfriend.

The writing was great. The descriptions of the supernatural aspects were inventive and new. I do have a few critics though...more

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Jan 11, 2011

Beausephus rated it

Shelves: modern-noir-and-crime, scifi-nerd-fun

Everything about this book should work. It's a virulent mix of violent hard boiled modern crime writing set in a supernatural revisionist history of Angelic and Hell mythologies. The protagonist, Stark, is a fresh spin on the "back-from-the-dead" type of anti-hero and the world author Richard Kadrey creates is James Ellroy trying to be as hip as Elmore Leonard with the snarky fantastical element akin to Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series thrown in to flavor the over-the-top angels vs. ...moreEverything about this book should work. It's a virulent mix of violent hard boiled modern crime writing set in a supernatural revisionist history of Angelic and Hell mythologies. The protagonist, Stark, is a fresh spin on the "back-from-the-dead" type of anti-hero and the world author Richard Kadrey creates is James Ellroy trying to be as hip as Elmore Leonard with the snarky fantastical element akin to Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series thrown in to flavor the over-the-top angels vs. demons baseline scenario. Kadrey does an admirable job world-building, with various strains of the world-behind-the-real-world tropes that are interesting and seem original. Almost everything is interesting enough to warrant further exploration in the future novels that he is clearly setting up.
The only thing that doesn’t work is the way Kadrey presents Stark, the main character. It’s gets to the point where by the middle of the novel you are almost sick of Kadrey trying to prove just how tough and how much of a bad-ass Stark is with description that eventually comes off as cliché chest pounding instead of character development. Kadrey does a good enough job putting stark though the paces that it is clear who and what the character stands for and is capable of, it doesn’t need so much over-justification. In fact, it would have suited the character better not to be described so over-the-top and allowed some natural character development to occur within the generous and interesting supporting cast. It might have also allowed more sympathy to have been established earlier in the book so the ending isn’t a series of false climaxes that seem to keep going on and on.
However, even with the nitpicking about overselling Stark as a tough-guy-anti-hero, Kadrey rewards the reader with some intricate plot twists and allusions to further adventures to more than make up for these few shortcomings. Had I not been on a blitz through books of a similar genre, I might have found this book even more enjoyable than I already did. SANDMAN SLIM is a creative, interesting book that keeps your attention and leaves you interested in the what happens next. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and look forward to exploring more of Kadrey’s other writing.
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Jan 04, 2011

Matt rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey is a fantastical twist on the kinds of books my father loves, those hardboiled detective fiction paperbacks set in L.A. amid murdered starlets, corrupt rich moguls and whiskey soaked sleuthing. Here, Kadrey’s twist is a celestial playground where diabolists and federal saints carry on a secret war, while meddling magicians play both sides.

In true hardboiled style, the story is one tough guy’s first person account, replete with catchy commentary and colorf...moreSandman Slim by Richard Kadrey is a fantastical twist on the kinds of books my father loves, those hardboiled detective fiction paperbacks set in L.A. amid murdered starlets, corrupt rich moguls and whiskey soaked sleuthing. Here, Kadrey’s twist is a celestial playground where diabolists and federal saints carry on a secret war, while meddling magicians play both sides.

In true hardboiled style, the story is one tough guy’s first person account, replete with catchy commentary and colorful similes. It’s the book’s strongest suit – the mischievous, cynical voice of the titular Sandman Slim (a.k.a. Jimmy Stark) riddled with language that’s been dipped in razor blades and gasoline, and set alight with black candles for kicks. Kadrey mostly avoids tiresome social commentary, and his anti-hero is thankfully more chuckle-worthy than annoying.

As Stark’s tale begins, he finds himself escaped from hell – literally. He spent 11 years as Azazel’s gladiator, entertaining and ultimately terrifying the minions of Lucifer. He’s special. He has a few special tricks, including a creepy knife, a diabolical token that would make Batman’s Two Face blush, and a special key in his heart that lets him walk through shadows anywhere in the universe. He still prefers to steal luxury cars, though.

Stark has a single-minded goal – kill his old magician pals who sent him to hell and then killed Alice, the love of his life. As he stumbles around toward that goal like a minotaur in a China shop, Stark is absurdly tough. He battles wily magicians, pissed off angels, and ethereal demons posing as Neo Nazis. And, he emerges with a few scars and a headache, which he then dowses in Jack Daniels and a little sip of his best friend’s alchemical solutions. He goes through more clothes than he does antiseptic, though. It’s a running gag that Stark has a harder time keeping himself dressed than he does getting shot.

The alchemical best friend is a delightful character, the best of a cast of supporting characters that Kadrey breathes just enough color into. Vidocq’s a kind of father figure to Stark. He’s a 200-year-old Frenchman who cursed himself with alchemical immortality, which gives him plenty of experience as Stark’s wise advisor.

Stark’s flaw is that he doesn’t know what’s really going on. Kadrey tosses Stark from one set piece to another, then back again, as Stark keeps getting banged up by supernatural mysteries he doesn’t comprehend. Or care about. The problem isn’t that the story unfolds for the readers as it does for Stark. The problem is that Stark doesn’t give a damn about it all even when he does slowly realize the apocalyptic nature of it all. The story becomes a bit of expository ping pong as Stark bounces from one celestial conspirator to the next.

Still, Kadrey pulls off the anti-hero trick in the end with a violent build and a chase through hell. It’s the denouement where Kadrey stumbles slightly. After the dust (and hellfire) settles, Stark visits his doctor friend, who then explains to him the whole romp, with all the celestial hierarchy laid bare. It’s a bit unsatisfying after the fact.

Then, the book pulls off a trick that’s so bad it’s good. It’s the only book I’ve ever read that has a diabolus ex machina! Again, a bit unsatisfying, but I will say Kadrey writes the scene deliciously, a sort of Milton meets Chandler moment.

Originally posted at: http://www.geekereader.com</a>(less)

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Jan 02, 2011

Benjamin added it

Shelves: bedside-reading

Sandman Slim is about a guy (let's call him Sandman Slim) who was sent to Hell, survived, and found a way back to Earth to punish those he holds responsible for sending him to Hell--oh, and killing his girlfriend. But when he gets back, he finds that his main enemy is involved in something cosmic; and now Sandman Slim's gotten involved in something way beyond his own goals. Now, instead of just exacting his revenge, he something something redemption.

I read this on a beach, which seems ...more

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Dec 30, 2010

Karissa Eckert rated it

I loved this book. But then I am a big fan of your classic down and dirty comics. I think if you like dark graphic novels you will dig this book.

Sandman Slim (or Jimmy if you want to piss him off) has just escaped from Hell. He is here to revenge his girlfriend and will stop at nothing to get the guys that did her in. And, hey, if he gets stuck in a plot to stop world destruction on the way to his main goal who's to say that he actually meant to save the world?

Sandman Sli...moreI loved this book. But then I am a big fan of your classic down and dirty comics. I think if you like dark graphic novels you will dig this book.

Sandman Slim (or Jimmy if you want to piss him off) has just escaped from Hell. He is here to revenge his girlfriend and will stop at nothing to get the guys that did her in. And, hey, if he gets stuck in a plot to stop world destruction on the way to his main goal who's to say that he actually meant to save the world?

Sandman Slim is your typical down and dirty anti-hero. He does good deeds because he is stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. He has no intention of being a hero. He has a dark biting sense of wit, and this shows through in the number of over-the-top biting analogies he makes or phrases he tosses out. Almost every line he speaks sounds like it's jumping out of a comic book; so if you don't like this type of writing I would skip this book. I felt like I was wandering the dark streets of a dirtier Gotham City for parts of the book; at other times I was sure I had fallen into Simon Green's Nightside books (Something from the Nightside (Nightside, Book 1)).

I enjoyed this book immensely. The dry, dark sense of humor had me chuckling a number of times. Slim's gun-toting attitude was amusing as was his serial stealing of hot cars. Oh, yeah, and Slim is a super cool magician too, so don't forget that.

Slim was one of those characters that keeps getting beat to a pulp and then gets up and dusts himself off for some more; reminded me in some ways of both John Taylor (Something from the Nightside (Nightside, Book 1)) and Harry Dresden (Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)). All of the characters in this book were quick and dirty types (a lot of over the top quotes thrown around like in the Nightside series). I particularly liked the Jade and the Doctor, as well as Slim's close alchemist friend.

This book was quick paced, action packed, and didn't pull any punches when it came to the gore involved. If you don't like to get down and dirty then don't read this book. Surprisingly there really wasn't any explicit sex, just violence galore.

The book wrapped up nicely, but there could be more books in the future featuring Sandman Slim and I certainly hope that there are.

I would recommend this book if you liked: Something from the Nightside (Nightside, Book 1), Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1), The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes, or dark graphic novels (Batman, Sin City, etc.). (less)

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Dec 11, 2010

Viridian5 rated it

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

In Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey, Stark, our protagonist/first-person narrator has just escaped Hell and returned to L.A. with the aim of taking revenge on the people who sent him, still living, to Hell and killed the love of his life. He ends up regaining the attention of old enemies and making new ones along the way, which include angels, magicians, supernatural creatures, Lucifer, and Homeland Security. It's somewhat like an American, funnier Hellblazer but with a protagonist who's mentally ...more

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Nov 09, 2010

Justus rated it

This will never be confused with high literature. This is pure pulp: think Jim Butcher's Dresden Files but with a main character who isn't a whiny little bitch.

It's a fun enough read and I'll be trying out the second in the series, so don't let my 2-star rating make you think I hated it or anything. It was ok. Not the best book I've ever read. Kinda like one of those decent but forgettable summer blockbusters where shit blows up and are a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon or two.
...moreThis will never be confused with high literature. This is pure pulp: think Jim Butcher's Dresden Files but with a main character who isn't a whiny little bitch.

It's a fun enough read and I'll be trying out the second in the series, so don't let my 2-star rating make you think I hated it or anything. It was ok. Not the best book I've ever read. Kinda like one of those decent but forgettable summer blockbusters where shit blows up and are a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon or two.

One of my biggest problems with this kind of book -- by which I mean the modern fantasy "hidden magical world" sub-genre -- is that it requires such a heaping pile of non-sensical bullshit swallowing that I can't really take them seriously. There's even a part in the book where the main character says, "I don't believe in conspiracies. Guys will say anything to get laid. If someone really shot JFK he'd had bragged to some chick and the whole world would know by now." But apparently werewolves and wizards and angels and demons can run around L.A. and no one has a fucking clue. There's the typical bullshit about how when "mundanes" see if they refuse to accept reality blah blah blah. The entire setup is just stupid even by the standards of the stupidity of the fantasy genre.

Sandman Slim has some "power problems". This is pretty common in, well, almost all fiction where people have superpowers of some sort of another. Sometimes Stark will walk into a room and go, "No Kissi hiding around here....my supersenses would notice them." Then ten pages later he'll get bushwhacked by a schmuck with a baseball bat. He's continually stealing cars for no reason other than to satisfy some kind of juvenile Bad Assedness Criteria. How convenient that his super-knife has the power to hotwire cars. (WTF?) Who the hell would actually drive around LA traffic when they have the ability to teleport anywhere in the world? Why is he using guns all the damn time when he's supposed to be a super badass magician that can melt the skin off your face with a whisper? Etc etc.

Despite all these flaws and logical inconsistencies the book was still pretty fun to read. It is pure pulp. Sunday afternoon serials. Enjoy it for what it is.(less)

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Oct 26, 2010

Xxenvyxx rated it

This story was very exciting for those of us who enjoy paranormal fiction. The structure of the story was not very well developed. At times I wondered, "Okay, um this is fun, but when does the story begin?" BUT the characters and mythology really makes up for that.

I recommend this for anyone who wants a story that builds a world up around you. The main character doesn't change or develop much. He is introduced as someone who has just spent 11 of his formative adult years i...more

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Aug 31, 2010

KC rated it

I loved this book. Stark is the perfect mix of Harry Dresden, Felix Castor, and James Bond, while still maintaining a unique voice of his own. The world-building was fantastic, and I can't wait to find out what happens next! Sandman Slim was a welcome break from the other urban fantasy I have been reading lately - it is gritty and dirty, and I don't think a single page lacks for at least one sarcastic, scathing remark. Urban fantasy has been overtaken by heroines, which is just fine, but I love ...more

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Jun 29, 2010

Crystal rated it

Shelves: favorites

From the start, the plot sounds like it could be either really tacky or really amazing. Stark is back from Hell after being betrayed and tossed Downtown by so-called friends; he's jonesing for some revenge now. But rather than fill the book with cliche after cliche, Kadrey treats Heaven and Hell more as they were traditionally meant to be keeping it from the realm of cheese. In Kadrey's world, they simply do not care for Earth and its going-ons because they're too busy looking out for their own ...moreFrom the start, the plot sounds like it could be either really tacky or really amazing. Stark is back from Hell after being betrayed and tossed Downtown by so-called friends; he's jonesing for some revenge now. But rather than fill the book with cliche after cliche, Kadrey treats Heaven and Hell more as they were traditionally meant to be keeping it from the realm of cheese. In Kadrey's world, they simply do not care for Earth and its going-ons because they're too busy looking out for their own self-interests.

And with this cynical world comes a cynical character that just about everyone thinks is a grade A dick. He's aware. And he simply doesn't care. Stark's narration holds nothing back while managing to take some of the edge off with snarky remarks left and right during scenes that most authors would have treated with a grave attitude. This serves both as a way to keep the pace up as well display more of what an outright dick Stark could be when the opportunity presented itself. However, I did find that some of the minor characters didn't get enough of a spotlight where it was being told by Stark who--much like Heaven and Hell--is more concerned with his own personal interests than what's going on in the world outside of himself. It's my hope that in the next book, we'll see more of an active role from minor characters without detracting from some of that lone wolf feel Stark gives out.

The particular writing style wasn't one that I would have chosen and there were a few moments when reading that I felt it was a little awkwardly phrased. But it worked well enough, the story and characters were still wildly entertaining (whatever the hell that means) and enjoyable and that's all that mattered in the end. It was an all-consuming book and therefore took me a while to find time to just sit and dedicate the time to read it with undivided attention. Had I more free time, I'm fairly certain nobody would have heard from me for a while as I tore through the first in the Sandman Slim series.(less)

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Jun 05, 2010

Alan rated it

Recommends it for: Hard cases

Recommended to Alan by: William Gibson

I'm not as enamored as I used to be of the whole grimmer-than-thou thing, the whole horror genre in general, but occasionally I'll make an exception, and William Gibson's cover blurb convinced me to take a flyer on this squat hardback.

It is very grim, at least to start with. Stark wakes up in a cemetery in Los Angeles. He's just escaped from Hell, after eleven years of being the only living person who's ever been there—forget about Orpheus and Dante; in Sandman Slim's world, Hell and...more

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Apr 21, 2010

Brett Starr rated it

Spiritus Dei my friend.....

Enter Sandman Slim (Jimmy), but let's just call him Stark. Back in Hollywood, fresh from hell after eleven years. Only nineteen years old when his "magic" friends somehow got him dragged down to hell.

The book starts off "hot" (literally) with Stark waking up in a cemetery on a pile of smoldering leaves and garbage. His clothes were already trashed and are now burnt, Stark is ran into on the street by what he c...more

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Mar 19, 2010

Daniel rated it

Recommended to Daniel by: Quentin

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fantasy

Reposted from my site:

What do you get when you combine the genres of hard-boiled detective noir, spaghetti-western and urban fantasy set in L.A.? You get Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey.

This book was recommended to me by my friend Quentin, and my fiancé had also mentioned to me that she had read a promising review of the novel. Intrigued, I read through the first few pages at the bookstore, which involved the protagonist's return from Hell upon a pile of flaming garbage, a

...moreReposted from my site:

What do you get when you combine the genres of hard-boiled detective noir, spaghetti-western and urban fantasy set in L.A.? You get Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey.

This book was recommended to me by my friend Quentin, and my fiancé had also mentioned to me that she had read a promising review of the novel. Intrigued, I read through the first few pages at the bookstore, which involved the protagonist's return from Hell upon a pile of flaming garbage, and I was immediately hooked.

Stark, the protagonist, is a dirty punk magician that was betrayed by his buddies and sent to Hell while he was still alive. The residents of his new home were so amused by him that they had him fight unholy creatures and demons in an arena, gladiator-style. He very quickly became "tough to kill", and graduated to working as a hitman for one of Lucifer's generals. Now, he's escaped, and he's back to take vengeance on the bastards that sent him to Hell in the first place. It's a gritty, violent story, featuring an amoral protagonist most easily recognized by his multitude of scars and his tendency to inadvertently destroy his own clothing.

Things are not all joyous though, as the book does suffer from some issues that I would normally consider fatal for a fantasy, such as not having any consistent framework of rules for the magic that appears in the story. The explanations given for it are vague at best, and half of the time, the cosmology is dropped in as an afterthought, while the other half of the time the exposition is completely unnecessary, serving only to set up the world for an apparent sequel. The latter issue is a bit annoying, but there is a certain adrenaline-infused momentum to the story that makes it easy to ignore the former and just go along for the ride. In the end, I didn't mind the lack of these details much because it's pretty clear that Stark doesn't care much about the rules or abstract concepts and his murderous single-mindedness makes it pretty hard to argue with him.

Regarding the cosmology, I have to admit that I was fairly sure that I was going to be disappointed by this aspect of the novel. The whole Judeo-Christian war between Heaven and Hell with mankind caught in the crossfire has been done a heck of a lot in fiction, and in most cases, it has gotten to be a bit boring. I was worried that the same would happen in Sandman Slim, and that I would be rolling my eyes during the climax of the book. I think Kadrey must have been aware by this danger, which is why he ensures that Stark makes clear that he does not care about the ongoing war across the planes. His protagonist's obsession with revenge and stubborn refusal to take interest in the overall conflict, except as a means to an end, means that the reader doesn't spend a whole lot of time caring about it either. This was a really smart move, because by the end of the book, I was not thinking about the fate of the world, I was worried about whether Stark was going to catch up with his enemies and get the brutal, messy revenge of his dreams.

Ultimately, my review of the book boils down to the fact that Sandman Slim is a hell of a lot of fun, with some great action and a gritty thug of a hero that wants none of your pity, but earns it nonetheless. It's a quick read, with some great lines, and enough Tom Waits references that you'll be ready to pour yourself some whisky and listen to Alice, Rain Dogs and Mule Variations all over again, though not necessarily in that order. If you are craving an entertaining, moody and dark dance with the supernatural, Kadrey's Sandman Slim is certain to satisfy your hunger.

(less)

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Urban Fantasy: Sandman Slim--September Group Read--SPOILER FREE	7	36	Sep 18, 2011 09:08am
Urban Fantasy: Sandman Slim--September Group Read--SPOILERS	9	27	Sep 05, 2011 10:21pm

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