How does a demon find himself imprisoned in a book? After a series of unlucky experiences Jakabok Botch finds himself in just that situation. As soon as you open to the first page of Mr B Gone, Jakabok implores you to burn the book and read no further. Those who ignore the pleas and warnings will learn the story of how a low level demon is pulled into the world above to wreak havoc and mayhem. Jakabok eventually lands in the midst of the epic struggle between devils and angels at the home Johannes Gutenberg (of all places).

As a narrator, Jakabok is sarcastic and petty, but also somewhat charming and, at times, infinitely annoying. I found the constant pleas to burn the book a bit too much and occurring a bit too often. I never could truly lose myself in the story and the major reason was the over the top death threats if I did not destroy the book. I also found that many parts I enjoyed were barely glossed over. The world below where Jakabok comes from sounds interesting, but I saw little more than a glimpse. Throughout the read I had the feeling that this was really a short story fluffed up to fit a novel length.

My Recommendation
Clive Barker has long been one of my favorite authors, but I have to admit that Mr B Gone left me lukewarm and unsatisfied. While there is some of Barker's uniquely dark world here, there are too many other problems for me to recommend this title wholeheartedly. If you are already a fan, you might want to check out Mr. B Gone, but if you've never read any Barker, don't start with this title. I would suggest Weaveworld (one of my favorites) or Abarat

Mister B Gone is available at Amazon.com