The Naming of the Beasts by Mike Carey
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.
My pleasure, Robin! And yes, it surely is some kind of an experience, to be sure....
Thanks for the solution to a mystery many decades old. One of my favourite novels, this. Hilariously funny, completely unpredictable,…
Thank you. I’m all caught up. Back to reading Crimson Embers.
Enjoyed your review. I’m reading A War in Crimson Embers and am having the hardest time reminding myself where everybody…
Just saw you like Jack Vance. Me too. Surely he offends you somewhere though?