Vicious Circle

Mike Carey
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446580311
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (9/08)


Felix Castor is a very busy man.  He works as an exorcist, summoning the dead through the use of music.  He is currently assisting the police on the case of a recent murder.  He is also working with two grieving parents who believe their daughter’s ghost has been kidnapped and as a result her soul will not be able to find peace.  To top it off, Felix also has a good friend who possesses a demon due to a failed experiment and Felix accepts the responsibility of keeping him from harm.  As he works on these cases, Felix encounters a great deal of danger when the truth begins to unravel.  Not only does he have to find out what is going on; he must also figure out whom he can trust.

This book will appeal to a broad adult audience.  It is filled with action; although I found it to be excessively violent at times.  There is a wide variety of characters, including a sect of excommunicated Catholics, loup-garous (werewolves), and zombies.  The author adeptly portrays the tough decisions Felix faced while trying to keep the promises he made.  Felix’s thought processes, as he discovers the truth of the situation, are clearly documented, which greatly helped me understand what was happening.

In the first few chapters of “Vicious Circle,” there seemed to be too many unrelated stories going on, which left me wondering what direction the story was heading.  However, it became much more interesting as the storylines began to converge.  Mike Carey weaved the stories together brilliantly, always leaving just enough of the truth hidden to keep the reader guessing as to how the story would end.

For those interested in the supernatural or for those merely looking for a stimulating book, “Vicious Circle” by Mike Carey will not disappoint.  It contains incredible amounts of action and even a few shocking revelations.  It also somewhat explores the position of the Catholic Church on death and the afterlife in terms of the disposition of the souls of the deceased.  Overall, this is an excellent book that will keep the reader engrossed until the very end.

Make comment on weblog