‘Decay Inevitable’ – Conrad A. Williams (Solaris)

You know how it is; sometimes you see some cover art and you just know that you’re going to have to find a copy of that book, sit down and read the hell out of it! Dave McKean has really come up with the goods here with cover art that is simple yet very effective. What’s happening here? The only way to find out is to get reading...
Williams’ ‘One’ wasn’t the easiest read in the world, for more than one reason, but there was enough goodness there (more than enough in fact) for me to want to check out ‘Decay Inevitable’. The cover was the clincher! :o)
As it turned out, ‘Decay Inevitable’ suffered from some of the same issues that befell ‘One’. It was a gripping read though and I’ll certainly be looking out for more of Williams’ work in the future...

Sean Redman is a failed policeman whose attempts to escape the job merely propel him into a far greater mystery that he was a part of all the time. Will Lacey is a man who witnesses the death of his wife and the birth of a monster all at the same time. Cheke is that monster and her mission (albeit reluctant) is the erase all remnants of an experiment that went badly wrong. All three of these characters will come together as a realm beyond death is opened up, and explored, while a black market in something unspeakable is discovered. And what began in another world will end here...

It’s pretty hard to nail down just what genre ‘Decay Inevitable’ falls into. Whilst the plot, and its execution, is pretty horrific (in the best possible way!) there’s also a strong case for it being a particularly gritty kind of Urban Fantasy. I’m tagging this one as horror as it’s a vicious tale that, in more than one instant, had my eyes trying to get away from the page but carrying on reading at the same time! I’m open to having my mind changed though so leave a comment if you feel that way inclined.
The bottom line though is that ‘Decay Inevitable’ is a thoroughly engrossing read where there was never any danger of my not finishing the book.

It does take a while to get going though...

As with ‘One’, Williams like to take his time in illustrating the journey that each character must undergo while trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. It’s one hell of a mystery, and how it’s all wrapped up at the end is well worth sticking around for, but there is a lot to get through before it really starts going. In the same way as ‘One’, our heroes must take a long journey and, although more happens this time round, it can feel like a bit of a drag. It’s almost like Williams gets to the point where the journey has been going on for the right amount of time... and then adds on some extra. The story carries this extra weight well but I was left with the feeling that it shouldn’t have had too...

Williams also repeats his approach (as seen in ‘One’) of jumping ahead in time, with no warning, and leaving the readers to catch up as best they can. The gap isn’t so big this time, weeks instead of years, but it does throw the story off kilter at a time when it has hit its stride... I wasn’t surprised when this happened (I’d seen this before) but it still took me a little while to get back into the swing of things and I was again left wondering if the jump was necessary...

Work your way through these bits though and fans of horror and dark urban fantasy are in for a real treat. ‘Decay Inevitable’ hints at something monstrous right at the start and then shoves it right in your face in all it’s gory detail. This is where the ‘journey’ becomes a ‘pursuit’ and the pace speeds up accordingly. The mystery may be resolved but Williams does great work in showing us that this was only a small part of the overall scheme. It’s not just decay that is inevitable, so is the apocalypse and Williams makes our continued reading a matter of inevitability as well. You can see it coming and you know, deep down, that everyone’s efforts are ultimately futile; you can’t stop reading though because there’s the possibility that things might just get better... None of the characters are particularly likeable but you can’t help admiring, and being drawn along by, their tenacity.

All of this is set against two worlds where the only thing they have in common is how well they are drawn. There’s our world and another world that couldn’t possibly be more different. It’s the kind of place you find yourself thinking about in the dead of night and then frantically trying to think of anything else. It’s not a nice place at all but you will find yourself wanting to spend more time there. Williams does well here not to give too much away; that hint of the unknown in the background adds to the air of menace that you can’t help but breathe in...

‘Decay Inevitable’ suffers from the same problems as ‘One’ but rises above them to become a compelling read that will have me looking out for more of Williams’ work in the future.
Eight and Three Quarters out of Ten.