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Dante Valentine #2
Dead Man Rising
As psychics all over the city are being savagely murdered, a piece of the past half-demon bounty hunter Dante Valentine thought she'd buried is stalking the night with a vengeance. Original.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
80 people are currently reading
2175 people want to read
About the author
Lilith Saintcrow
133 books4,511 followersLilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as a child, and fell in love with writing stories when she was ten years old. She and her library co-habitate in Vancouver, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
January 7, 2015
Hmmm. This book was frustrating. It was much better than the first in many respects yet much more irritating in others.
The writing seems to have improved considerably though there is still a lot of repetition. Dante's thought pattern sure is circular. She goes round and round and round with the same old "Japhrimel is dead/I can't love Jace/my hand is cramping/I don't want to think about anything" crap until you almost start feeling dizzy. It gets very tedious.
Being in Dante's head is a bit like riding on one of these:
[image error]
One of the problems was that this didn't have the break neck speed of the first novel, so you actually got the time along the way to contemplate the characters, their actions and the reasons behind them.
Dante is a frustrating character. She is very self-absorbed, self-deluding and a bit of a coward to boot (despite the showy heroics). She will go out and fight villains and catch criminals but is completely unable to face anything affecting her own life and will bury her head in the sand and avoid facing things for as long as she can. Perhaps, this is understandable given her history (and we do get a lot of back story on her childhood in this book, which was good), but chapter upon chapter of her not doing very much other than going round and round and round in her head with the self-delusional bullshit was frustrating.
I detested the way Dante treated Jace. She was a bit of a prick tease in the first book gallivanting naked around Japhrimel (it's not like he will care, he is a different species from me. is he blushing? nah, must be seeing things again.) but this was much more morally suspect. I suppose this is yet another facet of her inability to face things. She knows that she will never return his feelings, yet she continues to string him along, allows him to move in with her, sleep in the same bed as her, tag along on her bounty hunts. Now, he is a big boy and can choose for himself but I still cannot condone this passive cowardly stance that she has, particularly given that she supposedly cares a lot for him as a friend .
There are also a couple of WTF moments, the biggest one by far being when she "destroys" the urn and torches down her house because (a) it is a very childish, not to mention selfish and irresponsible, action and (b) even an imbecile would realise what is going to happen as soon as she has done it.
The ending made me cringe. They ride off into the sunset in a hover limo. Seriously.
On the plus side, I was still very much impressed with the complexity of the world that Saintcrow created. We get quite a bit more detail in this instalment and it is impeccably thought out. There is a historical, legal and even scientific context which is integrated into the story (although some of it is delivered as part of a couple of "research" essays and a glossary at the end, which some might consider a lazy approach, but I actually quite enjoyed that part, it certainly read very authentic). Nichtvren (vampires) and werecain (werewolves) make an appearance and we get a better understanding of the nature of some of the other types of psionic ability.
Overall, I still think this was a compelling and worthwhile read and am planning to continue on with the series. I am particularly interested to see how things will develop with Lucifer, who remained on the periphery throughout this instalment and how Dante, and her relationship with Japhrimel, will develop. I'm hoping there will be a lot more of her exploring her new half-demon powers and kicking ass, instead of moping about feeling sorry for herself and avoiding thinking about things.
The writing seems to have improved considerably though there is still a lot of repetition. Dante's thought pattern sure is circular. She goes round and round and round with the same old "Japhrimel is dead/I can't love Jace/my hand is cramping/I don't want to think about anything" crap until you almost start feeling dizzy. It gets very tedious.
Being in Dante's head is a bit like riding on one of these:
[image error]
One of the problems was that this didn't have the break neck speed of the first novel, so you actually got the time along the way to contemplate the characters, their actions and the reasons behind them.
Dante is a frustrating character. She is very self-absorbed, self-deluding and a bit of a coward to boot (despite the showy heroics). She will go out and fight villains and catch criminals but is completely unable to face anything affecting her own life and will bury her head in the sand and avoid facing things for as long as she can. Perhaps, this is understandable given her history (and we do get a lot of back story on her childhood in this book, which was good), but chapter upon chapter of her not doing very much other than going round and round and round in her head with the self-delusional bullshit was frustrating.
I detested the way Dante treated Jace. She was a bit of a prick tease in the first book gallivanting naked around Japhrimel (it's not like he will care, he is a different species from me. is he blushing? nah, must be seeing things again.) but this was much more morally suspect. I suppose this is yet another facet of her inability to face things. She knows that she will never return his feelings, yet she continues to string him along, allows him to move in with her, sleep in the same bed as her, tag along on her bounty hunts. Now, he is a big boy and can choose for himself but I still cannot condone this passive cowardly stance that she has, particularly given that she supposedly cares a lot for him as a friend .
There are also a couple of WTF moments, the biggest one by far being when she "destroys" the urn and torches down her house because (a) it is a very childish, not to mention selfish and irresponsible, action and (b) even an imbecile would realise what is going to happen as soon as she has done it.
The ending made me cringe. They ride off into the sunset in a hover limo. Seriously.
On the plus side, I was still very much impressed with the complexity of the world that Saintcrow created. We get quite a bit more detail in this instalment and it is impeccably thought out. There is a historical, legal and even scientific context which is integrated into the story (although some of it is delivered as part of a couple of "research" essays and a glossary at the end, which some might consider a lazy approach, but I actually quite enjoyed that part, it certainly read very authentic). Nichtvren (vampires) and werecain (werewolves) make an appearance and we get a better understanding of the nature of some of the other types of psionic ability.
Overall, I still think this was a compelling and worthwhile read and am planning to continue on with the series. I am particularly interested to see how things will develop with Lucifer, who remained on the periphery throughout this instalment and how Dante, and her relationship with Japhrimel, will develop. I'm hoping there will be a lot more of her exploring her new half-demon powers and kicking ass, instead of moping about feeling sorry for herself and avoiding thinking about things.
June 23, 2018
Falling back into this series is as effortless as it comes.
Dante is wallowing in the loss of her old self (having gained demonic powers) and the loss of her demon lover. Not only that, she's lost a lot more and while she's now super hard to kill, she's obsessing over her difficult past, her childhood of abuse, the magical practitioners who fed on the students.
Of course, all of this comes wrapped in a fantastic high-tech bow with plasguns, gene-engineering, a full extra-modern city with necromancers, sex-magic practitioners, and... of course... cops, private investigators, and mercenaries.
Add to that the devil and Dante's unwilling association, having found love with a fallen demon and then losing him... and we've got enough pathos to charge a mag-lev train.
The past really comes home to roost in this novel and there was never a point where I wasn't thoroughly entertained. It's just one of those novels. Total flashy UF goodness with everything I like in both SF and Fantasy. :)
So good. :)
Dante is wallowing in the loss of her old self (having gained demonic powers) and the loss of her demon lover. Not only that, she's lost a lot more and while she's now super hard to kill, she's obsessing over her difficult past, her childhood of abuse, the magical practitioners who fed on the students.
Of course, all of this comes wrapped in a fantastic high-tech bow with plasguns, gene-engineering, a full extra-modern city with necromancers, sex-magic practitioners, and... of course... cops, private investigators, and mercenaries.
Add to that the devil and Dante's unwilling association, having found love with a fallen demon and then losing him... and we've got enough pathos to charge a mag-lev train.
The past really comes home to roost in this novel and there was never a point where I wasn't thoroughly entertained. It's just one of those novels. Total flashy UF goodness with everything I like in both SF and Fantasy. :)
So good. :)
January 26, 2010
3.5 Stars. I find it hard to rate this book, because I spent half of it not really liking it, then the second half digging it.
The first book in this series just starts, no back story, not a lot of excess descriptions to help with world building... pretty much it starts with a knock on the door and then you find out everything as you go along. And despite the fact that it is the first book, and the excess descriptions were held back to a bare minimum, you didn't feel cheated or confused. And everything you did learn was important.
This second book begins 10 months later and could benefit from a good editor. You are dropped in the middle of action, but the action is cut into by Dante whining a maudlin reverie. This continues for the next 200 pages. Okay, maybe only 175. But fear not, there are also 3 loooong scenes that really don't do anything to move the story forward. And a lot of repetition. For instance, her right hand was injured in the previous book, and at least 200 times she makes reference to her clawed hand, her injured hand, her withered hand, her useless hand... well you get the point. She does a lot of talking to herself. But she continues to have the exact same conversation. The conversations she has out loud aren't much better. There is one character that they literally have the same conversation in her head and out of it multiple times, or at least it seemed that way. Oh and the plot was dragging.
Are you still with me? Because just as I was ready to throw down the book in frustration and read something else for a while, everything changes. Ok, maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but it did seem like the editor finally got out the red pen and started crossing out things. The descriptions of everything were cut in half (which was still a little too much), the dialogue picked up and the plot really started to zip along and become engaging. By page 288, I had been reengaged and moved to tears.
I'm hoping that now that things in the story seem to be a little settled, maybe we will continue with the less sniveling Dante Valentine. I'm intrigued by the end of this book. It felt like an ending to a series. Or at least it felt like she was saying goodbye to all the characters we have already met. At least if the constant talk about how everyone seemed to be aging and looking older was hinting to anything. I guess I'll find out.
The first book in this series just starts, no back story, not a lot of excess descriptions to help with world building... pretty much it starts with a knock on the door and then you find out everything as you go along. And despite the fact that it is the first book, and the excess descriptions were held back to a bare minimum, you didn't feel cheated or confused. And everything you did learn was important.
This second book begins 10 months later and could benefit from a good editor. You are dropped in the middle of action, but the action is cut into by Dante whining a maudlin reverie. This continues for the next 200 pages. Okay, maybe only 175. But fear not, there are also 3 loooong scenes that really don't do anything to move the story forward. And a lot of repetition. For instance, her right hand was injured in the previous book, and at least 200 times she makes reference to her clawed hand, her injured hand, her withered hand, her useless hand... well you get the point. She does a lot of talking to herself. But she continues to have the exact same conversation. The conversations she has out loud aren't much better. There is one character that they literally have the same conversation in her head and out of it multiple times, or at least it seemed that way. Oh and the plot was dragging.
Are you still with me? Because just as I was ready to throw down the book in frustration and read something else for a while, everything changes. Ok, maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but it did seem like the editor finally got out the red pen and started crossing out things. The descriptions of everything were cut in half (which was still a little too much), the dialogue picked up and the plot really started to zip along and become engaging. By page 288, I had been reengaged and moved to tears.
I'm hoping that now that things in the story seem to be a little settled, maybe we will continue with the less sniveling Dante Valentine. I'm intrigued by the end of this book. It felt like an ending to a series. Or at least it felt like she was saying goodbye to all the characters we have already met. At least if the constant talk about how everyone seemed to be aging and looking older was hinting to anything. I guess I'll find out.
March 20, 2018
I really liked book one in this series, but I wasn't quite as taken by the sequel though I still enjoyed my time with these characters. Lilith Saintcrow's unique world of Saint City is an awesome blend of urban fantasy and futuristic sci-fi and she definitely knows how to keep me turning those pages. As much as I liked Dante in book one, she's pretty frustrating here - she's very angsty too say the least when it comes to the effects of the events of Working for the Devil. I felt that the story could have been trimmed down due to the repetition, though I did love the author's continued world building. Definitely stick around for those extras at the back of the book.
May 5, 2019
This one just about killed me. I didn't know what was coming. I certainly did not expect it.
I read a couple reviews before starting this and knew about Joff (spelling?). I kept anticipating his return only to be blindsided by Jason's death. Fabulously written and I loved it. The narrator hit all the right notes.
I read a couple reviews before starting this and knew about Joff (spelling?). I kept anticipating his return only to be blindsided by Jason's death. Fabulously written and I loved it. The narrator hit all the right notes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2016
I know a lot of people held issues with this book due to Dante’s almost non-stop grieving, but the end was such a nice change to me from the first book and made my heart grin. Unfortunately Valentine encounters yet another tragedy in this book – a new loss that I hated. The grim flashbacks that hinted her former childhood was horrible is even more in color and complex now. She comes to the heart of the horror in the battle finale and it was disturbing.
The pace is almost non-stop as Dante, the main character, rarely allows herself to sit down. She does think though, almost non-stop, with almost everything reminding her of her past or the horror of the last book’s ending. It can get tiring at times but I was grieving with her since I read these back to back.
Dante is incredibly violence so that is never shied away from. The flashback sequences are disturbing for more than violence, however; they also focus on rape and power exchange, control and abuse.
She is a necromance, but not in the same manner and power as Anita Blake, it’s completely different for this series. The world is woven well, although not with as many supernatural creatures a lot of series have. Little is done with her necromancy.
After reading this book I was curious about her evolving changes from her transformation and to see what the future holds. It’s a truly dark, gritty series that doesn’t shy away from mental horrors, depression, violence, and the scum of the earth. There isn’t any happiness in these books, nor peace. The height of the story and what drives the character is how unsettled and unbalanced she was and continues to be.
The pace is almost non-stop as Dante, the main character, rarely allows herself to sit down. She does think though, almost non-stop, with almost everything reminding her of her past or the horror of the last book’s ending. It can get tiring at times but I was grieving with her since I read these back to back.
Dante is incredibly violence so that is never shied away from. The flashback sequences are disturbing for more than violence, however; they also focus on rape and power exchange, control and abuse.
She is a necromance, but not in the same manner and power as Anita Blake, it’s completely different for this series. The world is woven well, although not with as many supernatural creatures a lot of series have. Little is done with her necromancy.
After reading this book I was curious about her evolving changes from her transformation and to see what the future holds. It’s a truly dark, gritty series that doesn’t shy away from mental horrors, depression, violence, and the scum of the earth. There isn’t any happiness in these books, nor peace. The height of the story and what drives the character is how unsettled and unbalanced she was and continues to be.
November 22, 2008
Ugh, not as good as #1. Very whiney protagonist, not very proactive as in #1, kinda wallowy. Still enjoyable, but a little more "get up and go" woulda been appreciated. #3 is next!
May 14, 2018
Originally posted at:
* For this review I decided to have different ratings for the story and the GraphicAudio narration.
This series has become the Mageri series all over again for me. It's like I'm about to witness a car crash happen right in front of me and I can't decide whether I want to look away or not. This author is amazing at leaving somewhat big problems unsolved, which makes the curiosity in me foam at the mouth for answers.
Dante is a wreck in this novel. She's reasonably upset by how the last book ended and decides that throwing herself into her work is the best escape, for the time being. I can follow her train of thought, but having Jase (I finally learned her ex's name!) live with her was very strange. I didn't understand the dynamic because she seemed to never have made up her mind about him. One moment she wanted to be comforted by him and the next she would only communicate with him in sarcastic comments and sassy retorts. I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow a pair for h*lls sake (pun intended).
I wasn't upset by how things ended up with Jase. I didn't like him in the first novel and the part he played in this book was lackluster at best. I just wish he hadn't given up the "family business" for Dante out of the blue. She wasn't worth all that trouble and was ungrateful to boot, though let's consider she never even asked him to do anything of that nature much less stay with her.
I wish this book had focused solely on the Jafermel plot line. The mystery didn't capture my attention. Every other minute I kept thinking about Jaf. As much as this adventure gave me an idea of how traumatic Dante's childhood was, I would rather have had her on a wild goose chase out of desperation for Jaf then have her handed the hint from the Devil himself (which was cheesy at best).
The end felt like she was saying a permanent goodbye to her friends. I didn't understand why the secrecy in relation to Jafermel. I still have no idea what the heck Dante is and it's starting to lose my interest. The only thing that keeps me coming back to this series is the GraphicAudio book.
Book Rating: 3 Stars
___________
Graphic Audio Book Review:
This was just as amazing as the first one. The creep factor got turned up so high with this particular storyline and I loved it. The hyena laughs and the ghostly "You Must Remember!"'s got under my skin. It was very well produced and I look forward to my next adventure with these audio books.
Graphic Audio Rating: 5 Stars
* For this review I decided to have different ratings for the story and the GraphicAudio narration.
This series has become the Mageri series all over again for me. It's like I'm about to witness a car crash happen right in front of me and I can't decide whether I want to look away or not. This author is amazing at leaving somewhat big problems unsolved, which makes the curiosity in me foam at the mouth for answers.
Dante is a wreck in this novel. She's reasonably upset by how the last book ended and decides that throwing herself into her work is the best escape, for the time being. I can follow her train of thought, but having Jase (I finally learned her ex's name!) live with her was very strange. I didn't understand the dynamic because she seemed to never have made up her mind about him. One moment she wanted to be comforted by him and the next she would only communicate with him in sarcastic comments and sassy retorts. I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow a pair for h*lls sake (pun intended).
I wasn't upset by how things ended up with Jase. I didn't like him in the first novel and the part he played in this book was lackluster at best. I just wish he hadn't given up the "family business" for Dante out of the blue. She wasn't worth all that trouble and was ungrateful to boot, though let's consider she never even asked him to do anything of that nature much less stay with her.
I wish this book had focused solely on the Jafermel plot line. The mystery didn't capture my attention. Every other minute I kept thinking about Jaf. As much as this adventure gave me an idea of how traumatic Dante's childhood was, I would rather have had her on a wild goose chase out of desperation for Jaf then have her handed the hint from the Devil himself (which was cheesy at best).
The end felt like she was saying a permanent goodbye to her friends. I didn't understand why the secrecy in relation to Jafermel. I still have no idea what the heck Dante is and it's starting to lose my interest. The only thing that keeps me coming back to this series is the GraphicAudio book.
Book Rating: 3 Stars
___________
Graphic Audio Book Review:
This was just as amazing as the first one. The creep factor got turned up so high with this particular storyline and I loved it. The hyena laughs and the ghostly "You Must Remember!"'s got under my skin. It was very well produced and I look forward to my next adventure with these audio books.
Graphic Audio Rating: 5 Stars
August 5, 2023
I really REALLY liked Working for the Devil. It sucked me in since page one. Dead Man Rising however, did not. I didn’t take this as a sign. I should have.
Dead Man Rising’s story did not work for me at all. I don’t know why but Dante’s past doesn’t interest me so much. Yes, she got tortured, and I feel bad for her, but meh. You know? Meh. The story was extremely mediocre if you ask me.
Dead Man Rising’s story did not work for me at all. I don’t know why but Dante’s past doesn’t interest me so much. Yes, she got tortured, and I feel bad for her, but meh. You know? Meh. The story was extremely mediocre if you ask me.
January 23, 2016
The first book was an all-action pacey, fun read, but this one floundered a bit for me. There's a great deal of repetitive internal angst slowing the pace down, which left me feeling impatient (I started skipping - never a good sign). I do dearly love Dante Valentine's voice, and I'm certainly committed to this series and it's well-fleshed out and unusual cast of characters.
On to the next one...
On to the next one...
November 14, 2013
Not as good as the first book, but definitely still enjoyable. This go round was still a action packed and twisted as the first book but Dante was so broken in this book. Yes she was grieving but she really was incredibly whiney. And you know what I realized - the romance in the first book that seemed so slow and well paced...was actually only a couple of a days long. I am not sure how I missed that when I was reading it, and I only realized it now because Jace did.
And Jace, oh Jace. I have to admit I am usually of the mind that "you walked away and that's that" regardless of the reason. This is because I HATE that whole "I'm leaving/hurting/lying to you to protect you" BULLSHIT. But he redeemed himself in the end just by being there. He knew he was out of the running for Dante's heart but he stayed anyways. Makes him a bit of a glutton for punishment but a loyal glutton I guess.
I am reading this books back to back cause I got the omnibus from the library so maybe others might not notice but Saintcrow definitely has her favorite way of describing things and she sticks too them! This book was a continuation of Dante's "emerald spitting, rings sparking" yards, yada, yada...so I definitely skimmed through the descriptive bits but otherwise enjoyed the book.
I'm gonna keep reading although I need a tiny break. Series work well because they keep you wanting more and then make you wait for it. With an omnibus I'm only 2 books into the 5 and I'm feeling exhausted! Completely exhausted because it feels as if I am just reading one long ass War and Peace length book.
And Jace, oh Jace. I have to admit I am usually of the mind that "you walked away and that's that" regardless of the reason. This is because I HATE that whole "I'm leaving/hurting/lying to you to protect you" BULLSHIT. But he redeemed himself in the end just by being there. He knew he was out of the running for Dante's heart but he stayed anyways. Makes him a bit of a glutton for punishment but a loyal glutton I guess.
I am reading this books back to back cause I got the omnibus from the library so maybe others might not notice but Saintcrow definitely has her favorite way of describing things and she sticks too them! This book was a continuation of Dante's "emerald spitting, rings sparking" yards, yada, yada...so I definitely skimmed through the descriptive bits but otherwise enjoyed the book.
I'm gonna keep reading although I need a tiny break. Series work well because they keep you wanting more and then make you wait for it. With an omnibus I'm only 2 books into the 5 and I'm feeling exhausted! Completely exhausted because it feels as if I am just reading one long ass War and Peace length book.
June 27, 2011
I am really disapointed to say that this wasn't as good as the first one :( But thankfully it was readable. The plot was ok, if not a little shakey in places, but it did fill in some of Dante's previously hinted at bad past. But the endless pity party Dante had goin on was bordering ridiculous; Japh this, Jace that, I'm a terrible person, what the hell is hedaira, everyone hates Necromancers, my shoulder hurts, wierd giggle. That's about the majority of her worries, repeated over and over and over and over and over. I like a bit of drama and internal conflict as much as the next person, but Saintcrow needs to tone it down a bit and increase the actual story-telling.
One of the good thing, however, is that there was a glossary as the back of the book to explain some of the term used, which is useful as one of the main complaint from the first book was that there were too many unexplained termed. There were also a couple of short essays at the back to explain some of the concepts Saintcrow uses.
Thankfully, reviews for the 3rd book in the series are quite good, so I won't be dropping this series. If not for those good reviews I would quite these books because 'Dead Man Rising' was a bit of a let-down.
One of the good thing, however, is that there was a glossary as the back of the book to explain some of the term used, which is useful as one of the main complaint from the first book was that there were too many unexplained termed. There were also a couple of short essays at the back to explain some of the concepts Saintcrow uses.
Thankfully, reviews for the 3rd book in the series are quite good, so I won't be dropping this series. If not for those good reviews I would quite these books because 'Dead Man Rising' was a bit of a let-down.
June 2, 2021
A bit too much dwelling on lost loves but when the action starts it’s reasonably good. It’s not bad world building but Dante is pretty much unstoppable and that can make outcomes a bit obvious.
June 26, 2018
The fact that I mostly liked this surprised me. I was prepared to suffer though a paranormal book for the sake of exploring a genre I don't usually read, but I almost gave it a miss when I saw the cover, considering the last two paranormal books I read were both porny and really, really badly written with no plot or character to speak of but sort of moralistic in tone.
This one was a horse of entirely another colour. I don't know that I would be up for a whole series about Dante Valentine, possibly I am even glad I didn't get the first book (this is quite adequate to be a stand-alone and explains the backstory so well that probably it would have annoyed me had I actually read the previous novel). Anyway this being only book 2 she is still comparatively fresh as a character and her support cast are not jet set in their niches.
So considering how much violence, torture and sex and sex-magic and violent sex (ie rape but with torture added) and the way even sex that wasn't rape was angsty and with a hint of kink, I wouldn't have expected to like the book but the author smartly weaves a very dark and seedy theme with more hints than explicit scenes. Then there is a genuine mystery and the psychology of all the angst is fairly believable with PTSD based on systemised childhood abuse but with also adequate explanation of why then she has survived (Lewis for a start).
I wasn't keen on the triangle, but if we must have such things this one was better done than most. I liked the implication that she was bisexual (I think her ex flatmate was also her ex lover). I wasn't happy with something that happened at the end that I don't want to give away but that reframed the grittiness and toughness of the book into basically mush, at the same time something DID need to soften the mood and give us a satisfactory ending after the suspenseful chase and the showdown.
I liked Danny on the whole (if I ignore the fact she is a bounty hunter working for "the hegemony" and a sometime assassin) I like the way she even tells Lucifer to get f$%#ed. She has an emotional honesty which I guess is ironic considering emotionally honesty is her BIG STRUGGLE but she actually has it in spades (sorry bad metaphor considering the necklaces). Also for someone who moons over her love-life so much she is tough and focussed.
It's not for everyone because there is a lot of torture and child-abuse in it (not played as erotic though thank goodness). I think I warmed to the world-building which seemed to me to work within itself though at first I was wondering why we needed different names for things. Hey if you like dark, paranormal tales or are curious you could do a lot worse than this one.
This one was a horse of entirely another colour. I don't know that I would be up for a whole series about Dante Valentine, possibly I am even glad I didn't get the first book (this is quite adequate to be a stand-alone and explains the backstory so well that probably it would have annoyed me had I actually read the previous novel). Anyway this being only book 2 she is still comparatively fresh as a character and her support cast are not jet set in their niches.
So considering how much violence, torture and sex and sex-magic and violent sex (ie rape but with torture added) and the way even sex that wasn't rape was angsty and with a hint of kink, I wouldn't have expected to like the book but the author smartly weaves a very dark and seedy theme with more hints than explicit scenes. Then there is a genuine mystery and the psychology of all the angst is fairly believable with PTSD based on systemised childhood abuse but with also adequate explanation of why then she has survived (Lewis for a start).
I wasn't keen on the triangle, but if we must have such things this one was better done than most. I liked the implication that she was bisexual (I think her ex flatmate was also her ex lover). I wasn't happy with something that happened at the end that I don't want to give away but that reframed the grittiness and toughness of the book into basically mush, at the same time something DID need to soften the mood and give us a satisfactory ending after the suspenseful chase and the showdown.
I liked Danny on the whole (if I ignore the fact she is a bounty hunter working for "the hegemony" and a sometime assassin) I like the way she even tells Lucifer to get f$%#ed. She has an emotional honesty which I guess is ironic considering emotionally honesty is her BIG STRUGGLE but she actually has it in spades (sorry bad metaphor considering the necklaces). Also for someone who moons over her love-life so much she is tough and focussed.
It's not for everyone because there is a lot of torture and child-abuse in it (not played as erotic though thank goodness). I think I warmed to the world-building which seemed to me to work within itself though at first I was wondering why we needed different names for things. Hey if you like dark, paranormal tales or are curious you could do a lot worse than this one.
October 9, 2020
Dead Man Rising is the second book in Dante Valentine series written by Lilith Saintcrow. It centers on Dante Valentine, a necromancer, set in a world five hundred years in the future.
Dante Valentine has been throwing herself into her work to avoid having to think about her problems. Before he died, her dead demon lover Japhrimel physically changed her into a hedaira, something that is not quite a demon but yet is no longer wholly human either, which she doesn’t want to think about.
When psions all over the city are brutally murdered and Dante is called to try and raise the spirit of the latest victim it seems like it will be yet another way to avoid having to deal with her problems. However, the spirit’s chilling message reminds her of her past wounds, as the murders are happening at Rigger Hall – where she grew up as an orphan.
The Headmaster of Rigger Hall was a Feeder, a psychic vampire, whose abuses of his students went unchecked for many years until he finally was killed. Rigger Hall was closed and abandoned after the inquiry into his abuse and now it seems that history might be repeating itself. To stop the killer Dante must face the ghosts of her past.
Dead Man Rising is written rather well. Saintcrow has successfully crafted a futuristic world where the gritty urban landscape meshes seamlessly with a reworking of established myth to create a whole new world that is uniquely her own. This installment focuses on the two types of vampires: Feeders are psychic vampires who feed off the stolen powers of other psions, and Nichtvren, who are a more traditional type of vampire. The narrative has plenty of paranormal romance, horror, crime, fantasy and action melded together to make a fast paced and engaging read.
All in all, Dead Man Rising is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Dante Valentine has been throwing herself into her work to avoid having to think about her problems. Before he died, her dead demon lover Japhrimel physically changed her into a hedaira, something that is not quite a demon but yet is no longer wholly human either, which she doesn’t want to think about.
When psions all over the city are brutally murdered and Dante is called to try and raise the spirit of the latest victim it seems like it will be yet another way to avoid having to deal with her problems. However, the spirit’s chilling message reminds her of her past wounds, as the murders are happening at Rigger Hall – where she grew up as an orphan.
The Headmaster of Rigger Hall was a Feeder, a psychic vampire, whose abuses of his students went unchecked for many years until he finally was killed. Rigger Hall was closed and abandoned after the inquiry into his abuse and now it seems that history might be repeating itself. To stop the killer Dante must face the ghosts of her past.
Dead Man Rising is written rather well. Saintcrow has successfully crafted a futuristic world where the gritty urban landscape meshes seamlessly with a reworking of established myth to create a whole new world that is uniquely her own. This installment focuses on the two types of vampires: Feeders are psychic vampires who feed off the stolen powers of other psions, and Nichtvren, who are a more traditional type of vampire. The narrative has plenty of paranormal romance, horror, crime, fantasy and action melded together to make a fast paced and engaging read.
All in all, Dead Man Rising is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
October 21, 2022
Second in the series and I liked it, but some of the angst that Danny goes through (and through) just was too repetitive for me. How many times can the same things be dredged up and over analyzed? Apparently a lot.
This book picks up about 10-12 months after the end of Working for the Devil. Danny has been involved with bounty hunting in order to avoid confronting her grief over Japhrimel. Her friend Gabe goes to her with a case that involves psions being savagely killed. This forces her to face the demons (literal and figurative) from her past. This story has a few twists - one totally unexpected, the other I enjoyed this and look forward to finishing the series.
Quote to remember:
Death did not play favorites - He loved all equally. What you cannot escape, you must fight; what you cannot fight, you must endure.
This book picks up about 10-12 months after the end of Working for the Devil. Danny has been involved with bounty hunting in order to avoid confronting her grief over Japhrimel. Her friend Gabe goes to her with a case that involves psions being savagely killed. This forces her to face the demons (literal and figurative) from her past. This story has a few twists - one totally unexpected, the other I enjoyed this and look forward to finishing the series.
Quote to remember:
Death did not play favorites - He loved all equally. What you cannot escape, you must fight; what you cannot fight, you must endure.
January 12, 2021
I have mixed feelings on this one.
I felt like the author did a better job of toning down the over-the-top sci-if names. Unfortunately, for consistency’s sake, we’re stuck with a lot of them.
The plot was interesting. I would have liked it more if I had a better understanding of the limitations to the magic being used, and how it bent the rules of standard magical practice.
This bring me back to my main complaint of this series: world building. There is none. This is book two, and we have very little idea as to how anything works. I wish there were explanations into the Awakening and Seventy Day War and just general history of the world.
I felt like the author did a better job of toning down the over-the-top sci-if names. Unfortunately, for consistency’s sake, we’re stuck with a lot of them.
The plot was interesting. I would have liked it more if I had a better understanding of the limitations to the magic being used, and how it bent the rules of standard magical practice.
This bring me back to my main complaint of this series: world building. There is none. This is book two, and we have very little idea as to how anything works. I wish there were explanations into the Awakening and Seventy Day War and just general history of the world.
April 4, 2017
Luv luv that series.
February 14, 2023
I'm reading the complete Dante collection on my ereader. I loved the first book. But this one. Damn, it was so boring for the first 2/3. Only than it became really intresting and than I ofcourse finished it within 2 days. Anyway. Not sure if I wanna read the rest of the 5 books. But whatever, I'll find out in the future
November 19, 2010
Synopsis: It's been almost a year since the events of Working for the Devil. Now, part demon and Necromance bounty hunter Dante *Danny* Valentine has thrown herself into bounty after bounty to forget losing her demon lover Japhrimel who got himself attached to her by the Devil himself.
Jace has decided to join her on these dangerous bounties in order to prove himself to Dante and is constantly putting himself in danger to prove himself. Dante is then asked by her friend Gabriel *Gabe* who works for the police, to look into recent killings, including a fellow necromance, that leads her back to a painful childhood at Rigger Hall. As she goes about her investigation, she whines, and acts like a thrown over teen-ager who was just dumped and has not other alternative in front of her.
I find myself struggling to rate, or review this book. I was truly happy with the first book in the series, and was looking forward to this one. I liked how tough and courageous Dante was in the first book. Ah, so much for the anticipation. :sigh:
She's still struggling with her demon powers, and altered beauty forced on her by Japhrimel to ensure she could defeat her mortal enemy in book one. Enough already. Either get over the fact that you've been altered by your crappy demon lover, or go off yourself. Does it really take a character almost a year to figure out that she's not normal anymore? She forsakes her friends, including Jace, by trying to leave them behind. Of course, it costs Jace is live...stupid idiot!!
I truly hated Dante aka Danny Valentine through the first 200 pages of this book. Angst and dispair over losing Japhrimel drove me up the wall. I wanted to screamm that we ALL lose someone we love, but it doesn't take a year to come out of your funk.
I hated the fact that the author killed Jace off before the ending. Of course, it was probably the best part of the entire series since it actually showed that she did, in fact, care for Jace. Watching Dante, Gabe and Eddie deal with his death was heartbreaking. Watching Dante burn her own house down for atonement was totally different from what I thought would happen.
I also despised the continued repetition with the color of her freaking nail polish. Okay, it's black, and it looks like it's dripping blood. We get it already...move on!!!
I did like the flashbacks to when she was a child and forced to endure punishments at the hands of a sadistic head master. Of course, we find out that she didn't have it so rough compared to others.
Otherwise, I can only hope and wait until the next book comes available in my que to read it.
Jace has decided to join her on these dangerous bounties in order to prove himself to Dante and is constantly putting himself in danger to prove himself. Dante is then asked by her friend Gabriel *Gabe* who works for the police, to look into recent killings, including a fellow necromance, that leads her back to a painful childhood at Rigger Hall. As she goes about her investigation, she whines, and acts like a thrown over teen-ager who was just dumped and has not other alternative in front of her.
I find myself struggling to rate, or review this book. I was truly happy with the first book in the series, and was looking forward to this one. I liked how tough and courageous Dante was in the first book. Ah, so much for the anticipation. :sigh:
She's still struggling with her demon powers, and altered beauty forced on her by Japhrimel to ensure she could defeat her mortal enemy in book one. Enough already. Either get over the fact that you've been altered by your crappy demon lover, or go off yourself. Does it really take a character almost a year to figure out that she's not normal anymore? She forsakes her friends, including Jace, by trying to leave them behind. Of course, it costs Jace is live...stupid idiot!!
I truly hated Dante aka Danny Valentine through the first 200 pages of this book. Angst and dispair over losing Japhrimel drove me up the wall. I wanted to screamm that we ALL lose someone we love, but it doesn't take a year to come out of your funk.
I hated the fact that the author killed Jace off before the ending. Of course, it was probably the best part of the entire series since it actually showed that she did, in fact, care for Jace. Watching Dante, Gabe and Eddie deal with his death was heartbreaking. Watching Dante burn her own house down for atonement was totally different from what I thought would happen.
I also despised the continued repetition with the color of her freaking nail polish. Okay, it's black, and it looks like it's dripping blood. We get it already...move on!!!
I did like the flashbacks to when she was a child and forced to endure punishments at the hands of a sadistic head master. Of course, we find out that she didn't have it so rough compared to others.
Otherwise, I can only hope and wait until the next book comes available in my que to read it.
February 21, 2021
I’m being stingy even though this was a perfectly satisfying read. However I’m not so tolerant of overused cliches anymore. I understand the need for tropes, nonetheless the Asian master being all Asian and magically mysterious, using Asian “cool” lingo with their western apprentice is cringe worthy. I just laughed through the magical sword part. Incredibly overused and lame. And problematic!
The second problematic trope is rape to be part of the heroines past and scars. This is really not necessary. THIS ISN’T NECESSARY!!! Can’t think of any other way to create trauma? Lazy, lazy and very problematic author. Do better next time.
The second problematic trope is rape to be part of the heroines past and scars. This is really not necessary. THIS ISN’T NECESSARY!!! Can’t think of any other way to create trauma? Lazy, lazy and very problematic author. Do better next time.
December 30, 2010
I really, really liked the first book in the Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saintcrow. Dead Man Rising (the second book in this series) was a disappointment.
You meet up with Dante (Danny) a short time after her hunt in the last book and the "death" of Japh. Dante has been recklessly taking bounty after bounty to distract herself from her grief over Japh. Jace shows up to help her out on her bounties and has forsaken all of his connections with the mob for her. Gabe ends up calling Danny in on a grisly murder and Danny finds that these murders may be linked to something that happened at Rigger Hall (the horrible school where Danny was first educated as a psion and tortured, etc, etc).
This book had a lot of action but it wasn't nearly as interesting and crisp as the first book. This book makes no progress in Danny understanding her new half-demon nature. Danny spends most of the time grieving over Japh's death and, when she is not whining about how much she misses Japh, she is sitting around talking about how horrible Rigger Hall was and how she can't bear to even enter the place or think about it. I thought it was all a bit over the top and dramatic, even for Danny. I mean the Rigger Hall incidents were years ago. We all have bad memories from childhood, and hers were much worse than most, but in the first book she seemed to be a reasonably well-adjusted person despite her tough beginning. She spends this whole book whining, grieving, and falling to pieces. I understand Danny is going through rough times but, come on, that doesn't need to be the content of the *whole* book.
I found myself rolling my eyes at Danny's dramatic and strange behavior a number of times. I was hoping all of this was going to lead somewhere profound but even the climax of her facing her fears at Rigger Hall fell dead for me. I really, really hope the third book is better. I liked the first book a lot so I will read the third, if the third follows the second I am done with this series. So in summary this book was passable but not nearly as good as I was expecting.
You meet up with Dante (Danny) a short time after her hunt in the last book and the "death" of Japh. Dante has been recklessly taking bounty after bounty to distract herself from her grief over Japh. Jace shows up to help her out on her bounties and has forsaken all of his connections with the mob for her. Gabe ends up calling Danny in on a grisly murder and Danny finds that these murders may be linked to something that happened at Rigger Hall (the horrible school where Danny was first educated as a psion and tortured, etc, etc).
This book had a lot of action but it wasn't nearly as interesting and crisp as the first book. This book makes no progress in Danny understanding her new half-demon nature. Danny spends most of the time grieving over Japh's death and, when she is not whining about how much she misses Japh, she is sitting around talking about how horrible Rigger Hall was and how she can't bear to even enter the place or think about it. I thought it was all a bit over the top and dramatic, even for Danny. I mean the Rigger Hall incidents were years ago. We all have bad memories from childhood, and hers were much worse than most, but in the first book she seemed to be a reasonably well-adjusted person despite her tough beginning. She spends this whole book whining, grieving, and falling to pieces. I understand Danny is going through rough times but, come on, that doesn't need to be the content of the *whole* book.
I found myself rolling my eyes at Danny's dramatic and strange behavior a number of times. I was hoping all of this was going to lead somewhere profound but even the climax of her facing her fears at Rigger Hall fell dead for me. I really, really hope the third book is better. I liked the first book a lot so I will read the third, if the third follows the second I am done with this series. So in summary this book was passable but not nearly as good as I was expecting.
May 14, 2013
Originally posted at FanLit. http://www.fantasyliterature.com/
Dead Man Rising is the second book in Lilith Saintcrow’s DANTE VALENTINE series. Dante, a freelance necromance, has lived through her first assignment for the devil. (She didn’t want to work for him, but the devil can be very persuasive.) Now Dante’s brooding because her demon lover is dead and she’s just had a nasty surprise about her own heritage. When her friend Gabe, the police investigator, calls to tell her that her old school friends are being brutally murdered, Dante, with the help of her ex-boyfriend Jace, sets out to solve the crimes. Thus not only does Dante have to deal with her current grief, but she has to face her horrible past, too.
I didn’t like the first DANTE VALENTINE book, Working for the Devil (reviewed here), but I decided to give Dante another chance since Brilliance Audio sent me the whole series to review and it wasn’t costing me any money. The narration by Tanya Eby is excellent.
Unfortunately, I liked Dead Man Rising even less than I liked Working for the Devil. It takes a long time to get going and Dante spends most of her time in this book brooding about her childhood and whining about the dead (maybe) demon and her injury. She’s wallowing in self-pity and it goes on and on both inside her head and out her mouth until she’s nearly incapacitated. (You’d think that someone as tough as Dante Valentine could manage to cope a little better). Meanwhile, Jace is pining for her (I have no idea why) and she lets him be her sidekick, move into her house and sleep in her bed all the while telling him they’ll never be together. What a bitch.
The reason I didn’t like the first DANTE VALENTINE book was because I didn’t like Dante. She’s rude, mean, and bitchy. She’s even less likeable now that we add cold-hearted drama queen to the mix. Since Dead Man Rising spends more time listening to Dante whine than kill demons, it’s just unpleasant in every way.
Dead Man Rising is the second book in Lilith Saintcrow’s DANTE VALENTINE series. Dante, a freelance necromance, has lived through her first assignment for the devil. (She didn’t want to work for him, but the devil can be very persuasive.) Now Dante’s brooding because her demon lover is dead and she’s just had a nasty surprise about her own heritage. When her friend Gabe, the police investigator, calls to tell her that her old school friends are being brutally murdered, Dante, with the help of her ex-boyfriend Jace, sets out to solve the crimes. Thus not only does Dante have to deal with her current grief, but she has to face her horrible past, too.
I didn’t like the first DANTE VALENTINE book, Working for the Devil (reviewed here), but I decided to give Dante another chance since Brilliance Audio sent me the whole series to review and it wasn’t costing me any money. The narration by Tanya Eby is excellent.
Unfortunately, I liked Dead Man Rising even less than I liked Working for the Devil. It takes a long time to get going and Dante spends most of her time in this book brooding about her childhood and whining about the dead (maybe) demon and her injury. She’s wallowing in self-pity and it goes on and on both inside her head and out her mouth until she’s nearly incapacitated. (You’d think that someone as tough as Dante Valentine could manage to cope a little better). Meanwhile, Jace is pining for her (I have no idea why) and she lets him be her sidekick, move into her house and sleep in her bed all the while telling him they’ll never be together. What a bitch.
The reason I didn’t like the first DANTE VALENTINE book was because I didn’t like Dante. She’s rude, mean, and bitchy. She’s even less likeable now that we add cold-hearted drama queen to the mix. Since Dead Man Rising spends more time listening to Dante whine than kill demons, it’s just unpleasant in every way.
September 10, 2017
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J'ai un peu traîné à lire ce second tome, car le précédent était bien triste et je n'osais pas. Mais en fait j'ai totalement adoré cette lecture, il est passé vraiment pas loin du coup de cœur !
Danny travaille le plus souvent possible ne se laissant pas un moment de répit depuis la fin du tome précédent. Elle est à bout de souffle mais elle ne ralentit pas car à tout moment la tristesse peut la rattraper et la faire tomber de très haut.
Elle est appelée sur une affaire qui la concerne, du moins qui concerne son passé. Certains psions sont assassinés à travers la vile, et ils ont en commun le fait d'avoir été dans la même institution, celle qui donne encore des cauchemars à Danny même des années après et qui a été fermée après qu'on ai assassiné le directeur ...
Je pense que le gros point fort de ce tome c'est l'ambiance. On sent vraiment Danny au bord du gouffre qui ne lâche pas l'affaire, qui s'occupe l'esprit comme elle le peut pour ne pas se mettre à déprimer (même si c'est déjà plus ou moins le cas). C'est très fort sentimentalement parlant, j'ai déjà lu certains livres du même genre qui m'ont moins plus pour diverses raisons mais celui ci était vraiment particulièrement réussi. Danny montre son coté fragile, son coté excessif aussi de femme à moitié brisée, ça m'a beaucoup touché.
L'enquête aussi est très intéressante, on en apprend plus sur le passé de Danny, et c'est vraiment pas réjouissant ...
Du coup ça renforce l'ambiance du tome sombre et triste.
Après je suis consciente que pour ce genre de livres il faut vraiment être dans le bon état d'esprit parce que si ce n'est pas le cas on peut totalement décrocher si on ne se sent pas proche des personnages. Mais heureusement çà a totalement été mon cas ici, j'ai même versé quelques larmes ce qui m'arrive très rarement.
Au final une lecture qui m'a beaucoup touché, j'ai vraiment passé un moment fort et j'ai hâte de lire la suite !
17/20
J'ai un peu traîné à lire ce second tome, car le précédent était bien triste et je n'osais pas. Mais en fait j'ai totalement adoré cette lecture, il est passé vraiment pas loin du coup de cœur !
Danny travaille le plus souvent possible ne se laissant pas un moment de répit depuis la fin du tome précédent. Elle est à bout de souffle mais elle ne ralentit pas car à tout moment la tristesse peut la rattraper et la faire tomber de très haut.
Elle est appelée sur une affaire qui la concerne, du moins qui concerne son passé. Certains psions sont assassinés à travers la vile, et ils ont en commun le fait d'avoir été dans la même institution, celle qui donne encore des cauchemars à Danny même des années après et qui a été fermée après qu'on ai assassiné le directeur ...
Je pense que le gros point fort de ce tome c'est l'ambiance. On sent vraiment Danny au bord du gouffre qui ne lâche pas l'affaire, qui s'occupe l'esprit comme elle le peut pour ne pas se mettre à déprimer (même si c'est déjà plus ou moins le cas). C'est très fort sentimentalement parlant, j'ai déjà lu certains livres du même genre qui m'ont moins plus pour diverses raisons mais celui ci était vraiment particulièrement réussi. Danny montre son coté fragile, son coté excessif aussi de femme à moitié brisée, ça m'a beaucoup touché.
L'enquête aussi est très intéressante, on en apprend plus sur le passé de Danny, et c'est vraiment pas réjouissant ...
Du coup ça renforce l'ambiance du tome sombre et triste.
Après je suis consciente que pour ce genre de livres il faut vraiment être dans le bon état d'esprit parce que si ce n'est pas le cas on peut totalement décrocher si on ne se sent pas proche des personnages. Mais heureusement çà a totalement été mon cas ici, j'ai même versé quelques larmes ce qui m'arrive très rarement.
Au final une lecture qui m'a beaucoup touché, j'ai vraiment passé un moment fort et j'ai hâte de lire la suite !
17/20
April 7, 2008
The 2nd book in the Dante Valentine Series. I liked this book - I would have given it 3.5 stars if half stars were possible, but not quite enough for 4 stars. The premise is interesting and the main plot line was spooky and made for a page turner. My big criticism of this book was Too. Much. Inner. Monologue. OMG!!! We get it. You're tortured. You're shamed. You're guilty. You miss your dead demon lover. You don't even know what you are anymore. I GET IT. Move on with the plot, for the love of god!
Whew, ok, /rant. Again, I like this character and the universe that this story takes place in - very well fleshed out and lots of interesting possibilities for exploration, so I will continue with this series (made all the easier by the fact that the next installment is sitting on my bookshelf - thanks, mom!). But I seriously hope there is more action and less pity party next time around.
Whew, ok, /rant. Again, I like this character and the universe that this story takes place in - very well fleshed out and lots of interesting possibilities for exploration, so I will continue with this series (made all the easier by the fact that the next installment is sitting on my bookshelf - thanks, mom!). But I seriously hope there is more action and less pity party next time around.
October 9, 2011
Is this book even written by the same author? This is not the same Dante from bk 1, where did she go? This should have been a good read, but I could not really get into it. I actually skipped a lot because it did not add to the story and was overly repetitive, annoying. The editors seemed to have missed a lot or was it left in for word count? However, even Danny started to become annoying. I get that she was struggling with some issues regarding Japh and Jace, but where did here back bone go? She turned whiney, paranoid and bordering on unlike-able. Where was the emotionally tough, in control, smart heroine we saw in bk 1 - on a break? She did show up (albeit a weaker version of herself) a moment here and there, but the reasons I liked the first book were not present enough to enjoy this book.
I will trudge along and read them all...I bought the set, because bk 1 was that good. (3 for storyline - 2.5 for losing it)
I will trudge along and read them all...I bought the set, because bk 1 was that good. (3 for storyline - 2.5 for losing it)
February 5, 2012
"Behind the main building were the dormitories, two for girls, one for boys (since the X chromosome carries Talent far more often than the Y)."
NO. THAT'S WRONG. If it's a sex-linked disorder, then more males will carry Talent. I don't really remember much about this book, now that I've read the third one, but I do remember that there was far too much angst for my liking. *twitch*
If there hadn't been so many impossible-to-ignore flaws in Dead Man Rising, I would've given this four (or maybe even five) stars. It was so, so disturbing -- I thought Saintcrow did an excellent job with the horrific murders and the whole mystery. Unfortunately, Dante's tendency to mope for her dead lover and hurt Jace in the process was annoying. That, combined with the fact that was disappointing.
NO. THAT'S WRONG. If it's a sex-linked disorder, then more males will carry Talent. I don't really remember much about this book, now that I've read the third one, but I do remember that there was far too much angst for my liking. *twitch*
If there hadn't been so many impossible-to-ignore flaws in Dead Man Rising, I would've given this four (or maybe even five) stars. It was so, so disturbing -- I thought Saintcrow did an excellent job with the horrific murders and the whole mystery. Unfortunately, Dante's tendency to mope for her dead lover and hurt Jace in the process was annoying. That, combined with the fact that was disappointing.
February 10, 2025
The writer has created a complex world where magic and psychic abilities are interwoven into the realities of our world. However, I didn't feel that the characters were as well developed as the world itself. The main character, Dante Valentine, is a bounty hunter and a recently created half-demon who is mourning her lost love. But she is just mired in memories of him to the point of often losing focus in the middle of important events to think of him. And that is pretty much all that I got of her. Yes, she is a strong necromancer who is on the hunt for someone who is killing psychics who all have ties to Dante's own past horrors of the school they were brought up in but that is often lost in constant thoughts of her loss. The other characters could be interesting, they have at least on paper, intriguing pasts that could make for good characters but they are just lost.
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