Holy poop.

I’m just gonna start off with how much I love this book: it’s freaking awesome.  It pulled me in on the first page and wouldn’t let me go. The mystery is engrossing and never lets you put all the pieces together ’till the end.  Instead of doing so like some certain-books-made-into-movies-that-split-the-last-feature-in-two-for-an-obvious-money-grab (that shall remain nameless to avoid flame wars, and yes I’m talking about ALL the guilty parties here), the protagonist isn’t the dumbest person in the room. In fact, he’s pretty on point.  Instead, the story misleads him and the reader together, and it makes for a much more satisfying reveal when it all comes out in the end.

We start with a death at the Vatican, add in a cynical, recovering Catholic flatfoot from London, his childhood friend who is now a Bishop, toss in a little Satanic ritual, and stir.  Our protagonist is a typical schlub hero with many faults and a broken past, but everything is presented in such a detailed and honest way that it rises above trope-dom into something awesome.  There’s definitely a bit of Harry Dresden going in this guy (minus the magic), and it plays into this wonderful world that Paul Jenkins has created for us.  This starts feeling like a Dan Brown book but quickly blossoms into much more (without the erudite educated art snobbery) and allows the situation to present the tensions rather than the ol’ countdown technique.

I’m going to take a minute here for the artwork. Humberto Ramos is a master and creates such an interesting world that is wholly based in reality but suggestive enough to evoke an odd faerie quality to everything, making slight Disney-like adjustments in form and dress to imply traits of characters before turning them on their head.  It makes for beautiful pages full of storytelling above and beyond the text with a deft and brilliant hand.  This work sings with talent and artistry, and each panel is a delight.

I wish I could talk about how amazing the last few pages are, when everything is laid bare and the world turns in on itself. It’s done so artfully that I never saw it coming.  Even if I had the inkling, I may have suppressed the urge to think ahead, because I was enjoying the story so much.  It’s one of the rare books that I reveled and regretted each page turn, loving the journey but wanting it to never end, wanting so much more, and though an incredible amount is given, I want more stories in this world.

I can’t give away much, but I can say that if you’re a fan of The Dresden Files, Gaiman’s Sandman, Brimstone, or anything where the power of the old gods comes to a head in the modern world, then this is an absolute must-read for you.  And, if you’re not a fan of those things but love a story that won’t let you out, then you need to pick this up as well.

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