Redemption Song (Daniel Faust)

Craig Schaefer picks up right where he left off in the first Daniel Faust book with another gripping thriller that delves further into the politics and schemes of Hell. Fresh off his prevention of the Apocalypse (for now), Faust runs right back into Lauren Carmichael, the villain from the first book, who is still trying to build a new hotel in Vegas that has an unknown dark purpose. Complicating matters, the Prince of the Court of Hell that runs Vegas has given Faust an ultimatum: kill a priest who is working on a document detailing how to go in and out of Hell freely or never see his beloved Caitlin again. Naturally, Faust can't resist trying to help the priest instead, which sets off a chain of events that puts Faust squarely in the middle of a conflict between the half-human, half-demon cambion and the Prince, with Lauren Carmichael in the thick of it as well. What makes this book stand out from the first Faust novel is that it paints a much bigger picture about "Hell on Earth" works. Schaefer touched on the political schemings a little bit in the first book, but here, he really dives deep into the relationships and differences between the different Courts and their denizens. He also fleshes out Prince Sitri, who was mentioned often in the first book but never heard from, in greater detail, and also introduces several new characters to the proceedings. What's so impressive is he's able to do all of this without miles and miles of exposition that many other authors would lean on. Instead, he gives you just enough information so that you understand what's going on, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed or bored. The addition of the new characters, such as Caitlin's friend Emma and an FBI agent who also happens to be a sorceress, also add to the story without weighing it down with too much character development too soon. Even though he introduces a lot of new characters and dynamics to the world of Faust, Schaefer still maintains a lot of what made the first book so good. Faust himself is a complete character who provides both bravado and empathy to the story, while his friends and acquaintances get a bit more fleshed out this time in a way that adds more depth to the story. In particular, you get a better idea of Faust's past with Nicky Agnelli, the mob boss who Faust used to work for, which in turn gives you more insight into Faust. It seems like practically every page that Schaefer writes adds more rich detail and background to the world he's created, which is great to see. As for the story itself, there are definitely enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Schaefer does tip his hand about what Faust has planned a little around two-thirds of the way through the book, but not in a way that kills the suspense. Actually, it makes you want to keep reading to find out how he's going to pull off the plan. At the end, several loose ends get tied up, but several more are still left open for future books, which is great, because you definitely don't want this series to end! Through two books, Schaefer has succeeded in creating a world of magic filled with characters that are constantly developing new layers. The result are books that you don't want to put down, which, to me, are the best kind of reads.

I enjoyed this book and am going to buy the next one in the series. It's a fun, easy read good for casual young adult readers. I only had two complaints: 1) the main character, Faust, uses his reputation to intimidate people a few times. The people he intimidates are losers who deserved to be put in their place, that isn't the problem. The problem is that I don't really think that Faust had the "street cred" to pull that sort of thing off. He isn't some magical behemoth or super-hitman that strikes fear into the hearts of evil doers. He's scrappy. He gets the job done, sure, but only through luck and quick thinking, not by over-powering anyone. It makes him endearing as a character, but it also means that he isn't going to get away by just giving his enemy the lazy eye. Maybe after like 6 books of successful exploits or something, but definitely not in book 2. 2) Caitlin and Faust's relationship is pretty weak mostly because Caitlin is a weak and inconsistent character. First if all, it has been established that demons come from different families based on the seven deadly sins. If Caitlin is from the house of lust, how come she is perfectly happy with and strictly dedicated too a closed monogamous relationship? The other demons are plagued by their respective vices in various interesting ways, but Caitlin is singularly dedicated to Faust and no one else. Also, why is Caitlin dedicated to Faust? Their relationship doesn't really seem to be based on much of anything besides their struggle to stay together. It doesn't help that she doesn't have much personality. Caitlin's main feature is her sexiness. It feels to me that the author wrote her as an attractive red head first and then realizing how douchey this was gave her broad general traits like "brave", "intelligent", and "independent". These are blanket qualities that should cover a wide range of specific qualities. For example, "intelligent" covers both "sage" and "witty", but very few characters are both. I feel that these are symptoms of the author vicariously stroking his ego through Faust. Faust is now powerful and loved by attractive women. These are not bad, but you need to have a reason for both of them, and you need to build up to it. But those weren't too much of an issue. Like I said, I enjoyed the book.

Craig Schaefer is my new favourite author! I've RACED through this series, I can't put them down. The characters are great and are developing in interesting ways, and for a change there are bits I didn't see coming. I love the setting, and there are some really interesting ideas about how magic works in this 'universe'. I read an AWFUL lot of urban fantasy / noir / supernatural themed crime and it's a refreshing change to have things done a bit differently. I've made the link before but if you like Richard Kadrey you will love these books, very similar feel. (Another one of my favourites). As an extreme pedant I'm also pleased to say that this series is one of the extremely few kindle books I've read with no spelling or grammatical errors, and these are actually rarer than rocking horse poop.

Good series with lots of interesting characters. I will definitely get the rest of the series. My only caveat with this book is where he describes Bud Light as "Drinkable booze". Anyone who has tried this fizzy pop will know this is not true. Apart from that, very enjoyable.

Browsing through my library, I came across Daniel Faust again. Still a fascinating read, the general plot remained with me, but plot, nuance and characters are still fascinating. Recommended all over again!

I am a big fan of the series and it filled a whole left after I finished the Dresden Files and The Iron Druid Chronicles, I will continue to read the rest of the books with great interest and enjoyment. Recommend for any fans of urban fantasy or for those fantasy fans looking for something new.

Faust is back after saving the world in the first book and the plot of the second picks up on some loose threads. This was a ton of fun to read. Faust is easy to root for but not a White hat by any means. The supporting cast of the series is expanded as is to be expected in a book 2 with some welcome additions especially Harmony Black. I eagerly look forward to reading the third.