The Dead Take the A Train

by Richard Kadrey, Cassandra Khaw

384 pages

English language

Published Oct. 3, 2023 by Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom, Tor Nightfire.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-86702-5
Goodreads:: 65214080-the-dead-take-the-a-train

(5 reviews)

Julie Crews is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-something who packs a lot of magic into her small body. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs to claw her way to the top.

Julie is desperate for a quick career boost to break the dead-end grind, but her pleas draw the attention of an eldritch god who is hungry for revenge. Her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts her closest friends – and the entire world – directly in the path of annihilation.

The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Khaw’s cosmic horror and Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.

7 editions

Sally Strange reviewed The Dead Take the A Train by Richard Kadrey (Carrion City, #1)

Queer romance, female empowerment, and death to corpos

4 stars

Action-packed, full of mysteries, most of which get satisfactorily resolved, but more importantly, a touching romance between two old friends who bring out the best in each other.

The only thing really lacking was a final showdown between the MC and her magically evil, corporate-ladder-climbing ex, but perhaps there's a sequel in store? I would read it. Anyway, good fun and lots and lots of gore, with a strong theme of bodily invasion and reproduction. Creepy and gross, so avoid if that stuff isn't your thing.