Richard Kadrey, Sandman Slim

For eleven years James Stark slaved as a gladiator killing monsters in Lucifer's venue amusing the masses of fallen angels. However, he is finally home currently walking down the mean magical streets of Los Angeles seeking vengeance. He investigates who murdered his girlfriend with intent to dispatch the cretin to hell and seeks to kill black magician Mason Faim, who dispatched him to Lucifer's abode.

James quickly slices off the head of black magician Kasabian, a lousy practitioner; Kasabian's head becomes James' companion as he hunts for Faim, but so far has failed to find him. Homeland Security agents accost him; a psychopathic angel assaults him, and he is unsure what the Kissi want from him, but knows it cannot be good.

This realm filled with angels, demons and Homeland Security agents is a bleak violent world that will stun the audience with the severity of survival that Richard Kadrey writes in convincing gripping detail. For instance satirizing the waterboarding debate: angels should never be alone as there are many who will use torture on them to get what they want: apocalypse now. James is a terrific antihero who keeps the exciting story line centered with his deadly grudge having spent over a decade as a boy toy in Lucifer's venue, but his quest is interrupted by dangerous predators.

Harriet Klausner