I recently picked up Barry Reese‘s newest work, The Second Book of Babylon (Pro Se Productions). While this is part of his Sovereign City Project and tied to his other works, I find this more superhero than pulp.
We are introduced in this work to the “spirit of cosmic retribution,” known as Babylon. His origin goes back to 1802 when black slave Gideon Black, whose master is devil-worshiping Abraham Black. Due to a series of events starting when Gideon has a son with Abraham’s daughter, he is bound to the Babylon armour and his future decendents would be able to summon and posses the armour, allowing them to be a “spirit of retribution.”
While we get hints of these past adventures, there is no “First Book of Babylon.”
This particular story is set in 2011. As shown in the Peregrine stories with the fourth Peregrine, the “Black Mass Barrier” has risen, causing the “World of Shadows” to merge with the real world, allowing various faerie races along with magic to be part of the world.
Due to a strange consipiracy, the world’s main magic users have been exhiled. Someone of great power is trying to cut off England from the rest of the world, and had shut them out, and now Babylon, who is being hosted by Jennifer Black, must figure it out and save them. We also meet others, such as Johnny Galahad, another relative who for a time hosted the armour. There is also Michael Bolan who has a less-powerful set of armour, called Retribution.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and expanded his universe/timeline in the “modern times.” We are promised a Third Book of Babylon, but I wonder when/if this will happen. We don’t see this on his timeline, though I do see Lazarus Gray volumes 8, 9, and 10. Barry noted on his blog he’s completed volume 13 of Lazarus Gray, and that volume 8 should be out in August, with the next 6 coming out quickly. Can’t wait.
