Nightingale's Lament (Nightside, Book 3)

Saying that Simon R. Green's "Nightside" series is unique is like saying that "Star Wars" was a series of movies that defined a genre--stating the obvious. John Taylor is like no other literary hero--he is a man who is not quite human, who is bluff and bluster and smart enough to use it to his advantage. He is cocky, he is funny, he is vulnerable...and he is the greatest product of the Nightside...a place where it's always 3 a.m., and your soul is always in peril... This time, John has to uncover the mystery of Ross, a singer who has an incredible voice--so incredible, in fact, that it drives many of her fans to kill themselves. But Ross is innocent, caught up in a web of intrigue that may ultimately destroy her...and the Nightside. As John throws himself into yet another dangerous case, in an attempt to bring down Ross's otherworldly managers, he pits himself against demons, man-eating-cars, and a man so powerful that maybe not even the great John Taylor can stop him... "Nightingale's Lament" is just as funny, just as edgy, and just as enoyable as its two predecessors. You don't have to have read the other two books to understand this one (but I DO reccommend you read them, just 'cause they're that good), but why wouldn't you WANT to read them in the first place? The "Nightside" series is truly enjoyable and unforgettable--with an ecclectic cast of characters, and a narrator who is the epitomy of every great literary hero. "Nightingale's Lament" is just more proof that Simon R. Green has stumbled upon a gold mine...and loves writing these books as much as we enjoy reading them.

This is the third in Simon Green's wonderfully dark fantasy series of the Nightside. The Nightside is a dirty, secret little underbelly of London where it is always 3AM, and where creatues both foul and mythical, mix amongst the dark and dangerous steets. This book begins not long after the events in "Agents of Light & Darkness" and while this book does make reference to those events, it's not necessary to have read that one first, although it does help. John Taylor has just solved the murder of two friends who died during their own wedding several years earlier and in doing so, destroys the Prometheus power plant, knocking out power to over 12% of the Nightside. This causes much damage and chaos in the Nightside and John finds himself on the run from Walker, the representative of The Authorities, the true power in the city. John Taylor is a private detective with a gift that allows him to find anything or anyone and is contacted by a wealthy banker to find his missing daughter who ran off to the Nightside to become a singer. Taylor finds the daughter whose taken the stage name of Rossignol working in a night club and under the control of The Cavendish's, a mysterious and wealthy couple. But there's a problem. Seems people have the odd habit of commiting suicide after hearing Rossignol sing and John must not only find out why, but also find a way to free her from the clutches of the Cavendish's who are backed up by the power of Count Entropy. This book introduces us to yet another of John's sometime allies, the teenage boy know as "Dead Boy", who is dead himself, yet lives on eternally, holding his body together with stitches and duct tape. Dead Boy happens to be the foremost expert on death, and John enlists his aid in order to solve this latest mystery. With each book, Simon Green begins to reveal just a tiny bit more about the mysterious John Taylor and his inhuman mother. Even when Taylor encounters a group of primal demons, older than creation, he sees fear in their eyes as they know WHAT he is...or will be someday. DeadBoy was a welcome addition to John's list of friends which include Shotgun Suzie and Razor Eddie. Deadboy behaves much as any teenager does but with a deep sorrow underneath as he mournfully states that the longer he is dead, the less feeling he has for anything in his life/death. Nighingale's Lament moved at a very brisk pace and Green gives readers little time to catch their breath as Taylor moves from one dangerous encounter to the next. But then that is one of the appeals of the Nightside books. With each one just over 200 pages, these are quick, exciting little diversions from much of the more epic and exhausting fantasies on the market today. One can almost feel that Green has so many ideas bubbling over with what he can do with this unique setting that he throws so much at readers at once. A fantastic book in a series that gets better and better.

This is the first book I've read by Green. This is the first of many. Nightside is a world for fringe dwellers, law-breakers, un-dead devils, and everything in the middle. I love the world Green has created. Anything can happen and does. Sleep tight, don't the creatures of Nightside bite. If you have an affinity for fantasy splashed with a few gallons of horror, read this book.

I've just read all three Nightside novels by Simon R. Green, and they are totally rocking. The world of Nightside is somewhat similar to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden world, but there are very significant differences: In Jim Butcher's world, the wizard Harry Dresden relies on amulets and potions and things he prepares beforehand, as his "magic". Without those prior preparations, Harry is just as vulnerable and defenceless as any human. Harry gets beaten up very often, and after 5 books in the series, is just as unlucky a schmuck as when he began. A constant out-of-his-luck detective type. After five books, I get tired of seeing Harry never being rewarded for his deeds, always being the big loser.In Simon R. Green's world of Nightside, that square mile in the centre of London where monsters and gods live, John Taylor doesn't do wizard/witch amulet/potion type things. Taylor's has a psychic gift, that allows him to find anything. This doesn't sound like much, but the author explains that Taylor can find any object, secret, exit, and death. So even with an immortal, Taylor can use his gift to find how to kill them. Plus, he can do other things with his gift too. In the really scary world of Nightside, Taylor is a legend. His mother wasn't human, his father was. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what/where his mother is. The augaries at his birth said that he would come into his kingdom, that he would somehow rule Nightside. So Taylor has a very strong psychic power, and the mysterious and frightening power of something even more in waiting. He gets beaten up occasionally, but unlike Harry Dresden, he isn't a wimp, he can fight back with his power and after 3 books, his good fortune grows. I like that, when a good guy gets ahead, shows some positive progress in the series. Plus, the world of Nightside is truly beautiful/frightening. The author uses very strong imagery, very powerful and evocative. The characters in Nightside are amazing. Unlike many other authors, Simon R. Green doesn't just pick up monsters from regular culture and throw them into his world (like vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.), he makes up his own monsters. Like Sara the Sorrow, who long ago gave up her humanity and is now the Unbeliever, not believing anything she sees, so that if she looks at you, the power of total lack of belief lets her unmake anything, anyone. Anyway, these are great books, and especially if you like detective mysteries, psychic powers, very strange inhabitants of a very strange place, the promise of a prophecy and a would-be king and don't mind gore, this is the book for you.

Nightingale's Lament (2004) is the third urban fantasy novel in the Nightside series, following Agents of Light and Darkness. In the previous volume, Taylor found the Unholy Grail for the Vatican and thereby raised a siege of the Nightside by angels both high and low. His reputation has gone off the scale and the resulting fee was large enough to lease an upscale office, hire Cathy (see Something From the Nightside) as his secretary, and install computers with a superiority complex to take care of the routine stuff. In this novel, Taylor comes across more as Simon Templar --- AKA the Saint -- than as a tough private eye. First he is persuaded by Walker to work on a case for Prometheus, Inc., generator of twelve percent of the power used within the Nightside. Company equipment is being sabotaged by an unknown --and undetectable -- person or thing. Prometheus is owned and operated by an old acquaintance, Vincent Kraemar, the Mechanic. Walker wants results and Taylor definitely produces some big results, paying off an old debt in the bargain. However, Walker is not really happy with the way Taylor solves the problem. After that case, while hanging out in Strangefellows and avoiding Walker, Taylor is approached by a man who believes that his daughter has fallen into bad company. Under the name Rossignol -- Nightingale -- she has been acquiring a reputation of her own, but recently she has changed, breaking off relations with friends and family, never answering phone calls or letters, and spending all her time in the Caliban Club where she sings. Moreover, her singing has changed; now she sings only sad songs and her listeners are so moved that some have committed suicide shortly after leaving her show. All these changes started when Ross signed a new contract with Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish. The client wants Taylor to check into her situation and help her if such assistance is necessary. Cathy confirms the client's portrayal of Ross' career and Alex tells him more about her life and the Cavendishes. Taylor visits the Caliban Club and talks to Ian, Ross' roadie. Then he visits Rossignol herself and later catches a show. He can't find any indication of magical influence, but Ross is obviously depressed and distracted. During her performance, moreover, someone commits suicide, splashing blood and brains over her shoes. In this story, Taylor investigates the Cavendishes, including tracking down another promising diva who was previously under contract to them, but disappeared without a trace the previous year. He drops by the Night Times to find out the gossip from the newsies, especially the managing editor (and owner) Julian Advent. He even pays a visit to the Cavendishes, where he is very ill received. Taylor has always had a compassionate streak, but Rossignol somehow inflames it into an obsession. However he has to do it, Taylor is determined to solve Ross' problem. He even goes so far as to involve the Dead Boy. Be warned that the author has gone