Mike Carey

Felix Castor — (2006-2009) Publisher: Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. At a time when the supernatural world is in upheaval and spilling over into the mundane reality of the living, his skills have never been more in demand. A good exorcist can charge what he likes — and enjoy a hell of a life-style — but there's a risk: sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him. After a year spent in 'retirement' Castor is reluctantly drawn back to the life he rejected and accepts a seemingly simple exorcism case — just to pay the bills, you understand. Trouble is, the more he discovers about the ghost haunting the archive, the more things don't add up. What should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show, with demons, were-beings and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. But that's OK; Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off...

Available for download at Audible.com

Mike Carey discusses the first three books and reads an extract.
There are 5 parts totalling about 25 minutes.

Felix Castor


The Felix Castor books are a series of urban fantasy novels set in contemporary London and narrated in the first-person by Felix Castor, an exorcist who specializes in ‘spiritual services’ — setting up wards against the dead, dispersing ghosts who are disturbing the peace, determining whether a person is still alive or not, talking to the dead, and even attending kids’ parties.

Besides Felix, the cast includes: his friend Pen, another friend in Rafi who is possessed by a demon from hell, a succubus named Juliet Salazar gone native, Juliet’s lover Susan Book, the conspiracy-theorist zombie Nicky,Detective Sergeant Gary Coldwood from the Metropolitan Police, Felix’s older brother Matt who is a priest, a zombie faith-healer known as the Ice-Maker, Jenna-Jane Mulbridge (director of the Metamorphic Ontology Unit), and the Anathemata Curialis — a secret excommunicated militant branch of the Catholic Church that opposes the forces of darkness.

The first three novels are primarily self-contained, revolving around a central mystery that involves the supernatural (ghosts, zombies, demons, were-beasts, etc). However, there is an overarching theme that deals with why so many dead are now rising and where this is all leading to. Even though Mike Carey does a superb job of recapping events and supplying the reader with all of the information they need in each book, I would still recommend starting from the beginning, especially with the way volume four plays out.

Unlike most current urban fantasy series, there is very little romance or humor to be found in the FELIX CASTOR novels. Instead, the books have a darker and grittier tone, with the paranormal elements bordering on horror and the mysteries heavily influenced by detective noir, which also gives its humor a more sarcastic bite. Highly recommended to fans of Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt Casebooks, Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, Simon R. Green’s Nightside series, and Hellblazer.

Mike Carey’s Felix Castor novels are something special, and I'll give you three reasons why. One, the writing is just brilliant, with each volume jam-packed with vividly descriptive prose, witty dialogue, clever phrases (arterial swan song, essence-of-succubus, flaccid shenanigans) and some of the best similies and metaphors I’ve had the pleasure of reading:

• It hung in the ether like Morse code, discontinuous but replete with meaning.
• Booze has always been my sledgehammer of choice when I want to throw a tarp over the day and pass out fast.

I would recommend the Felix Castor series for the writing itself, but fortunately there’s much more to the Felix Castor books, including reason number two: the characters. Dynamic, multifaceted,and full of personality, Felix and company are a joy to follow, because they feel like real people that you can actually care about. Third, and perhaps most importantly, Mike Carey’s books possess remarkable depth, which applies to both the aforementioned characters and prose as well as dense plotting and highly creative supernatural elements that have their own scientific logic. In other words, reading most urban fantasy nowadays is like watching a movie trailer on your computer — short and fun, but unsatisfying — whereas the Felix Castor novels offer the full IMAX experience.

Granted, the series isn’t without its problems, such as the similar blueprint each book follows or the tiresome reiterations of the same information over and over, but these are minor problems when compared to the whole. In the end, Mike Carey’s Felix Castor novels are simply one of the best urban fantasy series on the market today. —Robert Thompson

The Devil You Know

My relationship with the urban/horror segment of the genre has been pretty on-again, off-again. Okay, who am I kidding, it's been one big off-again sundae with all the toppings including extra hot fudge. Except, you know, not nearly as yummy. But I've been in need of a change of pace these days, so I figured I'd give The Devil You Know a shot. There's ghosts. I like ghosts.

I had some reservations going in (I mean, aside from all the usual ones). Particularly with the main character, Felix Castor, whom the blurb assures me "knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off..." 'Cause I really don't need another cranky, belligerent for no-good-reason main character. Only it turns out that this is a bit misleading. Felix largely isn't belligerent and generally never for no good reason. He gets along with people on a ratio no different from the average man. And most of the people who don't like him have an issue with him being an exorcist more than with his attitude. Banishing the dead carries a stigma, it seems.

This means that the reader can fully appreciate the wonderful panoply of characters surrounding Felix as well. From his kooky landlady/long-time friend/witch, his brother the priest who doesn't quite agree with his choice of career, to a sassy archive employee and cop that is so not happy to know him. With the possible exception of a somewhat typical urban fantasy bad guy, there was a whole lot to love about the supporting cast.

The plot is more of a whodunnit than anything else, an intriguing mystery set around ghosts, demons, and humans. I didn't find any of it scary, really, but I did find it all fascinating and well thought out.

The problems are few and generally minor. There's a little bit of trying too hard to be funny in the beginning, but that eases out as the book continues (and there's plenty of genuine funny to go around). Mike Carey can also get a little more descriptive than is really necessary about certain things: clothes, buildings, how the streets are set up. But I can't say this detracted much from my enjoyment of the reading experience.

Besides, Carey gets bonus points for doing something that I've never seen an urban author do before: He made were-creatures interesting. And not even by making sure they weren't included much in the story. The next installment, Vicious Circle, is already in my Amazon cart — just waiting for me to get paid. —Beth Johnson

The Devil You Know

In a genre that has become over-saturated in recent years with second and third-rate carbon copies looking to feed off the successes of more popular series such as Laurell K. Hamilton’s ANITA BLAKE novels, The Devil You Know is quite a breath of fresh air. At a glance there may seem to be a lot of similarities: the contemporary setting where the paranormal has become a part of everyday life, the down-on-your-luck main character who narrates in a first-person perspective, the blending of horror, crime noir and humor elements, and so on. Yet, these would only be superficial observations, because if you were to take a closer look at what The Devil You Know brings to the table, it becomes pretty apparent that Mike Carey has imbued the material with his own unique stamp.

For starters, Mike Carey is an experienced writer, especially at setting the ambiance, fleshing out complex characters/plots and delivering snappy dialogue. Just read any of the writer’s comic works, specifically Lucifer or Hellblazer, for an excellent example. Obviously, writing a novel is much different from writing a comic book, but Mike Carey makes it look easy in The Devil You Know, an impressive debut that really showcases the author’s better qualities.

The city of London is brought keenly to life in all of its gloomy splendor. Felix Castor, reminiscent somewhat of John Constantine from the Hellblazer books, is a wonderfully flawed protagonist who is easy to root for and will endear a lot of readers with his biting commentary and amusing metaphors. Side characters, apart from a few stereotypes and a couple of underdeveloped ones, are nearly as fascinating, particularly the conspiracy-theorist zombie Nicky and the flippant Cheryl. The pacing, aside from some lulls towards the beginning and middle area of the book, is gripping. The story, which Mike Carey does a good job of executing, is quite entertaining, particularly the scene-stealing black humor that permeates the book courtesy of Mr. Castor, though there’s plenty of supernatural action, gritty violence/sexuality, coarse language, a noirish mystery, and even some profoundly tender moments that add textured flavor to The Devil You Know.

Since The Devil You Know is the first in a series, don’t expect to know everything by the time you finish the novel. The main plot of the book is largely wrapped up and the payoff is not disappointing, but more than anything, The Devil You Know is an introductory piece to Felix Castor’s world. For instance, readers will get to learn about the different manifestations of the dead, which includes ghosts, zombies and loup-garou (spirits that possess an animal host; more commonly known as were-wolves), as well as meet up with a demon and a succubus. As to what allows the souls of the dead to return as they do, in the forms that they do, and what happens to them when they are exorcised, is one of the great mysteries of the series, which will no doubt be explored in future volumes. Additionally, I believe the Breath of Life movement — a grassroots pressure group campaigning for changes in the law governing the risen dead — will play a larger role in the books to come. I also hope to see more of Rafi (Felix’s friend who is possessed by the demon Asmodeus), get further insights into Felix’s friend/landlord Pen and his preacher brother Matty (both of whom were barely developed in the book), revisit with Nicky and Cheryl (a possible love interest?), and learn even more about Mr. Castor’s dark past.

There is at least one unexpected character who is definitely returning in Vicious Circle that will present some major complications in Felix’s life, not to mention provide some pretty interesting developments, but to reveal more would ruin the surprise. So, let me just conclude by saying that if you’re a fan of supernatural thrillers, urban fantasy or whatever the genre may be called, but you’re in the mood for something a little edgier, fresher and more cathartic, then I would highly recommend The Devil You Know, the start of a promising new series that is going to turn a lot of heads by the time Mike Carey is through with it. —Robert Thompson

Vicious Circle

Out of all of the urban fantasy novels that I read in 2007, Mike Carey’s prose debut (The Devil You Know) was one of my favorites. Basically, Mr Carey took everything that I love about the genre — including the supernatural tangoing with the ordinary, mixing humor with horror, and creating a protagonist that is impossible not to root for — and gave the formula a refreshing makeover. Even so, there was room for improvement and in Vicious Circle Mike Carey has delivered a sequel that is in every way bigger and better than its predecessor.

For one, the writing is sharper. By that, I mean the story is better plotted, the pacing is more consistent, and the voice of Felix Castor is more vibrant, particularly his ability to describe London with such unique flair, and a talent for clever barbs, descriptive metaphors and humorous commentary:

• Harlesden is like Kilburn without the scenic beauty — the stamping ground of Jamaican gangsters with itchy trigger fingers, predatory minicab drivers whose cars are their offices, and a great nation of feral cats.
• So. You’re dead, then. How’s that working out?
• I prowled about the house all day like a hermit with hemorrhoids.
• Another reason is that I’m an unsociable bastard who hates shoptalk worse than dental surgery.

Secondly, the supporting cast is wilder and more creative. So not only do we have such memorable returning characters as conspiracy-theorist zombie Nicky, succubus Juliet, and the demon-possessed Rafi, but we also get to meet such colorful new characters as the Ice-Maker — a faith-healer who deals exclusively with zombies — a five-hundred year old ghost named Rosie Crucis, and a pair of nasty Catholic loup-garous (were-kin) in Zucker & Po.

Speaking of creative, the plot in Vicious Circle is excellent, mixing together noir-esque mystery and misdirection with such paranormal fun as a kidnapped ghost, necromancy, human sacrifices, satanists, and a haunted church/congregation. Also included in the cocktail is the Anathemata Curialis — an old sect of the Catholic Church that opposes the forces of hell — the Collective which is a floater community for exorcists, the Post Mortem Rights Bill, and a new branch of science called metamorphic ontology which I believe will feature more prominently in future Felix Castor novels, along with such yet-to-be explored subplots as giving the dead legal protection, what happens to ghosts when exorcists dispel them, why there is such an influx of the returning dead in recent years, and where demons fit in the picture…

As far as complaints, I thought Vicious Circle followed the pattern of its predecessor a little too closely, some of the noir-influenced elements were a bit predictable, and characters like Pen and his brother Matt are still underutilized, but otherwise the sequel is a huge step up from The Devil You Know.

CONCLUSION: As good as The Devil You Know was, the book was still a debut effort and it shows when compared to Mike Carey’s sequel which is just an all-around much stronger novel, be it content, execution or imagination. Not only that, but Vicious Circle is a lot more fun to read, too. Simply put, I think Mike Carey is one of the most exciting new authors in supernatural fiction today and I can’t recommend the Felix Castor series enough. —Robert Thompson

Dead Men’s Boots

Dead Men’s Boots is the third Felix Castor novel after Vicious Circle and The Devil You Know. Like the previous volumes, the book finds Felix dealing with several different issues that may or may not be connected. In this case, there’s the suicide of a fellow ghostbreaker (exorcist) who leaves a message for Felix; a wife who hires Felix to clear her husband’s name of murder; a Chicago mob femme fatale who seemingly continues to kill decades after her execution; and the legal fight for Rafi’s power of attorney. Aiding Felix in his latest escapades are Juliet, Nicky — one of my favorite characters — and the demon Moloch, who drops some tantalizing hints about ‘the great project’ and why the dead are rising with increasing volume.

Compared to the previous two Felix Castor novels, I would rank Dead Men’s Boots right up there with Vicious Circle. The highlights of the book are the plot, Mr. Carey's inventiveness — were-creatures who can organize themselves as a colony for example — and some really cool action scenes involving Juliet and Moloch. I also thought the mystery elements were better handled this time around and less predictable, but the novel suffers from following the same formula as the other two, and I felt the ending was a little too Hollywood-esque with the way everything was wrapped up. Nevertheless, Dead Men’s Boots is another delightful and engaging entry in the Felix Castor series. —Robert Thompson

Dead Men's Boots

I think I loved The Devil You Know far too much for its own good, because Vicious Circle was quite a letdown for me. The mystery in it seemed a bit convoluted at times, at others too predictable, I missed the wonderful secondary characters who were sadly absent, and Mike Carey's verbosity finally started rubbing on my nerves. But I loved the first one so much that I was still willing to give Dead Men's Boots a try.

This time Felix Castor is dealing with, among other things, the mysterious trails left behind by a dead (sort of) friend, the possible resurrection of at least one long dead serial killer, and a legal battle over his demon possessed buddy Rafi. (Actually, that's where the blurb starts lying to you a bit, since said legal battle is admittedly kind of peripheral at best.)

Dead Men's Boots starts out promising. The whole idea of long dead serial killers (mobsters, namely) returning somehow to life in order to continue their killing sprees is fascinating. It is, by and large, executed very well, and while Carey hasn't brought back the lovable secondary characters (or perhaps that's really tertiary, come to think of it) that I loved so much, the supporting cast is still much improved over the last one. Much of what I loved about The Devil You Know was present here. But!

My major problems with the book were two. The first is that Mike Carey's formula is already becoming predictable. Oh, sure, the mystery was interesting, but I'd figured out quite a few important details before Felix did. Those revelations I didn't make on my own were — well, not exactly out of left field, per se, just... Look at it like this: Felix explains in the end what it was that made him realize what was really going on, but his moon logic left me scratching my head. And some of them were interesting and yet strangely anticlimactic, I think perhaps because they weren't necessarily things I hadn't seen before.

The other is the aforementioned verbosity. By the time I had around 100 pages left to go, I was getting pretty sick and tired of Dead Men's Boots. It's not even that there are unnecessary scenes so much as too many of the scenes are unnecessarily long, particularly the fight scenes. All the extraneous bits add up to about those 100 pages that had me so frustrated. While Dead Men's Boots isn't bad, it's simply not good enough to justify its length. I've got my fingers crossed that the next one will live up to the promise I first saw, but I'm going to try to set my bar a little lower, just in case.
—Beth Johnson

Thicker Than Water

The fourth Felix Castor novel starts out with a bang: the liberation of Rafi from the Charles Stanger Care Facility under the nose of Jenna-Jane Mulbridge, told in a clever departure from Felix’s usual first-person narrative. From there, Thicker Than Water follows the same formula as the other Castor novels — a tangled supernatural mystery comprised of seemingly unrelated parts — but with some significant differences. For one, the case is personal this time, revolving around an old childhood acquaintance who was brutally attacked with razors and Castor’s name written in blood.

Also involved somehow are Felix’s brother Matt, the Anthemata, a zombie who is following Castor, stigmatas, and a haunted housing district. Throw in great roles played by regulars Juliet, Nicky, Rafi/Asmodeus, Coldwood and Sergeant Basquiat as well as a couple of new faces; some compelling childhood flashbacks that shed further light on Felix and his strained relationship with Matt; and the series’ most jaw-dropping twists and revelations yet, including one hell of a cliffhanger; and Thicker Than Water has all the ingredients for being the best Felix Castor novel to date.
—Robert Thompson

The Naming of the Beasts

The fifth Felix Castor novel had the unfortunate task of following in the footsteps of what I strongly believe is the best volume in the series thus far (Thicker Than Water), but The Naming of the Beasts was up to the challenge, mainly because the book revolves around an escaped Rafi/Asmodeus and the carnage/horror trailing in the demon’s wake.

Of course, with any Felix Castor novel there’s always other stuff happening... and The Naming of the Beasts is no exception. Besides the threat of Asmodeus hanging over Felix, Pen, and anyone else close to Rafi, there’s something strange happening to the succubus Juliet, an unlikely alliance with Jenna-Jane Mulbridge and the Metamorphic Ontology Unit, a deadly haunting puzzling MOU’s finest, the mystery of bizarre summoning stones, and even the blossoming of a romance.

Character-wise, most of the cast make appearances in the book, including 500-year-old ghost Rosie Crucis, but the main players are Felix, Juliet, Rafi/Asmodeus, Nicky, Dr. Mulbridge, Gil McClennan (the nephew of a ghostbreaker that Felix inadvertently killed a while back) and exorcist Trudie Pax, who was introduced in the last novel.

The book’s mysteries aren’t as compelling or hard to decipher this time around, nor are the revelations as shocking as before, but because of Asmodeus’ presence and the final showdown between Felix and the demon, The Naming of the Beasts is another fantastic read and rates just a shade below Thicker Than Water. —Robert Thompson