Customer Reviews

Agents of Light and Darkness (Nightside, Book 2)

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In this, the second volume in Simon Green's tales of The Nightside we find John Taylor back in his old haunting grounds, playing tough guy, noir detective and doing what he does best - finding things. This time he is on a grail hunt, not for the cup that Jesus drank from, but the other cup, the Judas Cup, which provides both ultimate power and ultimate corruption.

If it was just John Taylor and an ugly silver cup this would be a piece of cake for John - find it and return it to the Vatican, who will hide it from all the powers, human and otherwise. But no such luck - everyone is after it. Demons, gangsters, and angels - thousands of them, good and bad, all prepared to end the universe to gain the cup. Knowing he is out of his depth, Taylor brings Shotgun Suzie on board, and together they challenge Armageddon.

One can't fault Green for originality of plot. As The Nightside reels from the attacks of angels who are nothing like the sweet creatures of New Age philosophy, we quickly realize there is more to the story than a simple rehashing of old magickal themes. Green likes to play with ideas, even when disguised as a fantasy barn-burner. And there is plenty of that - the only reason there isn't more violence is that people keep getting slaughtered before Taylor and Suzie arrive on the scene.

The only thing that wears thin in this series is Green's habit of overplaying the characterization. Taylor, who plays a gumshoe with hidden magical talents and a knack for walking directly into trouble, is always in danger of being a stereotype, of which there are many in this tale - the wise guy bartender, the killer with a heart of gold, and, of course, Merlin. Simon Green dances the thin line between parody and imitation and brings ot off most of the time, but not always.

If you like magical stories where bad things happen to everyone and the main character keeps getting warned about his mother you might very well like this story, as I did. And there is nothing wrong about a novel that includes a bar where the spooks get drunk to the sounds of King Crimson. This was written to be fun, and more often than not, it is.

In the first book, Something From The Nightside, we met investigator John Taylor and were gradually introduced to The Nightside, a perpetually dark neighborhood hidden in London. The Nightside is home and/or workplace to some very odd, powerful and scary beings. In this book, we jump right into the weirdness of The Nightside as John is concluding a case with a very disturbing and dangerous entity.

John hears that the Grail may be nearby and is soon hired to find it. But this is the Unholy Grail, the cup used by Judas at the Last Supper.

The Unholy Grail is sought by many powerful and dangerous beings. Among them are the Angels (from on High and the Fallen) and they are nasty. Unfortunately for John, using his talent for finding things can alert others as to his whereabouts. Thus John must use all of his natural skills, experience, and reputation to stay alive, find the Grail, and keep it out of the wrong hands (which are just about everyone's).

En excellent sequel that reveals a little more about John Taylor and the history of The Nightside. It is obvious that if this one sells well enough the author will have more tales for us.

In Something From the Nightside, Simon R. Green introduced us to a secret world found deep beneath the streets of London, a fantastical place where it is always 3 AM and the unimaginable is commonplace. John Taylor, a private eye blessed with a unique gift for finding anything, returned home to the Nightside after several years in the real world, reneging on a promise he had made to himself to never go back. A girl was missing, and - more importantly - her mother was willing to pay good money to get her back. It appears Taylor is now back to stay, if for no other reason than to investigate the mystery of his own destiny and that of the inhuman mother he never knew. All of that will have to wait for the moment, however, as angels have come to the Nightside.

The very future of the Nightside, not to mention a little something called the Apocalypse, hangs in the balance as the forces of good and evil tear the Nightside apart in search of a powerful object that has gone missing. It is nothing less than the Unholy Grail, the cup from which Judas Iscariot drank at the Last Supper. If anyone can find it, it is John Taylor - and everyone in the Nightside knows it. Already commissioned by a strange little man representing the Vatican, Taylor finds himself at the very center of the most dangerous case of his career. Even the good angels care little for man, and they don't shirk from leaving burned out husks and pillars of salt in their wake. They also can't be trusted any more than the angels of darkness, as Taylor learns all too well - first-hand. Unfortunately for Taylor, this means he can't use his special gift for finding things in his search for the Unholy Grail, as it allows the angels to pinpoint his location. Knowing he will need some extra muscle to survive this one, he teams up with trigger-happy Shotgun Suzie and calls in a few special favors from erstwhile associates such as Razor Eddie, Punk God of the Straight Razor, and Strangefellows bar owner (and Merlin ancestor) Alex Morrisey.

Taylor's search takes him to such infamous places as the Pit, a club run by the Demon Lordz; the headquarters of the Fourth Reich; the old Styx Theatre where the dead and undead go for entertainment; and that most secret and mysterious of places - the warehouse holding all of the treasures of the Collector. The reader will learn all about the Speaking Gun, the only weapon capable of harming angels, and witness characters and events unusual even by Nightside standards. Aside from the search for the Unholy Grail, Agents of Light and Darkness also holds out clues to the possible future we glimpsed (courtesy of a Timeslip) in Something From the Nightside, especially John Taylor's place in that future and the truth about his long-lost mother. It is a truth that seemingly threatens to destroy the Nightside and the world around it.

This is a very quick read, and it is constantly entertaining. Black humor abounds, moral truths are addressed in the most unusual of manners, friends and enemies interact in increasingly unexpected ways, and the ending does not disappoint, actually adding much to an already exciting and highly compelling story. Even secondary characters such as Shotgun Suzie and the Collector begin to take on an unexpected depth in this novel - obviously, Green is still building for the future of the Nightside series. While this book stands apart from its predecessor, underlying themes tie the two together and pave the way for future eagerly anticipated jaunts to this ingenious underworld of Green's creation.

This is not a "Robert Jordan", 5,000 pg fantasy - but for once i find myself wishing that this book had that length. Instead, the readers are treated to a short, no-nonsense romp in the macabre, thrilling world of the Nightside, where not all cars are really cars - some are just pretending, and they're usually hungry. . .
Anyway, John Taylor accepts a commision to hunt down the Unholy Grail, and is barred from using his special gift because those who want him to work for them can track him when he does. Confused? Hope not - Anyway, with Shotgun Suzie's help he evades angels, gains and looses the Speaking Gun, and meanders his way through interesting aspects of the Nightside toward his goal.
There is a lot mentioned in this book, and the previous one, that leave the reader wishing (ardently) for more Nightside stories, or even a little more explanation about the true nature of John's mother. in that, green treats the audience like he does his charachters, doling out info on a "need to know" basis. Obviously, we don't need to know - thus, we are left begging for more. Anyone happen to know anything about a sequel?
Oh - be prepared for description and action that borders on the gory and is definitely in the realm of "beyond the pale", though swearing is kept to a minimum and the hint (bare, as in almost not-there) of romance spice it up. but the somewhat (as in, there ARE worse out there) graphic descriptions may be surprising. All in all, a wonderful read, but i'd have to say it's also PG-13.

Agents of Light and Darkness (2003) is the second fantasy novel in the Nightside series, following Something From the Nightside. In the previous volume, John Taylor was hired to find something and instead found more than he bargained for, yet banished it from Nightside back into the void.

In this novel, Taylor starts off sounding more like Joe Friday than the literary detectives who inspired the first book. He has found something for Jessica Sorrow the Unbeliever and presents to her in the Church of Saint Jude. While there, he witnesses a confrontation that leaves a man a pillar of salt. The angels, both light and dark, have come to the Nightside.

Taylor is hired to by the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, the cup that Judas Iscariot drank from at the Last Supper. Others are also hunting for this powerful relict, including the angelic hosts of above and below. Shortly after he accepts his commission, others try to force him to change sides. Taylor hires Suzy Shooter as backup and starts looking. This time he can't use his talent, for the angels have already plucked his mind from his body and tried to force him into finding the relic for them (final recipient to be decided later). Some think that he should not give either side the chalice, for that would precipitate the apocalypse, with Nightside the battleground.

As he follows his leads, Taylor witnesses enough angelic violence to not wish to encourage the final confrontation. People snatched off the streets to be questioned and then discarded, sometimes in pieces, as well as people turned into pillars of salt or impaled on light poles. He finds, and then loses again, a weapon capable of discreating angels or anything else, but only at great cost to his soul.

Among the blood, pain and fire, Taylor treats with old friends and enemies, uncovers massacres and blood baths, and follows his leads. Then he finds the relic and witnesses a miracle.

Oh, did I forget to tell your about the small group of minor demons running a house of ill-repute, the Fourth Reich, or the right-wing Warriors of the Cross? Well, this is a short review, as is the book. Its only defect, if any, is the brevity of the story, but there is a lot packed inside!

Highly recommended for Green fans and for anyone else who enjoys urban fantasy with a theological flavor and an American detective story setting.

-Arthur W. Jordin

If you can get through the "things are different in the Nightside" repeated over and over, then its not a bad little book. The author tries to copy the old detective novels and cliches to much.

The Nightside books center on John Taylor, a private investigator who has special abilities that help him find things in a dark, magical place called the Nightside.

In the second book, Agents of Light and Darkness, the Nightside is already exposed to us, so Green can concentrate more on the plot, meanwhile still introducing new, creepy places within the city. A mysterious monk comes to John to ask him to find the Unholy Grail. Angels, demons, and everyone else dangerous seems to be searching for it as well. John teams up with Shotgun Suzie, a deadly assassin who once tried to kill him, for this disturbing tale.

I love how these are written in a sort of classic pulp fiction detective novel, yet very fresh and fun.

This is the first book I've reviewed in Simon Green's Nightside series and, in fact, the first book I've read by Mr. Green. I was totally blown away as it was one of the best fantasy books I've read in quite a long time. But calling it a fantasy doesn't do it justice. This great book has elements of dark fantasy, horror, sci-fi, mixed with a little mystery and a generous sprinkling of humor. Now that may sound like the book wants to be all things to all people but the elements work very well.

The Nightside is a kind of alternate world buried deep in the heart of london. A place much bigger that the supposed one square mile it rests on. It's always 3 am in Nightside. That's how the denizens like it. A place where everyday people mix with creatures of myth and legend. Vampires, ghosts, ghouls, sorcerers, demons, and things far more terrible can be found living in Nightside. There are many unique being in the Nightside such as Jennifer Sorrow, Razor Eddie, The Collector and others. Watching over the Nightside is the Authorities. Mysterious beings of great power who police...loosely...the Nightside.

John Taylor is one of them. A private investigator who has a special gift for finding things. John can find virtually anything or anyone with a magical/psychic talent. Jack is contracted by the Vatican itself to retrieve a powerful artifact--The Unholy Grail--the cup that Judas drank from at the Last Supper. And artifact so evil and powerful that it could bring armageddon to the world. But The VAtican is not the only ones searching for the grail. All the great powers in the Nightside want it.

Add to all of these great powers who want the Grail, so does heaven and hell. They both send legions of angels into the Nightside which even the Authorities cannot stand up against. Without much subtlety the angels begin killing anyone who dares get in their path. Because John Taylors unique power makes the angels aware of his presence and make him vulnerable, he decides to use old-fashioned footwork to find the grail, enlisting the aid of old friend Shotgun Suzie to help. John and Suzie quickly find themselves caught squarely in the middle of a battle between all of Nighsides great powers along with Angels from above and below. And just under the surface of all this is the mystery of Jack's mother who NO ONE wants to talk about and the only thing that causes Jack to be unable to control his emotions over.

This is just a terrific book. Green creates some of the most fascinating creatures of power you'll ever meet. Razor Eddie is a skinny, pale, smelling of death power who uses an ivory handled razor to dispatch anyone in his way. Then there is Alex Morrissey, owner of Strangefellows, the oldest bar in the world whose Ancestor is the Great mage Merlin.

Witty and darkly humorous, with doses of dialog brimming with sarcasm, Green creates fantastic, more-than-human characters who have distinctly human frailties. In Nightside, he's manifested a wonderful yet terrible place that you'd want to visit but never want to live there.

This is one of three Nightside novels with a fourth due out soon. I'm into the second one already and loving it just as much. This is a marvelously unique world that Mr. Green has created in Nightside and I cannot wait to read more about it.

This is the second novel in Simon R. Green's "Nightside" series, and it's even better than the first.

The Nightside is the magical, corrupt heart of London, where it's always 3:00 AM, and everything is available for a price. John Taylor is the hard-boiled private eye who was born there, and who's only half human. Taylor can find anything.

He's just finished a tough case when he's hired by the Vatican to find the Unholy Grail, the U. G. being the cup that Judas drank from. And the Vatican isn't the only one searching for it -- so are Angels, Fallen Angels, magicians, mafiosi, and the secret powerful Authorities of the Nightside, all of whom intend to make an offer Taylor he can't refuse: find it for us, or we destroy you, Taylor.

But Taylor has already been hired, and he never betrays a client. With his old friend Shotgun Suzie, a bounty hunter who once shot him (Suzie has difficulty showing affection), he dodges Angels, questions demons, and narrates the sights: a case with a bible inside it, marked "In case of Apocalypse, break glass;" the headquarters of a group of religous fanatics, with a poster saying "Have you killed an unbeliever today?"; zombies at a show for the dead, applauding carefully and making sure nothing falls off; Merlin, raised from the dead and told the building may be destroyed at any moment "Damn, it's always something;" and those are just what I remember off the top of my head.

Like the first novel in the series, "Something From the Nightside," I liked this a lot. Highly recommended. I'll be starting the third one, "Nightengale's Lament," later today.

"Agents of Light and Darkness" is another excursion into dark fantasy by Simon Green. It's the second volume in the ongoing story of John Taylor--PI, finder extraordinaire, and denizen of the Nightside. This time, Taylor's job is to find the Unholy Grail (hey, it's the Nightside--no way would it be the Holy Grail) before it can fall into the wrong hands. But his client is not the only one in search of the mysterious and powerful object. Angels of both sides are also looking, and that's not a good thing.

Alternately funny and macabre, the book begins quickly and continues the action at a brisk pace throughout. The same cast of characters are there as in the first Nightside book--Shotgun Suzie Shooter, Razor Eddie, Alix at Stringfellows, and The Collector, plus a few new ones. Although Green is not doing a character study here., we do get a little insight into Suzie, plus a few more tantalizing hints about Taylor's past. My only complaint is that I wish Green had made more use of Taylor's secretary, who strikes me as having both a mind of her own and great potential.

The bottom line is that "Agents of Light and Darkness" is a quick, fun read. If you liked "Something from the Nightside, " you'll probably like this one too.