mojoshivers's review against another edition
5.0
When I first read this a decade ago I remember this being the book that solidified the Felix Castor series as being the top of the heap for urban fantasy. I’d put it right up there with Dresden.
Not only do you get the classic A and B cases somehow being connected, but you get some pretty hardcore moral dilemmas where no one is happy and seemingly everyone loses, all in the name of saving the day. Everyone gets their time in the limelight—Juliet, Pen, Nicky, and even Rafi. But in the end you know this is a pivotal chapter in the saga and no one’s going home unscathed from what is a pretty horrific case with some top tier evil men and women.
Great installment.
Not only do you get the classic A and B cases somehow being connected, but you get some pretty hardcore moral dilemmas where no one is happy and seemingly everyone loses, all in the name of saving the day. Everyone gets their time in the limelight—Juliet, Pen, Nicky, and even Rafi. But in the end you know this is a pivotal chapter in the saga and no one’s going home unscathed from what is a pretty horrific case with some top tier evil men and women.
Great installment.
kblincoln's review
4.0
4.5 stars, actually.
Are you a fan of Harry Dresden and Kevin Hearne's Atticus Series? Ready for some thoughtful Urban Fantasy with a wise-cracking protagonist across the pond? You may have already run into Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant (if not, I highly recommend the series starting with Midnight Riot).
If you've gone through all of those and want more, pick up Mike Carey's Castor Felix series (starting with The Devil You Know.) Trust me, you'll like it.
Vicious Circle is the second in this series about an tin-whistle playing exorcist in a London where the dead are starting to come back in record numbers. There are ghosts, reanimated bodies, and spirits who take over animal bodies (loup-garou).
Castor Felix is no knight in shining armor, he's mostly on the path of least resistance, just looking to make enough money to survive. But he made a big mistake with an exorcism involving a friend, and he is loyal. In this second book, "Fix" is called in because his friend Rafi has a terrible episode (he's posessed by a demon) and then grieving parents ask him to find their dead daughter's ghost.
Only the parents aren't exactly telling the truth, and it's possible Rafi and his rider are mixed up in all of it. Throw in some rogue Catholic ghost-hunters and their pet loup-garou going after anyone slightly mixed up in the mystery, and you've got one action-packed tale.
Vicious Circle develops more between Fix and the succubus who tried to eat him in the prior book, as well as his complicated relationship with Rafi and his friend Pen. Investigating the central mystery also gives us more of the history behind how exorcists developed in this alternate London world, as well as giving us dark hints about possible future conflict. Felix is more self-serving than Dresden, and less of a do-gooder than Atticus. He wise-cracks even when it means an extra fist to the face, and although he mostly tries to avoid friendships, the ones he has he is extremely loyal to.
Definitely worth your time if you're a fan of male-protagonist, magic-wielding Urban Fantasy.
This Book's Snack Rating: Sour Cream and Chive Kettle Chips for the creamy-sour duality of Felix's character on a solid crunch of a well-developed alternate London
Are you a fan of Harry Dresden and Kevin Hearne's Atticus Series? Ready for some thoughtful Urban Fantasy with a wise-cracking protagonist across the pond? You may have already run into Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant (if not, I highly recommend the series starting with Midnight Riot).
If you've gone through all of those and want more, pick up Mike Carey's Castor Felix series (starting with The Devil You Know.) Trust me, you'll like it.
Vicious Circle is the second in this series about an tin-whistle playing exorcist in a London where the dead are starting to come back in record numbers. There are ghosts, reanimated bodies, and spirits who take over animal bodies (loup-garou).
Castor Felix is no knight in shining armor, he's mostly on the path of least resistance, just looking to make enough money to survive. But he made a big mistake with an exorcism involving a friend, and he is loyal. In this second book, "Fix" is called in because his friend Rafi has a terrible episode (he's posessed by a demon) and then grieving parents ask him to find their dead daughter's ghost.
Only the parents aren't exactly telling the truth, and it's possible Rafi and his rider are mixed up in all of it. Throw in some rogue Catholic ghost-hunters and their pet loup-garou going after anyone slightly mixed up in the mystery, and you've got one action-packed tale.
Vicious Circle develops more between Fix and the succubus who tried to eat him in the prior book, as well as his complicated relationship with Rafi and his friend Pen. Investigating the central mystery also gives us more of the history behind how exorcists developed in this alternate London world, as well as giving us dark hints about possible future conflict. Felix is more self-serving than Dresden, and less of a do-gooder than Atticus. He wise-cracks even when it means an extra fist to the face, and although he mostly tries to avoid friendships, the ones he has he is extremely loyal to.
Definitely worth your time if you're a fan of male-protagonist, magic-wielding Urban Fantasy.
This Book's Snack Rating: Sour Cream and Chive Kettle Chips for the creamy-sour duality of Felix's character on a solid crunch of a well-developed alternate London
sisteray's review
4.0
I really enjoyed the first Felix Castor book. I came to these books from loving Mike Carey's work in comics. I searched around, looking for urban fantasy that didn't make me throw the book down in frustration, so I decided to go with a name I trusted.
The first book was a nice simple hard-boiled mystery with some fun supernatural elements. This book embraces the supernatural more and the protagonists is forced to confront larger ramifications of his actions. He spends more time exploring the world and the character's place in it. The first book is pretty pat and straightforward, where this book takes its time poking and prodding at the different plot lines to see how they react. I like the characters and he spend some real energy building the characters' environment without making you feel like anything is wasted nor overdone. The main character is an enjoyable dude, and in the grand tradition of Jim Rockford can take a beating...
It has fun obscure references that are fun to look up without seeming
overbearing. It has a little grit, while still feeling light. If I could do 4.5 stars here I'd do it.
dorhastings's review against another edition
4.0
I am so pleased that my friend turned me onto this series. Felix "Fix" Castor is a crack-up. Exorcist meets mystery is a genre I'm admittedly growing fond of. What makes this series, for me, is Fix himself. I appreciate his attitude without wanting to punch him in the face or just dislike him, which is a problem I'm encountering a little as I read the Dresden files (admittedly, I've only read the first one, but it left an odd taste in my mouth). He's cocky but not alarmingly so, and I appreciate that he's competent and seems to try to be moral, even when he reluctantly acknowledges that he doesn't yet have it all figured out. I'm forcing myself to wait a bit before starting up the next book so that I don't rush through the series!
gavreads's review
Mike Carey is more widely known as a comic book writer – and for exploring the area of the occult in the comics Lucifer and Hellblazer (both available from DC Comics) He also writes about superheroes. He’s somehow found time to write a series of novels starting with The Devil You Know. Vicious Circle is the follow-up to that and takes us through another case of the exorcist Felix Castor.
Mike takes us to a London where the dead are no longer staying in the shadows. They are rising in great numbers and there is even an Act going through Parliament aimed at giving the dead legal status.
With this backdrop Castor takes on a request from the parents of a kidnapped girl. There is only one problem – she’s dead and ghosts can’t just be picked up and pocketed. Not that stops Castor taking on the case – the mystery and the grief of the parents persuades him – though the money may help too.
Mike does plot very well. The story is focused and well planned. The other thing he’s good at is hiding the twists and turns until the several ‘d’oh’ moments that occur. Everything moves along at a page-turning pace.
What is frustrating is the need to supply plot seems to leave Felix and the other characters getting less development time than they deserve, because Carey paints them so well you do want to spend more time with them. But as this is a first person tale there are perfectly good reasons why our focus can’t shift to the secondary characters too much. The only way would be to have Felix in their presence but being with them too long might give stuff away before everything is fully set-up.
Instead, you get to see him out and about, ducking and diving, exploring the seedy world that attracts his services. So you don’t notice this lack of progress until the conclusion, which itself makes you wish you knew Castor a little more.
Throughout the book Felix remains a bit of a mystery – but that’s how it should be. As is the way with all detectives – you see enough of their home life to make them human but not enough to shift the focus away from whatever they happen to be investigating.
Even though it’s not mentioned in the cover VC has all the markings of the second book of a trilogy. Character and storylines started in the first book play an important part here and the anticipation is that they will feature in the next one as well.
Whole heartedly recommended but read The Devl You Know first.
Mike takes us to a London where the dead are no longer staying in the shadows. They are rising in great numbers and there is even an Act going through Parliament aimed at giving the dead legal status.
With this backdrop Castor takes on a request from the parents of a kidnapped girl. There is only one problem – she’s dead and ghosts can’t just be picked up and pocketed. Not that stops Castor taking on the case – the mystery and the grief of the parents persuades him – though the money may help too.
Mike does plot very well. The story is focused and well planned. The other thing he’s good at is hiding the twists and turns until the several ‘d’oh’ moments that occur. Everything moves along at a page-turning pace.
What is frustrating is the need to supply plot seems to leave Felix and the other characters getting less development time than they deserve, because Carey paints them so well you do want to spend more time with them. But as this is a first person tale there are perfectly good reasons why our focus can’t shift to the secondary characters too much. The only way would be to have Felix in their presence but being with them too long might give stuff away before everything is fully set-up.
Instead, you get to see him out and about, ducking and diving, exploring the seedy world that attracts his services. So you don’t notice this lack of progress until the conclusion, which itself makes you wish you knew Castor a little more.
Throughout the book Felix remains a bit of a mystery – but that’s how it should be. As is the way with all detectives – you see enough of their home life to make them human but not enough to shift the focus away from whatever they happen to be investigating.
Even though it’s not mentioned in the cover VC has all the markings of the second book of a trilogy. Character and storylines started in the first book play an important part here and the anticipation is that they will feature in the next one as well.
Whole heartedly recommended but read The Devl You Know first.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
4.0
A few convenient remembrances just in time to save his hide, but I really quite enjoyed it.