Customer Reviews

The Devil's Right Hand (Dante Valentine, Book 3)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

In the first two books, she was tough and didn't take (stuff) from anyone - especially Lucifer or Japh.

Through about 2/3 of this book, Japh treats Dante like a child. When this book opens, she has been searching for info on Fallen demons - info Japh obviously knows, but refuses to give her. (Some of this information would have been useful later in the book.)

I'm going to be blunt - he emotionally (and physically) abuses her. And she takes it. The Dante of Books 1 or 2 would have told him to fly himself back to Hell - she was going home to Saint City. True, she keeps thinking of the things she wants to say to him, but when she opens her mouth to speak, all that comes out is her giving in to whatever he wants.

I wish I could say the action in the first 2/3 of the book makes up for the abuse. Sadly, this isn't the case, with action just thrown in to keep the plot moving. (Even the action has the emotional overtones.)

I almost quit reading this book in disgust, but the last 1/3 is much better. Dante does something on her own, which seems to bring the tough-Dante back to life. She finally stands up for herself and puts Japh in his place. Hopefully this Dante hangs around for Books 4 and 5.

Better and better is what I can say. I remember reading the first book, and putting it down in the end, thinking " this gal really has a serious mental problem." Not that having a mental problem is, well, a problem, but it sorta got on the annoying side. Still, I plowed on and viola, here I am, finished with the third book and waiting for more.

Danny's condition, it can only be said, worsened throughout the books, giving what happened to her. But now, it has starting to make a lot more sense than it did in the first book, and I actually feel pitiful and understanding of her feelings of anguish, hatred and insecurity.
The chemistry, screams, tears, worries and such like scenes with Japh was amazingly written. I couldn't help letting my emotions run around with both characters, understanding yet feeling fustrated at the same time. It was easy to understand why Japh wrapped her up like a bird in a cage, and it was also too easy to want to swing a sabre into a wall when it came to Danny's feelings. Danny can't help the fact that she is as fragile as an eggshell when it comes to demons, and Japh can't help trying his best to protect her, even when it would make her hate the whole situation even further.
The author has a great talent for bringing readers into the world, into the hearts and minds of every character, Danny, Japh and even Lucifer. I look forward to the rest of the story and hope that Danny(somehow) manages to reel in a bit with the mental rocket.

It seems that Dante "Danny" Valentine just cannot get away from having to deal with Lucifer. (Yes, Lucifer, Prince of Hades.) Dante no longer has to work to pay off her mortgage. It is done. Now she dwells in a huge fortress with layers upon layers of the best wards and shields (Necromance and "Fallen" Demon). She has even come to trust Trierce "Japh" Japhrimel.

When Japh tells Danny that Lucifer wants to meet with her again, dread hits her hard. But one simply does NOT tell Lucifer no. Lucifer needs a new Right Hand and wants Dante. By the time the negotiations are done, Dante is contracted for the next seven years. Dante must hunt down four rogue demons that have escaped from Hades. Dante's new and fragile trust of Japh begins to crack when her new home is attacked by demons while Japh is conveniently absent. From then on, Dante is on the run. But if Dante is being hunted by demons (and more) while she must hunt down four Greater Flight demons (the highest level demons can become), then she needs a bodyguard. Who better than the merc Lucas Villalobos (a.k.a. Deathless)? He is a man that has done something so vile that the god of death refuses to let Lucas embrace eternal rest. As for Lucas, he hopes Lucifer might be able to kill him since no one else can.

When Japh reenters the picture, Dante notices that he has full demon powers again. Trust all but crumbles. Japh begins acting strangely. When Japh refuses to tell Dante what is going on, acts like she is his prisoner, and even has a creature with him that is neither human, nor demon, trust totally fails. Dante is on her own.

***** The only really irritating thing about Dante's character is that her paranoia causes her trust issues to bounce around like crazy. But hey, isn't that what paranoia does to one? And Dante has very valid reasons to be paranoid! As for this story, it is just as good, if not a tiny bit better, than the previous titles (Working for the Devil & Dead Man Rising) ... and that is saying something! It has been a long time since a series has held me in its grip as tightly as Dante Valentine's. Very highly recommended reading! BRAVA! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Plot Summary: Dante and Japhrimel have been living together in relative peace, far away from Saint City. Things are too idyllic it seems, because the Devil requests a meeting with Dante to make her an offer she won't be able to refuse. Japhrimel joins Dante on her devil's errand, to kill four demons who've escaped from Hell, but being the devil's right hand has put a target on Dante's back. Almost immediately the assassination attempts begin, and Dante becomes increasingly impatient with Japhrimel's stubborn resistance to share anything with her, including information about her status as his hedaira.

My relationship with the Dante Valentine series has been strange, to say the least. I absolutely loved the first book, Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1), and soon after read book two, Dead Man Rising (Dante Valentine, Book 2), which knocked the wind right out of my sails. The second book seemed to lack everything I had loved about the first, and so I set aside this series for a good long while. It's been nearly half a year, and I was curious to see if book three would redeem the Dante series or knock it in the dirt.

I'm happy to say that The Devil's Right Hand gets things back on track. Dante is full of ironic humor in the face of peril, and she's rude and crude to the Devil himself. I'm glad the maudlin times from book two are over and done with, and furthermore, Dante and Japhrimel finally spend a lot of time together. Perhaps too much time, given their stubborn temperaments. Japh won't share one iota of information with Dante, and she won't give him the benefit of the doubt. Their relationship is a constant storm that was fascinating to watch.

As long as Dante's unique personality is given room to shine, I'll be happy to keep reading this series. As cool and complex as the fantasy world is here, it's really the heroine's character that keeps me coming back for more. The next two books are Saint City Sinners (Dante Valentine, Book 4), and To Hell and Back (Dante Valentine, Book 5).

So Dante's life is now idyllic... and she isn't happy. How many of us can relate to getting what you want and not being sure what to do with it? This is what the other posters are complaining about, I think. There is no going back and she is literally shackled to the Underworld. This book is about a control freak learnng to deal with an partnership. Its a lot like the first year of marriage, as I hear it.

She has pledged her life to being with Japh and all his baggage for the rest of her fragile, half mortal life. So she freaks out about feeling trapped and forced to deal with trusting another person that has many of the same trust issues. If you have read the previous novels in the series, this is a HUGE change of pace for Dante and being forced to deal with it makes her sound a little whiny because that is all she can do about it. That and rage against the bad guys. And there is a fantastic plot twist concerning who exactly are the bad guys that develops in Book 5(which I highly recommend).

Dante Valentine needs to remember that she is indeed a Necromance half-demon girl who knows runic magic. Why? Because the only relevant part of that amazing character description that matters in this novel, is the half demon toughness. Dante spends the entire novel as an emotionally recovering punching bag.

Her semi-idyllic life with Jaf is shattered by Lucifer, but Dante never takes charge of her quest to kill off renegade demons as the devil's new right hand. Why? Because Jaf thinks *he* is in charge, and neither of them trust each other enough to share authority. The romantic power struggle between Dante and Jaf overshadowed the backdrop, and the novel felt more like man vs woman than supernatural action.

Edit: I read the reviews on #4 (and the first chapter of it), and it's 'I love him, but can't trust him' laid out even thicker. So this is a good place to drop the series, as I now have.

What happened to Dante? In the first book we are treated to a kick butt heroine who is so rigid and so intolerant of lies and deception that she can't forgive an ex-boyfriend who lied to her to save her life. Now she meekly trails along beside her new lover, whining and whinging as he ignores her, lies to her and treats her like a moronic two year old. And she just meekly accepts it because she "loves" him?? What??!! This book was pathetic. Two thirds of it was devoted to Dante whining about her relationship and the last third was unfortunately not devoted to a fleshed out plot.

I would read the next book just to see Dante descend further into battered wife syndrome, but frankly, I don't think I can stomach it. A waste of what could have been a good female character and who is now nothing more than a whiny victim of her own bad choices.

In the beginning of "The Devil's Right Hand Man" Dante Valentine is still recovering from the previous trauma of the last book. She had watched her former boyfriend get killed and couldn't do anything to save him. This has caused a lot of guilt that she doesn't know how to get past. Also, she has apparently been back with Japh for some time since the last novel. Though they seem to have been getting along well, their relationship is nowhere near perfect. He is hiding a lot from her and she is working hard to figure out what he is not telling her. To top this off, the Devil wants Dante's services again. This is going to put a rift between her and Raph as well as add a lot of danger which she had been avoiding.

The plot itself is rather interesting and could have made the book great. The problem is the author spends too much time in Dante's head where she is plagued by constant guilt, depression, and old memories. Of course the author wants to recap the activities of previous books for new readers, but it just wasn't done well. There may be those that didn't mind this, but I like my heroines strong. It's okay for them to be depressed of they think their lover is dead, but that is not the problem here. Dante is so stuck in the past that she can't get out of it. I got tired quickly of her constant angst, worry and distrust. If she really is such a great Necromance and fighter, she shouldn't be dwelling full time on all her depressing issues. On top of this, the man that has sacrificed so much for her looks bad in her eyes. Honestly, I feel Japh probably has good reasons for his behavior and Dante should have been able to see that. Unfortunately her poor attitude prevents it. Mostly, their relationship becomes a bigger mess than it already was.

I'm not going to say people shouldn't read this book. Everyone has their own taste and I'm sure some people will like this novel and appreciate it. For me, I just had a hard time due to my personal expectations for a heroine. If you prefer similar traits to me, you most likely will not enjoy "The Devil's Right Hand Man" but if the factors I mentioned above are not a problem, it may be worth trying. This series started off with a bang and I really enjoyed it. Perhaps my expectations for the next book in the series got in the way, but each person has to decide that for themselves.

Saintcrow's latest Dante Valentine installment does not disappoint! The Devil's Right Hand is a visionary piece of futuristic urban fantasy that takes an in-depth look at good and evil.

Saintcrow doesn't paint a saintly protagonist, in fact, Dante is in love with a fallen demon. Dante struggles with herself realizing that sometimes she has an evil streak in her. And Japhrimel, the fallen angel, is a blend of good and evil as well. Within the plot, Saintcrow explores a realistic human nature, that all of us struggle to balance the forces of light and dark within ourselves.

Like Saintcrow's previous heroines, Dante is sexy, intelligent, fearless, and lethal. She is a refreshing look at a strong woman who struggles to allow herself vulnerable moments.

Saintcrow assumes her readers are intelligent, and she writes with a blend of history, mythology, and imagination that is derivative of nothing in the genre. Saintcrow's writing includes gorgeous passages like this one of Dante explaining the feeling of power: "It ran out my toes, a crackling tide of burning leaving me molten and shaken. I blinked several times, something fine and dusty falling from my eyelashes. Closed my eyes, still blind. Let my head tip back like a heavy fruit on my limp stem of a neck" (p227).

Though this is the third installment in the series of five, it can be read as a stand-alone book. Saintcrow balances backstory without being repetitive, and a glossary at the end of the book will clear up any questions a new reader might have. Saint City Sinners is book four, and To Hell and Back finishes the series.

This book is not conceived in the same way that the previous two are. I mean, this one is more about Dante and her personal demons, fears, etc. I found this very interesting, as she is human (well, part demon) and we can get to see that she is not that super machine who can take everything and not be hurt. She's just human enough to get hurt, to be afraid... and I really liked to see this side of her personality.

Also, I really liked the way in which the relation ship between her and Japh worked on this book. Japh is still a demon, it doesn't matter that he's a Fallen, the fact of having Fallen for Dante doesn't turns him into a nice sweet guy. He's still the same badass, he hasn't changed in an unbeliable way. And is "nice" to see how these two chracters interact with each other, I really loved it!

All in all, maybe this book is a little different from the others, less charged, but it's still a very powerful book, and one that seems to complicate things even more between Lucifer and Dante, between the Earth and Hell...

A recommended read!!!