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Remy Chandler #7
A Deafening Silence in Heaven
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Fallen series comes a new Remy Chandler novel.
He was once known as the angel Remiel. But, generations ago, Boston PI Remy Chandler renounced Heaven and chose to live on Earth, hiding among us humans, fighting to save our souls…
Remy Chandler is hovering on the brink of death, surrounded by friends who are trying to ward off those who would take advantage of his vulnerability. Unbeknownst to them, the greatest threat to Remy is one they can’t fight—God himself. The Almighty dispatches Remy far beyond their reach, to an alternate universe where there has been an apocalyptic catastrophe: the Unification.
Only as he hunts down the source of this calamity, it becomes clearer and clearer that the person responsible for the tragedy may have been none other than Remy himself.
And while he searches for a way to stop his world from following in the footsteps of the doomed alternate reality, enemies are massing in his universe. For the Unification is at hand and, this time, Remy may be powerless to affect its outcome…
He was once known as the angel Remiel. But, generations ago, Boston PI Remy Chandler renounced Heaven and chose to live on Earth, hiding among us humans, fighting to save our souls…
Remy Chandler is hovering on the brink of death, surrounded by friends who are trying to ward off those who would take advantage of his vulnerability. Unbeknownst to them, the greatest threat to Remy is one they can’t fight—God himself. The Almighty dispatches Remy far beyond their reach, to an alternate universe where there has been an apocalyptic catastrophe: the Unification.
Only as he hunts down the source of this calamity, it becomes clearer and clearer that the person responsible for the tragedy may have been none other than Remy himself.
And while he searches for a way to stop his world from following in the footsteps of the doomed alternate reality, enemies are massing in his universe. For the Unification is at hand and, this time, Remy may be powerless to affect its outcome…
448 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2015
28 people are currently reading
438 people want to read
About the author
Thomas E. Sniegoski
282 books1,104 followersThomas E. Sniegoski, often credited as Tom Sniegoski is the author of more than two dozen novels for adults, teens, and children. His teen fantasy YA series Fallen was adapted into a trilogy of monstrously successful TV movies by ABC Family Channel. His other books for teens include Sleeper Code, Sleeper Agenda, and Force Majeure, as well as the upcoming series The Brimstone Network. The author's first adult novel, A Kiss Before the Apocalypse, hit the shelves in 2008, with its sequel, Dancing on the Head of a Pin to be released in 2009.
Sniegoski's work for younger readers includes Billy Hooten: Owlboy, and the fantasy quartet OutCast, which he co-authored with Christopher Golden. OutCast is in development as a film at Universal. Sniegoski and Golden have also collaborated on the adult dark fantasy series The Menagerie, and multiple creator-owned comic book series, including The Sisterhood, which is being prepped for a feature film by InterMedia, and Talent, currently in development at Universal after a major bidding war.
As a comic book writer, Sniegoski's work includes Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails, a prequel miniseries to international hit, Bone. Sniegoski collaborated with Bone creator Jeff Smith on the prequel, making him the only writer Smith has ever asked to work on those characters. Sniegoski and Golden also wrote the graphic novel BPRD: Hollow Earth, a spinoff from Hellboy.
Sniegoski was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his wife LeeAnne and their Labrador Retriever, Mulder. Tom recently completed the new young adult novel, Legacy, which is set to be released in October of 2009.
Sniegoski's work for younger readers includes Billy Hooten: Owlboy, and the fantasy quartet OutCast, which he co-authored with Christopher Golden. OutCast is in development as a film at Universal. Sniegoski and Golden have also collaborated on the adult dark fantasy series The Menagerie, and multiple creator-owned comic book series, including The Sisterhood, which is being prepped for a feature film by InterMedia, and Talent, currently in development at Universal after a major bidding war.
As a comic book writer, Sniegoski's work includes Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails, a prequel miniseries to international hit, Bone. Sniegoski collaborated with Bone creator Jeff Smith on the prequel, making him the only writer Smith has ever asked to work on those characters. Sniegoski and Golden also wrote the graphic novel BPRD: Hollow Earth, a spinoff from Hellboy.
Sniegoski was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his wife LeeAnne and their Labrador Retriever, Mulder. Tom recently completed the new young adult novel, Legacy, which is set to be released in October of 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 10, 2015
This is the seventh book in the Remy Chandler series. I think it was probably my least favorite book in this series so far. I don’t know if it’s me just losing interest, or if the stories have just veered way to far from their urban fantasy roots...but I struggled to finish this one.
Remy is on the brink of death, struck down by one of the Bone Masters (famous assassins who never miss their targets). The Almighty himself sends Remy’s consciousness to an alternate reality where Remy struggles to combat the evil there. Meanwhile Remy’s friends are trying everything they can do to bring him back and defend his body against the rest of the Bone Master clan. To complicate matters the Almighty has announced that he wishes to forgive Morningstar and go forward with Unification of the realms. As if this wasn’t enough The Forever Man has plans of his own that involve getting his revenge on The Almighty once and for all.
This was an okay continuation of the Remy Chandler series. The story switches POV a lot (many times per chapter) and was a bit confusing (at least in the ARC these switches weren't marked well, so you would have to read for a bit and then figure out that you were reading from a different point of view).
There's a bit of a time travel/parallel reality thing going on in this book and I felt like it didn't work all that well for the story. The story has just gotten too convoluted. In fact I would definitely recommend reading the books previous to this one because if you don’t you are going to be incredibly confused.
The writing flowed decently and I still enjoyed some of the characters, but at the end I was kind of like "Eh...well I guess I won’t be reading more of that series." The book is long and feels long, and really could have benefited from a bit more editing and tightening up of the storyline.
Previous to this book this has been a very solid urban fantasy series that deals with angel mythology. However, after reading this book I think I am done with this series. It wraps up at a good place and I just didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as previous ones.
Overall an okay addition to the Remy Chandler series. If you are a huge fan of the series give it a read. The series seems to have left its urban fantasy roots and veered into some strange territory involving parallel realities which I thought was too convoluted to enjoy. I won’t be reading more of this series.
Remy is on the brink of death, struck down by one of the Bone Masters (famous assassins who never miss their targets). The Almighty himself sends Remy’s consciousness to an alternate reality where Remy struggles to combat the evil there. Meanwhile Remy’s friends are trying everything they can do to bring him back and defend his body against the rest of the Bone Master clan. To complicate matters the Almighty has announced that he wishes to forgive Morningstar and go forward with Unification of the realms. As if this wasn’t enough The Forever Man has plans of his own that involve getting his revenge on The Almighty once and for all.
This was an okay continuation of the Remy Chandler series. The story switches POV a lot (many times per chapter) and was a bit confusing (at least in the ARC these switches weren't marked well, so you would have to read for a bit and then figure out that you were reading from a different point of view).
There's a bit of a time travel/parallel reality thing going on in this book and I felt like it didn't work all that well for the story. The story has just gotten too convoluted. In fact I would definitely recommend reading the books previous to this one because if you don’t you are going to be incredibly confused.
The writing flowed decently and I still enjoyed some of the characters, but at the end I was kind of like "Eh...well I guess I won’t be reading more of that series." The book is long and feels long, and really could have benefited from a bit more editing and tightening up of the storyline.
Previous to this book this has been a very solid urban fantasy series that deals with angel mythology. However, after reading this book I think I am done with this series. It wraps up at a good place and I just didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as previous ones.
Overall an okay addition to the Remy Chandler series. If you are a huge fan of the series give it a read. The series seems to have left its urban fantasy roots and veered into some strange territory involving parallel realities which I thought was too convoluted to enjoy. I won’t be reading more of this series.
December 28, 2015
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 on the strength of the series. I enjoyed this book because I'm attached to the characters, but the series has changed a lot since the beginning. It started out as a cool sort of noir urban fantasy mystery kind of thing, with Remy as a PI doing investigations and the angel/Christianity thing being an aspect of the story but not the primary focus. But the focus gradually changed and by this book the story was entirely about Christian lore, with a dash of urban fantasy creatures thrown in from continuing storylines. It made sense as a culmination of the continuing story arc for the series, but if this was the first book, it wouldn't have been something I would have been tremendously interested in. I've read a lot of books about angels and fallen angels, and Sniegoski's two series (this and The Fallen) are probably my favorites, and not just because he writes the best dogs and the best human/dog partnerships probably ever. But if I'd realized how much this series was going to move away from Remy the PI and focus on Remy the angel and various other religious characters and religious stories (Eden, Lazarus, the Angel of Death, Samson, Lucifer, now this entire book about all of them) I don't know if I'd have been as enthusiastic. I might have knowing how del he writes dogs. I truly and deeply love Marlowe, I'm glad I didn't miss him, and seeing Remy with him, that was special.
The way Sniegoski writes dogs really is lovely and it keeps him on my favorites list. It's abundantly clear that this is a man who knows and truly loves dogs. Marlowe in this series and Gabriel in The Fallen are both integral parts of the story, not like most pets in books who are mentioned once or twice and then forgotten about. Marlowe is my favorite, he feels so real, and the way that Remy cares for him is so real as well, so completely genuine. It's easy to see how much Sniegoski loved his yellow lab, Mulder, who was the model for Marlowe. I wondered if he'd end the series after four books because it would be too hard to continue to write for Marlowe after Mulder passed away. But maybe his new (not so new now) little guy, Kirby, helped him live in the present like my little mutt Lovey is doing for me after losing my greyhounds. Maybe Kirby was even some of the inspiration for the Madeline/Linda storyline, who knows.
Anyway, I had a bit of a hard time keeping some things straight, I've read too many books with angels and fallen angels and Lucifer and seraphim and nephilim (lots of nephilim) and other Biblical characters (in the books, I'm not calling people in the Bible characters). I couldn't even keep it straight between this author's series, I had this Lucifer mixed up with the Morningstar from The Fallen for a while, or at least I'm pretty sure that's who I was picturing when I saw an angel with a little mouse as his best pal. Right? I can be a real challenge for this sub-sub-genre (Christian-urban-fantasy?) to distinguish your stories from other authors. I think Sniegoski has done that very well overall, Remy and his friends have left a lasting impression, and I won't forget what Sniegoski did in this book for sure, Unification is a pretty unique task to have accomplished, and he did it in an unexpected way. There are other authors and series that haven't been as successful. It's just tough. You have a lot more leeway when you do a vampire book or a werewolf book, say, than an angel or fallen angel book if you're sticking to the Christian framework. Creating a unique and interesting story within those boundaries is a challenge and I think Sniegoski managed it well with this series.
It's not clear if this is the final Remy book, all I can tell right now is that this would be a good conclusion to the series and that Sniegoski is starting a new series. If this is where we leave our friends, it's OK, they're in a good place, more at peace than I ever thought they'd be. I hate goodbyes, but if this is one, then I'm OK with it, it was a good ending. And if Sniegoski ever wants to revisit these characters and start a new story arc, that would be great too. He could start something new, take it in a different direction, get back to the roots of the series with Remy as an investigator maybe, and I'd be onboard for the ride.
The way Sniegoski writes dogs really is lovely and it keeps him on my favorites list. It's abundantly clear that this is a man who knows and truly loves dogs. Marlowe in this series and Gabriel in The Fallen are both integral parts of the story, not like most pets in books who are mentioned once or twice and then forgotten about. Marlowe is my favorite, he feels so real, and the way that Remy cares for him is so real as well, so completely genuine. It's easy to see how much Sniegoski loved his yellow lab, Mulder, who was the model for Marlowe. I wondered if he'd end the series after four books because it would be too hard to continue to write for Marlowe after Mulder passed away. But maybe his new (not so new now) little guy, Kirby, helped him live in the present like my little mutt Lovey is doing for me after losing my greyhounds. Maybe Kirby was even some of the inspiration for the Madeline/Linda storyline, who knows.
Anyway, I had a bit of a hard time keeping some things straight, I've read too many books with angels and fallen angels and Lucifer and seraphim and nephilim (lots of nephilim) and other Biblical characters (in the books, I'm not calling people in the Bible characters). I couldn't even keep it straight between this author's series, I had this Lucifer mixed up with the Morningstar from The Fallen for a while, or at least I'm pretty sure that's who I was picturing when I saw an angel with a little mouse as his best pal. Right? I can be a real challenge for this sub-sub-genre (Christian-urban-fantasy?) to distinguish your stories from other authors. I think Sniegoski has done that very well overall, Remy and his friends have left a lasting impression, and I won't forget what Sniegoski did in this book for sure, Unification is a pretty unique task to have accomplished, and he did it in an unexpected way. There are other authors and series that haven't been as successful. It's just tough. You have a lot more leeway when you do a vampire book or a werewolf book, say, than an angel or fallen angel book if you're sticking to the Christian framework. Creating a unique and interesting story within those boundaries is a challenge and I think Sniegoski managed it well with this series.
It's not clear if this is the final Remy book, all I can tell right now is that this would be a good conclusion to the series and that Sniegoski is starting a new series. If this is where we leave our friends, it's OK, they're in a good place, more at peace than I ever thought they'd be. I hate goodbyes, but if this is one, then I'm OK with it, it was a good ending. And if Sniegoski ever wants to revisit these characters and start a new story arc, that would be great too. He could start something new, take it in a different direction, get back to the roots of the series with Remy as an investigator maybe, and I'd be onboard for the ride.
October 8, 2015
This book sort of felt like a big mind fuck. I think part of that is due the story took place in 2 different realities where there were multiple Remy's. It was interesting to see how the Remy we knew reacted in the different world and made you realize our Remy was the good one. It was great to see everyone rally around to help Remy and literally save the world. This book was the perfect ending to this series.
December 7, 2015
I received a digital galley proof of this book from the publisher, so a) thank you, Roc, for that, and b) I really had no idea this was the 7th book in a series. I doubt this was the best book to begin with, but it is what it is!
There are some extremely unique (and out there...far, far out there!) concepts in the book. These might not have struck me quite as forcefully if I'd read other books in the series and had some inkling of how this world works. Unfortunately there were also several concepts in the book that appeared to have been borrowed from other authors or series.
I think we've all seen the amnesia or selective amnesia before; we've also seen people have out-of-body experiences, sometimes having swapped bodies with someone else. However, I haven't seen selective amnesia as a result of one's spirit populating the body of oneself in an alternate reality. It was cool, but it didn't quite work. For example, it is all well and good to not have the memories of your other self because you didn't experience them, but how you can "recover" something you never had wasn't very well fleshed out.
Simeon was an interesting character, who I'm still trying to place definitely in the Bible. I assume he's from Luke 7, although I don't think that man was ever named(?). He is an interesting character, a creative villain, and one that bears a striking resemblance to Jim Butcher's Nicodemus Archleone.
In terms of characters, most of whom I guess I was supposed to know from other books since they were barely fleshed out in this book, I liked Remy, Francis, and Stephen. Linda, Ashley and Madeleine might as well not have even been in the book. Their presence was the only thing really utilized.
Some of the subplots and character interactions were interesting. Constantin Malatesta was perhaps the most sympathetic; the Shaitan were probably the farthest out there. But the use of
Overall, I finished the book, but it was a bit of a slog since they seemed to be doing nothing and getting nowhere at least 50% of the time. The resolution in the alternate reality still doesn't make sense . They fought the same villain over and over again; each time I thought they were finally dead/crippled/beat down/defeated, and each time they came back.
I may or may not read any more books in this series, but I certainly won't be reading them soon. Still, for fans of Supernatural, the Dresden Files, and fantasy novels heavily populated with the Christian mythos, I'd recommend giving this series a try...but I don't recommend starting the series with this exact book.
There are some extremely unique (and out there...far, far out there!) concepts in the book. These might not have struck me quite as forcefully if I'd read other books in the series and had some inkling of how this world works. Unfortunately there were also several concepts in the book that appeared to have been borrowed from other authors or series.
I think we've all seen the amnesia or selective amnesia before; we've also seen people have out-of-body experiences, sometimes having swapped bodies with someone else. However, I haven't seen selective amnesia as a result of one's spirit populating the body of oneself in an alternate reality. It was cool, but it didn't quite work. For example, it is all well and good to not have the memories of your other self because you didn't experience them, but how you can "recover" something you never had wasn't very well fleshed out.
Simeon was an interesting character, who I'm still trying to place definitely in the Bible. I assume he's from Luke 7, although I don't think that man was ever named(?). He is an interesting character, a creative villain, and one that bears a striking resemblance to Jim Butcher's Nicodemus Archleone.
In terms of characters, most of whom I guess I was supposed to know from other books since they were barely fleshed out in this book, I liked Remy, Francis, and Stephen. Linda, Ashley and Madeleine might as well not have even been in the book. Their presence was the only thing really utilized.
Some of the subplots and character interactions were interesting. Constantin Malatesta was perhaps the most sympathetic; the Shaitan were probably the farthest out there. But the use of
Overall, I finished the book, but it was a bit of a slog since they seemed to be doing nothing and getting nowhere at least 50% of the time. The resolution in the alternate reality still doesn't make sense . They fought the same villain over and over again; each time I thought they were finally dead/crippled/beat down/defeated, and each time they came back.
I may or may not read any more books in this series, but I certainly won't be reading them soon. Still, for fans of Supernatural, the Dresden Files, and fantasy novels heavily populated with the Christian mythos, I'd recommend giving this series a try...but I don't recommend starting the series with this exact book.
February 9, 2016
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
The Remy Chandler series is one of those that started out really strong, but has started to fizzle out as it continues. A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN was a little bit of an improvement over the last three books, but not by much.
What has kept me coming back to the Remy Chandler series is the hilarious and believable cast of characters. Those characters are still great in A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN, and if I were to rate this book just on the awesome banter and character development it would be a five bat review.
You know those TV show episodes where you start out in the middle of an intense action scene, then before it's resolved you get thrown back in time when "24 Hours Earlier" flashes across the screen? The whole book made me think of that intense couple of minutes of action before the real story starts. The action picks up right where WALKING IN THE MIDST OF FIRE left off, however Remy is quickly thrown to an alternate reality. Where he spends 80% of the book seeing what will happen if he doesn't prevent something from happening in his home reality. Meanwhile, back in his own reality all of his friends are desperately trying to save his life and bring him back. The problem is that since we can also get told the story through the bad guys POV we already fully understand what has happened and don't need to spend the whole book being told what is going to go wrong.
All of that open information makes the ending of A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN anticlimactic and disappointing. So, while I loved watching Remy's friends back in his reality grow and bond, I didn't actually care for the storyline itself. I highly recommend the first three books in the Remy Chandler series, and if you like those ones I encourage you to continue the series, but I wouldn't start with A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN. I'll also say that I'm at the point where I'm only going to give the Remy Chandler series one more chance. If the eighth book isn't a huge improvement I'll have to stop reading them.
Sexual content: Kissing and references to sex
The Remy Chandler series is one of those that started out really strong, but has started to fizzle out as it continues. A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN was a little bit of an improvement over the last three books, but not by much.
What has kept me coming back to the Remy Chandler series is the hilarious and believable cast of characters. Those characters are still great in A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN, and if I were to rate this book just on the awesome banter and character development it would be a five bat review.
You know those TV show episodes where you start out in the middle of an intense action scene, then before it's resolved you get thrown back in time when "24 Hours Earlier" flashes across the screen? The whole book made me think of that intense couple of minutes of action before the real story starts. The action picks up right where WALKING IN THE MIDST OF FIRE left off, however Remy is quickly thrown to an alternate reality. Where he spends 80% of the book seeing what will happen if he doesn't prevent something from happening in his home reality. Meanwhile, back in his own reality all of his friends are desperately trying to save his life and bring him back. The problem is that since we can also get told the story through the bad guys POV we already fully understand what has happened and don't need to spend the whole book being told what is going to go wrong.
All of that open information makes the ending of A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN anticlimactic and disappointing. So, while I loved watching Remy's friends back in his reality grow and bond, I didn't actually care for the storyline itself. I highly recommend the first three books in the Remy Chandler series, and if you like those ones I encourage you to continue the series, but I wouldn't start with A DEAFENING SILENCE IN HEAVEN. I'll also say that I'm at the point where I'm only going to give the Remy Chandler series one more chance. If the eighth book isn't a huge improvement I'll have to stop reading them.
Sexual content: Kissing and references to sex
October 6, 2015
Wow, this story went epic pretty quick. Of course the Unification of Heaven, by forgiving the Morningstar and all that followed him, tends to be an epic sort of event. If you've been following this series since the beginning then you are gonna read this...you have to! The end of book 6 left Remy dying from the Bone Master's poison. Do I really need to convince you to read it? This is what all the other books have led up to. Is this the last Remy Chandler book? I have no idea, but it seems like it might be. It is a long one, and all the people from Remy's past make an appearance, but it is a sprint from beginning to the end.
This is not the book to start with...but you could. The books have strong story arcs that can stand on their own and you get enough info that you aren't lost in the series arc, but why miss out on the amazing adventures of Remy and Marlowe (his dog). I want to encourage you to start this series. It is urban fantasy at its purest. I started with book 6, Walking in the Midst of Fire, I could kick myself for not starting this one from the beginning.
Male and female written urban fantasy is different and each have qualities that appeal to different people, but Sniegoski impressively combines the best of both types. So don't shy away from the fact that the author is male. There is a lot of physical action going on, but he also writes with all the emotions you usually get in female written urban fantasy, and no this isn't a romance so don't shy away from it because I said it has feels. There were scenes in A Deafening Silence in Heaven that kicked you in said "feels"—hard. This isn't light reading. You have to pay attention because there are enough POVs to make your head spin, but each is important as all the character's actions begin to merge towards the climatic event. You even get the POV of Marlowe, Remy's dog, like I said...feels! There are humorous characters and a perfectly crafted villain, the Forever Man.
This is a must read and the sexy guy on the cover doesn't hurt either...
5 "Unified" Sheep
http://www.ismellsheep.com/2015/10/bo...
This is not the book to start with...but you could. The books have strong story arcs that can stand on their own and you get enough info that you aren't lost in the series arc, but why miss out on the amazing adventures of Remy and Marlowe (his dog). I want to encourage you to start this series. It is urban fantasy at its purest. I started with book 6, Walking in the Midst of Fire, I could kick myself for not starting this one from the beginning.
Male and female written urban fantasy is different and each have qualities that appeal to different people, but Sniegoski impressively combines the best of both types. So don't shy away from the fact that the author is male. There is a lot of physical action going on, but he also writes with all the emotions you usually get in female written urban fantasy, and no this isn't a romance so don't shy away from it because I said it has feels. There were scenes in A Deafening Silence in Heaven that kicked you in said "feels"—hard. This isn't light reading. You have to pay attention because there are enough POVs to make your head spin, but each is important as all the character's actions begin to merge towards the climatic event. You even get the POV of Marlowe, Remy's dog, like I said...feels! There are humorous characters and a perfectly crafted villain, the Forever Man.
This is a must read and the sexy guy on the cover doesn't hurt either...
5 "Unified" Sheep
http://www.ismellsheep.com/2015/10/bo...
December 1, 2015
OMG, what a book! I think with this one Mr. Sniegoski really and truly proved himself to be a good writer...furthermore, a writer that after 6 , SIX (!!!) books in one series is still capable of surprising his readers. I though that, concerning Remy Chandler, everything was said...and I was mistaken. In a good for me way mistaken, because I enjoyed this book soooooo much...While reading it, several times I had to stop and calm my heart and occasionally I would get goosebumps...because of the emotional burden the words would carry. It was like a roller-coaster for me and I enjoyed the ride immensely.
October 14, 2015
An "OK" book to add to the series. Didn't really reach out and grab me, and the whole "Unification" of heaven/hell idea was the only part I was actually interested in reading about, and it seemed to be just glossed-over.
December 27, 2015
Seventh (and, I think, last) in the Remy Chandler urban fantasy series about a rogue seraphim who works as a private eye in Boston with this story taking up in the middle of the ending events in
Walking in the Midst of Fire
, 6.
My Take
One of the things I've enjoyed about this series is how easygoing God is. He shows up and chats, asks for help, enjoys his chicken fingers. As for those angels of His…hmph… You'd think His angels would support God's Will, but it seems God must have given those angels Free Will just as He gave it to those pathetic humans.
Linda adapts amazingly well to the truth about Remy. And a good thing since life quickly goes downhill with Remy dying and the Bone Masters insisting upon fulfilling their contract. Squire provides some fun in this with his incessant appetite. He's been a figure of humor for me, but in A Deafening Silence in Heaven, his past comes out and pulls me right up. I'm wondering if Sniegoski intends a series based on what happened to Squire and his people.
It was confusing right after the start, when Remy awakens in battle. I thought he had woken up in a dream state; I certainly was without a clue that he was in a different universe. I tell you this so you can avoid this particular confusion, but somehow Marlowe is also in this universe even though God supposedly sent Remy off to another universe. A universe where Unification has gone all wrong, and Remy is supposed to figure out what did go wrong and prevent it happening here. So I get all confused in my head as to how Remy and Marlowe are both there.
Oh, wait, I'm getting it. It is a different universe with its own God (??!), its own Remy and Marlowe — and get this! — its own alive Madeline. I cried and cried in this depressing scene. It does explain Baarabus, at least. I'm still confused, however, about two Gods. Isn't there only supposed to be one?
It's a battle for Remy's friends to keep Remy's body safe even as the angel is battling to learn the truth in another universe. This whole struggle to keep Remy anchored to life was both interesting and irritating. The flashbacks of Remy's past were good, but the chunks of what Linda, Ashley, and Marlowe experienced were weird. And I can't believe Ashley would be stupid enough to interrupt someone who might be trying to help Remy live.
It's an irritating mix of sarcastically funny, too twee, and too dramatic. I don't know why it bothers me that Sniegoski mixes the humor and the drama; normally I love that combination of tension and laughter.
The Story
It's Unification, a joyful time of forgiveness and reunion. Forgiving the Morningstar and those who rebelled against God and Heaven and merging Hell back into Heaven. Only there are those who are against this easy forgiveness.
And Remy is dying in his bed, surrounded by friends struggling to protect his body from assassins.
Remy himself is far beyond anyone's reach, for the Almighty has sent him on a mission to fix the catastrophe that has become Unification, a mission to an alternate universe.
Only as he hunts down the source of this calamity, the truth wriggles out from under rocks, from behind the mists, that the person responsible for the tragedy may be the last person we would ever expect.
The Characters
Once known as the seraphim angel Remiel, Remy Chandler is now a Boston private detective living amongst humanity. Marlowe is his black Labrador, the dog with whom Remy converses. Linda Somerset is his human girlfriend who works as a waitress at Piazza; the woman with whom Francis fell in love before he disappeared into Tarturus. Madeline was Remy's wife whom he'll love and miss forever. Ashley Berg is Remy's young neighbor who has gone off to college. Detective Stephen Mulvehill is with Boston Homicide and one of Remy's best friends.
Francis, a.k.a., Fraciel, is a fallen angel, a former Guardian angel who can walk between realities, and who disappointed Remy horribly in A Hundred Words for Hate , 4. The Pitiless Pistol is a golden Colt .45 Peacemaker of great power and bullets one can control, a gift from the Morningstar. The Wrath of God is God's plague that can take many forms. Eliza Swan had been the only other human woman for whom he had cared. Leona is a very hungry (and sentient) 1960 Lincoln Continental we first met in In the House of the Wicked , 5. Do not piss her off.
God is the old man. Israfil, the Angel of Death, owes Remy a favor from back in A Kiss Before the Apocalypse , 1. The Archangel Michael leads a squad of angels with Satquiel as his second-in-command. Filthies are angels who have been twisted by events. Retrievers are angels created to find and return anything He believes was lost. Nomads (called Cowards by the soldiers of Heaven) are those who chose no side in the Great War. Azza is their leader.
Lucifer Morningstar, a.k.a., the Son of the Morning, is busy having a suit fitted by his tailor, Donahan, who had also been one of Lucifer's soldiers during the war.
Squire is a starving hobgoblin who can use the Shadow Paths to travel where he will. Assiel is another of the fallen, a Denizen, known these days as Darnell who pays for his sins by caring for souls like Candace Ransley at Saint Joseph's Nursing Home and those like Mr. Daron for whom he cares at home.
Thuc Pham is a holy man and the caretaker for a scrap of Creation that now rests in the Vietnamese village of Nà Bái. Angus Heath is a cook at Methuselah's, a bar that caters to the supernatural and owned by Methuselah. Phil, a minotaur, is its doorman.
The other universe is…
…where Unification went badly wrong. Baarabus is a Hellion, a combination of soul and body. Sampson, the biblical strongman, and his children — Leila, Sid, Dante, and Anthony — come to Remy's aid.
The old man, a.k.a., the Fossil, scrapes stink, rot, and charred flesh off his body on a daily basis. He owes Remy after events in A Kiss Before the Apocalypse , 1.
The Garden of Eden…
…has been drifting since God cut it loose from Heaven. Izzy and Jon are the last of the original bloodline of Gardeners, Adam and Eve. Shapeshifting ancestors of the angels which were created by Malachi, the Shaitan were trapped in the Garden and are poisoning it; their greatest wish is one of destruction.
The Bone Masters are…
…an ancient group of demonic assassins who never stop. Ripper of Souls is one of the them. The too-stubborn Broker sets up the contracts. Harvesters are a particular family line, which selects the eggs from which the creature will grow and psychically bond with its trainee. Their death turns them into a biological weapon that fires bone bullets coated with poison.
Walking in the Midst of Fire gave us the background on Simeon, a man betrayed by Jesus, the forever man who has both rings of Solomon. Beleeze, Dorian, and Robert (formerly Tjernobog) are three of the demons bound to serve Simeon along with Constantin Malatesta, a Keeper torn between himself and the Larva, a demonic entity that infests him. Patriarch Adolfi is one of the leaders of the Keepers, an organization within the Vatican.
Amanda Blite is a traitorous witch in need of money. "Noah's Orphans" from the anthology, Mean Streets , 1.5, have a cameo as do Gerta and the other surviving Nephilim children from Walking in the Midst of Fire . Meg Miller is a paralegal at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy. Joe is hoping to die while his kids are out getting coffee. Syed Hamza is a terrorist bent on blowing up a marketplace, until that moment.
Unification is an event in which Heaven and Hell are reconciled. Tartarus had been a prison for those who had betrayed God. Denizens are fallen angels who served time in Tartarus and then were sent "to earth to serve out the remainder of their penance".
The Cover and Title
The cover is warm in its yellows, oranges, and browns with the black of Remy's leather coat and Marlowe's fur coat standing out against the crash and burn of Hell behind them.
The title is a prescience of disaster, for there is A Deafening Silence in Heaven that terrifies Remy.
My Take
One of the things I've enjoyed about this series is how easygoing God is. He shows up and chats, asks for help, enjoys his chicken fingers. As for those angels of His…hmph… You'd think His angels would support God's Will, but it seems God must have given those angels Free Will just as He gave it to those pathetic humans.
Linda adapts amazingly well to the truth about Remy. And a good thing since life quickly goes downhill with Remy dying and the Bone Masters insisting upon fulfilling their contract. Squire provides some fun in this with his incessant appetite. He's been a figure of humor for me, but in A Deafening Silence in Heaven, his past comes out and pulls me right up. I'm wondering if Sniegoski intends a series based on what happened to Squire and his people.
It was confusing right after the start, when Remy awakens in battle. I thought he had woken up in a dream state; I certainly was without a clue that he was in a different universe. I tell you this so you can avoid this particular confusion, but somehow Marlowe is also in this universe even though God supposedly sent Remy off to another universe. A universe where Unification has gone all wrong, and Remy is supposed to figure out what did go wrong and prevent it happening here. So I get all confused in my head as to how Remy and Marlowe are both there.
Oh, wait, I'm getting it. It is a different universe with its own God (??!), its own Remy and Marlowe — and get this! — its own alive Madeline. I cried and cried in this depressing scene. It does explain Baarabus, at least. I'm still confused, however, about two Gods. Isn't there only supposed to be one?
It's a battle for Remy's friends to keep Remy's body safe even as the angel is battling to learn the truth in another universe. This whole struggle to keep Remy anchored to life was both interesting and irritating. The flashbacks of Remy's past were good, but the chunks of what Linda, Ashley, and Marlowe experienced were weird. And I can't believe Ashley would be stupid enough to interrupt someone who might be trying to help Remy live.
It's an irritating mix of sarcastically funny, too twee, and too dramatic. I don't know why it bothers me that Sniegoski mixes the humor and the drama; normally I love that combination of tension and laughter.
The Story
It's Unification, a joyful time of forgiveness and reunion. Forgiving the Morningstar and those who rebelled against God and Heaven and merging Hell back into Heaven. Only there are those who are against this easy forgiveness.
And Remy is dying in his bed, surrounded by friends struggling to protect his body from assassins.
Remy himself is far beyond anyone's reach, for the Almighty has sent him on a mission to fix the catastrophe that has become Unification, a mission to an alternate universe.
Only as he hunts down the source of this calamity, the truth wriggles out from under rocks, from behind the mists, that the person responsible for the tragedy may be the last person we would ever expect.
The Characters
Once known as the seraphim angel Remiel, Remy Chandler is now a Boston private detective living amongst humanity. Marlowe is his black Labrador, the dog with whom Remy converses. Linda Somerset is his human girlfriend who works as a waitress at Piazza; the woman with whom Francis fell in love before he disappeared into Tarturus. Madeline was Remy's wife whom he'll love and miss forever. Ashley Berg is Remy's young neighbor who has gone off to college. Detective Stephen Mulvehill is with Boston Homicide and one of Remy's best friends.
Francis, a.k.a., Fraciel, is a fallen angel, a former Guardian angel who can walk between realities, and who disappointed Remy horribly in A Hundred Words for Hate , 4. The Pitiless Pistol is a golden Colt .45 Peacemaker of great power and bullets one can control, a gift from the Morningstar. The Wrath of God is God's plague that can take many forms. Eliza Swan had been the only other human woman for whom he had cared. Leona is a very hungry (and sentient) 1960 Lincoln Continental we first met in In the House of the Wicked , 5. Do not piss her off.
God is the old man. Israfil, the Angel of Death, owes Remy a favor from back in A Kiss Before the Apocalypse , 1. The Archangel Michael leads a squad of angels with Satquiel as his second-in-command. Filthies are angels who have been twisted by events. Retrievers are angels created to find and return anything He believes was lost. Nomads (called Cowards by the soldiers of Heaven) are those who chose no side in the Great War. Azza is their leader.
Lucifer Morningstar, a.k.a., the Son of the Morning, is busy having a suit fitted by his tailor, Donahan, who had also been one of Lucifer's soldiers during the war.
Squire is a starving hobgoblin who can use the Shadow Paths to travel where he will. Assiel is another of the fallen, a Denizen, known these days as Darnell who pays for his sins by caring for souls like Candace Ransley at Saint Joseph's Nursing Home and those like Mr. Daron for whom he cares at home.
Thuc Pham is a holy man and the caretaker for a scrap of Creation that now rests in the Vietnamese village of Nà Bái. Angus Heath is a cook at Methuselah's, a bar that caters to the supernatural and owned by Methuselah. Phil, a minotaur, is its doorman.
The other universe is…
…where Unification went badly wrong. Baarabus is a Hellion, a combination of soul and body. Sampson, the biblical strongman, and his children — Leila, Sid, Dante, and Anthony — come to Remy's aid.
The old man, a.k.a., the Fossil, scrapes stink, rot, and charred flesh off his body on a daily basis. He owes Remy after events in A Kiss Before the Apocalypse , 1.
The Garden of Eden…
…has been drifting since God cut it loose from Heaven. Izzy and Jon are the last of the original bloodline of Gardeners, Adam and Eve. Shapeshifting ancestors of the angels which were created by Malachi, the Shaitan were trapped in the Garden and are poisoning it; their greatest wish is one of destruction.
The Bone Masters are…
…an ancient group of demonic assassins who never stop. Ripper of Souls is one of the them. The too-stubborn Broker sets up the contracts. Harvesters are a particular family line, which selects the eggs from which the creature will grow and psychically bond with its trainee. Their death turns them into a biological weapon that fires bone bullets coated with poison.
Walking in the Midst of Fire gave us the background on Simeon, a man betrayed by Jesus, the forever man who has both rings of Solomon. Beleeze, Dorian, and Robert (formerly Tjernobog) are three of the demons bound to serve Simeon along with Constantin Malatesta, a Keeper torn between himself and the Larva, a demonic entity that infests him. Patriarch Adolfi is one of the leaders of the Keepers, an organization within the Vatican.
Amanda Blite is a traitorous witch in need of money. "Noah's Orphans" from the anthology, Mean Streets , 1.5, have a cameo as do Gerta and the other surviving Nephilim children from Walking in the Midst of Fire . Meg Miller is a paralegal at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy. Joe is hoping to die while his kids are out getting coffee. Syed Hamza is a terrorist bent on blowing up a marketplace, until that moment.
Unification is an event in which Heaven and Hell are reconciled. Tartarus had been a prison for those who had betrayed God. Denizens are fallen angels who served time in Tartarus and then were sent "to earth to serve out the remainder of their penance".
The Cover and Title
The cover is warm in its yellows, oranges, and browns with the black of Remy's leather coat and Marlowe's fur coat standing out against the crash and burn of Hell behind them.
The title is a prescience of disaster, for there is A Deafening Silence in Heaven that terrifies Remy.
February 12, 2020
A Deafening Silence in Heaven is the seventh and final book in Remy Chandler series written by Thomas E. Sniegoski. It stars Remy Chandler, an investigator, who just happens to be a former angel.
God and Lucifer are finally beginning to talk about Unification, in which the fallen angels would be forgiven and welcomed back to heaven. As Remy's soul drifts, he encounters what appears to be an aspect of God, who sends him to another world where Unification failed, so he can better understand what went wrong.
Meanwhile, Remy's friends including his lover, Linda; his cop buddy, Steven; and fallen angel Francis are working to keep his body alive, battling both his current injuries and the supernatural assassins known as the Bone Masters who are committed to carrying out their contract on him.
A Deafening Silence in Heaven is written rather well. While Sniegoski does a solid job of bringing readers up to speed, the narrative is clearly aimed at longtime readers as it resolved some long-standing arcs while dropping some bombshells.
Overall, the Remy Chandler series are written rather well. Having an angel posing as a mortal investigator, but ends up solving cases that has to deal with celestial and demonic in nature. Remy Chandler was written and developed rather well – a tad melancholy in the beginning of the series, but managed to lighten up near the end. Marlow, his dog provides much comic relief. Sniegoski's narrative could be rather thick, dense, and could feel rather difficult to get through the text, but those are few and far in-between.
All in all, A Deafening Silence in Heaven is written rather well and is a good conclusion to an equally good series.
God and Lucifer are finally beginning to talk about Unification, in which the fallen angels would be forgiven and welcomed back to heaven. As Remy's soul drifts, he encounters what appears to be an aspect of God, who sends him to another world where Unification failed, so he can better understand what went wrong.
Meanwhile, Remy's friends including his lover, Linda; his cop buddy, Steven; and fallen angel Francis are working to keep his body alive, battling both his current injuries and the supernatural assassins known as the Bone Masters who are committed to carrying out their contract on him.
A Deafening Silence in Heaven is written rather well. While Sniegoski does a solid job of bringing readers up to speed, the narrative is clearly aimed at longtime readers as it resolved some long-standing arcs while dropping some bombshells.
Overall, the Remy Chandler series are written rather well. Having an angel posing as a mortal investigator, but ends up solving cases that has to deal with celestial and demonic in nature. Remy Chandler was written and developed rather well – a tad melancholy in the beginning of the series, but managed to lighten up near the end. Marlow, his dog provides much comic relief. Sniegoski's narrative could be rather thick, dense, and could feel rather difficult to get through the text, but those are few and far in-between.
All in all, A Deafening Silence in Heaven is written rather well and is a good conclusion to an equally good series.
August 22, 2019
Easily the worst book I have read this year, maybe even in the past couple of years. I vaguely recall starting this a couple of years ago, only to put it down because it was so bad. Well, I struggled and made it through this time. Still not worth it.
It involves three separate plotlines, each more boring than the previous. Remy gets taken to an alternate dimension, where he wanders about. Simeon continues his plotting against God, using his magic rings (which are way too powerful). And Linda and friends all gush about how much they love Remy and protect his body against assassins (far and away the worst storyline of the three).
Looking back on where this series started, it is sad that it has come to this. Ridiculous choices, ridiculous plots, way too deep into the religious aspects. Hard to believe that Remy used to be a PI, named after one of the fathers of hardboiled detective stories, and now he lays in a coma while people profess their love for him.
I was hoping that this was the last book in the series, but it seems like the door is left open for more. And I will admit the last hundred pages or so weren't that bad (or I was just happy it was almost over!). Hopefully with the completion of this story arc Mr. Sniegoski will get back on track.
It involves three separate plotlines, each more boring than the previous. Remy gets taken to an alternate dimension, where he wanders about. Simeon continues his plotting against God, using his magic rings (which are way too powerful). And Linda and friends all gush about how much they love Remy and protect his body against assassins (far and away the worst storyline of the three).
Looking back on where this series started, it is sad that it has come to this. Ridiculous choices, ridiculous plots, way too deep into the religious aspects. Hard to believe that Remy used to be a PI, named after one of the fathers of hardboiled detective stories, and now he lays in a coma while people profess their love for him.
I was hoping that this was the last book in the series, but it seems like the door is left open for more. And I will admit the last hundred pages or so weren't that bad (or I was just happy it was almost over!). Hopefully with the completion of this story arc Mr. Sniegoski will get back on track.
May 15, 2017
I can see where some people might be put off by having two stories taking place at the same time in two different realities, but I never felt lost or overly confused by the back-and-forth story telling since the two situations were so different. I love the Remy Chandler books as much as any series I have read. I assume this is the last book in the series (haven't checked author's page but it feels like an ending) so that is sad, but I look forward to reading other Sniegoski books.
May 6, 2017
Unsure if this is a definitive end to the series but if it is, it's finished on a good, wrapped up note. Still loved how Marlowe was written and portrayed in both realities. I found this one a bit bogged down at times but that could be due to reading out of order.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2016
The Archangel Remiel, now living as the human PI, Remy is struck low by an assassin’s bullet and apparently dying. Only Francis, Linda, Squire and his faithful dog Marlowe can try and bring him back to life before the assassins finish him off
While Remy’s soul is missing, to a different world, a different Earth – one where the worst has happened and the greatest dream of god and angel has been cruelly destroyed. He must find the truth in this apocalyptic waste land, try to find some way to fix the horrors – and perhaps learn a warning for his own world
I am torn about this book.
A large part of it involves following Remy into an alternate reality. No, let me reassess that – nearly every part of this book, certainly every really relevant part of this book involves Remy in an alternate reality. And… this is book 7 in a series and nearly all of the book was… kind of irrelevant to the overarching series? All the action, the people they met, the foes vanquished, the darkness faced is, at best, a cautionary tale for the main series. All of the action in the book is, at best, a warning for what could happen, a prequel, more than the actual story itself.
It doesn’t help that one of the main twists of the last book and another source of conflict is so… downplayed. The Bone Assassin’s attack on Remy seems to come from a very mundane source. I’m not going to spoil it, and it’s certainly an unexpected twist but, again, it’s another major plot element that doesn’t really seem to fit into the overall scheme of the series.
This gives me the odd feeling that the whole book is a time out, an intermission between the main plot, maybe even a new prologue for the new major plot line. I suspect the latter mainly because of the whole burgeoning storyline of the Unification.
The plot of God forgiving Satan and the Fallen Angels and reunifying the broken lands of Heaven, Hell and Eden is clearly going to be an immense, incredible storyline. Which may be the purpose of this book – while it’s not directly contacted to the main storyline of the series, it is there to tell us what is at stake. This is the worst case scenario. This is exactly what could happen if the following plot lines go wrong. This is just how terribly wrong Unification could go. This shows that, while Unification may be a wonderful, shiny thing, it also takes a whole lot of effort and there is immense risk connected to it.
This also shows that, yes, there are actually people out there who are clearly, eagerly willing to ruin everything, literally everything because of their own issues. As well as more than a few people who are not ready for the big bad guys to be forgiven – not at all. This all links nicely with Squire’s backstory and the suggestion that we have many many many many worlds have completely fallen apart. It’s all at stake here.
Then we have the b-plot of the Bone Assassins which also adds nice twist; so while we’re all foreshadowing the big mega awesome plot line to come, there’s also this nifty reminder that small things can ruin everything. It doesn’t take an epic force beyond imagining to completely ruin everything – even simple, insignificant little interactions can really ruin your day. Expect the epic, but don’t ignore the little things.
So, really, in terms of substantive plot? No, the alternate dimension means this book doesn’t add a great deal. But in terms of theme, foreshadowing and establishing a new paradigm? Yes, it most excellent adds to the series and sets up a whole new chapter going forward
And it does this with a huge world, an epic cast of characters, some excellent personalities and a really fun, deep and interesting core team. I like them a lot, I like the richness of the world a lot. It’s huge it draws upon so many Biblical myths and I could just chew on it all day. If there’s one downside to all of that it’s that there’s a whole lot to remember which means, especially after the gap between this book and the last – characters like Simeon, or organisations like the children of Samson can take a moment to remember. I rarely say this, but this book could actually use some recapping, it really could.
Unfortunately between the epic storytelling the epic world and the generally epicness that is this epic series, we also have a notable problem. Terrible diversity
Firstly, let’s look at gender. There are three prominent women in this book – Linda (Remy’s love interest) and Ashley (Remy’s friend) and an alternate world Child of Samson (who exists to establish a quick and sad relationship so she can then die and it be super sad – because a dead woman who gets to play child-like figure to the manly man is much more tragic than a man dying – that whole precious pedestal jewel trope). Oh we have some random bit parts (including a giant pregnant female monster that eats people which I’m not even going to touch except say “giant pregnant female monster that eats people”) but his is the crux. Everyone else is male. And it’s not just a case of a skewed male cast – their roles are blatant as well.
Read More
While Remy’s soul is missing, to a different world, a different Earth – one where the worst has happened and the greatest dream of god and angel has been cruelly destroyed. He must find the truth in this apocalyptic waste land, try to find some way to fix the horrors – and perhaps learn a warning for his own world
I am torn about this book.
A large part of it involves following Remy into an alternate reality. No, let me reassess that – nearly every part of this book, certainly every really relevant part of this book involves Remy in an alternate reality. And… this is book 7 in a series and nearly all of the book was… kind of irrelevant to the overarching series? All the action, the people they met, the foes vanquished, the darkness faced is, at best, a cautionary tale for the main series. All of the action in the book is, at best, a warning for what could happen, a prequel, more than the actual story itself.
It doesn’t help that one of the main twists of the last book and another source of conflict is so… downplayed. The Bone Assassin’s attack on Remy seems to come from a very mundane source. I’m not going to spoil it, and it’s certainly an unexpected twist but, again, it’s another major plot element that doesn’t really seem to fit into the overall scheme of the series.
This gives me the odd feeling that the whole book is a time out, an intermission between the main plot, maybe even a new prologue for the new major plot line. I suspect the latter mainly because of the whole burgeoning storyline of the Unification.
The plot of God forgiving Satan and the Fallen Angels and reunifying the broken lands of Heaven, Hell and Eden is clearly going to be an immense, incredible storyline. Which may be the purpose of this book – while it’s not directly contacted to the main storyline of the series, it is there to tell us what is at stake. This is the worst case scenario. This is exactly what could happen if the following plot lines go wrong. This is just how terribly wrong Unification could go. This shows that, while Unification may be a wonderful, shiny thing, it also takes a whole lot of effort and there is immense risk connected to it.
This also shows that, yes, there are actually people out there who are clearly, eagerly willing to ruin everything, literally everything because of their own issues. As well as more than a few people who are not ready for the big bad guys to be forgiven – not at all. This all links nicely with Squire’s backstory and the suggestion that we have many many many many worlds have completely fallen apart. It’s all at stake here.
Then we have the b-plot of the Bone Assassins which also adds nice twist; so while we’re all foreshadowing the big mega awesome plot line to come, there’s also this nifty reminder that small things can ruin everything. It doesn’t take an epic force beyond imagining to completely ruin everything – even simple, insignificant little interactions can really ruin your day. Expect the epic, but don’t ignore the little things.
So, really, in terms of substantive plot? No, the alternate dimension means this book doesn’t add a great deal. But in terms of theme, foreshadowing and establishing a new paradigm? Yes, it most excellent adds to the series and sets up a whole new chapter going forward
And it does this with a huge world, an epic cast of characters, some excellent personalities and a really fun, deep and interesting core team. I like them a lot, I like the richness of the world a lot. It’s huge it draws upon so many Biblical myths and I could just chew on it all day. If there’s one downside to all of that it’s that there’s a whole lot to remember which means, especially after the gap between this book and the last – characters like Simeon, or organisations like the children of Samson can take a moment to remember. I rarely say this, but this book could actually use some recapping, it really could.
Unfortunately between the epic storytelling the epic world and the generally epicness that is this epic series, we also have a notable problem. Terrible diversity
Firstly, let’s look at gender. There are three prominent women in this book – Linda (Remy’s love interest) and Ashley (Remy’s friend) and an alternate world Child of Samson (who exists to establish a quick and sad relationship so she can then die and it be super sad – because a dead woman who gets to play child-like figure to the manly man is much more tragic than a man dying – that whole precious pedestal jewel trope). Oh we have some random bit parts (including a giant pregnant female monster that eats people which I’m not even going to touch except say “giant pregnant female monster that eats people”) but his is the crux. Everyone else is male. And it’s not just a case of a skewed male cast – their roles are blatant as well.
Read More
July 12, 2018
Loved it
February 25, 2024
A rollercoaster ride, as always. I am going to miss Remy, Marlowe, and Francis so much. 😓
October 25, 2015
In the latest installment of the Remy Chandler series, things are precariously hanging in the balance because of the events of the last book. If you're a longtime fan of the series, "A Deafening Silence in Heaven" is on the longer side but you should definitely check it out. For those who have never read the series, I would recommend starting from the beginning because there are events referred to in each subsequent volume that you will be confused by if you start with this book.
"A Deafening Silence in Heaven" picks up pretty well right after the cliffhanger that ended with Remy's life hanging in the balance. It explores a kind of an alternate universe plot wherein Remy finds out what would happen if he does not succeed in helping God carry out His plans for the Unification of Heaven and Hell, so it does take a kind of an "It's a Wonderful Life" approach. Meanwhile, Remy's loved ones like his girlfriend, Linda, his beloved dog Marlowe, his police friend Steven and Francis/Fraciel, one of Remy's trusted allies are all gathered around him and trying to find out how to save his life. They bring in all the reinforcements they can think of and it's heart-wrenching to see them doing absolutely everything they can to fight for their dear friend.
What Remy finds in the alternate world he goes into ain't pretty to say the least. The reader discovers early on who the main antagonist is this time around but it takes some time before Remy catches on. What I loved most were the fast-paced action scenes, seeing Remy's Seraphim angel part unleashing itself (which is always a treat), the interesting aspects of a subplot that the secondary characters were involved with along with the antagonist, and the way everything came together. I think this is the first volume where the Almighty Himself makes an appearance and although there are sacrifices and losses and countless trials that Remy must endure (not to mention dealing with a whole host of people who aren't that crazy about him, such as the Archangel Michael), I liked seeing the interplay of how things came together and the tension as I wondered what would happen next. The ending was something I was surprised by and although I wasn't sure what to make of it at first, I warmed to it as more details emerged. There are a lot of loose ends wrapped up in this installment, which was great to see but I will be curious as to whether there will be a forthcoming installment that continues this series and hopefully I can continue to indulge in Remy's adventures.
"A Deafening Silence in Heaven" picks up pretty well right after the cliffhanger that ended with Remy's life hanging in the balance. It explores a kind of an alternate universe plot wherein Remy finds out what would happen if he does not succeed in helping God carry out His plans for the Unification of Heaven and Hell, so it does take a kind of an "It's a Wonderful Life" approach. Meanwhile, Remy's loved ones like his girlfriend, Linda, his beloved dog Marlowe, his police friend Steven and Francis/Fraciel, one of Remy's trusted allies are all gathered around him and trying to find out how to save his life. They bring in all the reinforcements they can think of and it's heart-wrenching to see them doing absolutely everything they can to fight for their dear friend.
What Remy finds in the alternate world he goes into ain't pretty to say the least. The reader discovers early on who the main antagonist is this time around but it takes some time before Remy catches on. What I loved most were the fast-paced action scenes, seeing Remy's Seraphim angel part unleashing itself (which is always a treat), the interesting aspects of a subplot that the secondary characters were involved with along with the antagonist, and the way everything came together. I think this is the first volume where the Almighty Himself makes an appearance and although there are sacrifices and losses and countless trials that Remy must endure (not to mention dealing with a whole host of people who aren't that crazy about him, such as the Archangel Michael), I liked seeing the interplay of how things came together and the tension as I wondered what would happen next. The ending was something I was surprised by and although I wasn't sure what to make of it at first, I warmed to it as more details emerged. There are a lot of loose ends wrapped up in this installment, which was great to see but I will be curious as to whether there will be a forthcoming installment that continues this series and hopefully I can continue to indulge in Remy's adventures.
October 5, 2020
Review of A Deafening Silence in Heaven
I have truly enjoyed the Remy Chandler books. I feel this book is the best one of the whole series. Remy certainly has to work out some significant human and angelic external and internal conflicts in this book. I don't want to be too much of a spoiler here so, it was kind of sad to see some of the characters die or at least move on. The events in heaven and hell are very complicated in this book but the ending is very uplifting. I have always liked how Thomas Sniegoski has given life to many biblical people and how they handled their lives after the events in the Bible. It wasn't all roses and honey for some of these folks.
Lucifer is very interesting. We have learned from the Bible that he was God's favorite so the final solution to heaven and hell written in this novel is very believable.
That all being said, this book has a feeling of "The End" to it. The solution I mentioned above, the demise of some of the long standing characters, and just the feel of the last 20 pages or so gives me the feeling I have seen the end of Remy. I have not read anything about this so I hope I am wrong. So many of my favorite urban fantasy authors have moved on, I just hope we do not lose Remy Chandler. Keep writing, Mr Sniegoski, please.
If I failed to mention this, this is a great read whether you are a long time Remy Chandler fan or want to get started on a great urban fantasy series.
I have truly enjoyed the Remy Chandler books. I feel this book is the best one of the whole series. Remy certainly has to work out some significant human and angelic external and internal conflicts in this book. I don't want to be too much of a spoiler here so, it was kind of sad to see some of the characters die or at least move on. The events in heaven and hell are very complicated in this book but the ending is very uplifting. I have always liked how Thomas Sniegoski has given life to many biblical people and how they handled their lives after the events in the Bible. It wasn't all roses and honey for some of these folks.
Lucifer is very interesting. We have learned from the Bible that he was God's favorite so the final solution to heaven and hell written in this novel is very believable.
That all being said, this book has a feeling of "The End" to it. The solution I mentioned above, the demise of some of the long standing characters, and just the feel of the last 20 pages or so gives me the feeling I have seen the end of Remy. I have not read anything about this so I hope I am wrong. So many of my favorite urban fantasy authors have moved on, I just hope we do not lose Remy Chandler. Keep writing, Mr Sniegoski, please.
If I failed to mention this, this is a great read whether you are a long time Remy Chandler fan or want to get started on a great urban fantasy series.
February 8, 2017
Finales are tough. This is another example of a series that seems to be so overwhelmed by its meta plot (one that I think had been fairly skillfully constructed over the previous six books) that the author can't quite pull off a sublime resolution. This is the third series that I have read where the last book in the series is largely metaphorical, with alternate futures, parallel universes, time-shifting, alive characters inexplicably dead, dead characters inexplicably alive, and conflicts that take place mostly in someone's head.
I think Sniegoski would have been better served to just continue with the storyline he had built, but he opted to go another way and it was a bit of a let down for me. Based on reviews, some people loved the series enough that they didn't quite care how it ended. Because I read them in all in a matter of months, the meta plot was a lot more clear in my mind's eye as I made my way through the series. That is why certain things were more jarring that would be than if I had read them as they were published.
Either way, it's a decent series over all, and one that I still felt compelled to complete once I had started it.
November 30, 2015
I am not sure if this is the last Remy Chandler. I would be sad if it was, but the ending of this book could be considered a fit ending to the series. I have always liked these stories. It started off as a pretty straight forward urban fantasy. The premise being that the protagonist was the angel Remiel, a Seraphim who after the Fall of Lucifer came to Earth to live among humans - mainly because angels were not being very nice. This series takes its place among other angel related urban fantasy novels such as the Chronicles of Nick and Sniegoski's own YA series The Fallen - the main characteristic of these types of books is that these are not your fluffy asexual angels - but warriors of God and their fallen angel counterpoints. Although about angels with a cosmology based on western Christian theology these are not really religious books. I think that what I am trying to convey is that you should give this series a try - starting with A Kiss Before the Apocalypse. In addition to angels these books have demons, sorcerers, mad assassins, archangels that are completely mad, etc. There is also a love story and a black lab named Marlowe - because hey, if your hero is Remy Chandler your dog has to be Marlowe...
February 3, 2016
The latest book in this series, and the one that ties up many of the continuing story arcs and plot threads that have been running through the previous books.
Picking up directly after the close of the last book, the author takes the reader through a tightly written novel consisting of intertwined individual stories. The first half of the book will lead you down several different directions that may have you wondering, "What the Heck...?" but the story continues to build and all those separate threads will come together nicely to end in, what I think, is one of the most satisfying - though heart wrenching at the same time - conclusions of the entire series.
Special note should be paid to the prologue which sets the premise for this individual story but in actuality ties together all the previous novels to this one defining moment.
The only concern I have is that, with Tom tying up so many of the long running individual arcs, this could very well be the end to the series. But, here's hoping we see more of Remy and company.
Picking up directly after the close of the last book, the author takes the reader through a tightly written novel consisting of intertwined individual stories. The first half of the book will lead you down several different directions that may have you wondering, "What the Heck...?" but the story continues to build and all those separate threads will come together nicely to end in, what I think, is one of the most satisfying - though heart wrenching at the same time - conclusions of the entire series.
Special note should be paid to the prologue which sets the premise for this individual story but in actuality ties together all the previous novels to this one defining moment.
The only concern I have is that, with Tom tying up so many of the long running individual arcs, this could very well be the end to the series. But, here's hoping we see more of Remy and company.
February 4, 2016
T.E.S. seamlessly integrates impressive Biblical scholarship and a blend of ancient mythologies with the fundamental theme of disillusionment that resonates with the poem, "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes. A Deafening Silence in Heaven is an unapologetic homage to the ultimate constructive and destructive power of love.
Personally, attributing human pettiness and character weaknesses to divine entities in physical form isn't my favorite, but the overall strength of the story elements offset that for me.
[punctuation note: on pages 176 "... or why you are here, but--," & 432 "Theo, are you--," are examples where an unnecessary comma was entered after the long dash to achieve the closed quotes]
Personally, attributing human pettiness and character weaknesses to divine entities in physical form isn't my favorite, but the overall strength of the story elements offset that for me.
[punctuation note: on pages 176 "... or why you are here, but--," & 432 "Theo, are you--," are examples where an unnecessary comma was entered after the long dash to achieve the closed quotes]
August 5, 2015
I received a copy of this work courtesy of the publisher for an honest review. 4.5 stars . . . a gentleman’s A. I have been a fan of this series since its inception and this work has equally thrilled! The main character is fresh and admirable--without being a chump. The author avoids making a dark hero—so dark—the hero’s really nothing more than a despicable bastard. The setting and background show imagination. At times, the story moves along a little too slow with all of the plotting and intrigue, but this is only a minor criticism. I can’t wait to buy it!
February 17, 2016
So, I bought this book as soon as it came out. But I've been holding off reading it, because I was pretty certain it was going to be the last in this series. And it was; Remy's story is done. But is was an excellent story with a well done and satisfying (argh, took me like ten tries to get that spelled correctly) ending. A very interesting concept at the core of this last book. The whole series is highly recommended.
January 23, 2016
3.5 stars. Well-written but endless. I stayed with it only because I love the characters and wanted to "experience" the conclusion of the series myself rather than reading someone else's description. Each one of the branches of this storyline were equally heavy and emotionally draining. It felt like a bit too much to swallow in one installment.
November 27, 2015
I love this series and enjoyed this book. It seemed to drag a bit as a lot of books do as a series goes on. But for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was plenty of action. I got the impression that this may be the last book in the series. I can't see where it can go from here.
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May 23, 2016Latest (last) in the Remy Chandler series, about the Seraphim Remiel, who leaves Heaven to be among humanity. It has the feel of a last book, with some cosmic changes occurring, but still with life going on down here. We say goodbye to an old friend, and lots of things come full circle.
January 16, 2016
Excellent end for series!
October 14, 2015
Here is my review that appeared in the Daily Republic on 9/27: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/loc...
October 15, 2015
Totally lost me on this one. Just too weird and biblical. I have enjoyed the series but this one just dragged on and quite frankly I just really didn't care about anyone except the dog. I'm done.
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