Review by Booklist Review
Kadrey, urban fantasy mainstay, and Khaw, a horror rising star, team up for a cinematic and immersive "eldritch whale" of a duology opener. Julie, 29, is starting to feel the aches and pains of her job, using her small, magic-packed body to help keep New York City clear of monsters, barely making enough money to cover the rent. When an old flame, the head of excision for one of the top Wall Street firms, comes asking Julie for help, she sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to eat up the whole world in its wake. Told with dark humor; excellent world-building that never sacrifices the fast pace; an engaging narration with multiple points of view that allow the characters to fully develop, from Julie and her ragtag team of flawed but sympathetic friends to villains both human and otherworldly; action sequences that are as fun as they are visceral; and a scathing rebuke of capitalism, this is an original, thought-provoking, and entertaining title that will call to readers from multiple dimensions. For fans of Sandman Slim and the cosmic horror of The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (2020) and Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy Snyder (2023).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This deliciously down and dirty urban fantasy, the first in the Carrion City duology from Bram Stoker Award winner Khaw (The Salt Grows Heavy) and bestseller Kadrey (the Sandman Slim series), follows Julie Crews, an alcoholic freelance magician, as she navigates New York City's seedy supernatural underbelly. Julie's struggling to make ends meet performing exorcisms and other paranormal odd jobs for the city's upper crust when her best friend (and longtime crush), Sarah, turns up on her doorstep, fleeing an abusive husband and badly in need of a place to stay. To protect Sarah and bail herself out of her dead-end career grind, Julie summons an archangel of justice hoping they'll help balance the books in her favor--but everything comes with a price, and when the archangel proves to have murderous impulses, Julie must fight to keep Sarah, herself, and the entire mortal realm safe. Khaw's and Kadrey's styles are a perfect match throughout, melding Kadrey's knack for punchy action sequences and Khaw's talent for gorgeous descriptions as they maneuver their enormously fun cast through a filthily rendered New York. Fans of urban fantasy, neo-noir, and pulp horror won't want to miss this raucous adventure. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
A collaboration between two well-known speculative-fiction writers births a savagely fun romp through a grimy, magical New York City. Most of the city's elites are at least aware of true magic, but Julie Crews is no elite. She's at the bottom of the magical ladder, taking odd magical jobs to make ends meet. Julie's hard-living lifestyle gets complicated when an old friend decides to visit, an ex-boyfriend makes a power play, and whatever entity Julie just summoned threatens reality. She might not be the best at what she does (she can barely hold her own life together), but she could be what the world needs. Kadrey (King Bullet) has shown he can write two-fisted urban fantasy, and Khaw (The Salt Grows Heavy) has demonstrated a knack for beautifully describing the most disturbing horrors. Their combined efforts have created a kinetic urban noir that brims with terrifying eldritch monstrosities and human bodies defying their anatomy. Natalie Naudus's performance anchors the unreal with her grounded portrayals of flawed heroine Julie and wide-eyed neophyte Sarah, especially as the old friends slowly become closer. VERDICT Fans of urban fantasy, cosmic weirdness, and tough-as-nails protagonists should enjoy this work that's the best of both authors.--James Gardner
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A freelance spellcaster is in love with drugs and on the run from a primeval evil in midtown Manhattan. What could go wrong? Everything old is new again in this comically horrific team-up between prolific Malaysian horror writer Khaw and Kadrey, taking a brief and well-deserved break from his popular Sandman Slim series. Whether it's the ancient, squelchy things hunting our heroes or the novel voice Khaw brings to the genre's blood-and-one-liners schtick, this adults-only episode may not be for everyone, but it's certainly something memorable. When we meet nearly-30 Julie Crews, she's already tied up in exorcising a demon at a bachelorette party before retiring to her squalid apartment for Korean street food, vodka, and drugs. We're soon introduced to the book's New York City underground, where Lovecraftian horrors control Wall Street, things older than humans still walk the Earth, and people like Julie use magic to regulate funkiness. The book's complicating events don't take long to stir things up. First, Julie's ex Tyler, a corporate bootlicker, hires her as part of his plan to get promoted by sucking up to his firm's…patron?--an eldritch horror called The Mother Who Eats that would make Pinhead wet himself. Secondly, Julie's best friend, Sarah, shows up at her door, the victim of domestic abuse. Bloodshed ensues, natch, but there's some good stuff among the overstuffed plot, not least the Wick-ian worldbuilding the authors employ to lurid effectiveness. Tyler is saddled with Annabeth Fall, an ice queen from his firm's security division with cutthroat ambition and a low tolerance for his bullshit, while Sarah's violent ex Dan nearly kills Julie. Meanwhile, on Julie's side, we meet her prehistoric landlady, St. Joan, and her "guy in the chair," Dead Air, who join her reluctant crusade to kill an angel, kiss the girl, and end this spooky bullshit once and for all. An enchanting introduction to a magical bitch on wheels, to be continued. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
