[.uk] Snake Agent: A Detective Inspector Chen Novel (Detective ... (ISBN 1597800430)

Hell is bureaucracy?:
I greatly enjoyed Liz Williams' "Snake Agent", partially for the excellent characterization but also for the unique setting. Williams captures the Chinese atmosphere perfectly, and I've heard from other sources that she does it pretty accurately. I'm not that familiar with the details of Chinese culture, but it certainly seems accurate to my limited knowledge. Most importantly, it *feels* right. She gets the mood down perfectly, an oppressed city, stifling heat (it's unclear whether that's due to global warming or the proximity to Hell, or if that's just Singapore's climate) and a mix of high-end neighborhoods and downtrodden slums. Her version of Hell is wonderfully portrayed too, massively bureaucratic and structured, with various ministries in charge of doing things to keep evil in the real world. However, there are certain rules they have to follow, and they can't step on each others' toes. Zhu Irzh is on the Vice Squad not to prevent and control Vice, but to make sure that everything's being done properly. We don't see Heaven in the novel, but we do see how it interacts with the real world and with Hell, as Hell's minions do have to watch their step so Heaven's bureaucracy doesn't get involved. Williams' description of everything makes you feel like you're there, sweltering in the heat or down in Hell when Chen has to go there to finish his mission. Chen is an extremely interesting character. He's married to a demon who has escape from Hell because of an attempted forced marriage (all of this happened in a previous unpublished adventure). He's world-weary, but he's definitely good at what he does. He's on the outs with his goddess right now, which will make visiting Hell a bit tougher because he won't have her protection. Zhu Irzh is a wonderful creation, a demon with a few ethics; he's not a "good" demon, but he wants to make sure everything runs smoothly and correctly. Chen and he form an interesting relationship of respect but distrust, and their interplay is a lot of fun to read. In fact, sometimes Zhu is a more interesting character then Chen, especially with little details such as how he keeps on getting his favorite coat messed up and how annoying he finds that. The ending of the book promises that in subsequent novels, we will be seeing more of Zhu, which made me very happy. I wasn't quite as impressed with Chen's wife, but she started to hold her own as her storyline moved forward. Williams also has a handle on her minor characters, making them distinctive even if they aren't a major part of the plot. I really did enjoy Snake Agent, and would recommend it highly to any fantasy or science fiction fan looking for something just a little different. The book can be slow going at times, but that's usually because you're spending more time immersed in the setting and Williams' wonderful prose. I'm usually a quick read, and I was a bit annoyed at first that this book was taking me so long. Then I realized that I was enjoying my stay in it and it was all right. It's an interesting setting and a wonderful book. David Roy

a very satisfying read:
This is the first Inspector Chen novel, and Liz Williams has created a really lush, satisfying story that moves believably between the natural and the supernatural. Her portrait of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy, is robust enough to fit the scifi/fantasy genre, but it's also moving and of enough theological interest to set the novel apart from the mass of trade science fiction narratives.

Don't bother:
I do not know Ms Williams, and this was the first of her writings I read. I will not read any more. Others have done this genre better, without stooping to a world view that inculcates so much that is gratuitously evil. Writers like Randall Garrett have been able to successfully blend both Christan and pagan aspects,without denigrating either. I felt it ironic that while Christian icons were used to repel evil, Ms. Williams found it necessary to mock Christ " the dead Christian god". I am sure her regular audience would expect nothing less of her - I will not be counted among them.

A pleasant read:
Clever twist on the crime procedural with mismatched partners, but slow-paced, and rather flatly written. I enjoyed it well enough, but I won't be picking up another volume in the series.

A Classic in a New Genre:
A new genre indeed; there've been science fiction mysteries and fantasy mysteries but this is the first mystery I've encountered set in Chinese mythology. Liz Williams moves onto my list of favorite writers with this one book --and, mind you, there are few enough modern writers on my list; my tastes usually run to pulp adventure, space opera, and Lovecraftian horror-- and I'm hunting her earlier works. The characters are endearing, the plot sufficiently complex and the settings (a future Singapore and Hell itself) are captivating. But what really makes it work is the way Williams writes her characters' thought patterns. The Chinese characters think in Chinese similies and metaphors (little things like "sour as a pickled plum" instead of "pickle," and the Hellish ones are convincingly Hellish. She makes you feel and taste and smell Singapore, and even Chinese Hell. The classic fantasy writers I like created their own worlds on their own terms, and this is what Willaims has done. I can't wait to return there with the next two books!