Iron Angel

In this stunning follow-up to his epic fantasy debut, Alan Campbell propels readers into a captivating city battling for its own survivaland that of humankindin a world of deities and demons, fallen angels and killers.

After a destructive battle, the ancient swaying city of Deepgate has been overtaken. Most of the chains that suspend it have given way, toxic fumes are emanating from blazing structures, and the temple once inhabited by the ruling Presbyter now dangles upside down above the once-uncharted abyss. The victorious Spine have initiated martial law and are ruthlessly pursuing all who attempt to leave. Amid the turmoil, two captives are returned.

Arriving by ship are the young angel Dill, now toughened by war, and traitor assassin Rachel Hael. Incarcerated in the slowly crumbling temple, the two await their fate, while from the abyss beneath them ghosts risefor the death of the god Ulcis has left open the gates to Hell.

But on orders from his divine brethren, Cospinol, the god of brine and fog, is traveling the world to Deepgate to seal this breach. His great skyship is being dragged through the air by the giant John Anchor, a monster of a man enslaved to pull the gods vessel, moving slowly, inevitably, toward the city.

As the city waits, teetering on the brink, myriad plans for vengeance are set in motion, from the continent of Pandemeria to Heaven itself. Among them is a ghostly archon sent to deliver a message to the gods on earthusing Dill as his vessel. Thrust from his body, Dills own soul returns to Hell. When Dill and Rachel are attacked by Spine assassins, Rachel has no choice but to try to escape with the creature that calls itself Dill…and to somehow find a way to restore her friends soul before its too late. For powerful forces are stirring, and in the coming battle between gods, it is the world of men that is at stake.

"While not so complexly plotted as to repel new readers, this grim middle volume (after 2006's Scar Night) also does little to attract them. Most strikingly, the novel lacks a protagonist. Virtually every character is a pawn in the ongoing war between a dysfunctional family of desperate gods and King Menoa, the mad ruler of the Mesmerists. Rogue assassin Rachel Hael mostly disappears halfway through; the skyship-towing giant John Anchor is purely a tour guide; and angel Dill only reacts to abrupt shifts in reality. Death is relative, with characters translating unpredictably among Hell, the mortal realm and a bizarre reality called the Maze. Sex and romance are virtually absent, but stylized gore is everywhere, perhaps reflecting Campbell's background in video-game design. Despite the vivid descriptions and genuinely unusual setting, readers who make it through to the cliffhanger ending of this installment may well not care enough to seek out the forthcoming concluding volume." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Alan Campbell, author of Scar Night, lives in Scotland. Iron Angel is his second novel.