Butcher Bird

Spyder Lee is an ink monkey just getting by. Putting tats on people during the day and drinking in 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 long books, but that is really not a complaint more than a wish for more. The characters were believable, but maybe a little bit too "smartass" at times. Give it a try.

the author does a wonderful job of putting something fresh out. i agree with the other reviewers on the praise and criticisms,and he is a writer i will be watching.he does not remind me of neil gaimon,though, who i generally don't like.

When I had 50 pages left to go in this book, I put it down for two days. I knew I'd read those 50 pages at the same breakneck pace I had raced through the rest of the book. And I wasn't ready for this to be over - I wasn't ready to leave the world of Richard Kadrey's Butcher Bird, to leave Spider and Shrike and Lulu and all the rest, behind. Of course, I finished the book and it ended exceptionally well, but I shouldn't have been worried. The world is so vividly realized that, as I pass the book on to other people, I get to visit it again every time we talk about the story. Kadrey's prose is visceral, his characters utterly realistic. The magical elements of his world compel you to believe in them. The editing on the book, however, could have been tighter. My copy was rife with typos and transposed words. It's a testament to how good the writing was that I was able to overlook the error rate and still enjoy - indeed, thoroughly love - the story!

If you have ever enjoyed the graphic "Lucifer" Series or even the TV series "Angel", this book is the literary version. It's smart and quick with a few very intellectual surprises waiting for you.

I think this is my favorite of Kadrey's books. The flow of the story, the excellence of the ideas and the way the characters stay with you are all just amazing. This is a highly under-rated writer and you should go get this book now, especially if you are a fan of speculative fiction with a touch of counter-cultural horror. It will change the way you look at the world and make you want to go live in Kadrey's scary, sexy and beguiling brain. My own brain is still reeling.