ZOOLOO’S BOOK TOURS | COMPLETE DARKNESS

August 27, 2024

ZOOLOO’S BOOK TOURS | COMPLETE DARKNESS | MATT ADCOCK

Today, I join Zooloo's Book Tours again to have a look at Complete Darkness by Matt Adcock. This one was a little different to the normal tours in that it was specifically an audiobook tour. The audio is narrated Nick Cracknell and was released earlier this year in July.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

For centuries many have pondered the prospect of an afterlife and feared what came to be known as ‘hell’.

In the near future, we map the elusive ‘dark matter’ around us, only to find out that it is hell itself, and it is very real…As the satanic President Razour attempts to bring forward Armageddon to prevent humanity repenting, the fate of us all rests in the hands of Cleric20, a hedonistic loner with a checkered past, and his robot sidekick, GiX.

An action-packed literary shock to the senses that mixes flights of comic fantasy with bouts of brutal violence. Mankind’s only hope seems to be having a very bad day.

Can Cleric20 halt Razor’s devilish plans after an experimental bioweapon deployed to kill him accidentally gives him superpowers?

Has the Devil inadvertently created a hero who could actually stop him?

Little can prepare you for this spiritually-charged, over-the-top cyber-noir thrill ride.

REVIEW

Okay! Someone please tell me what the hell is going on this book. Please!

I have to say that this was something completely different. It was like William Gibson, Douglas Adams and William Burroughs had a midnight threesome whilst off their heads on a shed load of acid and dope whilst playing Warhammer and spawned Complete Darkness.

Right, I am going to try and explain the plot of this book – well as far as I understand it!

London 2.0 or L2 is the hub of the world, and it is run by a multinational corporation that may or may not be run by the devil. One day, some information comes to light on dark matter from a money crunching experiment that has been tasked by someone that is really important. This leads to a bunch of MP’s and leaders been massacred in a penthouse.

At the other side of this, there is Cleric 20, a substancely challenged individual who has some dodgy predilections who may or may not be the hero of the piece.

Amidst a cast of humans, robots, artificial intelligence and a soundtrack that includes Carter USM, PWEI and The Pixies (all bands close to my blackened heart).

I have to say that this book is completely all over the place. However, this is in a good way, although it may not be to everyone’s taste. The book skips from scene to scene, flips from past to present tense and then changes perspective at the drop of a hat. It’s like the author has tried to do a comic book that mixes frenetic set pieces and ultra violence.

Throughout the story there are various footnotes that explain the world and the various organisations that are mentioned in the book.

Did I enjoy the book?

Well actually! Yeah I did! I might have to go back and give it a listen again coz I am sure that there is loads of stuff that I have missed on first listen, and in addition to that, I am sure that I missed loads of references to geek culture that I really want to capture.

If you like mad books that are insanely paced and lots of violence then this may be the book for you.