Review: 100% Certified Angst-Free Noir
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 18, 2014
This is the best example of this genre done right that I've read, hands down.  And by 'this genre' I mean the pulp horror / noir bit that diverges subtly but significantly from the more main-line urban fantasy.  The protagonist, especially is an absolute joy: an unapologetic monster who's accepted his monster status and decided to at least make it useful.  And that's BEFORE the vampire thing comes into play.Essentially, this reads like an old-school Phillip Marlowe story with a bit more of an outright villain protagonist who is only in it to protect his own skin, but decides to go all in while he's at it.  The characters are all genuine, distinctive characters that are fleshed-out and interesting in their own right, with the supernatural elements serving to drive the story and as an excuse to drive the violence up to 11, and never used to substitute for legitimate characterization.  The Vampire and Werewolf gangs are quite literally _gangs_, and would be just as compelling if they were human criminals (in fact, there are humans running around who are in fact equally compelling) with the claws mostly coming out because describing a vicious mauling is more awesome than a knifing, and an ambush scene is much more fun when Napalm is required to keep your targets from standing back up.It's very difficult to do villain protagonist right, without making him unsympathetic (i.e. not a protagonist) or giving him too many redeeming qualities (i.e. not a villain).  Deskins hits the balance perfectly, not just with the narrating character, but with ALL of the characters, human and otherwise.  They're almost all terrible people, human or otherwise, but without losing any of that terribleness and fully acknowledging that they're very much monsters you're still very much rooting for the home team by the end.  He manages to make them _our_ monsters.Smart, funny, and packed with your recommended daily dose of explosions.  I can't recommend this enough.