Rosy's scrawled book recommendation: Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

Sandman Slim
Richard Kadrey

Blurb
Supernatural fantasy has a new antihero
Life sucks, and then you die. Or, if you're James Stark, you spend eleven years in Hell as a hitman before finally escaping, only to land back in the hell-on-earth that is Los Angeles.
Now Stark's back, and ready for revenge. And absolution, and maybe even love. But when his first stop saddles him with an abusive talking head, Stark discovers that the road to absolution and revenge is much longer than you'd expect, and both Heaven and Hell have their own ideas for his future.
Resurrection sucks. Saving the world is worse.


Publisher 
HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN
9780061714306

Rosy's scrawlings on Sandman Slim
Richard Kadrey is a new author for me, even though he's written a few books by now. This means that although he's got some history and proof of talent there I still instinctively judge the first work I read as though it were any first work. For me, what matters is more a meeting of minds and a creation of scenes and coherent story telling than anything like typos or writing style. I have to be able to get into the swing of things, as it were. And Richard Kadrey looks to be another author I'll be following because as soon as I finished Sandman Slim I immediately went online and bought the rest of the series now available from the Book Depository UK (an awesome place to buy books). Job done, as far as advertising through your work goes.
James Stark, Stark, Jimmy or Sandman Slim as he comes to be know, is a man bent on personal vengeance that just happens to coincide with saving the world in various ways. When others try to convince him to be more caring of the fate of others he steadfastly only cares about seeing the blood of his enemies and betrayers on his hands. He's rude, crude, frequently beaten down, powerful but unable to act on it, ignorant by choice most of the time and far too worldly in the ways of Hell and Lucifer. He's a character you greatly enjoy reading about as all sanctimonious do-gooding for the sake of others is tossed out the window for some deep-seated personal concern.
Also, I have to say that you'll likely greatly enjoy the depiction of Lucifer. He's a quiet one, a thinker and planner with a huge capacity for violence he has yet to act on. He's also a great fan of movies and collects whatever good movies he can get his hands on.
Like all good urban fantasies there's plenty of darkness, swarms of new and old monsters, a magic system to be used and abused and a city/world under siege from the forces of evil. What makes this story stand out though, is that there's a character in the middle of it all who just doesn't care, a lot of slapstick moments written with a touch of horror and a light hearted approach to the end of the world. Sandman Slim is an urban fantasy that leaves you smiling rather than frowning or puzzling over the nasty things in life. And for that it is well worth a read and I'd also suggest it as a Friday night in read.

I'd recommend this book to: lovers of urban fantasy that includes trips into other dimensions or mythological places, lovers of action and antiheroes as well as lovers of stories inclusive of magic. Otherwise, anyone who is into fantasy.