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Hell to Pay (Nightside, Book 7) By Simon R. Green ( Ace )
Release Date: 2006-12-26
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $6.99
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Product Description
In the wake of the war that left the Nightside leaderless, Jeremiah Griffin-one of the last of the immortal human families-plans to fill the power vacuum. But his granddaughter has disappeared, and he wants John Taylor to use his special abilities to find her. Except someone-or something-is blocking Taylor's abilities.
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 Weakest book of the series, the characters seem a bit lost ( karissa35 )
This is the 7th book in Simon Green's Nightside series. To me this book seemed to be very much a transition book. Being that the 6th book capped off the over arcing storyline, it is not surprising that this book is a bit weak. I still enjoyed reading it; although it just wasn't nearly as good as Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth was.
In the aftermath of Lilith's War the Nightside needs a new leader and with John Taylor stepping aside; Walker is trying to fill that space. If there is anyone who can contend with Walker it is the Griffin family. A very powerful and immortal family the Griffin family is possibly in a position to rule the Nightside. Unfortunately when Griffin's granddaughter disappears John Taylor is called in to find her. Someone very powerful doesn't want her found and is able to shut down John's gift in an effort to stop him. Looks like John's going to have to solve this case the old-fashioned way.
While this was still an enjoyable book; it was probably the weakest one in the series. The action scenes were few and far between and somewhat blase'. The characters were weak. It was good to see Dead Boy some more but he wasn't there for much of the book. The main powers of the Nightside were notable in their absence. Seriously this is the most boring of the Nightside books. It truly seems to be a transition novel, with everyone picking up the pieces of the Nightside after the Lilith War. Unfortunately it seems like Green doesn't know exactly to do with everyone either.
I have high hopes for the next book but if it is as dull and uninspired as this one, I might have to rethink reading this series.
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 Deal With the Devil ( awjordin )
Hell To Pay (2007) is the seventh Urban Fantasy novel in the Nightside series, following Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth. In the previous volume, Lilith raised the dead in the private burial grounds of the Necropolis, including Charles Taylor. When John Taylor found his father, he reunited him with Henry Walker and Mark Robinson and the three of them started work once again on the Babalon Working, but this time in reverse.
The followers of Lilith started fighting among themselves and Julian Advent soon defeated the rabble. Lilith's children slunk back to the Street of Gods and resumed their former ways. Suzie and John became partners in the detective agency.
In this novel, John Taylor is invited to Griffen Hall. Jeremiah Griffen is an immortal and the richest man in Nightside. He owns most of the properties and many of the inhabitants. The Authorities had kept him from taking over everything, but now they are gone.
Jeremiah's granddaughter and heir is missing. Three days before, someone -- or something -- had killed Jeremiah's family lawyer and his copy of Jeremiah's will was stolen. Shortly after that, the whole family had learned that Melissa was the sole heritor of Jeremiah's estate. Now she is gone -- kidnapped, murdered or fled -- and Jeremiah knows nothing about her whereabouts.
Taylor goes through the motions of obtaining a recent photograph and asking about the movements of the family, yet he plans to use his talent to find the girl. This time, however, something is blocking his extrasense. Then something comes after Taylor and/or Jeremiah, but Taylor counters the attack.
He can use his talent for other things, but not to locate Melissa. Taylor is going to have to locate the missing heir the hard way. He starts by asking Jeremiah to describe his family.
In this story, the butler Hobbes has already questioned the servants and learned nothing. So Taylor interviews the family. He even talks to the grandson Paul through a locked door, but learns nothing helpful at the time. Later, he talks to the son and daughter and their spouses, as well as the grandson, in less formal settings and learns more about the family. Eventually, Jeremiah even tells Taylor how he became an immortal.
While searching for Melissa, Taylor encounters the Salvation Army Sisterhood, gentry bodyguards and backstreet thugs. He helps Walker dispose of a homicidal shapeshifter. Yet he just can't find Melissa.
This story involves Taylor in a struggle against Hell itself. Only the highest powers in Heaven and Hell can block his talent and Heaven is unlikely to do so. At least his talent works outside of Griffen Hall.
Highly recommended for Green fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of supernatural powers, corrupt and venal socialites, and teenage rebellion.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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 The Devil Collects a Contract
The continuing saga of the Nightside was a surprise to me because after the Lilith War I thought the series was done.
This was a good surprise. My tastes run mostly history or technical so I don't read much fiction, fantasy or really anything else. The Nightside series though has captured my imagination and Simon R. Green one of the few authors I will read without HIGH recommendations from a LOT of folks.
The story picks up shortly after the Lilith Wars and our unlikely hero, John Taylor, a private eye with a gift, is hired to find something, or someone that is missing. Okay, it someone. Taylor's own admission is he finds things people have lost or other people don't want found. In this case his "gift" is blocked and he has to resort to methods he usually has not used, asking people questions hoping to pick up clues.
There is a time constraint on Taylor (don't want to reveal too much) so the book moves along very quickly.
This book is written well but maybe its me. I was not able to follow along like a detective story and the clues provided did not really lead me to the end of the book. So maybe its a good thing Green's books are fantasy and not a cross-over. As a fantasy book, it is well populated and his universe consistent with itself, as much as anything is consistent in the Nightside.
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 Dissapointing ( kristel@conectiv.net )
I loved the Night Side when I was first introduced to it. It seems that the author is getting bored. I hope he regains his enthusiasm for this series because I quite enjoyed the previous installments. How sad.
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Super Reader ( bluetyson )
Back on form here as John Taylor goes back to work after the events of the Lilith War. He gets hired by one of the filthy rich guys that are left, who also happens to be immortal, to find one of his descendants.
So, John goes around turning over rocks to see what crawls out. A few of the things that do are Jimmy Thunder from Drinking Midnight Wine, the Salvation Army Sisterhood Christian Terrorist Nuns, a Hand of Glory, and a Duke of Hell.
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