The Dead Take the a Train

August 1, 2023
Kadrey, urban fantasy mainstay, and Khaw, a horror rising star, team up for a cinematic and immersive "eldritch whale" of a duology opener. Julie, 29, is starting to feel the aches and pains of her job, using her small, magic-packed body to help keep New York City clear of monsters, barely making enough money to cover the rent. When an old flame, the head of excision for one of the top Wall Street firms, comes asking Julie for help, she sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to eat up the whole world in its wake. Told with dark humor; excellent world-building that never sacrifices the fast pace; an engaging narration with multiple points of view that allow the characters to fully develop, from Julie and her ragtag team of flawed but sympathetic friends to villains both human and otherworldly; action sequences that are as fun as they are visceral; and a scathing rebuke of capitalism, this is an original, thought-provoking, and entertaining title that will call to readers from multiple dimensions. For fans of Sandman Slim and the cosmic horror of The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (2020) and Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy Snyder (2023).

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Starred review from August 14, 2023
This deliciously down and dirty urban fantasy, the first in the Carrion City duology from Bram Stoker Award winner Khaw (The Salt Grows Heavy) and bestseller Kadrey (the Sandman Slim series), follows Julie Crews, an alcoholic freelance magician, as she navigates New York City’s seedy supernatural underbelly. Julie’s struggling to make ends meet performing exorcisms and other paranormal odd jobs for the city’s upper crust when her best friend (and longtime crush), Sarah, turns up on her doorstep, fleeing an abusive husband and badly in need of a place to stay. To protect Sarah and bail herself out of her dead-end career grind, Julie summons an archangel of justice hoping they’ll help balance the books in her favor—but everything comes with a price, and when the archangel proves to have murderous impulses, Julie must fight to keep Sarah, herself, and the entire mortal realm safe. Khaw’s and Kadrey’s styles are a perfect match throughout, melding Kadrey’s knack for punchy action sequences and Khaw’s talent for gorgeous descriptions as they maneuver their enormously fun cast through a filthily rendered New York. Fans of urban fantasy, neo-noir, and pulp horror won’t want to miss this raucous adventure.