The Grim Reaper Has Got His Problems
Too
What a fun idea for a protagonist! The
Grim Reaper! Apart from Darth Vader, there’s probably not a more
foreboding character in all of literature (and Darth Vader is really
just the Grim Reaper with his face painted black). In “Hell Bound,”
Satan has tasked Grim with hunting down Thomas Neill Cream known to
infamy as the Lambeth Poisoner (there’s also speculation that he
might have been Jack the Ripper). It turns out that Cream is just as
much a problem in Hell as he was on Earth as this book finds him in
league with Nikola Tesla to finagle an escape from eternal torment.
Never fear as Daemon Grim is on the
case, tracking down Cream and his accomplices in a novel that is part
detective story, part noir, and part tour of Hell. The Hell in
question obeys the rules of Janet Morris’s “Hell” series (if
you are unfamiliar with the series it’s a must read). For those of
you unfamiliar, Morris’s Hell is a shared world built more or less
on the framework of Dante’s Inferno featuring the famous names of
history. If you think it sounds like a downer, you’re mistaken. The
purpose of this series isn’t to give you a lecture on morality, but
rather form the framework for a series of discussions on torment, the
legacy of historical figures, and...really awesome medieval (dare I
say “Biblical”?) battles. There’s even a fair bit of humor
thrown in for good measure.
It’s fun spending some time with the
Grim Reaper as we get a first person account of his life and daily
routine. His memories extend back only to his existence as Satan’s
reaper, but occasionally he does have some interesting flashbacks to
a time before that when he was something else? Maybe an angel? Grim
doesn’t know, and he doesn’t particularly care as he’s grown
accustomed to his lot. He’s got a job to perform, and the outcome
is as certain as taxes (among other things).
It occurred to me once or twice
throughout the novel that perhaps Grim is a little too likeable
considering what he is. I think those are glimpses of Andrew Paul
Weston’s personality shining through. However, a focused meditation
on death would be something of a downer and this book is all about
entertainment. Grim comes across as a pretty regular guy, despite the
fact that he’ll sometimes depart a whole room of innocent
bystanders because they happened to overhear a phone conversation.
This kind of thing happens in Hell, and you can assume that those
suffering that treatment have it coming.
If you’re a fan of history, Biblical
artifacts, and mythology, this is a book you’re going to have a lot
of fun with. Educated people are going to delight in seeing lesser
known figures, items, and places referenced front and center for a
change. This is a good book to read with some research material at
hand. More than once I paused my reading to look up a name only to
delight in an hour or two of discovery. I met some folks that were
new, and learned a little more about things I was always aware of. In
the end, however, I returned to Grim as his story is magnetic. Also,
this is the type of character that comes after you if you leave a
task undone.
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