[A] punk fantasia ... Embedded in the episodic story is a gritty rock opera that Rudy, who experiences a second creative wind, writes in rhyming verse. Mixed in are obscure esoterica about the world of the occult. Asmodeus is a bewildering incantation about the coupling of poetry and squalor.
Surprising ... The prose is often beautiful, with poems and lyrics popping up throughout the story. From the biblical scapegoats meant for Azazel to the supposed link between heavy metal and demonic forces, mythological imagery enhances the story and underscores Asmodeus’s eternal search for a new vessel. Asmodeus is an inventive novel about literal demonic possession and the various metaphorical demons that wounded people face.
[A] dark fantasy ... The poetry and musical lyrics are all masterfully translated by Obejas, a respected novelist in her own right. Indiana presents music (and story) as a venue for addressing the problems that plague this viscerally squalid, gritty, and painful world.
