Selene Shade, Loving the Dead

by Victoria Dalpe

In the second novel of the Resurrectionist Series from Victoria Dalpe, Loving the Dead, a city tears itself apart, a new serial killer arrives in town, and Selene Shade desperately needs a vacation.



A few months after the tumultuous and reality-shredding arrival of the Pale Ones, the world has been changed, and not necessarily for the better. Half-lifes now regard Selene and her ilk with fear, knowing their free will isn’t as free as it once was. With the growing backlash against the undead in society, religious hate groups have swelled. Add to that a vampire serial killer, a contentious election, a heap of personal problems and you have the makings of a perfect storm that might just wipe the city of Goat Hill right off the map.



Revenge conspiracies, resurrection, and romance—what’s a girl to do? Join Selene and friends as they reluctantly race the clock to stop those that would destroy the world… again.

260 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2026

About the author

Victoria Dalpe is a writer and artist. She has published sixty short stories and the collection Les Femmes Grotesques. She is also the author of gothic horror novel Parasite Life and the dark fantasy series Selene Shade: Resurrectionist for Hire with CLASH Books. Book two Selene Shade: Loving the Dead will be out in August 2026. Her short story "The Cleaner" was selected for Night Shade Books' The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Seventeen edited by Ellen Datlow. Her next short story collection I'll Break You'll Break will be out in 2027 with Lethe Press. She lives in Rhode Island with her family. Follow her on instagram @victorialdalpe

Reviews

[Teabag.jpg ♡]

Firstly, thank you to Clash Books, Victoria Dalpe (the author) and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars 🌟

I really enjoyed this - dare I say it, more than the first of the series (which for me at least is practically unheard of!).

As a lot of the world and the characters in the story were already introduced in the first instalment, I feel it gave Victoria more of an opportunity to flesh out the story, which I really enjoyed.

I also really enjoyed the political element of it - it felt very real with what’s going on in our world at the moment, but beautifully translated to the world Victoria has created - I loved it.

I can’t wait for the final instalment and to see where this can go next!

[Jody Blanchette]

Selene Shade is back! I loved the first book, Resurrectionist For Hire, where we really got to know what Selene’s gift really involved. We also got a peek into a budding romance with a vampire. #teamMarlene for life! That’s not really a hashtag, but fans should make it one. lol
Now that everyone knows she can control the undead, and a hole has opened in reality that unleashed demons on earth, Selene is faced with the real world coming at her. The story mirrors real life struggles with politics, minorities, and the right to love whoever you want. Except, in this fictional world it’s magical politics, vampires and zombies, and the right to marry a magical creature. It sounds like a lot, but it all works really well. I quickly got caught up in the drama of the people picketing in front of Selene’s office, and the emotional turmoil the undead go through without any rights. My heart was pulled in all directions.
The story wasn’t left with an open ending, so I’m really excited to see what happens in the third book. I’m feeling like things are too good right now and something bad is going to happen that Selene won’t be able to get out of. I can’t wait!!

[Julie]

With this being a Book 2, I HIGHLY suggest reading Book 1 if you haven’t. This is one of my favorite series!!

In this fantasy/horror story, we have a lot of vampire, witch and other worldly activity. Set in modern day US everyday people coexist with people with magical powers, with Selene Shade being the heroine (and an awesome one at that). Selene and company must battle to save themselves from an alien force trying to threaten their existence. Meanwhile, a young vampire is on the loose taking young girls and killing them for fun!

There are a lot of interweaving parts to this book that are so well laid and out and come together nicely by the end to give you a satisfaction in reading the story that’s fun but also makes you anxious for your favorite characters. I really do root for the characters here because that’s just how well written they are, I enjoy getting to be part of their crazy, magical world.

I received this as an early copy and I’m so blessed I did! But this gives everyone time to catch up and read the first book before this drops. I highly recommend!!!!

[K.B. King]

Victoria Dalpe’s Selene Shade, Loving the Dead picks up after the reality-shattering arrival of the Pale Ones, leaving Selene to contend with an increasingly hostile world, a vampire serial killer, political unrest, and growing fear of the undead. I haven’t read Selene Shade: Resurrectionist for Hire, but this sequel absolutely made me want to go back and start the series from the beginning. The plot moves with impressive momentum, balancing action, mystery, political intrigue, and personal stakes, while the multiple POVs add depth and scope. Dalpe’s worldbuilding is a standout: resurrectionists, necromancers, vampires, zombies, and other supernatural elements coexist without overwhelming the story, with horror complementing the richly imagined urban-fantasy setting. Loving the Dead also thoughtfully explores power, prejudice, morality, and what it means to remain human when the boundaries between life and death become unstable. An excellent choice for readers who enjoy dark urban fantasy, complicated characters, inventive supernatural worlds, mystery, and horror.

Thank you NetGalley and CLASH for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Britney Ettinger]

Victoria Dalpe has done it again. SIX stars from me for Selene Shade: Loving the Dead, book two in the Selene Shade trilogy.

This book continues the story of Selene Shade, a resurrectionist, and her companion Marlow, a vampire, after the world-altering Invasion, and somehow manages to raise the stakes in every possible way without losing the intimate, haunting atmosphere that made the first book unforgettable.

The pacing is absolutely perfect. This is one of those books you tell yourself you’ll read “just one more chapter” of, only to realize hours have disappeared into the night. Every chapter leaves you needing the next. The multiple points of view add so much depth to the worldbuilding, making the universe feel massive, alive, and terrifyingly real, while still keeping the emotional core razor sharp.

Victoria Dalpe has a way of writing characters that crawl under your skin and stay there. The tension, the atmosphere, the relationships, the horror, the ache woven through every page, it all works flawlessly together.

No spoilers, because this deserves to be experienced completely blind, but if you love gothic horror, dark fantasy, morally gray characters, monsters, devotion, grief, survival, and stories that refuse to let you go once you start them… read these books immediately.

Now excuse me while I impatiently haunt the shadows waiting for book three.

[Jacquelyn Dohoney]

I have to admit, I came very close to putting this book down early on. The clear references to the current political climate were a bit of a turn off for me. Wrapping it up in fantasy horror didn’t make it any less obvious, and to be honest, I read to get away from all of that. However, I liked the first book so much that I decided to keep reading. The references didn’t stop, but they did get a lot easier to swallow as the story went on. This series is a pretty unique take on the typical monster story, and that’s what makes it grab you. Raising the dead but also having control over them? What an amazing but awful power to hold! It really brings an interesting phrase to mind. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. There was a lot going on in this story, but all the threads were easy to follow. And readers of the previous book will be happy to see that a couple of major things happen that I imagine we were all hoping would. I’m really interested in seeing what happens in the next book considering some pretty major players have been taken off the chessboard. Couple that with some new and unexpected friendships forged, and that ending, it’s bound to be a good one!

Huge thanks to CLASH Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

[Tim]

I pre-ordered this book and they sent it to me early, so I read it. A very engaging follow-up to the previous Selene Shade story. There’s some great characterization for the antagonist here, to the point that I found myself pulling for the guy.

There’s also some genuinely exciting worldbuilding on display. The series has an almost X-Men vibe to it, and I found myself eager to learn more about the different abilities everyone possesses and what the larger world of those abilities looks like.

The parts I found most fun were:

Vampire serial killer: I could have used a lot more of this.
CAM machinations: It was fun watching all their plots and plans unfold.
The return of an old partner: But not in the way you think.

The series continues to be a fun read, and I’m excited to see where the next one goes.

[April]

'Selene Shade Loving the Dead' is book 2 in Victoria Dalpe's The Resurrectionist series. It's a continuation of the story and could be described as urban fantasy with a horror edge. There are a large amount of horror elements and some gore, as should be expected in a book about Zombies, among other creatures. I loved it all. To be short, this book was magnificent. Victoria Dalpe has a true gift for storytelling. As a fan of urban fantasy I have no notes.

I loved book 1 'Selene Shade Resurrectionist for Hire' as well. The world building was effortless but you do need to read book 1 first. This series should be trending. Selene Shade Loving the Dead releases August 25th. Get it.

[ChanaReadsHorror]

I was so happy to jump back into this world. This book didn't feel like a sequel, just a continuation of the story. There never was a time in this or even book one that the story felt far fetched. The way they are written the supernatural parts feel very real world like. It never feels like too much strange and odd is being thrown at you it is the perfect amount to balance out the story. The book also feels so timely with the current state of the world as well, which really added to why I could not put it down.

[Lili Hill]

Another excellent addition to the series! I finished reading this, set my kindle down on my nightstand, and when sleep caught up to me I had nightmares about the Pale Ones. That is how good this series is! And Marlow is so great in this book too! Selene continues to be a beautifully written main character, but I really appreciated the expansion on other characters in this book too. The magic is still phenomenal and I look forward to the next book! Thank-you, CLASH Books and Victoria Dalpe, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Danny Brzozowski]

Victoria Dalpe set the bar high with Selene Shade, Resurrectionist and has only escalated with Selene Shade, Loving the Dead. Packed with action, expert world building, and engaging characters, Dalpe easily balances suspense with relationship, to create a web of ethical dilemmas, humanity, and authentic connection in the face of existential threat.

[Joshua Dahlin]

I love world building with monsters and this book pulled it off perfectly. The idea of having a resurrectionist and a necromancer be completely different but in the same vein I found absolutely fascinating. You can feel for all the different characters while still getting lost in the great pace and storytelling. Highly recommend it!

[Clara]

Amazing second installment of the series! Selene Shade is quickly becoming one of my favorite female leads. Somehow she manages to seem completely relatable in spite of beings surrounded by monsters and magic. I love spending time in the world that Victoria Dalpe has crafted. Highly recommend!

[John Goodrich]

A smart, twisty magical mystery with engaging world building, and great characters. Selene Shade is a great, complex character, and I can't wait for the third book of the series.

[Penny]

I’m sure you’ve heard me say it before, but there are some series and books I forgot how much I like until I read the next book, and this is, of course, one such series. Selene has become secure in her relationship with Marlow, but part of the public doesn’t like her. When she’s confronted with a sympathizer of the Cold Ones who tries to assassinate her, she realizes her work isn’t done. What follows is a fun, slightly horrific but interesting plot where the author can make you feel sorry for characters you probably shouldn’t feel sorry for. The author uses multiple POVs to do that, and she does it well. This book is urban fantasy, but it does at times lean into horror, but I’m down for that. I enjoyed this one as much as the first, and I’m excited to see what the changes in this book bring to the next installment. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Shymsal]

I can say with certainty that Ms. Dalpe has no problem killing her darlings, or giving them a hard smack or, even, knocking them down the stairs. In any case, it does lend a nice realistic edge to the novels.

Germaine went bad in the first book in - to me - a more comprehensive way than I would have thought possible for her character. I really identified with her, but she just pulled an Anakin and went all in on the darkness. Like she didn't care about anybody but herself and a boy she'd known for a month or something. Like consequences for her actions couldn't possibly exist, when anyone could have told her that she and everyone else would be paying them for a horrific and unspecified amount of time. It saddened me to see what became of Germaine in the end - even though she had, unfortunately, just about begged for it.

I was pleased to see not just growth in Selene and in her life but major changes across the board. Now I have to wait until next year to see how the trilogy ends.

Thanks to Ms. Dalpe and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.