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Deepgate Codex #0
Lye Street
Alan Campbell has graced us with a 26,000 word novella, a prequel to his stunning fantasy debut, Scar Night, the first novel of the Deepgate Codex. Lye Street ends just where the novel picks up!
The Greene family is cursed. Every fifty years Deepgate s scarred angel, Carnival, returns to murder another descendant. Now, five hundred years after the first victim s death, Sal Greene is facing his own doom. His time has almost run out. In a desperate attempt to break the chain of violence and save his family, he summons a demon to the chained a warrior he hopes is powerful enough to stand against the angel.
Yet the creature which arrives in Deepgate is not quite the legendary mercenary Sal Greene was expecting.
The Greene family is cursed. Every fifty years Deepgate s scarred angel, Carnival, returns to murder another descendant. Now, five hundred years after the first victim s death, Sal Greene is facing his own doom. His time has almost run out. In a desperate attempt to break the chain of violence and save his family, he summons a demon to the chained a warrior he hopes is powerful enough to stand against the angel.
Yet the creature which arrives in Deepgate is not quite the legendary mercenary Sal Greene was expecting.
135 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2008
About the author
Alan Campbell
7 books39 followersAlan wrote the Deepgate Codex and the Gravedigger Chronicles. He's still alive.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 8, 2018
Lye street by Alan Compbell is my seventh English version fantasy book!!
it is an weird fantasty story but i like it.Let me want to read scar night(Deepgate Codex 1) after finish Lye Street.
it is an weird fantasty story but i like it.Let me want to read scar night(Deepgate Codex 1) after finish Lye Street.
June 19, 2016
I didn't realize this was part of a series? even if it's "#0," pretty much everything was unfamiliar to me (the characters, their gods, the world they live in), so it was kind of a challenge to get into (difficult to visualize), because we hit the ground running. there's a tonne of gore and grotesque imagery (ex/forest built from corpses). by the end I was interested in figuring out what was going on/what happens to these characters (which I think would require reading further in the series); some people might be too frustrated and lose interest.
December 30, 2017
Definitely makes more sense if you have read SCARNIGHT (Deepgate Codex #1) before attempting the prequel.
May 25, 2023
It's been some time since I've read Campbell's "Deepgate" novels, and I've been aware of this novella for some years but never managed to get hold of it. It was an interesting read, bordering on allegorical, but did not really seem to expand the lore of the novels so much as just add some color and shading to the character Carnival and the city spanning the abyss. If you've read the novels, this is a worthwhile but not critical supplement. If you haven't read the novels, don't start here - Carnival is much more interesting and complete in the larger volumes than here, and _Scar Night_ makes a much better introduction.
September 30, 2021
This novella (a mere 135 pages) is a prequel to the Deepgate Codex trilogy, a favorite of mine. Sal Greene wants to stop the mad angel Carnival from killing him due to a centuries-long vendetta. The Spine assassins want to kill Carnival too. And Carnival wants to just do her thing. This has all the ultra-strange otherness, I expect from this author. There's dangerous wizards ("thaumaturges"), dreamworlds, gods, church assassins, traps, and more. Read it in a rush of pages. Found a used copy that came from a library in Mishawaka, Indiana.
April 19, 2020
Nice, but although it chronologically precedes Scar Night, I'd rather read it after the trilogy, once you know who Carnival, Mina and Basilis are.
June 1, 2021
A short little return to the city of Deepgate, a filthy place suspended by chains above a trapped and fallen god.
October 26, 2021
Complete waste of time, that requires knowledge of at least first 2 books of the series. Just skipp this bulshit.
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Shelved as 'never-read'
November 5, 2022[ read the first book in the series, 'Scar Night' and didn't enjoy, so will not continue with the series ]
July 10, 2013
I don't think I quite got what the crap happened at the end. Maybe it's one of those things that you have to stop reading with, and figure out what the possibilities are. Well, I was too bored by that point to do more than give it a twice over, and then resign myself to the fact that I was going to have to guess at what the crap happened. I guess this is a prequel to a series that I have already decided I wasn't going to read, so I'm not sure why I read it in the first place, except the cover is kind of awesome.
I'm giving this three stars instead of two, because it was so short, and because there were some kind of trippy parts, and because the storyline itself was rather unique. I think I'd prefer a 2.5 rating, but I'm going to go with the rounding up, I suppose.
I'm giving this three stars instead of two, because it was so short, and because there were some kind of trippy parts, and because the storyline itself was rather unique. I think I'd prefer a 2.5 rating, but I'm going to go with the rounding up, I suppose.
June 30, 2008
This is a beautiful book in a limited edition, with cover and illustrations by Dave McKean. I really liked the packaging but the contents were a different matter. Took me forever to read even though it only runs to about a 130 pages. It's a novella and set before the events in "Scar Night". The angel Carnival faces off against the church assassins against the gothic backdrop of the chained city Deepgate. The imagery is appropriately grotesk, the plot drags and then things get resolved too quickly. Only the happy ending came as a surprise. Not really recommended. Maybe I've been reading too much Nu-Fantasy lately.
September 3, 2015
I read the Deepgate Codex trilogy several years ago, but very much enjoyed the series. The world-building was stellar and the gonzo nature of the ever escalating conflict between heaven and hell was a joy to behold. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Campbell had written companion novellas further fleshing out the world(s) he'd created.
It took me little time once I started reading Lye Street to feel back at home in Deepgate! Getting to revisit Carnival and learn more about her past and the events leading up to the subsequent books was gratifying and made me want to re-read the series once again.
Looking forward to checking out Damnation for Beginners very soon.
It took me little time once I started reading Lye Street to feel back at home in Deepgate! Getting to revisit Carnival and learn more about her past and the events leading up to the subsequent books was gratifying and made me want to re-read the series once again.
Looking forward to checking out Damnation for Beginners very soon.
November 3, 2012
ive read all the books so far.I would say that Lye Street is not his best work. The story started to develop properly and was a good read. However, it seems that Alan must have been very eager to finish the book. It was hurredly done in a few pages and left open a few unanswered questions. To do justice to the story he should have concluded the story in a natural ending. However, the book was a good read and he is very good at describing the atmosphere of deepgate.
Look forward to more books from Mr Campbell.
Look forward to more books from Mr Campbell.
December 2, 2013
"Lye Street" is a prequel to "Scar Night" the first book of Alan Campbell's critically acclaimed "Deepgate Codex". The next book I plan to read. I found it a gruesomely fun dark/weird fantasy novella.
"Lye Street" is brutal fun. Campbell brings out some crazy imagery in his descriptions of the three forests involved in the thread centering on the demon Basil is.
This book is moody, dark, supernatural and just plain weird. I enjoyed it a lot, and it performed it's job well. Made me interested enough to begin reading "Scar Night".
Check it out.
"Lye Street" is brutal fun. Campbell brings out some crazy imagery in his descriptions of the three forests involved in the thread centering on the demon Basil is.
This book is moody, dark, supernatural and just plain weird. I enjoyed it a lot, and it performed it's job well. Made me interested enough to begin reading "Scar Night".
Check it out.
March 17, 2016
I decided to read this because it was supposed to center on my favorite character from the Deepgate Codex, Carnival. I thought maybe we'd learn more interesting info about her. Nope. Thank goodness there's no more books left in this series/universe for me to read.
Oh, and there were at least 15 different typos/mistakes in this book. There were two in the same sentence at one point! Subterranean Press is in dire need of competent proofreaders. They should be embarrassed that they let this book get published.
Oh, and there were at least 15 different typos/mistakes in this book. There were two in the same sentence at one point! Subterranean Press is in dire need of competent proofreaders. They should be embarrassed that they let this book get published.
May 7, 2014
This book was hard to follow. The author jumped from different points of view which was very confusing as a reader. I also thought that the writing style was very odd. For a novella, the author definitely crammed a lot of huge ideas into a small story. I did not get a sense of resolve in the end either. I don't even understand what the author's message was. What was he trying to say? I liked the concept of the story, but I think it needed to be fleshed out some more.
September 9, 2011
A novella that introduces a dark fantasy series. In this novella an angel kills a certain family's member every fifty years. For most of the account, the angel's motives are as uncertain as her memory. The characters are interesting and the array of fantasical beings seem to indicate that this is a series to look forward to.
December 15, 2013
Really a 4.5/5.
Campbell is a real wordsmith. As an example, here is one of my favorites from the book. "Unease crawled over his skin." He gets more done with fewer words. That is a sign of a good author for me.
This world of the Deepgate Codex seems very strange, Campbell does a good job of blending the exposition into the narrative. I am looking forward to more.
Campbell is a real wordsmith. As an example, here is one of my favorites from the book. "Unease crawled over his skin." He gets more done with fewer words. That is a sign of a good author for me.
This world of the Deepgate Codex seems very strange, Campbell does a good job of blending the exposition into the narrative. I am looking forward to more.
December 18, 2014
Interesting introductory novella to the trilogy written by Alan Campbell. Although I found it hard to "see" the city held over the abyss by a myriad of chains and metal hooks and staples, etc., the characters were engaging, although some were rather eww-worthy. Looking forward to reading the novels.
March 2, 2020
This is a wonderful dark story with a lot of humour. You can read it even if you haven't read Scar Angel before, it stands on its own.
June 24, 2010
A novell set in Deepgate, a city hanging in chains above an abyss, this books gives us a little more information about Carnival. Well written and enjoyable, but I couldn't see where it fit in in the codex.
April 24, 2012
This was even better than Campbell's Scar Night, which was an incredible book.
In retrospect, there were some logic holes in the plot, but the characters and events and world were so fascinating, I couldn't put it down.
This provides helpful background for his other books.
In retrospect, there were some logic holes in the plot, but the characters and events and world were so fascinating, I couldn't put it down.
This provides helpful background for his other books.
February 25, 2008
So icky and fun! If you can handle the morbid side of humor - this is a great catch. Apparently, it's a prequel, so I'm off to find the series!
January 18, 2010
Shortstories in the Deepgate Codex world.
Want to read
August 24, 2010I REALLY want to get my hands on a copy of this book. Heard it's a great prequel to 'Scar Night', but it's not in print anymore :( *tears and even 2nd hand copies are super-expensive *more tears
September 30, 2010
Such an amazing portrayal of Carnival! I liked her character before, but now I just adore her so much more. It may be short, but it's worth a read.
April 15, 2011
I liked it well enough. It was creepy and the taste of his characters appealed to me. I can't quite ever resist a story which has an imperfect broken villain.
November 16, 2011
Short prequel to the DeepGate Codex series. Fills in some of the background of the mad angel, Carnival. Only wish was that it was longer.
April 8, 2012
This novella is short, sweet, and as dark and you could hope from Alan. For the curious reader of Scar Night, it tells Carnival's tale in a grotesque, dark light.
March 20, 2014
Great little story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews