World Famous Comics: Scar Night (Deepgate Codex, Book 1)
Scar Night (Deepgate Codex, Book 1)
By: Alan Campbell Publisher: Spectra Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Spectra Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 576 Publication Date: November 27, 2007 Release Date: November 27, 2007
Product Description: Suspended by chains over a seemingly bottomless abyss, the ancient city of Deepgate is home to a young angel, an assassin, and a psychotic murderer hungry for revenge—or redemption. But soon a shocking betrayal will unite all three in a desperate quest....
The last of his line, Dill is descended from legendary Battle-archons who once defended the city. Forbidden to fly and untrained even to wield the great sword inherited from his forebears, he has become a figurehead for a dying tradition. Now he lives a sheltered existence in one of Deepgate’s crumbling temple spires under the watchful eye of the Presbyter who rules the city.
Spine assassin Rachel Hael has better things to do than oversee the Presbyter’s angel. Each dark moon she must fight for her life among the city chains, hunting an immortal predator with a taste for blood.
But when a traitor brings enemies to Deepgate’s doorstep, Dill and Rachel are forced into an uneasy alliance with the city’s oldest and most dangerous foe. They must journey down into the uncharted chasm to save their sprawling metropolis—and themselves—from annihilation. Once they descend however, they learn that what lies below is far more sinister than what they’ve been taught to expect.
Solid and enjoyable venture For a first book this was excellent although if I could I might rate it 3.75 stars. I wont get into the plot or a rehash of the story since others have done it so well but I will say that I think Alan Campbell has great potential. Much of the book feels like a mix of other more popular authors but Alan does a great job building up his story and while his story and ending are somewhat predictable if was thoroughly enjoyable. I have already recommended this book to my friends and happily read through his sequel in a day (Iron Angel). I am looking forward to his next book.
Pleasing on the surface but lacks depth Scar Night is a novel with intriguing parts and ideas, but taken together the parts do not add up to a completely satisfying whole. There are a half dozen prominent characters, but the main character, I think, is the setting, Deepgate, a Gothic theocratic city suspended by chains above an abyss. It is a uniquely bizarre setting, but also a puzzling one: Who would choose to live over a bottomless pit? No one lives over the Grand Canyon, after all.
The novel stars a motley, interesting roster of characters and antiheroes: Dill, a naïve angel; Presbyter Sypes, a Dumbledore-ish sage with a secret; Rachel, an emotionally fragile assassin; Carnival, a homicidal renegade angel; Mr. Nettle, a father with a vendetta; and Devon, a master of poisons on the brink of madness. With the exception of Dill, the characters are conflicted and gray; they alternate between heroism and villainy. While I like this complex characterization, I think that the novel fails to single out a protagonist, someone for readers to care about. Dill is the closest thing, but he is mostly a witness to the novel's events. His passivity makes him the least compelling character. Everyone else is a bit too cracked to be considered a hero.
The author writes in a descriptive, cinematic style with plenty of action. While the action is pleasing, not a lot of it makes sense. For example, Carnival plows through an entire undead army at one point, only to be floored by one punch from Rachel, a mortal girl. (I also think the word "b*tch" is overused.)
The novel has twists and revelations, but in my opinion they lack emotional impact. Scar Night has an abundance of style, but it is missing depth.
surprisingly good ... Enjoyable book with some cool morally grey characters and unexpected twists. Campbell may draw comparisons to Neil Gaiman and China Mieville, in itself a compliment, nevertheless, original on its own.
Great debut dark fantasy novel Considering the dire state of speculative fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Campbell's debut novel after I picked it up at random in an airport bookstore. Scar Night clearly shares a lineage with the China Mieville school of "New Weird" fantasy but Campbell throws enough twists and turns into the plot and setting to keep the story fresh and interesting. The dark world he has created and the sheer density of the writing evokes the perfect mood, and I'd rank the city of Deepgate as the equal of fictional locations such as New Crobuzon or Gormenghast.
As for characters, the cast is broad enough to sustain interest, although it took a while for the angel Dill to grow on me. I found Campbell's bleaker creations such as the poisoner Devon and the mad angel Carnival to be among his most interesting characters. I'm looking forward to the next installment, and finding out more about the world of the Deepgate.
loved the setting Deepgate is a city suspended over a seemingly bottomless abyss (with a supposed god at the bottom) by a network of chains. It is a unique and inventive setting - which simultaneously made me feel claustrophobic and afraid of the height (in real life I really am terrified of heights).
Life in Deepgate is dominated by a church which has its own army, air force (in zeppelinish aircraft), a cadre of assassins, and a huge department that develops poisons and other bioweapons.
So the church was a very interesting part of an otherwise fascinating setting.
Now, while I loved the setting and also the plot, I also thought that the characters, particularly young angel Dill, could have used some more development. Since I tend to love character driven books, this is an issue which will keep me from granting the book a five full stars, even though I did greatly enjoy it otherwise.
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