Sandman Slim

Sandman Slim, Book 1

By: Richard Kadrey

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

When he was 19, James Stark was considered to be one of the greatest natural magicians, a reputation that got him demon-snatched and sent downtown - to Hell - where he survived as a gladiator, a sideshow freak entertaining Satan's fallen angels.

That was 11 years ago. Now, the hitman who goes only by Stark has escaped and is back in L.A. Armed with a fortune-telling coin, a black bone knife, and an infernal key, Stark is determined to destroy the magic circle - led by the conniving and powerful Mason Faim - that stole his life.

Though nearly everything has changed, one constant remains: his friend Vidocq, a 200-year-old Frenchman who has been keeping vigil for the young magician's return. But when Stark's first stop saddles him with an abusive talking head that belongs to the first of the circle, a sleazy video store owner named Kasabian, Stark discovers that the road to absolution and revenge is much longer than he counted on, and both Heaven and Hell have their own ideas for his future.

©2009 Richard Kadrey (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

One of the best in the genre !

I own about a thousand audiobooks and this is surely at the top of the list for fun and entertainment, a hell of a ride,great writing, excelent narrator . i really like the mythology in it too.

fun pulpy romp filled with supernatural adventure

A fun listen for any fans of pulp/weird fiction.while some of the writing is a bit too dime store detective novel (I get that's what he seems to be going for but its a little bit heavy handed) and the story is incredibly trope heavy in a seemingly unaware way its still a good time and a great start. If you like this pick up "the everything box" by the same author its incredible and I hope more of his stories going forward use that books voice more.

A must read(listen)!

The writing started, for me, a tad slow. However, it quickly became one of my favorite series, next to Dresden and The Iron Druid. Stark is the anti hero that I didn't know I was waiting for.
The series takes turns that I didn't expect (but absolutely love!) and gets very in depth in a way no other series has.
The voice acting is outstanding. Just like no one else but James Marsters can be Dresden, no one else can be Sandman Slim except MacLeod Andrews.
I can not wait for the rumored movie!

A darker Harry Dresden

I really enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of Jim Butchers work but wished Dresden wasnt such a goodie two shoes all the time. than this is the book for you. sandman slim is a bada$$ and he dont take crap from anyone. i loved it.

One of the best fantasy stories I've ever heard

The narrator was awesome the plot was cynical comedy on top of pure baddassery fight scene and stark himself was awesome I had my doubts at first but was gladly proved wrong

Love it, despite pretentions

I really enjoyed this book. Occasionally the authors popculture name dropping can be tedious. But on the whole it was a satisfying and interesting read

The performance was the best part

Any additional comments?

Although I definitely enjoyed the story, I think this is one of those books that's made better by the narrator. He was fantastic.

Deliciously fun

Snarky, dark, and amusing, with a narrator that gives life to the characters perfectly. i love the idea of life in hell being more like a Mordor than a lake of fire, a far more interesting fantasy than the biblical version. I highly recommend reading this. beautiful written and well executed. thank you Richard and MacLeod.

I love antihero's!

Very interesting world. Fast paced and a lot of room for growth. I can't wait for more to see some other characters fleshed out.

not quite noir

it seems like the author was going for an updated Spillane vibe but it comes off as Chandler starring Steven Seagal. I'm not sure if it's the narrator or the writing but the one liners don't work, and the tough talk insults are repetitive. There are some interesting ideas, but it doesn't quite hit its target. The narrator is tasked with a bunch of accents and they are distractingly broad.