Holy fuck fuckity fuck fuck!
I know. That’s probably no way to start a review, but by whatever wretched, twisted gods, for In the Shadow of Their Dying I think it’s appropriate.
This is one of those books that’s been on my shelf since release that has been calling to me, but I just hadn’t been able to make the time for it. So when I saw the audiobook was available, I was pretty psyched. Grabbed it immediately and started listening.
It starts out with a quick introduction to the Third Best Assassin, and that drops the reader right into the thick of it. And then it goes on, unrelenting, right through to the end.
This novella is a quick read/listen, with a very fast pace. Chapters shift between a handful of POVs offering gruesome action with just enough downtime sprinkled throughout to allow the reader to catch their breath before being tossed back into it.
Anyone that has read any of Fletcher or Spark’s other works should know what to expect, the best of both of them is on display here. Brutal, violent, and gory at times, with elements of snarky, sardonic humor, sprinkled with a taste of slapstick absurdity. Witty banter from characters that aren’t as good at their jobs as they think they are. And then… sometimes… it’s just fucking harrowing.
All of this, with Fletcher and Spark’s own styles, just merges and flows into poetry. Taking all the awfulness and the absurd and the humor, violence, and the piss and shit and filth, and spinning into a thing of beauty.
This novella is amazing. It’s exactly what I was looking to read/listen to right now. I loved it. It’s short, so I’m not going to go into the characters or story, I don’t want to spoil anything. Just dig in, and enjoy the ride as the mayhem unfolds!
And as for the narrator… Emma Gregory’s performance is perfect. Tone, pace, emotion, everything, I could not imagine a better narration.
So, in closing, I must reiterate:
Holy fuck fuckity fuck fuck!
This book is a fucking masterpiece!
