I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth
by
Simon R. Green
urban fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Ace Books on February 28, 2006 and has 247 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Something From the Nightside, Mean Streets, Agents of Light and Darkness, Nightingale's Lament, Paths Not Taken, Hell to Pay, Just Another Judgement Day, The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny, A Hard Day's Knight, Hex and the City, The Unnatural Inquirer, The Bride Wore Black Leather, Home Improvement: Undead Edition, Hex Appeal, Man with the Golden Torc, Daemons are Forever, The Spy Who Haunted Me, From Hell with Love, Live and Let Drood, Casino Infernale, Blue Moon Rising, Tales of the Hidden World, Blood and Honor, From a Drood to a Kill, The Dark Side of the Road, Dead Man Walking, Very Important Corpses, Moonbreaker, Dr. DOA, Property of a Lady Faire, The House on Widows Hill
Sixth in the Nightside dark urban fantasy series for young adults starring John Taylor as the most feared man in the Nightside…and it’s always an adventurous ride with JT.
My Take
Oh man, the family reunion from hell!
It cracks me up everytime how freaked security people get when they realize it’s “John ‘Bloody’ Taylor” and they turn and run for it! Another fun bit is the toys — cars, computers, etc. — that pop in from some future. Man, what I wouldn’t give for JT’s computers! Lust!!
Fascinating turnaround for JT’s relationships with everyone and I’m looking forward to Hell to Pay if only to find out who survived!
Lots of adventure and violence with a very loving ending and a friendly reunion.
The Story
Having successfully returned from viewing the beginning of the Nightside by dropping in, literally, at Strangefellows, John Taylor and Suzie Shooter freak Alex out with both Suzie’s injuries and the evolution of their relationship. Then JT gets a bit freaked when attacked in the loo and finds out just how angry the 13 families of the Reasonable Men are with him as well as Walker’s increased fury.
Well, there’s only one way out of Strangefellows…through the cellars with a quick visit to the Doormouse and a newly exposed skill of Razor Eddie’s before JT heads back to the future to learn from his frenemies just what goes wrong in the war against Lilith. A war Lilith initiates in the Street of the Gods.
The Characters
The “Nightside is the dark and corrupt city within the city of London. Where the sun never shines and where pleasure and horror are always on sale — for the right price.Not a nice place to visit or a nice place to live”.
John Taylor is an independent sort who prefers going his own way. Unfortunately, he has too many enemies preferring that his way ends…last week. Alex Morrisey is a direct descendant of Merlin Satanspawn and is geased to run Strangefellows, the oldest bar in the world.
Almost everyone we’ve met so far appears…
…Razor Eddie, a.k.a., the Punk God of the Straight Razor; Tommy Oblivion, the existentialist detective; Sandra Chance, a necromancer with some truly unappetizing habits; the Caretaker who guards the private graveyard for those who want eternal protection; the Doormouse; Dead Boy, a 17-year-old who was mugged and murdered 30 years ago; Julien Advent, the Victorian Adventurer and editor/owner of the Night Times; Old Father Time; Merlin Satanspawn; The Collector, one of the original three friends who first summoned Lilith; Walker, the second friend and JT’s general nemesis; and, Charles Taylor, JT’s dad.
Lilith, a.k.a., Mommie Dearest for her winning motherly personality…not…intends to remake the Nightside back into her original vision. The problem is that she doesn’t intend to stop with the Nightside. At least, not until she eliminates all those messy humans.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a bit Diaper Babe in the battlefield with a very post-apocalyptic feel — the foreground carpeted in skulls and broken skyscrapers in the background.
As for the title, Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth, is absolutely perfect! *snicker* I’ll leave it to you to find out why!
