Kill City Blues

By: Richard Kadrey

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Audie Award Finalist, Fantasy, 2014

Another day, another apocalypse....

James Stark, aka Sandman Slim, has managed to get out of Hell, renounce his title as the new Lucifer, and settle back into life in L.A. But he also lost the Qomrama Om Ya, an all-powerful weapon from the banished older gods. Older gods who are returning and searching for their lost power.

The hunt leads Stark to an abandoned shopping mall - a global shopping paradise infested with Lurkers and wretched bottom-feeding Sub Rosa families, squatters who have formed tight tribes to guard their tiny patches of retail wasteland. Somewhere in this kill zone is a dead man with the answers Stark needs. All Stark has to do is find the dead man, recover the artifact, and outwit and outrun the angry old gods - and natural-born killers - on his tail.

But not even Sandman Slim is infallible, and any mistakes will cost him dearly.

©2013 Richard Kadrey (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

Enter Sandman

What made the experience of listening to Kill City Blues the most enjoyable?

The stories are good and the narrartor is excellent. The best thing about the book and the series as a whole is how well the author captured the whole "punk" vibe. This is definitely cyberpunk, but with a supernatural angle instead. maybe I should call it "Superunk" or something. This book and series is just one of those times when you hit the perfect combination of book and narrator. I actually enjoyed listening to the book more than reading it.

What other book might you compare Kill City Blues to and why?

It is comparable to the other books in the series, although the main character is starting to grow up a bit. Overall, there isn't much else to compare it to as it is a unique take on the genre.

Which character – as performed by MacLeod Andrews – was your favorite?

Casabian. The interaction and sheer attitude the narrator gives to the character make the portions where Casabian shows up steal the scenes he is in.

If you could take any character from Kill City Blues out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Samael. How many times do you get to go to dinner with the devil (former)? Although, I am sure he would get me drunk, roll me and then leave me with the check.

Any additional comments?

If you are heavily religious (Christian) you might be offended by the content of the series and it's attitude towards God, the Devil, heaven and hell. It definitely comes from a strong Gnostic point of view. honestly why are you still reading this? Get the book already...

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Bete Noire Powered Ride Thru Carnivale a La Stark

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

After u read the 1st Sandman Slim book u've decided whether u hate it or find it blasphemously funny & entertaining. I'd recommend it to anyone whose read the books & liked them or are looking for fresh, dark fun thru the mind of a madman who is slowly trying to become sane.

I was jumping between this book & another because the release dates were so close, but subject wise the stories were completely diff. so going back n forth was not a problem.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked these books because it straddles many genre's & touches morality often: Fantasy, thriller/semi-mystery (more similar to its a mystery about how 'Stark/Slim' will escape various wild situations or solve problems like wars between angels, archangels, god's, sub-rosa - human magic users, & mere mortals), comedy, & in a wicked sense basic theology. The theological portions will insult & turn off 'religious' people, but don't get me started on organized religion... the amount of people that have died in the name of any god is disgusting but the Sandman Slim books aren't about being 'P.C.' & he openly gives the opinion that many people probably believe in some degree deep down inside but are too ashamed to articulate. That's the best thing about the Sandman... obv. not everything, but there are many thoughts he openly addresses that I think people are not willing to admit they feel the same way or wonder the same things about the thing we call religion... notice I did not use the word spirituality, that's a diff. word all together

What does MacLeod Andrews bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is as excellent narrator & brings all the characters life, as another reviewer mentioned Casabian is an excellent character narrated & brings it more to life than if I just read it... it might sound weird but he almost sounds like Eminem reading me a book, ha.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The conversation Stark has with Satan over coffee & donuts (a human made pastry that is depicted as a food product the devil regrets never thinking up lol). Its great how it comes to pass that they are able to sit & talk & never disappoints in comedy, ex. hey I remembered when person X sold me their soul for that promotion, as said person is seen walking down the sidewalk across the street

Any additional comments?

Stark or Sandman Slim (I don't know if I can classify him as completely a protagonist or an antagonist posing as an unwilling "hero") who is battling moral dilemma's & trying his best to be a better 'person' (he's part-human) but has a reputation that precedes him everywhere he goes & he also has a purely brutality honest outlook on his value of life & the sets of principles that guide him (since he was a lone human-like creature ever to survive hell which obv. has changed him), his 'love' for 'candy' a girl who happens to be a creature more viscous than a vampire & importantly give balance to a weight within Stark that tends to fall on the side of destruction now, wonder why later. Stark & his band of misfits from past books all come together to retrieve a religious relic that will help the world from being destroyed by something else than god... which I found comical let alone its kinda funny how god the devil & good vs. evil is explained & represented in the book, no spoilers for anyone who hadn't read any of the books but its safe to say there is a logical reason god doesn't directly help humans in everyday events that make all people wonder why 'horrible things happen to nice people.' The series is a good read if u are not easily insulted, religiously pious,

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Now I need Number SIX!!

oh I do love these books. Took me by surprise on the first one, Sandman Slim, and the rest just kept me looking for more. I have them all now. The very definition of addiction. I'll be listening to one of these, cruising along minding my own business, and find myself suddenly laughing out loud, a rare thing for me to do - to the strange stares of others... no matter. Periodically you just have to stop to admire some of the lines - some so funny and some very thoughtful - and when is the last time you did that with a book? I've even had to add some of the Kindle books in this series.

Kill City Blues is another outstanding addition. The only problem is that I finished it and I need more.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

LOVE This Series!

I love just about everything in this series and in this Book 5. I love all the characters that MacLeod Andrews brings to life so perfectly. I love the writing that is so rich with emotion about the universe, the world and people.
I can totally see this entire series as a film. I know I have said it before in my previous reviews, but these are such awesome books that impart a beautiful visual display as I listen.
I don't mind at all that the book ends with a "To Be Continued". I certainly will read/listen to the next one. I don't want it to end.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Best narrator ever!

What did you love best about Kill City Blues?

The narrator, MacLeod Andrews, brings an already great story--to life. LOVE this man.

I also want more of the Grays. Maybe in the next book???

What did you like best about this story?

Richard Kadrey creates strong characters (James Stark) that make even the unbelievable--believable.

I love how Kadrey--through Stark--explains the unexplainable. From God, heaven, and the devil to magic. He layers these explanations/ruminations throughout the stories.

What does MacLeod Andrews bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

MacLeod Andrews is a storyteller. He brings each character to life. LOVE his storytelling.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for book 6.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sandman Slim never really left us

Would you consider the audio edition of Kill City Blues to be better than the print version?

I only do aduio, and it was great a real professional production

What other book might you compare Kill City Blues to and why?

I have liked all the books in this series and not sure any other books have such a cast of characters and the story line is so different I like it

Have you listened to any of MacLeod Andrews’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Without a doubt Mr Andrews nails the mood and all of the characters the more I listen to him the better he gets

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Again these stories cover a wide range of emotions and several moved me

Any additional comments?

Wonder just how long it will take to get the next one out, Hurry up please

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another great visit to crazy world of Sandman Slim

This is turning out to be a great series. Stark has changed a lot, but remains much the same. He still does crazy stuff and takes huge risks, but for better reasons. It nice to see the growth of his character grow in a believable way while keeping his gritty punk edge.
As always, a couple chuckles, a couples grimaces and a couple moments of surprise. If your just seeing this series, start at the beginning. It is well worth the listen if you're into this genre.
I absolutely love the split God characters and the original Lucifer (sp?).

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Back in L.A

Sandman's back and he's in L.A. He's looking for the 'magic 8 ball'. This one feels like the plot is an interim leading up to a big battle. That said, all the favorite characters are back and L.A. is just as crazy as ever. There's even a visit from a Lucifer or two. The narration is as terrific as ever.

loved it

this is probably my favorite of the series so far. kept me wanting more and more. now on to the next in the series

You'd be crazy to hate Hell's most infamous killer

and other phrases I thought I'd never be writing. Sandman Slim, the Monster who Kills Monsters, and direct descendent of Wild Bill Hickok, didn't have an ordinary childhood. No, it's not the fact that he was a nephilim raised among an underclass of magic-users who could get pretty much any spell to work without studying; the poor son of a gun was raised in LA. So getting dragged down to Hell when he was 19, the only living human to have been sent on the coal cart, might've been less of a shock to him than most. Still, spending 11 years being brutalized, violated, forced to fight in the arena of Hell's capital, and then made the ultimate assassin by having the one key to accessing any point in Creation implanted in his chest is bound to make anyone a little cranky. Perhaps then it's no surprise he murdered his slavemaster and beat feet for home. And that's just the backstory.

In book five we find that only the devil knows how many gears a Hellion Hog's gearbox has, because the series just seems to keep picking up momentum. Our main character managed to get out of being the new Lucifer and in the process found an object left over from the beginning of the universe, a weapon capable of killing a good, which is kinda convenient since Lovecraftian Old Ones banished to another dimension are really trying to make a comeback, all while an insane angel is intent on becoming the new God by killing the current one.

That makes this little doodad a very hot-ticket item, and it's up to our band of intrepid cutthroats (err heroes, I mean) to set off on a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl through the ruins of a horror-infested mall (aren't they all horror-infested) to get to it before anyone else does on the basis that they're such a bunch of near-do-wells they're far less likely to actually do anything with the weapon than anybody who actually wants it.

I wouldn't call this a bridge novel exactly, but it ends at a point that felt incomplete, possibly due to size constraints. Or because the book did a lot of finishing old story threads while opening up entirely new ones. In this way, while crazy, violent, but chaste-ish fun, it's probably not the best one to pick up first for a true representation of it.

Wicked!

I listened to this straight after the freakish 'Devil Said Bang',

Stark is after the Qomrama Om Ya or magic eight ball, a powerful weapon with lethal magical potency. The quirky mainly outlandish, bizarre characters are the strength of this book ,I laughed, gasped, cringed, balked, unwilling to put my ipod down. Loved it.
Stark unusually has to work as a team to get hold of the ball. Powerful beings are pushing through a weakness in to our world, but Stark, the killer of monsters has something to say about that.

Must not forget to mention the very superb narration by Macleod Andrews, brilliant.

Don't begin here though if you have not met Stark before, start with 'Sandman Slim' which is the first in the series.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Pandemonium and destruction rules!

James Stark aka Sandman Slim returns in another mind blowing, monster killing adventure. This is the 5th in the series and it shows no signs of running out of steam. Murder and mayhem are Stark's close companions as ever and the story is as fresh and exciting as the first one. The action is mad and freaky, the story is dark, gritty and the dialogue zips along with snarky humour. Stark has kind of grown up and we can see a different side to him, maybe because he cares about his friends more and can show it. MacLeod Andrews' narration is superb and gives each character his/her own personality and voice. I love these books and can't wait for the next one.