BIG CRANKY

A god strives for cosmic and familial balance in this fantasy series starter.

Elysium is the throne planet where the angelic Order dwells—a group that seeks to guide mortals to enlightenment. Sitting upon the throne is El, the Almighty, whom the goddess Aphrodite calls “Big Cranky.” He’s rebooted the universe numerous times in an attempt to create balance between good and evil. His angelic House includes his son, Lucifer; his daughter, Calliope; and Lucifer’s wife, Lilith. When sentient life is mysteriously eradicated from six planets, El sends warriors Gabriel and Muerte to investigate. They encounter Cthulhu, the Tentacle King, and his army of shape-shifting minions; he’s been devouring souls to take revenge on El for a past betrayal. Lilith, meanwhile, has a vision in which Lucifer defeats his father for the throne. Members of the House of Cronus also covet power, including Poseidon, who was recently rejected by his wife, Posedia. As the angels take to the battlefield against Cthulhu, Poseidon and his father, Cronus, decide to stir up further chaos. El decides to personally deal with the Tentacle King, but doing so ages him noticeably; he steps aside to rest, allowing Lucifer to lead. Pyne paints his generational saga of deities in broad emotional strokes, mimicking tales from Greek and Norse mythology. The notion of placing many of humanity’s gods into a single epic is ripe with potential, and the novel’s first section builds great momentum toward a showdown with Cthulhu. Its often wry tone is enjoyable, as when El tells Lucifer, “I'll spank you over my knee, then flip you into Hell.” However, Pyne switches from grand to personal stakes abruptly, giving play to violent relationships (such as that between Calliope and Poseidon) and checking in with newly created humankind in short episodes. Various plot threads showcase familiar secondary characters, such as Apollo and Hercules, but they add to a sense of sprawl, dissipating the urgency established earlier in the work. The conclusion promises further confrontations in a sequel. Black-and-white illustrations by Spooner effectively add to the grimness of the proceedings.

A visceral fantasy series opener that ultimately squanders an intriguing premise.