Procession of the Dead

Procession of the Dead is the first book in Darren Shan's newest (and oldest) horror series: The City Trilogy. It is a rework of his very first novel – Ayuamarca – and his first ever book for adults. Being an enormous fan of Shan's children's novels, my expectations of Procession of the Dead were very high. By the time I was a third of the way through, however, those expectations had been turned upside down.

The book may read with Shan's usual, fluid, punchy style, but it is something totally different to his previous work. The magic has been drained away, leaving a bleak crime-noir style in the place of the usual enthralling monster mayhem. Don't be fooled by the title; Procession of the Dead is not about zombies. It is about people show more – evil people who do evil things. The plot's subtle flirtations with magic realism are not enough to sustain the writing, which soon loses Shan's signature place and plot drive. The story becomes a string of cold, vile deeds and emotionless characters, which rob the reader of happiness and give little in return.

Fortunately, however, the bleakness does not last. Soon after the 120-page mark, the plot begins to feel more like traditional Shan. Our protagonist finally undergoes some emotional development. The subtle, veiled magic solidifies and becomes more and more pivotal, until the engrossing heart of the book is finally revealed. Like a sliding scale, Procession of the Dead goes from gloomy to exhilarating.

So, while this novel may have entertained me, it has also left a bad taste in my mouth. Who can I recommend it to? Most people I know would find it nearly unbearable. The violence may not be gratuitous per se – it all contributes to painting Shan's thick atmosphere of monochrome corruption – but this atmosphere itself is not worth the onslaught that readers are subjected to. There is enjoyment to be had from this novel, but only for the most desensitised of readers.

I strongly caution any teenager who is a fan of Shan's children's books: think twice before attempting Procession of the Dead. If you have managed to enjoy such films as Sin City, then it may be for you. Otherwise, stick to regular Darren Shan; an author so good that nobody can beat him. Not even himself. show less

I couldn't believe this was a debut when I first read it (and by an author who was only in his twenties, at the time.) The setting is brilliantly original, well ahead of the urban fantasy curve when it was published. The pacing is breakneck, with a perfect balance between unfolding the world while quietly obscuring the plot.

In particular (MINOR SPOILERS) the author does a good job of relying on the reader's expectation that back story will be filled in slowly to exploit the fact that the MC is themselves unaware of the backstory, and therefore learns about it at the same speed as we do. The revelation that the MC doesn't know his own past is skillfully handled, with big and little surprises at every turn.

Sometimes, you read a book and show more have a pretty idea of how things are going to pan out. I can safely say that for Ayuamarca, I did not see that coming (the ending, that is) and was pretty blown away by the creativity of the underlying concepts.

I wasn't that keen on the sequels (I won't say too much on that though, or it's off topic) but it doesn't matter much. The book is absolutely solid as a standalone, if you choose to read it that way.

Nota bene: this book has been rereleased under a different title more recently but I love the original title more, and that's the copy I own, so that's what I've chosen to review under. show less

If you enjoy the work of Neil Gaiman, you’ll probably find much to like in YA author Darren Shan’s first foray into adult speculative fiction. It follows the story of Capac Raimi, a young man without a past who travels to the big city to work with his uncle, a small time hood. This unnamed city is run by The Cardinal, a combination gangster/corrupt politico/vengeful god, who takes Raimi under his wing, educating him in the mysterious ways of the city while grooming him for bigger things.

The plot is fairly intricate and peppered with a polyglot of enigmatic minor characters (all with special powers and dark histories) but somehow Shan manages to sidestep the muddled confusion that befalls so much modern sci-fi/fantasy. There is a show more fair bit of action and suspense, not to mention mystery. I enjoyed trying to figure things out as the story unfolded, which made for swift and enjoyable reading.

However, much like Gaiman, Shan fails to conjure any concrete sense of place. At times, he seems to be trying to re-create the eerie, quasi-futuristic cities found in cult films like Dark City and Blade Runner but then he makes reference to several current cultural touchstones (like Steve Buscemi’s character in Reservoir Dogs) and the effect is strangely jarring. Much like Gaiman’s Neverwhere, the idea is better than the execution, with character development and world building definitely taking a back seat to storyline.

This is an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys a supernatural thriller, but isn’t so concerned with the characters and atmosphere.As for me, I'm much more interested in complicated characters than complicated plotlines, plus I want to get lost in the world a book creates for me - so that world better be all encompassing and real. show less

Capac Raimi comes to the City to work for his uncle, a notorious gangster, but it isn't long before he attracts the notice of the Cardinal. The Cardinal is the most powerful man in the City; he manipulates people like puppets, and nothing happens in the City without his knowledge. For some reason, he wants Raimi to work for him.

Things go well at first, until Raimi begins to notice odd discrepancies. His friend disappears and nobody else seems to remember him, not even his sister. There isn't even any documentation. Then he realizes he can't recall any of his own past before his arrival.

Once this mystery is set up, the novel becomes a more interesting and quicker read, but I wasn't satisfied with the mystical solution. It tilts at being show more meta-fictional but not quite. It just seems too easy, while still leaving questions unanswered. I suppose they may be further elaborated upon in the second and third books, but I'm not sure I'm keen to pick them up. show less

Hadn't read Shan's YA series although I'd heard of them. Picked this up mainly because of the interesting setup and what I thought might possibly be some ties to Incan mythology. The latter never really makes an appearance. However, I was rather pleasantly surprised by an intriguing crime noir setting that almost reminded me of something by Jim Thompson. Wound up enjoying most of the novel and the somewhat predictible mystery therein. However, I was extemely disappointed that the tale was ultimately resolved mostly through exposition, being of the opinion that it is generally better to show rather than tell and prefer it when the protagonist is allowed to discover things rather than when the author simply reveals all of his secrets. show more Still an enjoyable read overall. show less

A very interesting book. I thought at first that I was going to be reading a crime novel with a supernatural twist, and that's what I got, after a fashion. Just calling this a supernatural story doesn't quite fit. There is a crime story element, but it is not a crime novel. Which is kind of a shame. If this was a straight crime story, it could be really good. While I liked the supernatural turn the story takes, I was more interested in the possibilities of the crime story.

Shan's writing is good. The dialog is crisp, the action quick, and I rarely felt bogged down. It is a fast read with a satisfying reveal. Yes, everything is explained and tied up at the end, but it still leaves room for more stories. [Procession of the Dead] is good show more enough that I will read the next book set in The City. show less

An interesting premise, although at times long-winded and predictable. Capac Raimi came to the city to become a gangster, and through luck (or divine intervention?) he does so spectacularly. However when his best friend and driver disappears, and no one-even his 'sister'-remembers he ever existed, Capac determines there are darker forces at work in the strange world he inhabits, and he sets out to find answers. Neat premise, but Shan has the habit of letting the story get dull or verbose. At these times he throws in something really off the wall which pulls you back in, but I find the extreme highs and lows of the story to be annoying. Shan has an awesome imagination, which is really evident, but his dialogues are often hokey show more (especially between Capac and the women in his life). Not sure if I'll read the second book in this trilogy or not. show less