Agents of Light and DarknessSimon R. Green |
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  3/27/2011 |
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If you don't like the macabre, stay away from any Nightside book by Simon R. Green. But if you have a good imagination and can shudder well, you'll appreciate Agents of Light and Darkness. John Taylor is an investigator who works in Nightside, the under underworld below London. It's always 3 AM in Nightside. If you're looking for something kinky, bad, or evil, Nightside is the place to go. Taylor works there, but he's one of the good guys - as much as anyone can be in a place like that. His talent is for finding things. Taylor is approached by a new client from the Vatican City. One of the priests, Jude, wants Taylor to find an terrible object that could cause an apocalypse in the wrong hands - the Unholy Grail. That is the cup that Judas Iscariot used at the Last Supper - the opposite of Christ's cup, the Holy Grail. The Unholy Grail has an evil taint to it and untold power. Everybody wants it, including the angels from both Heaven and Hell. Taylor contacts an old - friend? - to help him, Suzie the Shooter. She's the type who shoots first and asks questions later. Taylor has a "third eye" that can help him locate anything. But he can't use it around the angels because it puts a spotlight on him and they start chasing him, demanding the Unholy Grail be given to them. Once Taylor has accepted a commission, he works for that person, no matter what others may want. He and Suzie face death from all the players wanting the Unholy Grail but he'll only give it to the priest from the Vatican. Agents of Light and Darkness is spooky, eerie, and at times, disgustingly horrifying. Yet Simon R. Green tells the story in first person narrative by Taylor, keeping a light, smart alecky tone throughout, even when Taylor is at his most frustrated, angry, or sad points. There is more than one scene of blood everywhere. But because it's caused by magic, it can be accepted by the most imaginative person. Although Agents of Light and Darkness relies on the first book in the series for background, it can be read on its own as well. Taylor refers to incidents in the first novel, but they are for mood and setting, not for action in this book. Agents of Light and Darkness is a quick, easy read. Don't read it under the covers at night with a flashlight, though, especially with a vivid imagination. Read this in broad daylight. If campfire stories scared you, this one will really do that. Notice: Graphic violence, Strong indecent language |
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NIghtside Series:
Something From the Nightside |
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