Sandman Slim

Jul 15, 2011 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 plan on reading...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Kemper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 person, not a dead soul.

11...more 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 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 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Carol by: Kristen

Shelves: urban-fantasy, mystery-thriller, male-lead, action

After the second read-through, I've come to the conclusion that Sandman Slim is Jason Statham starring in a Simon R. Green Nightside story. Pulpy urban fantasy on steroids, it's perfect for an adrenalin read, but I recommend a pass if you are in the mood for deep thinking or don't feel up for violence.

Jason-cough- I mean, Stark--has made it out of Hell and is looking for revenge. Eleven years ago, six fellow members of a magic circle sent him to Hell, and his mission is to kill them all. Landing...more After the second read-through, I've come to the conclusion that Sandman Slim is Jason Statham starring in a Simon R. Green Nightside story. Pulpy urban fantasy on steroids, it's perfect for an adrenalin read, but I recommend a pass if you are in the mood for deep thinking or don't feel up for violence.

Jason-cough- I mean, Stark--has made it out of Hell and is looking for revenge. Eleven years ago, six fellow members of a magic circle sent him to Hell, and his mission is to kill them all. Landing in a Hollywood cemetery, he quickly robs a suit and steals a car. After stopping at the Bamboo House of Dolls bar for a drink, he finds Kasabian, circle scapegoat, running a porn shop on the Hollywood strip. He meets Kas' manager, Allegra; goes on a shopping trip for new leathers and boots; and stops at his old apartment where he finds Vidocq, an alchemist, a thief and an old friend. Money is an issue if he's going to complete his goals (isn't it always?), so Vidocq hooks him up with a storekeeper that needs an odd job or two done.

I read voraciously until about a third in, when it became more of a struggle. Somehow, that seems backwards. There were several interesting ideas that elevated it above the mundane, including Stark's acquired resistance to injury, the Jade and the underlying celestial conflict. I found the Jade especially enjoyable, her Chuck Taylors and their 'first date' together. While the Sub Rosa was a snooze, the Inquisitor Medea was nicely described and menacing. Somewhat dreading a stereotypical war of heaven versus hell, I enjoyed Kadrey's solution to the traditional plotting dualism. The ending had a great plot twist that surprised me.

More troublesome was the middle of the road creativity, largely of the kitchen sink variety. I think my eyes rolled about the time the Nazis showed up to toss the bar. I know they did when there was a trip to the magic emporium, and by the time the Men in Black appeared, I'm sure I looked possessed. Then the dialogue had loads of one liners made for action movies, with far too many cultural references. Brad Pitt? Scarface? Two Donald Trump references? Suuuure, eleven years in Hell. Sure, the devil steals cable.

A number of inexplicably odd tactical moves and inconsistencies left me wondering if Stark was supposed to be dumb, or the plotting was just that underdeveloped. Yes, I know I'm talking about logic in a book about a man who escaped Hell. But the general idea of a fantasy/sci-fi book is that the logic of the world and the characters needs to be consistent. Since the world basically was, I was left with the conclusion that the protag wasn't heavy on the thinking skills. One minute concerned about exposure, the next minute not (view spoiler) One minute making a deal about having a job (albeit owning a porn shop), the next minute not (blood on the floor? Paying the stoner help?). Decides he's fine without his friends then (view spoiler). Then the hero is a bit of a Mary Sue fighter--talented, invincible between his physical fighting skills, his damage proofing and his magic key. But oh-so-dumb. Not my favorite kind of hero.

There is a lot of violent imagery here. Not that there are violent scenes--which there are, but usually not gore-focused--but our hero also fantasizes about violence. But his is the good clean, funny variety, while the bad guys go for real evil.

Overall--enjoyable, definitely a fast read. Doesn't seem to be taking itself too seriously, so for the right reading mindset, it's a nice bit of fun. I'll try the next just to see where several interesting shiny bits might lead, and maybe to answer the question where the Sandman Slim label comes in.
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Jul 05, 2009 Kat Hooper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

“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 rev...more

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May 04, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition 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 Barbara, aka VampAngel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 main charact...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Alex rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

DNF at 43%. It started out promising, but it keeps dragging...Will revisit later. Maybe.

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Mar 11, 2013 Whitley Birks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, almost-good, fantasy, good-guilty-pleasure

This book certainly had style. It was fun and fascinating and kept my attention throughout. The first-person narration had a very snarky, Buffy-speak-esque-ness to it that was a hoot and a half to read through, and a lot of the magical items and images were both unique and vivid. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Having said that, I can't quite decide if it was a good book or not. It feels more like one of those books that either you love it or you hate it, and I was fortunate enough to lo...more This book certainly had style. It was fun and fascinating and kept my attention throughout. The first-person narration had a very snarky, Buffy-speak-esque-ness to it that was a hoot and a half to read through, and a lot of the magical items and images were both unique and vivid. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Having said that, I can't quite decide if it was a good book or not. It feels more like one of those books that either you love it or you hate it, and I was fortunate enough to love it. The narration is fun and flippant, but there's times where it goes too far. For instance, things are described through funny similes most of the time, using comparisons one wouldn't usually think of. And that is in the book's favor sometimes, but falls horribly flat at other times. There is one instance where a character is said to cross the room "like a teacher about to take glue from a kid who sniffed it one too many times." Um...so, frantically? Annoyed? Fearful of a lawsuit? Taking her time and hoping the kid finally croaks and leaves her alone? It's a funny line, but it doesn't actually tell me much.

Also, leave Chekhov's Gun at the door when you read this book. There's a lot of detail in here, and 90% of it is just set dressing. There were plenty of things in here that were dwelled on so much when first introduce that I was sure they'd make a comeback, but they never did.

And then there's that ending. The majority of this book is a straight-up revenge plot, with Stark trying to kill the guys who sent him to hell. Alright, awesome, I'm on board! But in the last 60 pages or so, suddenly we veer off into a plot to save the world evil not-angels. Uh...okay. It was fair enough scene and certainly interesting, but it was the ending of a completely different book than the one I'd bee reading. For all it was exciting in its own right, I found myself getting bored because I wasn't invested in that plot. I was invested in the revenge plot. At least we did get back around to that one, as well, so the side-track into save-the-world was just a minor detour.

If those few things I mentioned wouldn't bother you, then Sandman Slim is definitely worth checking out.(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Marc Weidenbaum added it · review of another edition

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 the ribbi...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Kiesha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 back to earth t...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Life sucks, then you die. Period. Unless you’re James Stark, a hitman in Hell for eleven years before escaping back up to Hell-on-earth L.A. – looking for revenge, absolution….love, maybe. But Hell’s not through with Stark. Heaven’s not either.”

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey is an urban fantasy featuring an unstoppable anti-hero wreaking his vengeance on the people who wronged him. Condemned to Hell by his peers, James Stark fights his way back out of the Pit and he wants payback. During the ti...more “Life sucks, then you die. Period. Unless you’re James Stark, a hitman in Hell for eleven years before escaping back up to Hell-on-earth L.A. – looking for revenge, absolution….love, maybe. But Hell’s not through with Stark. Heaven’s not either.”

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey is an urban fantasy featuring an unstoppable anti-hero wreaking his vengeance on the people who wronged him. Condemned to Hell by his peers, James Stark fights his way back out of the Pit and he wants payback. During the time he has been away, he has been forced to fight in the gladiatorial arenas of Hell to prove his worth. Stark has become the monster that kills other monsters. He is Hell’s only human hit man and earned the nickname Sandman Slim.
The novel is written from the first person perspective so the reader immediately gets to know exactly what is going on in Stark/Sandman Slim’s head. He suffered endless torment during his eleven years ‘Downtown’ but the result is on his return to Earth, he is much harder to kill than before. I really enjoyed Stark’s attitude when dealing with all and sundry. Doesn’t matter if they are human, angel or devil, Stark deals with everyone in exactly the same manner, he hates them all.

As the story progresses the reader learns more of Stark’s history. We find out about who James Stark was before his journey to Hell, as well as the details of incident that sent him there. We also learn a little about the five other magic users who he holds responsible for his prolonged stay. In addition Stark finds himself stuck between the armies of Heaven and Hell. Everyone has their own agendas and Sandman Slim is the key element in everyone’s plans. The story of Stark’s revenge runs in parallel with the never ending battle between these two opposing forces that control the universe. On one hand you have the intimate tale of a man who wants nothing but revenge while on the other you have the epic ongoing war between the very essences of good and evil. The author manages the tricky task of combining these two elements without either ever overwhelming the other.

It struck me that there are elements of a classic Western in the novel. There are good guys and bad guys with Sandman Slim in the middle. Each camp tries at various times to control or destroy him as he is an unknown quantity in their plans. Stark, meanwhile, spends his time tracking down each of his betrayers, one at a time, like a grizzled gunslinger. There is a definite Clint Eastwood-esque tough guy quality about him.

Stark’s character is well defined and his motivations are never in doubt. He escaped Hell when he learned that his girlfriend had been murdered by the people he thought were his friends. This anger fuels his mission; he is like a force of nature as he stomps around Los Angeles looking for people to hurt. He is a runaway train on a collision course with destiny, never deviating from his chosen target. Understandably, all this anger doesn’t make him a particularly likeable character but it does make him interesting one. He’s not adverse to stealing cars or picking fights to get him closer to his goal. Stark’s single-mindedness makes him an enjoyable character to read. If he is in your corner he will back you to the hilt and this is his only real redeeming feature that he is always looking out for his friends.

It was a shame that I didn’t get the same level of insight into some of the other characters in the novel. I felt I only really got to see a glimpse of them. A good example is Lucifer who shows up toward the end of the novel. He is only in a handful of pages, but I was immediately intrigued by him and curious to know more. Hopefully this maybe something that is dealt with in the second novel, Kill the Dead.

Overall, I enjoyed Sandman Slim, it’s a rough and ready novel crammed full of violence, betrayal and revenge. Those easily offended by adult language may wish to stay away but if you like your protagonists hardcore then this could very well be the novel for you.(less)

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Feb 22, 2011 Stinkerbelle Stormborn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, angels, boo, supernatural, series, urban-fantasy, first-ventures, 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 the 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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Dec 16, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

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...more 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 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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Aug 09, 2012 Blake Fraina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sandman Slim is a riotous [and blasphemous] romp that compares favourably to the satirical novels of Christopher Moore. With a shot of Mickey Spillane thrown in for good measure.

It's the story of James Stark, a descendant of Wild Bill Hickock and a practitioner of the dark arts, who returns to his home in modern day Los Angeles after spending eleven long years exiled, but still alive, in Hell. He was sent there by a circle of fellow magicians who were threatened by his superior powers.

During h...more Sandman Slim is a riotous [and blasphemous] romp that compares favourably to the satirical novels of Christopher Moore. With a shot of Mickey Spillane thrown in for good measure.

It's the story of James Stark, a descendant of Wild Bill Hickock and a practitioner of the dark arts, who returns to his home in modern day Los Angeles after spending eleven long years exiled, but still alive, in Hell. He was sent there by a circle of fellow magicians who were threatened by his superior powers.

During his time in the underworld, Stark served as a gladiator in brutal death matches staged by Satan's generals and now he's thirsty for vengeance. Over the course of his search through L.A.'s underbelly for the leader of the Circle (who is also the murderer of the only woman Stark ever loved), he runs across an array of weird and wacky characters - both mortal and supernatural. A centuries old Frenchman who can't die, a sexy vampire nurse, bloodthirsty dark angels and a [literal] talking head are among Stark's rogues gallery of friends, frenemies and foes.

The storyline almost seems lifted from the new breed of graphic novel or some dark urban fantasy film. Stark is very much the hard-boiled private dick who operates in a mysterious netherworld hidden in plain sight amongst L.A.'s seediest denizens. For the most part it moves along briskly, propelled by the sharp, slangy dialogue uttered by the quirky cast. However, somewhere past the mid-point the proceedings become a bit bogged down, for my taste anyway, with a focus on all the minutiae so typical in speculative fiction. Too many different breeds of mythical beings, monsters and elaborate weaponry. I don't particularly enjoy reading novels that require a glossary to aid my comprehension (probably why I've never read Dune), although for some, this sort of detail adds to the "world building" and is a chief pleasure of fantasy fiction.

But that aside, this book was a pleasure to read. Hilarious and nail-biting by turns, it successfully cross-pollinates several different genres and could really appeal to a wide variety of readers - fans of graphic novels, potboilers, dark satirical fantasy, horror - there really is something for everyone.

And as for the irreverence? I think only the most hardcore fundementalists could possibly be offended by anything here. You know what they say...to heck with 'em if they can't take a joke. Or something like that.
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Sep 04, 2011 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, horror-esque, library-read, group-read

So, this book is a basic "back for revenge" kind of thing. Our protagonist gets sent bodily to hell, somehow manages to survive for 11 years, then gets embedded with a magic key that lets him go anywhere, and comes back for revenge after they kill his girl.

There are some interesting concepts - a bit of a twist that the guy coming back from Hell is still actually alive, some cool weaponry, like the na'at which is a weapon from Hell which is pretty mutatable, some magical stuff, so on and so forth...more

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Aug 04, 2010 David rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 mouth will pit him aga...more

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May 05, 2013 Tim Hicks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

OK, that was fun.

This ain't Lit-ra-chuh, folks, it's just a book that's fun to read. You got your homage to Donald Westlake, including some Westlakian wisecracks. You got your magic, and things getting blowed up real good, and yer fistfights, and girls. And lots of action.

There are flaws in the plot and continuity, as others have noted. Why does he EVER need to steal a car? Big deal. It moves along nicely.

My main beef, and I'll be watching this when I read #2 in the series, is that our hero s...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Lumpenprole rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, borrowed, fantasy

A book I'd class as "Good, but could have been better." And based on some of the other GR reviews I've scanned, I don't seem to be alone in this feeling. I thought the first fifty pages were amazing, the next hundred pages very good, and then things started to get, well, rather silly. As in eye-rolling ridiculous. Not enough to taint the whole book by any stretch, but after what went on in the last fifty pages or so I'm a bit amused that there's, four or five more books in this series as I write...more A book I'd class as "Good, but could have been better." And based on some of the other GR reviews I've scanned, I don't seem to be alone in this feeling. I thought the first fifty pages were amazing, the next hundred pages very good, and then things started to get, well, rather silly. As in eye-rolling ridiculous. Not enough to taint the whole book by any stretch, but after what went on in the last fifty pages or so I'm a bit amused that there's, four or five more books in this series as I write this? I mean, what is there left to say?

This book also had a case of terminal cuteness, here's what I noticed, what did you see?

>>> The main character has a last name of "Stark," and one of the villains was named "Parker." Of course, Richard Stark was the pseudonym the late Donald E. Westlake used for his series of novels starring an antihero thief named Parker.

>>> Dr. Kinski, physician to the supernaturally inclined. With all the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western references tossed in to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Outlaw Josey Wales, etc., it dawned on me that Klaus Kinski was the actor who played the hunchbacked bad guy in the second installment in Eastwood's "man with no name" trilogy, For a Few Dollars More

>>> "No Mames," the restaurant with decent fish tacos, translates from Spanglish/Mexican slang as something like "You're Kidding," or "No way," probably not what a restaurant would call itself

>>> Eugène François Vidocq was a real person...and was close enough to the character Vidocq in the book to have been exactly whom Kadrey was referencing

Whatever. I know I noticed more that I'd have to go looking for now, and I wasn't really looking all that hard. The point being that this kind of stuff can work in a book, but it can also be a distraction. And I'd submit that it became one in this book.

I dunno why authors go out of their way to show the world how amazingly clever they are, rather than, say focusing on a consistent character description. As in Allegra having a head that is "shaved smooth" on Page 39, but who is also described as being "grabbed by the hair" on Page 335. Since this is a whopping four, maybe five days later in the books chronology, that's either a goof or one honking huge growth of hair in a short time.

Still and all can't complain. A decent entertainment. Even if simultaneously a bit too cute for my tastes as well as on the sloppily crafted side. I'll probably check out at least the next book in the series at some point.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 T.K Trian rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not sure why I finished this novel, considering how much I didn't like it. I think I WANTED to like it, the premise is so delicious and there was a lot of potential, but somehow the writer just pissed the potential all over the reader. The anti-hero James Stark (WHY do you name everyone stark, Americans? It just reminds me of extra-strong mustard. Yeah, it means 'strong' in Swedish, I get it, but still) aka Sandman Slim (even the author thinks it's a sucky name. Except him thinking it too is...more I'm not sure why I finished this novel, considering how much I didn't like it. I think I WANTED to like it, the premise is so delicious and there was a lot of potential, but somehow the writer just pissed the potential all over the reader. The anti-hero James Stark (WHY do you name everyone stark, Americans? It just reminds me of extra-strong mustard. Yeah, it means 'strong' in Swedish, I get it, but still) aka Sandman Slim (even the author thinks it's a sucky name. Except him thinking it too is not funny, it's sad) could be a very interesting protagonist, but actually he's annoying-- and it gets worse with the sequel which I didn't finish). A dilettante who acts like he knows about guns and fighting, but he doesn't, and I doubt it was the author's intention. Stark fough in hell too, but for an accomplished hell-fighter, he actually sucks. I bet the monsters just felt so sorry about him that they didn't bother to put any effort into their bouts.

The story. Yeah, very original. Something about magicians and Stark having beef with them because they got his girl killed (some Mary Sue, a pseudo-tough guys' wet dream with the personality of a bread crumb). Maybe he shouldn't have been such a useless dick so she'd still be alive. Has he learned anything from being useless? No, he still has his head so far up his ass I couldn't relate to it anymore. It's like feeling sorry for the dumbasses in horror movies who get killed first.

The prose? First person present tense. Why? I see no reason why the author chose one of the most irritating albeit trendiest PoVs and tenses. It rarely works. At tops with short stories. But when the protag is irritating, the first person makes it that much worse.

The only good thing was Kasabian, Stark's little friend. The novel would have been way better if HE had been the protagonist! I also enjoyed some of the in your face I don't give a shit -attitude Stark/Kadrey exhibited in some places. But still Stark comes too much off as the wish fulfilled by the author. Yeah, I get it, this is the guy you wanna be, but can't. Nothing wrong with escapism, but read Glen Duncan's "I, Lucifer." THAT's how you write an anti-hero with a bad attitude. If you want to write a badass, you gotta go all the way, and unfortunately Kadrey delivers only a sliver of the potential.
(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: black-comedy, heart-of-darkness, horror-disguised-as-literature, noir, literature-fantastique

Urban fantasy has been a pretty fallow genre for me, despite loving urban stories and being a reader of fantasy. Mainly because it has been taken over by paranormal romance (darn necrophiliacs ruin everything). Thankfully Kadrey is here to show how it can be done. The writer of one of the better of the cyberpunk novels Metrophage (not the most important but hands down one of the best realized and written), he disappeared and maybe spent eleven years in hell like his protagonist Stark because he...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Kitab rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, fast-paced, fantasy, rogue-protagonist, slapstick, wit

As a fast paced, action oriented story that is full of laughs and some serious irony, this book came highly recommended to me. As, i started reading it, i found myself confused: why the 'hell' does the series refer to someone called sandman slim, when the main character is stark, 'just' stark, and what the 'hell' is going on. I almost stopped reading, but am glad that I did not. After, a few pages, the story starts picking up, and slowly by slowly filling in the blank spaces. The main character...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think fans of the Occult genre will enjoy it. Spooky cool characters we've all seen before Constantine/ HellBlazer, its well written, good characters and a good performance. If you enjoyed the movie Constantine, it makes for a fun read. In a nut-shell its about a Magician/Wizard type punk guy who has been sent to Hell for the part eleven years and retuns to present day L.A.. Naturally the first item on his agenda is a blood bath of revenge. Without giving too much away the story contains eleme...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

James Stark is back from Hell and his clothes are burnt.
Other than that, his day has sucked.
He's returned to Los Angeles on a mission of revenge, but even that gets complicated. Complicated in the form of a midget in a video store he fancies himself a magician but is soon reduced to a mere talking head. Yes, an actual talking head.
And it gets weird from there. The forces of both Hell and Heaven have ideas for Stark's future.

Get this book. Get it now.
This is the first book I've read in quite a wh...more James Stark is back from Hell and his clothes are burnt.
Other than that, his day has sucked.
He's returned to Los Angeles on a mission of revenge, but even that gets complicated. Complicated in the form of a midget in a video store he fancies himself a magician but is soon reduced to a mere talking head. Yes, an actual talking head.
And it gets weird from there. The forces of both Hell and Heaven have ideas for Stark's future.

Get this book. Get it now.
This is the first book I've read in quite a while where the time-honored cliche of "could not put it down" came into play. Make no mistake about it, however, this is not a "literary masterpiece." You're probably not going to find Kadrey printed in The New Yorker anytime soon and this book has suffered at the hand of literary snobs in their Amazon reviews as a result.

News flash: I don't believe Richard Kadrey ever had any intention of delivering anything other than an entertaining, noir-flavored urban fantasy that ends up being exactly what William Gibson calls it on the cover: "a dirty-ass masterpiece." Much of the book's charm comes not from the plot but the phrasing of the first-person narration. If you can fathom a more world-weary version of a film noir voiceover, that's exactly what you get with Sandman Slim. Thumbing the pages, I'm looking at a few of the descriptive sentences I underlined:

"There's something really wrong with the apartment. Like one out-of-tune string on a guitar."
"But I don't want to get near it. I can't look away, either. I had the same reaction seeing my father at the funeral home."

It's one delicious verbal treat after another. The noir phrasing and the borderline gutter humor just come together and color Stark's character in a way that makes him just jump right off the page. In fact, as I read the book I could not help but think what a fun film this would make. Something dirty and tarty that dovetails perfectly with the pulp/noir grindhouse set.

One beef I do have is with the copy editing and that is not the writer's fault. The editing is horrendous. There are misspellings, typographical errors, and missing words. Somebody didn't do their job.

That aside, I intend to seek out more books written by Richard Kadrey as he now ascends into my personal pantheon of favorite writers. Sandman Slim is as addictive as whiskey and cigarettes and about as good for you, too.
But that wouldn't stop me from enjoying all three. Preferably together. (less)

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Dec 04, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

It's decent, especially if you need a dose of testosterone in your urban fantasy. But the main character is unlikable, whining, brainless, and immature to a staggering degree, and that took my opinion of the book down a few notches.

Stark was sent to hell by a rival magician, where he fought it out as a hellish gladiator for eleven years. He escapes, and comes back topside for revenge. At around three quarters into the book, it becomes apparent there's more to this than meets the eye.

I liked it a...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-sheila

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Anti-hero Stark, aka Sandman Slim, escapes Hell and comes back to Earth to exact revenge on the people that sent him there 11 years ago. There is lots of killing, drinking, blasphemy, and magic that is used in the hunt for Mason and his crew; and you cheer Stark on during every minute of it.

Opening Sentence: I wake up on a pile of smoldering garbage and leaves in the old Hollywood Forever cemetery behind the Paramount Studio lot on Melrose,...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Ratseal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kadrey's first in the Sandman Slim series is very, very good. I am reviewing this after my third read through, the most recent after just finishing the just released fourth novel, Devil Said Bang. The first novel stands the test of time, remaining consistent and logical within the fantasy framework that Kadrey penned. Also, it is a a HELL of a lot of fun.

The central character was criminally kidnapped to Hell and tortured there for a half generation, 'gifting' him with considerable fighting tale...more Kadrey's first in the Sandman Slim series is very, very good. I am reviewing this after my third read through, the most recent after just finishing the just released fourth novel, Devil Said Bang. The first novel stands the test of time, remaining consistent and logical within the fantasy framework that Kadrey penned. Also, it is a a HELL of a lot of fun.

The central character was criminally kidnapped to Hell and tortured there for a half generation, 'gifting' him with considerable fighting talent and physical resiliency. The downside is that he trusts no one and nothing while valuing only revenge. The novel is his journey to reconnect with hsi humanity, only to discover that humanity isn't all that great. The grace that is humanity is only marginally better than the alternative.

This is a dark book, packed with betrayal, plots, murder and death. Sandman Slim is dark as well as powerful... think Butcher's Dresden if his daughter was murdered. This is the Sin City version of urban magical fantasy and it is REALLY well done.

The two nit picky criticisms I'll offer here are these:

His attention to detail on firearms is poor, which wouldn't matter if the author didn't frequent introduce guns by make and model. I don't understand his character's pathos for Glocks, even after he explains then as symptoms of Daddy problems. He gets some of the gun facts wrong too - but unless you have a tech background you likely won't spot the problems.

He uses LA, the setting of the story, as a character in and of itself, which is fine. I agree with much of his characterization (former city resident for a few years). He doesn't really cover the entirety of the city, just the bits that fit the story - which is his prerogative, and doesn't really detract from the story either - he may be able to weave more into the narrative eventually. Book 5 is scheduled for 2013.

By way of comparisons, and demonstrating my biases in this genre, he is very nearly as good as Butcher (certainly his first 4 books are as good as the first 4 Dresdens) and much better that Hearne.(less)

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Jun 20, 2012 Johnathan Weston rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Two weeks ago, BN.com had this title on offer for their “Free Fridays” eBook promotion. It seemed interesting from the synopsis and it had gotten many favorable reviews. Leaving myself just an hour or so in the evenings to read, I just finished this this morning and find myself divided on what I thought of the book.

First, I did enjoy the read. It was a bit “up and down” in terms of getting into the characters and story. Things move at a very brisk pace and at times, the story seems a bit rushed....more Two weeks ago, BN.com had this title on offer for their “Free Fridays” eBook promotion. It seemed interesting from the synopsis and it had gotten many favorable reviews. Leaving myself just an hour or so in the evenings to read, I just finished this this morning and find myself divided on what I thought of the book.

First, I did enjoy the read. It was a bit “up and down” in terms of getting into the characters and story. Things move at a very brisk pace and at times, the story seems a bit rushed. James Stark has made his way out of Hell and is now out to make those who sent him there pay. It really does come off as a regular revenge story with some magical elements thrown in.

James (don’t call him that) isn’t very likeable and I don’t know that you’re supposed to warm up to him. He kills. That’s it. He’s a hard ass that kicks ass. The end. I didn’t find myself caring much for him or his losses. However, as an action character, his attitude and nature work nicely.

The setting, which bounces between Hell, Los Angeles and spots of “nowhere,” doesn’t really convey much in the way of darkness. You would think Hell would impart a bit of the dark, but I think that by developing the personalities of the various entities, the mystic/magic aspect is diminished. Demons are suddenly something that you can relate to because they have a personality. That’s fine, but it has an impact on the story and where the reader feels they are while reading.

Kadrey does do a really nice job with the fights and there were many a moment where witty dialogue really impressed me. I enjoyed the imagination put into the various magical weapons and spells used throughout the story and the thought put into the hierarchy of Heaven, Hell and how those intersect on Earth.

Considering this is the start of a series, I can see why a lot of points in this story were glossed over. The reader needs to keep a tally of the loose ends and then get the other books. Honestly, there’s nothing at all wrong with that. Sure, some of the glossed over points left me asking “why is that?”, but it wasn’t too distracting and didn’t negatively impact the story at hand. Overall, while I enjoyed this quite a bit, I felt it was a bit narrow in depth. I didn’t feel I was immersed in the setting and the story didn’t pull me in a keep a hold of me. I felt that I was outside looking in at a neat show.

I’m looking forward to reading the second “Sandman Slim” novel – Kill the Dead, which was just recently released. Hopefully, that will help fill out the world and characters Kadrey has created.(less)

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May 24, 2012 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reading-list, sci-fi-fantasy

This book was littered with interesting pieces, but somehow the sum of its parts wasn't all that impressive. Honestly, it read like someone who went 'I love Jim Butcher! I'm going to write a book just like him! Also, "The Crow" is the best movie ever!'

Aspects of the story were really well done, but the main character was overly melancholic/cynical and given to throwing out a saucy one liner far too frequently. It also veered off into some personal fantasy zone too often, where the author would...more

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May 24, 2012 MOTG rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What would you do if your friends literally made a deal with the Devil to send you to hell? Would you give up? Roll over and die? Not James Stark. He became an infamous hitman in hell for more than a decade before escaping to L.A. looking for revenge. This is the idea behind Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim and it’s a fantastically supercharged, alcohol-fueled demolition derby of awesome.

James Stark was a real magician, heavy on talent but light on ambition. He lived in L.A. with the love of his li...more What would you do if your friends literally made a deal with the Devil to send you to hell? Would you give up? Roll over and die? Not James Stark. He became an infamous hitman in hell for more than a decade before escaping to L.A. looking for revenge. This is the idea behind Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim and it’s a fantastically supercharged, alcohol-fueled demolition derby of awesome.

James Stark was a real magician, heavy on talent but light on ambition. He lived in L.A. with the love of his life, Alice, and a small circle of magicians. James was a punk of the first order and just didn’t care. He was young, arrogant, overconfident, and in love. Unfortunately, Mason Faim – the leader of their little club – wasn’t satisfied with that. Mason wanted more power and traded James to a minion of hell to get it.

After more than a decade in hell fighting and murdering for the pleasure of the fallen angels, Stark becomes a merciless killing machine. Keeping him in check was the death threat against Alice; once Stark finds out she’s been murdered, all bets are off.

Stark finds a backdoor out of hell and returns to L.A to bring his former friends – and Alice’s murderer – to violent and bloody justice. As he investigates their whereabouts, he sees how Faim rewarded some and murdered others, appearing to have embraced the role of a reclusive, power-mad magician.

Stark, meanwhile, has to learn what it means to be a person all over again. The “hit first, hit last, and hit a few more times then piss on the corpse” approach he adopted in hell won’t do him much good with people. However, as the perpetual bad boy, he still has a way with the ladies and manages to find a few friends to help him along the way.

Richard Kadrey brings a gritty, dirty style to the urban fantasy novel. Sandman Slim is filled with some of the most creative and foul similes and metaphors that will make you both laugh and cringe. Kadrey’s writing style is so visceral when you put the book down you will feel the comfortable burn of whiskey in your throat and smell cigarette smoke in the air.

Before his quest for revenge is over, Stark manages to piss off heaven, hell, and everyone in between. We meet magicians, demons, angels, Homeland security agents, and a multitude of strange creatures stalking the city streets.

Sandman Slim is a pretty standard revenge story and it moves along fairly quickly. The story feels like a really good music video more than anything else, with great imagery and enjoyable story but little substance. This book isn’t for the faint of heart or easily offended, but if you like fast-paced action and a badass anti-hero in the vein of Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name,” this book is a must-read.(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Buddy Read Zone: Sandman Slim	154	33	Jan 17, 2013 07:20am
Anti Heroes	7	52	Jan 05, 2013 10:44am
Urban Fantasy: Sandman Slim--September Group Read--SPOILER FREE	7	43	Sep 18, 2011 09:08am
Urban Fantasy: Sandman Slim--September Group Read--SPOILERS	9	33	Sep 05, 2011 10:21pm

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Sandman Slim (Sandman Slim #1)

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