brianmcdonald42's review against another edition
5.0
At one point in this book, I found myself actually skipping ahead to see what happens to one of the characters, because I didn't want it to be something bad. I think that says a lot about this book, and the Felix Castor series as a whole.
I saw a reference to a possible sixth book, but that was supposed to be out in 2011, so maybe it's just not happening. And you know, I'm okay with it if there isn't another one. While this book didn't answer ALL of the questions, it wraps up in such a way that it serves as a good series end if need be.
This is one of the best urban fantasy series out, and you really ought to read it if you can.
I saw a reference to a possible sixth book, but that was supposed to be out in 2011, so maybe it's just not happening. And you know, I'm okay with it if there isn't another one. While this book didn't answer ALL of the questions, it wraps up in such a way that it serves as a good series end if need be.
This is one of the best urban fantasy series out, and you really ought to read it if you can.
samedi's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second best in the series, imo, but still really great. “Specifics” was the magic word in this one, using the old definition of “a medicine or remedy effective in treating a particular disease or part of the body.” Which I absolutely love, because it is super on-theme for the book. A noticeable amount of rhyming slang, too, in this one, which I guess is also on-theme. And “President Ahmed Ahmedinajad,” which threw me until I realized: themes! (I mean, I guess it’s possible neither the author nor his editor knew the name of the Iranian president, but I prefer to think it was intentional that Castor didn’t.) I just think it’s really cool to see that kind of stuff in urban fantasy, which is not typically “literary” at all.
Sad to be done with this reread; I haven’t found anything else like it since I read them the first time about a decade ago. Probably 4 stars in general, but 5 stars for the genre!
(Eta: I’m talking in this review as if you’ve read my reviews of the other books in the series, and the review probably isn’t that useful otherwise. Or at all.)
Sad to be done with this reread; I haven’t found anything else like it since I read them the first time about a decade ago. Probably 4 stars in general, but 5 stars for the genre!
(Eta: I’m talking in this review as if you’ve read my reviews of the other books in the series, and the review probably isn’t that useful otherwise. Or at all.)
erichart's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific conclusion to an excellent series. Tightly plotted, and most of all, a satisfying conclusion, after seeing so many other writers finish their series on a disappointing anticlimax, its nice to see carey wrap it up so well.
dorhastings's review against another edition
4.0
It's been some time since I'd read the last Castor, so I was at a little bit of a disadvantage and couldn't find anything to summarize what was going on. I suppose that's one thing that I wish Carey did a little more of in his books. I feel like a lot of authors do this and people find it annoying to have a rehash, but since I spend a bit of time between books, a little bit would be helpful. Carey sort of does this in his own way: the flashbacks are subtle and within Felix's thought process and attitude, so they're occasionally a little difficult to understand.
Umm, all that said, I missed Felix Castor and enjoyed the book. I think I've been watching too much television, because I found myself wishing that we saw more of Castor in his role as exorcist. But then, this isn't a set of episodes for a show, and after all, Castor is an ex-exorist by definition. And there are plenty of cases: this book had a somewhat separate case.
That said, this book delved pretty heavily into Rafi Ditko's past. There are still a lot of unknowns about Rafi (or I'm just thick) but I feel like we learn little snippets in strange ways through Felix's thought process. There are a lot of different players involved, and I didn't remember a fair few of them, but it's not too important. I like that we saw a lot about Felix's old job with Jenna-Jane. I love the heavy material in this entire series. The book wraps up a bit strangely, in my opinion, particularly in terms of Rafi. It makes it seem as though everything is happy and sunshine, when it certainly can't be.
And there is one book left!
Umm, all that said, I missed Felix Castor and enjoyed the book. I think I've been watching too much television, because I found myself wishing that we saw more of Castor in his role as exorcist. But then, this isn't a set of episodes for a show, and after all, Castor is an ex-exorist by definition. And there are plenty of cases: this book had a somewhat separate case.
That said, this book delved pretty heavily into Rafi Ditko's past. There are still a lot of unknowns about Rafi (or I'm just thick) but I feel like we learn little snippets in strange ways through Felix's thought process. There are a lot of different players involved, and I didn't remember a fair few of them, but it's not too important. I like that we saw a lot about Felix's old job with Jenna-Jane. I love the heavy material in this entire series. The book wraps up a bit strangely, in my opinion, particularly in terms of Rafi. It makes it seem as though everything is happy and sunshine, when it certainly can't be.
And there is one book left!
gavreads's review against another edition
Felix Castor has made it to book five seemingly in one piece though not after more than a few scrapes along the way. You’ll have to read The Devil You Know, Vicious Circle, Dead Men’s Boots and Thicker Than Water for details of those.
This leaves me with a slight problem. How to explain the awesomeness of The Naming of the Beasts without destroying the enjoyment of reaching this point.
So the short review is; if you loved the series so far this is going to knock your socks off so read it! And if you haven’t had the pleasure yet let me introduce you to what you’ve been missing…
The dead of London aren’t staying dead and haven’t been for some years. The newly deceased are coming back to visit or moving back in if they’ve come back into their own bodies (Carey’s idea of zombies are more possessed corpses than the lumbering and brain eating movie variety). Though it’s not only the dead that are returning, things a lot older have also appeared, not only on the streets of London but all over the world.
And that is where people like exorcist Felix Castor come in. His special talents make him a sort of expert in the changes that are coming. Not that he’s enjoying it at the minute.The world hasn’t been too kind too him over the last few books.
In The Naming of the Beasts, his friend Rafi has escaped along with the demon that Castor trapped inside his body. Castor needs to stop the demon and find his friend but he can’t handle it alone. So he turns to the lesser of two evils to give him back-up and joins forces with an old adversary to try to stop the demon before he escapes Rafi’s body and becomes free in the world.
Now I’m a big fan of urban fantasy and I’m an even bigger fan of this series. For all the things going on we have in each book Castor trying to redeem himself by trying to do the right thing for his friends and family and failing because of other peoples agendas.
And Mike Carey is a master of putting Castor through the ringer each time. But he’s not rehashing the story in each book. He has the back story that’s been building from book to book until we get to this point.
And the answers raise more questions than they answer. The balance has twisted away from the living. And Carey plays with that. He takes each of main the characters away from their routines of normality he’s built up in the series so now Castor can’t work alone, Juliet is having more than a few problems controlling herself, Pen is well just Pen and Nicky, he’s wasting away, though he has a plan to save himself.
If this is the penultimate book in the arc then the ending to The Naming of the Beasts is a killer. Something just doesn’t feel right by the end. It’s almost too easy. It feels like Mike Carey has held a few cards back and I have a horrible feeling that Castor’s life is not going to go back to normal after this.
A true roller-coaster ride and a series that a fan of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files or quality urban fantasy really can’t miss.
This leaves me with a slight problem. How to explain the awesomeness of The Naming of the Beasts without destroying the enjoyment of reaching this point.
So the short review is; if you loved the series so far this is going to knock your socks off so read it! And if you haven’t had the pleasure yet let me introduce you to what you’ve been missing…
The dead of London aren’t staying dead and haven’t been for some years. The newly deceased are coming back to visit or moving back in if they’ve come back into their own bodies (Carey’s idea of zombies are more possessed corpses than the lumbering and brain eating movie variety). Though it’s not only the dead that are returning, things a lot older have also appeared, not only on the streets of London but all over the world.
And that is where people like exorcist Felix Castor come in. His special talents make him a sort of expert in the changes that are coming. Not that he’s enjoying it at the minute.The world hasn’t been too kind too him over the last few books.
In The Naming of the Beasts, his friend Rafi has escaped along with the demon that Castor trapped inside his body. Castor needs to stop the demon and find his friend but he can’t handle it alone. So he turns to the lesser of two evils to give him back-up and joins forces with an old adversary to try to stop the demon before he escapes Rafi’s body and becomes free in the world.
Now I’m a big fan of urban fantasy and I’m an even bigger fan of this series. For all the things going on we have in each book Castor trying to redeem himself by trying to do the right thing for his friends and family and failing because of other peoples agendas.
And Mike Carey is a master of putting Castor through the ringer each time. But he’s not rehashing the story in each book. He has the back story that’s been building from book to book until we get to this point.
And the answers raise more questions than they answer. The balance has twisted away from the living. And Carey plays with that. He takes each of main the characters away from their routines of normality he’s built up in the series so now Castor can’t work alone, Juliet is having more than a few problems controlling herself, Pen is well just Pen and Nicky, he’s wasting away, though he has a plan to save himself.
If this is the penultimate book in the arc then the ending to The Naming of the Beasts is a killer. Something just doesn’t feel right by the end. It’s almost too easy. It feels like Mike Carey has held a few cards back and I have a horrible feeling that Castor’s life is not going to go back to normal after this.
A true roller-coaster ride and a series that a fan of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files or quality urban fantasy really can’t miss.
richtate's review against another edition
4.0
It is my sincere hope that Mike Carey will eventually continue this riveting series.
anubissama's review against another edition
2.0
An underwhelming ending to what was a serviceable occult detective series. After being built up as the big bad for the entirety of the series what gets Azazel are shotgun beads of glass?
While I appreciate the symbolism there is just no set-up mechanically to explain how that could possibly work and feels completely undeserved. Just read the 4 first books and end up with a nice world, good characters and some nice mysteries and fights YET to come.
While I appreciate the symbolism there is just no set-up mechanically to explain how that could possibly work and feels completely undeserved. Just read the 4 first books and end up with a nice world, good characters and some nice mysteries and fights YET to come.