Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that's exactly what he gets when s...
read full description
reviews
Oct 25, 2011
Sequelguerrier
rated it: 
Odin's ravens and the world tree provided a completely unexpected link between the book I read just before, The Age of Odin, and 'Death Most Definite' by Australian Trent Jamieson. The story happens in the present in Australia but it is once again a present seen through a distorting lens. Steven de Selby follows, without terribly much conviction it can be said, the family profession. He is a 'pomp' a human conduit that helps the souls of the dead to transit to the nether world. He has a serious
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jul 17, 2011
Sara
rated it:
Plot: 4.5 Stars
The structure of the pyschopomps (or reapers) and the way they conducted business was very efficient, unique, and amusing. I thoroughly enjoyed the little details in regards to the psychopomping, and how the souls of the dead moved on. There was also a lot of detail involved in the underworld and the One Tree, without it feeling overwhelming to the reader. This was probably my favorite book containing zombies ever, because zombies tend to be hit or miss for me. And I'll admi More...
The structure of the pyschopomps (or reapers) and the way they conducted business was very efficient, unique, and amusing. I thoroughly enjoyed the little details in regards to the psychopomping, and how the souls of the dead moved on. There was also a lot of detail involved in the underworld and the One Tree, without it feeling overwhelming to the reader. This was probably my favorite book containing zombies ever, because zombies tend to be hit or miss for me. And I'll admi More...
Jul 11, 2011
Myhotstylist
rated it:
Grim Reapers in Austrailia meets Zombies slash love story slash action flick, add blood, gore, and Death himself. In all honesty, this story line would make a pretty cool movie if someone got ahold of it.
Terminology:
Pomper: Grim Reaper equivilent. Humans that work for Mr D. (Death himself) and are conduits for sending dead souls into the underworld.
a pomp: a soul needing to be or sent back to the underworld.
to pomp: the act of sending the soul bac More...
Terminology:
Pomper: Grim Reaper equivilent. Humans that work for Mr D. (Death himself) and are conduits for sending dead souls into the underworld.
a pomp: a soul needing to be or sent back to the underworld.
to pomp: the act of sending the soul bac More...
Apr 15, 2011
Loupie
rated it:
http://gcbooks.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/...
Blog post - 26/11/2010
I quite like the Urban Fantasy sub-genre – seeing the gritty streets of L.A. or London through the gritty eyes of the protagonists, often as they splatter said streets with the bubbling ichor of dread demonic hordes, foul undead legions and any other evil adversary with extra added grit. And, since I grew up in Brisbane, I hugely enjoyed reading Death most definite by Trent Jamieson, which sees some very gratifying s More...
Blog post - 26/11/2010
I quite like the Urban Fantasy sub-genre – seeing the gritty streets of L.A. or London through the gritty eyes of the protagonists, often as they splatter said streets with the bubbling ichor of dread demonic hordes, foul undead legions and any other evil adversary with extra added grit. And, since I grew up in Brisbane, I hugely enjoyed reading Death most definite by Trent Jamieson, which sees some very gratifying s More...
Mar 03, 2011
Jen
rated it:
I have to say off the bat what a breath of fresh air this book is. It hooked me from the very beginning, engaging me right away with our charming, geeky, slacker hero, Steven the Psychopomp. If you're not familiar with the concept of the pomp, he is a person who helps ferry the souls of the dead to the underworld. And for Steven, it a family profession. But he's kind of coasting; bummed out about a failed relationship; drinking too much... nothing too terrible, but he's not about to win employ
More...
Dec 30, 2010
Yolanda
rated it: 
I have to admit that I've been interested in reading this book since the first time I saw the cover and read the blurb. And now that I've read it, I'm very happy to say that I've been sucked into this series.
Steven de Selby is a Pomp who lives in Brisbane. It's in his blood, and while he doesn't actually love the job, it's a way to pay the bills and not have to do/think too much about the job. You see, Pomps help the spirits of the dead to pass over after death. All it takes is a tou More...
Steven de Selby is a Pomp who lives in Brisbane. It's in his blood, and while he doesn't actually love the job, it's a way to pay the bills and not have to do/think too much about the job. You see, Pomps help the spirits of the dead to pass over after death. All it takes is a tou More...
Aug 23, 2010
Tessa
rated it:
This is the first book in a new series - the Death Works.
Steven de Selby is a necromancer. Not just any old necromancer, but a bona fide white collar nine-to-five psychopomp who works for Mortmax, a company (based in Brisbane) that specializes in bringing the dead to where they're supposed to go.
I have to admit that I almost put the book down after the first few pages - the writing, or rather the expressions used, are rather Australian and thus a little odd to my eyes. More...
Steven de Selby is a necromancer. Not just any old necromancer, but a bona fide white collar nine-to-five psychopomp who works for Mortmax, a company (based in Brisbane) that specializes in bringing the dead to where they're supposed to go.
I have to admit that I almost put the book down after the first few pages - the writing, or rather the expressions used, are rather Australian and thus a little odd to my eyes. More...
Aug 16, 2010
Karina
rated it: 
In my search to find urban fantasy novels that don't make me roll my eyes, I thought I'd give Death Most Definite a try. While I'm not going to declare it the find of the year, I'll admit that it kept me entertained on my morning subway ride.
Steven de Selby is a bit of an underachiever: when he's not working as a psychopomp for Mortmax Inc. (a good 9 to 5 job sending souls of the departed on to ... wherever it is they need to go), he's sulking over his ex and drowning his sorrows in More...
Steven de Selby is a bit of an underachiever: when he's not working as a psychopomp for Mortmax Inc. (a good 9 to 5 job sending souls of the departed on to ... wherever it is they need to go), he's sulking over his ex and drowning his sorrows in More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 26, 2010
All Things Urban Fantasy
rated it:
Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com
DEATH MOST DEFINITE is the first in a new urban fantasy series about the corporate side of death, that blends an amalgam of afterlife mythologies, and a zombie uprising, all told from the POV of the underachieving guy who realizes he has to save the world and fight Death itself for the girl he can never get.
Pomps pomp the dead, we draw them through us to the Underworld and the One Tree. And we stall the Stirrers, those More...
DEATH MOST DEFINITE is the first in a new urban fantasy series about the corporate side of death, that blends an amalgam of afterlife mythologies, and a zombie uprising, all told from the POV of the underachieving guy who realizes he has to save the world and fight Death itself for the girl he can never get.
Pomps pomp the dead, we draw them through us to the Underworld and the One Tree. And we stall the Stirrers, those More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 05, 2012
Melbourne on my mind
rated it:
Well. Death really IS most definite in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it though. The action starts from the first page, and by the end, I pretty much just wanted to give Steve a cup of warm Milo and tell him that he deserves a good lie down.
Steve is in the family business - pomping the dead. Basically, he's a reaper, transporting the souls of the dead from this dimension to the next. When other Pomps (including basically everyone he knows) start turning up dead, he's left running for More...
Steve is in the family business - pomping the dead. Basically, he's a reaper, transporting the souls of the dead from this dimension to the next. When other Pomps (including basically everyone he knows) start turning up dead, he's left running for More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 20, 2011
Dorothy
rated it: 
Alright, I've finished the book, and now I’m sure: To my mind, Death most definite is just OK.
Despite an intriguing opening sentence: "I know something's wrong the moment I see the dead girl standing in the Wintergarden food court.",
the book is not particularly original. The main character is familiar (to quote myself) “We’ve yet another male-less-than-stellar-magic users; thrown in to the thick,” but this time the protag’s got more of an occult power. He’s More...
Despite an intriguing opening sentence: "I know something's wrong the moment I see the dead girl standing in the Wintergarden food court.",
the book is not particularly original. The main character is familiar (to quote myself) “We’ve yet another male-less-than-stellar-magic users; thrown in to the thick,” but this time the protag’s got more of an occult power. He’s More...
6 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 04, 2011
Ami
rated it:
Steven de Selby comes from a long line of Psychopomp (or Pomp, for short). His job is to help the dead to the Underwold. He is good at what he does but he is also a slacker. He is not one with ambition to become part of management at the place where he works, Mortmax Industries. He still likes to get drunk to get over his brokenheart. Until a dead girl tells him that he is in danger and soon Pomps are being gunned down and murdered ... and Steven must fight to survive while finding out what happ
More...
May 29, 2011
Jenny
rated it:
There is a lot to learn about the world created by Trent
Death is a person and he has people who work as POMPS
who aid the souls departure from the mortal world..... they can see dead people..
POMPS also stop STIRERS from trying to sneak into the dead body....from the 'other' side
<spoiler>
Steven sees a dead girl and just as he trys to 'pomp' her she pulls back and says 'RUN'
someone nearly shoots him
These are the day More...
Death is a person and he has people who work as POMPS
who aid the souls departure from the mortal world..... they can see dead people..
POMPS also stop STIRERS from trying to sneak into the dead body....from the 'other' side
<spoiler>
Steven sees a dead girl and just as he trys to 'pomp' her she pulls back and says 'RUN'
someone nearly shoots him
These are the day More...
Jan 07, 2011
Sean
rated it:
Death Most Definite was Trent Jamieson's debut novel. It's now become part of his Death Works series, book two Managing Death ,was released late last year and I will be reviewing it in the coming weeks.
The novel is classed as Urban Fantasy but could also comfortably fit in to the Paranormal category, well maybe Paranormal for blokes. I like that Orbit have gone with a sensible cover too - not a tribal tattoo in sight.
I am not a fan of paranormal fiction, or pop culture sho More...
The novel is classed as Urban Fantasy but could also comfortably fit in to the Paranormal category, well maybe Paranormal for blokes. I like that Orbit have gone with a sensible cover too - not a tribal tattoo in sight.
I am not a fan of paranormal fiction, or pop culture sho More...
Jan 02, 2012
Siew Ee
rated it:
Steven de Selby is a Psychopomp (Pomp), a person who uses himself as a portal where souls of the departed gain entry to the Underworld. A respected occupation and an inherited trait, Pomps also use their blood to stall demons called Stirrers, preventing them from inhabiting bodies of the dead and creating havoc on earth.
Right from the start of the book, we see Steven dodging bullets and trying to find out why Pomps were dying left, right and centre, and why there was Stirrer activity More...
Right from the start of the book, we see Steven dodging bullets and trying to find out why Pomps were dying left, right and centre, and why there was Stirrer activity More...
Dec 12, 2011
Gary
rated it:
Steven de Selby is a Pomp, also known more commonly as a Grim Reaper. He is just one of many Pomps working for the Regional Manager (RM) Mr. D, otherwise known as Death itself, in the Brisbane Regional Headquarters (Yes, this book is set is Australia!). There are other RMs too, of other states in the country. Each of them is in charge of their region's Pomps to help direct lost souls to where they should belong -- the Underworld. At the same time, they have to keep Stirrers, which are angry and
More...
Oct 07, 2010
Angela
rated it:
I was keen to read this book because the author is an Aussie boy and even better from Brisbane in Queensland. Me being a Queenslander myself. This was his first book published too.
I found it a little hard to get into at first. I know it sounds sexist, but most of the books I read are written by females, so of course us females write from a different frame of mind. I was surprised to find myself sucked into it by about the 3rd chapter. Trent gets quite discriptive with his scenery and More...
I found it a little hard to get into at first. I know it sounds sexist, but most of the books I read are written by females, so of course us females write from a different frame of mind. I was surprised to find myself sucked into it by about the 3rd chapter. Trent gets quite discriptive with his scenery and More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 17, 2012
Azhureheart
rated it:
I was disappointed by this book. The blurb made the story looked like it would be something I would like and I was actually interested in the background and the universe that it described. The ideas were good. The execution... not so much.
The hero is a reaper who falls in love with a dead girl in the first few pages of the first chapter. Even before we have a chance to learn about him, his work or his world. I couldn't let myself believe that and since that was one of the core elements of More...
The hero is a reaper who falls in love with a dead girl in the first few pages of the first chapter. Even before we have a chance to learn about him, his work or his world. I couldn't let myself believe that and since that was one of the core elements of More...
Sep 22, 2011
Ed
rated it:
I liked this book. It started a little slow, and it took me quite a few chapters to realize they were located in Australia, but it was a fun read.
I have always liked the concept of the personification of Death. This is reminiscent of Piers Anthony's, On a Pale Horse, in that Death is a human doing a necessary job. Jamieson takes it a step further and has made Death a business. A very necessary business. He painted a firm picture in my mind of mortician dressed people standing at funera More...
I have always liked the concept of the personification of Death. This is reminiscent of Piers Anthony's, On a Pale Horse, in that Death is a human doing a necessary job. Jamieson takes it a step further and has made Death a business. A very necessary business. He painted a firm picture in my mind of mortician dressed people standing at funera More...
Mar 14, 2011
Jean
rated it:
This is a gut puncher of a book. It hits hard, fast, and right where it hurts the most. This book made me cry twice.
Fast paced and energetic, this book feels like the grand opening for the series, getting all the ducks in a row for future plots. The characters are rather loosely sketched, but I still got a good feel for the most important ones.
I love the mythology. It feels deep and real, and confined to one culture's view of the afterlife. And the book gets extra points for More...
Fast paced and energetic, this book feels like the grand opening for the series, getting all the ducks in a row for future plots. The characters are rather loosely sketched, but I still got a good feel for the most important ones.
I love the mythology. It feels deep and real, and confined to one culture's view of the afterlife. And the book gets extra points for More...
Oct 21, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
This is a well-contructed, expertly written story about Steven, a young man with an unusual profession: He helps the newly departed to the other side. Without Grim Reaper types like Steve (Pomps, as they're called here), the dead would have no way into the afterlife. When our young hero is confronted by ghost, Lissa, in the middle of busy Brisbane one day and it's clear no one has been assigned to 'pomp' her, Stevn gets the feeling something is amiss. When the undead begin shooting at him, he kn
More...
Sep 07, 2010
Christine
rated it:
“Death Most Definite” is the first book in Trent Jamieson´s new Urban Fantasy series called Death Works which deals with the corporate side of death. It´s written in a first person´s POV.
Main character and narrator is Steven de Selby, a slightly underachieving twenty-something who works, just like the rest if his family for Mortmax as a pomp. The reader is thrown into the story quite abruptly and is introduced to the world alongside. The book is divited into two different parts whic More...
Main character and narrator is Steven de Selby, a slightly underachieving twenty-something who works, just like the rest if his family for Mortmax as a pomp. The reader is thrown into the story quite abruptly and is introduced to the world alongside. The book is divited into two different parts whic More...
Apr 06, 2011
Kellyflower
rated it:
This book was a fast paced ride. Steven ,whose a Psychopomp aka a "pomp", someone who's used as a gateway for the dead to get to the underworld, is on the run trying not to die from (almost) the very first page.
Why I liked this book:
- It was told from a male POV. (which I've really enjoyed in a lot of books lately)
- The story and the little elements in it were unique to me.
- I like the whole set up of Mortmax industries
- It made a reference to More...
Sep 18, 2010
Celia
rated it:
Steven is a Pomp, who deals with the souls of the dead. And one day, he gets shot at, a dead girl warns him to run - and his day gets progressively worse from there.
This novel has a really big scope - Steven is fighting for his life, suffering great losses, and falls in love at the same time. The love story wasn't my favourite part, and at times it felt a little rushed. However I really liked this epic mythic story, and some parts of it were just incredibly devastating. And I par More...
This novel has a really big scope - Steven is fighting for his life, suffering great losses, and falls in love at the same time. The love story wasn't my favourite part, and at times it felt a little rushed. However I really liked this epic mythic story, and some parts of it were just incredibly devastating. And I par More...
Mar 27, 2011
Graham
rated it:
Set in Brisbane (where I lived for five years so I was familiar with much of the settings), it's a horror novel with some wit. The reluctant hero Steve is a "pomp". The souls of the recently departed must pass through a pomp to travel to the afterlife. The trouble is, someone is killing all of Australia's pomps. What is worse, stirrers (angry murderess souls) are jumping into the bodies of anyone who dies and causing havoc. With the aid of the soul of a beautiful recently killed pomp,
More...
Dec 19, 2010
Alex
rated it:
After reading a lot of urban fantasy you start thinking that there're so much plots you can end up with. But you get surprised sometimes and this book has done it for me. The premise is simple enough, when people die, their souls linger around until a necromancer helps them pass over.
While the first half is a bit slow to get going it really fleshes out characters and I didn't expect the ending of the first book to be quite so epic. From dating a dead girl to becoming the next D - it h More...
While the first half is a bit slow to get going it really fleshes out characters and I didn't expect the ending of the first book to be quite so epic. From dating a dead girl to becoming the next D - it h More...
Jan 25, 2012
Paula
rated it:
This is a cool book, and Trent Jamieson is a very cool writer.
The pace is break-neck, as Steven and his non-corporeal companion Lissa try to find Death (aka Mr D), and work out who's trying to kill Steven and his colleagues.
In between dodging bullets and the undead there's also an unlikely romance, made all the more interesting by the fact Steven can't touch Lissa without sending her into the next world for good.
As a narrative character, Steven is funny, witty, self More...
The pace is break-neck, as Steven and his non-corporeal companion Lissa try to find Death (aka Mr D), and work out who's trying to kill Steven and his colleagues.
In between dodging bullets and the undead there's also an unlikely romance, made all the more interesting by the fact Steven can't touch Lissa without sending her into the next world for good.
As a narrative character, Steven is funny, witty, self More...
May 15, 2011
Kayla
rated it:
I loved this. I haven't read a lot of this type of literature, but it felt fresh somehow, completely blew my preconceived notions of the genre/topic out of the water. Sure, it has its flaws like every book does, but I really enjoyed it. I loved that it was set in my hometown of Brisbane, which definitely gets overlooked from time to time. Understandable, of course, but I love my city so I'm biased. I think the setting definitely made the reading experience more rewarding, as it was far more vivi
More...
Jun 29, 2011
Kristin
rated it:
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/06/rev...
It’s been a bad day for Steven de Selby. He has a hangover from a night of drinking with his cousin, and best friend, Tim, a dead girl is following him around (who he might actually be falling in love with), someone is killing his co-workers, and there’s already been an attempt on his life. Steven is a Pomp, or a Psychopomp, working for the family business (Mortmax), drawing the souls of the newly dead th More...
It’s been a bad day for Steven de Selby. He has a hangover from a night of drinking with his cousin, and best friend, Tim, a dead girl is following him around (who he might actually be falling in love with), someone is killing his co-workers, and there’s already been an attempt on his life. Steven is a Pomp, or a Psychopomp, working for the family business (Mortmax), drawing the souls of the newly dead th More...
Nov 30, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
I think this is my favorite Death character ever. Steven (I've decided I rather like that name now) is very much the kind of guy who would rather just do what he's told and let others make big decisions. He's semi-happy with his life as it is, and he falls in love at first sight. How sweet is that? I have never read anything like this book, I mean general quest plotline aside. This world is utterly unique and lovable. And I just know Wal is going to become one of my favorite characters.
