Spyder Lee is an ink monkey just getting by. He puts tats on people during the day and drink to oblivion at night. Until, a demon notices his mark on Spyder. Then all hell turns loose. Literally. Spider finds himself on a quest with a beautiful blind assassin, his junkie lesbian friend, and a friendly "monster" that can go "Hulk" when needed. There is a fifth in the quest, but I won't spoil it for you.

I really enjoyed this book. It is not for everyone. Spyder lives a rough life and it comes through in the language and imagery of the book. If you are not into the Hellraiser movies, then this may not be for you.

The book was well paced through most of the book but moved a bit too quickly after the main climax of the book. The book could have been fleshed out in several places, I like looong books, but that is really not a complaint more than a wish.

The characters were believable, but maybe a little bit too "smartass" at times.

Give it a try. ( )

http://www.nightshadebooks.com/Downloads/ButcherBird.htm

Spyder man, Spyder man, likes a blind girl who swordfights can.

Sitting around, having a not so quiet drink in a bar, and not too long after it all literally goes to Hell.

Or, if someone wants you to retrieve a book and it is somewhere like there, then maybe they really aren't very nice at all. Reading more comics and books would have prepared you more for this situation.

A weird, crazy urban fantasy with norman living interspersed with monsters, demons, and angels. Or, after the start, it all gets a little Simon R. Green via Hellblazer, complete with weapon wielding maniacs and manically evil bad things.

Apparently there's an early, shorter version called Blind Shrike - the name of one of the main characters in the book.

""Idiot, you're a hero now. You're going to have to learn to think on a larger scale," said Lucifer. He used his kerchief to slap at the dust that had settled on his clothes. "You just cracked open a hole in the universe, deceived the devil, wrecked Hell and sent the Black Clerks packing. Even I couldn't do all that and I can do a lot. Yet with all that to your credit, you're telling me you can't defeat one dying hag?"
"I wouldn't know where to begin."
"You have a warrior by your side and the Prince of Darkness for a friend. What you don't know is how to ask for help, but that is how we gain knowledge and improve ourselves."
"Okay," said Spyder. He leaned back his head, threw out his arms and shouted as loudly as he could, "Help!" "

Pretty entertaining stuff, all around.

http://freesf.blogspot.com/2008/04/bu... ( )

first line: "'They say that when your head gets chopped off, it can still see and hear for a few seconds, so I'll have to go with beheading,' said Spyder Lee to Lulu Garou."

Really fun -- irreverent and imaginative, like what you'd get if Christopher Moore were to write a cross between Neverwhere and To Reign in Hell. I believe Kadrey intends this to be the first book in an urban fantasy series populated by angels and demons, creatures of myth and magic, and the pierced-and-inked (sub)culture of San Francisco. I plan to keep an eye out for any future Dominion novels. ( )

One of my favourite things about this was how genuinely likeable the hero was. I enjoyed this, but I felt a bit unsatisfied by it. Not sure why...possibly something to do with story, possibly just because I read it onscreen (I got the creative common download). ( )