Hell's Horizon by Darren Shan: Review Posted by Tiffany at 8:17 AM

Title: Hell's Horizon

Author: Darren Shan (site)

Published: June 23rd, 2011 by Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 341

Buy: Amazon / Book Depository 

Series: The City #2

Rating: 4/5

Source: NetGalley

Synopsis: In the City, The Cardinal rules, and Al Jeery is a loyal member of his personal guard. But when Al is pulled from his duties at Party Central to investigate a murder, an unexpected discovery leads him in a new direction, where his loyalties and beliefs will be severely tested.

Soon he is involved in a terrifying mystery that draws in the dead, the City's Incan forefathers, the imposing figure of The Cardinal, and the near-mythical assassin Paucar Wami.

Wami is a law unto himself, a shadowy, enigmatic figure who can apparently kill anyone he chooses without fear of punishment or retribution. And Al is about to find out that he has a lot more in common with Wami than he could ever have imagined...(Goodreads)

Review: This was a great sequel to Procession of the Dead. I was a bit worried about where they could take the stories, especially since it took place alongside the other book. Wouldn't the spoilers be too much? Everything that the character was wondering about, the reader would already know. Shan got around this by making Hell's Horizon more of a side story than a sequel. If you wondered just where Paucar Wami was during parts of Procession of the Dead, then you'll get your answers here. I LOVED getting a more in-depth look at Wami. He was one of my favorite characters in the first book and (in my opinion) way too much was left in mystery about him and his past. 

Al Jeery's story is separate but connected to the story of the first book. He is part of one of The Cardinal's schemes and it was satisfying to watch The Cardinal as he thought he was finally going to achieve something he wanted, knowing that everything was going to blow up in his face before his dreams could be realized. The ending sets us up for a Grand Confrontation in the third book, which I can't wait to get my hands on. This is a fantastic series, but probably one more suited to adults. The content isn't over-the-top adult, but the subtle plot and mature characters might bore some of the more action-hungry YA readers.

Procession of the Dead by Darren Shan: Review Posted by Tiffany at 11:48 AM

Title: Procession of the Dead
Author: Darren Shan (site)
Published: March 2008 by HarperVoyager (first pub 1999)
Pages: 320
Price: $9.49 Book Depository $9.79 Amazon 
Series: The City Trilogy
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: What had I done before coming to the city? I couldn't remember. It sounded crazy but my past was a blank. I could recall every step since alighting from the train, but not a single one before. 

Young, quick-witted and cocksure, Capac Raimi arrives in the City determined to make his mark in a world of sweet, sinister sin. He finds the City is a place of exotic dangers: a legendary assassin with snakes tattooed on his face who moves like smoke, blind Incan priests that no one seems to see, a kingpin who plays with puppets, and friends who mysteriously disappear as though they never existed. Then Capac crosses paths with The Cardinal, and his life changes forever. 

The Cardinal is the City, and The City is The Cardinal. They are joined at the soul. Nothing moves on the streets, or below them, without the Cardinal's knowledge. His rule is absolute. 

When Capac discovers the extent of The Cardinal's influence on his own life, he is faced with hard choices and his own soaring ambition. To find his way, Capac must know himself and what he is capable of. But how can you trust yourself when you can't remember your past? (Goodreads)

Initial Thoughts: I've never been able to get into the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan, but I LOVED the  Demonata series. The books were fast, dark, and entirely addictive. I think I read the first three in about a day and a half. I saw Hell's Horizon on NetGalley and was ecstatic. An adult novel where Shan didn't have to limit his evil, terrifying characters to what was acceptable for a MG audience was a very exciting prospect. I requested it and realized that it was book two, so I went out looking for the first. The review for book two should be up soon.


Review: In case you don't want to read the full, very fangirl-esque review, I'll sum it up real quick. I adored this novel, I adore Darren Shan and his twisted worlds, and I can not say enough about how much more amazing his adult novels are (as compared to his YA/MG series).

Capac Raimi (what a name!) is such a fantastic character. He is not a good guy, his life's aspiration is to be a gangster, for crying out loud. He doesn't do much in this book to make you sympathize with him, but I ended up loving him anyway. He is merely a pawn in The Cardinal's convoluted, evil plans. He comes to the city with a plan; he wants to rule The City. However, his plans are quickly overturned and his life is taken over by TC. Their relationship is one of the most intriguing I've ever read about. Are they allies? Master and Servant? King and Usurper? Their encounters are full of hidden meaning, vague challenges and, eventually, vicious fights. You never know exactly where they stand with each other or what TC has planned, not until the very last chapter when all is revealed.

The mythology behind POtD was entirely original. I loved reading about the Incans (what little was revealed). I'd love to know if these ideas were taken from real legends or made up entirely by the author (I'm hoping for real-makes the book much spookier). I'd love to see more focus on the Blind Men is the next two novels, or at least some more in-depth answers about what they're up to. The world that POtD takes place in is full of mysteries, we barely scrape the surface of The City in this first book of the series. Our view is limited to what Capac learns about The City, so we only know about the spere that The Cardinal and his men inhabit. There are so many different microcosms within The City that I would love to learn about. In a city of crime ruled by an evil, psychotic old man, there are so many interesting characters and lifestyles to explore. We are told early on that the different quarters of the city are different worlds, almost entirely independent from one another, all ruled over by The Cardinal. What would it be like to live in the area where the black people have taken complete control? The area where the wealthy, both criminal and clean, live? The are where the honest, hardworking poor live? I'm hoping to explore more of these areas in the next book, in spite of its main character also being someone that works for The Cardinal.


Quick Review: This was an riveting, dark novel about a man without many redeeming qualities that I somehow couldn't help but love. It's definitely meant for older YA of adults, containing some language, violence, and a little sex (thought not graphic). I would recommend this to fans of Urban Fantasy, Horror, Gangster novels, and Bad Boys in general. Go out and read it! It's great!


The sequel, Hell's Horizon, came out on January 5th, 2011.