Richard Kadrey (in the one book of his I'd read previously) writes a hard boiled fantasy noir crime stories with a tough edge that would make Sam Spade quiver in fear.
Together they've written this and it plays up to both of their strengths.
From the opening page we're thrown into the life of the rather blandly named Julie, a demon hunting freelancer in New York who uses magic based in pain to earn a crust, taking on the dirty jobs other demon hunters shy away from.
I knew I was in for something very different when, with zero explanation, on the very first page, a bride was mentioned with blood spurting from the stump of her missing hand, whilst her mother complains to Julie about the mess.
Meanwhile Julie's ex-boyfriend is making a power grab in a supernatural agency. His actions are going to cost Julie dearly, and possibly bring about Armageddon.
This book is a near perfect blend of Khaw's wildness and Kadrey's noir plotting. It does flag slightly in the second act, and Julie's romantic subplot taking centre stage maybe softens up the character a touch too much. But that's a minor quibble and never made me want to stop reading.
This is the first part in a duology, but still manages to give a satisfying ending. there are enough plot threads still open to make part two a definite "read and buy immediately" title when it emerges from the pits of this pair's imaginations.
The book is gory, wild, mind-blowing and exciting. The prose isn't as extreme as Khaw normally writes and may well convert some of those who read and hated Blackened Teeth. The demons are pretty damned scary, and the human villains easily give them a run for their money.
If you want a real wtf piece of writing with demons, angels, evil corporations in living buildings, and world threatening danger, this is an easy choice.
