Early Review – In the Devil Wind (Sandman Slim, Book 13) by Richard Kadrey (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Horror
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: November 17, 2026
ASIN: B0GNSDC2FB
Stand Alone or Series: 13th book in the Sandman Slim series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley for Review
Rating: 5/5 stars

“A devil’s work is never done.

James Stark, aka Sandman Slim, is trying to find his footing in a Heaven that’s anything but heavenly. And when God gets attacked and the angels and hellions start picking sides for a new war, the celestial realm is one spark away from an explosion. Stark just wants to be left alone to watch old movies, but when a madman named Dixie Midnight starts cutting a bloody path through the palace, he’s dragged back into the fray.

Stark’s investigation uncovers a conspiracy that goes deeper than he could have ever imagined. And every new encounter leads to yet another mystery, another foe, and—at one point—a spell that is inexorably draining his very essence. Betrayed by those he should be able to trust, hunted by supposed friends and enemies alike—all while running out of time, because apparently there is nothing after the afterlife—Stark must navigate the treacherous corridors of Heaven and the backroads of Hell to solve a problem he only sort of understands.

And he’d kill for a good apple fritter.

Death is not the worst thing that can happen to Stark—dealing with bureaucratic assholes, renegade angels, and homicidal sociopaths is. Stark thought he was done with being the monster killer…done with being the monster. He was wrong.
And that means Heaven must wait…”

Series Info/Source: This is the 13th book in the Sandman Slim series. I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley for Review

Thoughts: I was disappointed by how anti-climatic “King Bullet” (book 12) was and didn’t think it was a great ending to this series. Imagine my delight when I saw a 13th Sandman Slim book pop up and I was able to get a copy for review. This book was wonderful and ended the series in a much better place than “King Bullet” did.

Stark aka Sandman Slim is in Heaven and is finding adjustment to Heavingly living rough. What Stark needs is a purpose, a job. When the opportunity to run his own theater is dangled in front of him, he jumps at the opportunity but first he has to help solve a mystery of disappearing angels. Stark quickly finds out that Dixie Midnight is carving a bloody path through Heaven. However, nothing is ever simple and the factions of Heaven are restless.

I’ve absolutely loved this series from the very first book and was a bit disappointed at how King Bullet ended it. Then I was leery about another Sandman Slim book. Would it suck? Would it be awesome? Thank goodness it was awesome. Stark has changed a lot since the first book and this book definitely humanizes him even further. He is depressed, he is stuck, and, yep, he is in Heaven. It was great to watch Stark find new purpose and kick a lot of butt. Stark is joined on this new journey by former friends and allies that he had lost and has encounters with former enemies he had already vanquised.

I loved how this story played out. It was fast-paced with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. I love Stark as a character; his obsession with obscure movies, and his bulldozer way of approaching problems is always highly entertaining. This was pure fun from the beginning to the end.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this and am so happy to end this series in a better place than we were left after “King Bullet”. I loved seeing Stark pick up the pieces, kick some butt, and be a general pain in the ass for powers that be. If you enjoyed the Sandman Slim series definitely pick this book up. It was super easy to fall back into this world and story and highly entertaining the whole way through. If you haven’t read the Sandman Slim series and like dark humor, and gritty action in your urban fantasy reads, what are you waiting for?