From: bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com   
      
   'Dead Lies Dreaming" by Charles Stross   
   380 pages, © 2020, a Tordotcom book at $29.99   
   a Tom Doherty Associates book.   
      
        This is my second reading of this book.   
   It was not until the Imp and his band found   
   the door into dreamland that I remembered   
   that I had read it.  Then I forged ahead despite   
   memories of the previous reading.  I think   
   I enjoyed it more this time and this is the first   
   review of it I have done since I did not know   
   of r.a.SF.written at the time.   
      
        Eve Starky is employed by Rupert Bigge.   
        The Black Pharaoh is the Prime Minister having returned   
   to Earth in the big finish of the original Laundry Files as   
   due to computers the level of magic on Earth has gone   
   high enough to support an Entity like that.  He has   
   a pyramid of skulls and executes people for the sake   
   of his power having returned the UK to the worst   
   of its legal periods.  Imp and his merry band of   
   larcenous transhumans (able to use magic) are trying   
   to steal enough money to film a major production.   
   Imp is also Jeremy Stary, younger brother to Eve.   
   Rupert Bigge owns the Island of Skaro where he   
   is head of the cult of the Mute Poet who is a nastier   
   piece of work than the Black Pharaoh.   
        Rupert is a pretty nasty character who has   
   lured Eve into a job as his private secretary and   
   involved her in crimes that would lead to her   
   execution so she is forced to stay in his employ.   
   He orders her to obtain a rare Spell Book which   
   is cursed.  People who pick it up without proper   
   ownership or need to return it to the proper   
   owner die.  And there is no evidence of the   
   death after the book feeds.   
        It is long romp in the magical lands of the   
   horrid reality of the Black Pharaoh and in the   
   dream of a Past full of nightmares.   
      
        It is excellent and has a happier ending than   
   one could expect.   
      
   	bliss   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)