Epic fantasist Williams (A Stark and Wormy Knight) launches a noir fantasy series with a dark and thrilling story of Heaven and Hell battling for human souls. Bad-ass smart-mouth Bobby Dollar, an Earth-bound angel advocate for newly departed souls caught between Heaven and Hell, is appalled when a soul goes missing on his watch. Bobby quickly realizes this is “an actual, honest-to-front-office crisis,†and he sets out to fix it, sparking a chain of hellish events. A gruesome murder, cryptic messages from Heaven, a stolen object, a villainous grand duke of Hell, an elusive secret society, an irresistible succubus, and a dreadful primordial spirit provide the ingredients for a tightly woven, action-packed adventure. Bobby is a scene-stealer from the first page; his gutsiness, determination, and offbeat sense of humor add zest to the pandemonium that erupts around him. Exhilarating action, fascinating characters, and high stakes will leave the reader both satisfied and eager for the next installment. Agent: Matt Bialer, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Sept.)
Tad Williams. DAW, $26.95 (416p) ISBN 978-0-7564-0768-1