fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsDead Man Rising by Lilith SaintcrowDead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow

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.

When the dead call, she answers. Bounty hunting is a helluva job, but it pays the bills. And it lets Necromance Dante Valentine forget her issues — like struggling with her half-demon side and the memory of her lover’s death. Now psychics all over the city are being savagely murdered– and a piece of the past Dante thought she’d buried is stalking the night with a vengeance. Too bad she’s got no way to tell which fiend — or friend — to trust. Or that her most horrifying nightmares are gathering to take one kick-ass bounty hunter down for the count. But that’s only the beginning. The Devil just called. He’s looking for Dante’s lover — the one he killed…

Dante Valentine — (2006-2008) Publisher: When the Devil needs a rogue demon killed, who does he call? The Player: Necromance-for-hire Dante Valentine is choosy about her jobs. Hot tempered and with nerves of steel, she can raise the dead like nobody’s business. But one rainy Monday morning, everything goes straight to hell. The Score: The Devil hires Dante to eliminate a rogue demon: Vardimal Santino. In return, he will let her live. It’s an offer she can’t refuse. The Catch: How do you kill something that can’t die?

Dante Valentine Lilith Saintcrow review 1. Working for the Devil 2. Dead Man Rising 3. The Devil's Right Hand 4. Saint City Sinners 5. To Hell and BackDante Valentine Lilith Saintcrow review 1. Working for the Devil 2. Dead Man Rising 3. The Devil's Right Hand 4. Saint City Sinners 5. To Hell and BackDante Valentine Lilith Saintcrow review 1. Working for the Devil 2. Dead Man Rising 3. The Devil's Right Hand 4. Saint City Sinners 5. To Hell and BackDante Valentine Lilith Saintcrow review 1. Working for the Devil 2. Dead Man Rising 3. The Devil's Right Hand 4. Saint City Sinners 5. To Hell and BackDante Valentine Lilith Saintcrow review 1. Working for the Devil 2. Dead Man Rising 3. The Devil's Right Hand 4. Saint City Sinners 5. To Hell and Back

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  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.