The Angel of Pain

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It is 1893. It is twenty-one years since David Lydyard returned to England, and those years have left their mark on him. The strange visions which have afflicted him since he was bitten by a snake in Egypt have been nourished by the constant pain of a crippling disease, and he has been unable to find any release from them in the use of laudanum. Now, the visions are becoming more urgent and more extravagant.

David is not the only one caught up in the net cast by the fallen angels - who need men to serve as their eyes and hands on earth. The newly-awakened angels have paused to make careful study of the much-changed world of men, but they have not abandoned their ambitions, nor have their anxieties been soothed. Now, they require even more of their human instruments.

David must undertake the strangest journey in human history, extending his visionary enlightenment to the furthest limits. It is a journey which he cannot make alone, but his companions may yet prove to be his deadliest enemies.

David's task is to discover the truth of what the fallen angels really are, but he cannot tell what effect the revelation will have on the beings which have used him so cruelly for so long. And his mission cannot succeed, unless he can first come to terms with the Angel of Pain.

Jacket painting: Escena de Brujas by Goya. Jacket design by Andrea Pinnington.

Published in 1991 by Simon & Schuster.
ISBN:0-671-71727-8

It is 1893. David Lydyard has been beset by strange visions since he returned to England from Egypt twenty-one years before. Now the visions are becoming ever more extravagant and ever more urgent, undulled even by the potent drug laudanum.

He is caught up in the net cast by the fallen angels, those newly-awakened beings who need humankind to serve as their eyes and hands on earth.

David's task, to discover the truth about the fallen angels, starts him off on the strangest journey in human history, a journey he cannot undertake alone... but his own companions may yet prove to be his deadliest enemies.

And David's mission cannot ever succeed, unless he can come to terms with the Angel of Pain

"An absolutely extraordinary book " - JOHN CLUTE, INTERZONE
"A bright light in a widening abyss..." - FEAR

Cover illustration by George Underwood.

Published in 1993 by Pan.
ISBN:0-330-32607-4

It is 1893, twenty-one years since David Lydyard returned to England, and those years have left a scar on him. The strange visions which have afflicted him since he was bitten by a snake in Egypt have been nourished by the pain of a crippling disease, and he has been unable to find any relief in the use of laudanum. Now, the visions are becoming more urgent and more extravagant.

David is not the only one caught up in the net cast by the fallen angels who need men to serve as their eyes and hands on earth.. The newly awakened angels have paused to make a careful study of the much- changed world of men, but they have not abandoned their ambitions, nor have their anxieties been soothed. Now, they require even more of their human instruments.

David's task is to discover the truth of what the fallen angels really are, but he cannot tell what effect the revelation will have on these beings who have so cruelly used him for so long. And his mission cannot succeed, unless he can first come to terms with the Angel of Pain.

Jacket design: Tony Greco & Associates Ltd.

Published 1st August 1993 by Carroll & Graf.
ISBN:0-88184-932-4

Published 1st December 1995 by Carroll & Graf.
ISBN:0-78670-286-9

Translated into French as: L'Ange de la douleur.
Translated into Polish as: Aniol Cierpienia.

Review by Ian Braidwood

Cast of Characters:
David Lydyard, Sir Edward Tallentyre, Cordelia Lydyard, Perris, William de Lancy, Adam Grey, Mandorla Soulier, Jacob Harkender, Dr James Austin, Luke Capthorne, Pelorus, Mercy Murrell, Jason Stirling, Richard Marwin, Hecate, Perris, Adam Clay.

The Angel of Pain carries on from The Werewolves of London and like all the best sequels, advances the story in real terms.

It is over twenty years since David Lydyard took part in the oracle which so shocked the angels. He has married Cordelia and they have three young children. Although his life has settled down to something like normality, David is still tormented by dreams and is now tortured by rheumatoid arthritis.

Not surprisingly, David has made the physiology of pain his career.

In the years since Jacob Harkender was burned in the wreckage of his house, Mercy Murrell has become the bawd in one of London's most fashionable brothels. Here she writes and stages little plays in an effort to pique the interest of her clientele.

Also in Murrell's house, lives Hecate, an apparent simpleton with a twisted spine. Her role is initially unclear, but it becomes shockingly obvious there is a lot to her which is not immediately apparent.

Luke Capthorne has moved on from St. Syncletica's and is now assistant to Jason Stirling, the unorthodox scientist who takes over the mantle of Jacob Harkender. Capthorne however, is convinced that Stirling is nothing but the unwitting tool of his true master, the devil.

After many years of quiescence, the angels are ready to move again, but now there are three of them jockeying for position: Bast and the spider are now joined by Machalalel - creator of the werewolves of London. This time they must make significant progress or risk destruction...

Like The Werewolves of London, The Angel of Pain is beautifully crafted. It is the product of a writer who has rolled up his sleeves, cracked his knuckles and decided to show the world what he can do; and what he can do is impressive. Books like this are the reason this web site exists.

Brian has combined his customary vivid imagery, his talent for evoking period and mood, strong characterization with a powerful intellectual rationale. His characters show strength of will and courage enough to win two major insights into their world and these epiphanies leave the reader with a sense of anticipation for what is to come.

The Brian Stableford Website