Customer Reviews

Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1)

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Warning, a few spoilers, but I try not to reveal particular details.

Okay, I just read "Working for the Devil" by Lilith Saintcrow. I almost didn't, because the author's pen name seemed a bit to obvious and overdone, and that didn't inspire great expectations for the writing. The main character also had a pretty obvious name, Dante Valentine, and my expectations kept dropping... oh my, I thought, it's going to be gooey and predictable and sort of sponge cake romance. Which only proves the adage "Don't judge a book by it's cover." or by overly mary-sue type names.

I really, REALLY, liked this book. It starts off pretty interesting, and gets KICK ASS fairly quickly. It does however have a rather dark and mixed 'win/lose' ending. And I really REALLY liked the main character, Dante "Danny" Valentine - and there is a good excuse for her name.

The world the story is set in was pleasantly unique and sort of spell-punk, near future, dark fantasy. It's where you can watch Indiana Jones on a holovid, and Necromances are a rare type of Psionic human, and those who have psionic powers are both known, and regulated. Demons can and do walk among humans, and in Dante's case, show up on her doorstep and invite her to go to Hell at gunpoint, so that the big boss can have a talk with her.

Dante is a Necromance for hire, and doing what she can to pay off her house mortgage by taking on Bounty Hunter work on the side. Her current client is Lucifer, who gives her a case she really can't refuse. Hunt down and kill a rogue demon whose escaped from Hell, and retrieve a certain item the rogue demon stole from hell. The rogue is someone Dante met before, a serial killer who almost killed her once, and did murder someone very close to Dante. Things don't look too bright for Dante, because she has no idea how she'll manage to kill a demon, even though Lucifer has given (without being asked) her a demon familiar of her very own to protect her until she can accomplish her mission. The rogue can't be killed by man or demon, as he won immunity from that by way of a promise from Lucifer long ago, but that doesn't cover a female necromance with a score of her own to settle.

Not a romance, though there is a predictable bit where the tough and arrogant and gorgeous demon who is bonded to Dante falls for her. But even though most readers of paranormal romances could see that coming a mile a way... it's not going to end up like a romance novel. Not at all. This is a much harder, more grim, and darker storyline than most of the paranormal romance ilk. Happy endings aren't a given, and Dante isn't a gooey type of heroine girl at all. This is a woman whose patron god is Anubis, and who swears by Sekhmet, and she doesn't let her heart become a bargaining chip.

This is one of those books where the unique richness of the world it's set in becomes apparent the deeper you get into the story. Dante is backed up by a great supporting cast of characters. This is book one of an ongoing series, book two is due out in September, and the author is currently working on writing book five.

I'm very favorably impressed with the work over all, and can't wait to read the next books of the series.

mcx

Dante Valentine is a Necromance. She can raise the dead. Too bad for her that she cannot sense when a minion of Hell is standing on her doorstep. Dante receives a knock on her door from Japhrimel, Satan's chief assassin. He has a message for Ms. Valentine: She is coming with him, His Most Evilness wishes to speak with her. Wondering what she could possibly have done to turn up on Lucifer's radar. Japhrimel takes Dante to Lucifer. Lucifer, it turns out, wants to conduct a little business. A particularly nasty demon escaped from Hell. Dante has been recruited to slay this demon. Refuse and she dies. Take on the assignment and she probably won't live. These are Dante's choices.

Dante accepts the challenge and is given Japhrimel as a familiar. Together, they must figure out how to kill a demon that Lucifer himself could not kill.

This book is one of the most perfect examples of don't judge a book by its cover. The cover art for this book is total cheese. It's cheese with a side order of cheese. This is unfortunate, because the novel is quite good. The cover art almost kept me away from it though. I do believe there is a direct link between the quality of a novel and the quality of the cover art, but I digress.

Dante is a very interesting character. I am not sure why Lilith Saintcrow chose to use the grammatically incorrect term "necromance" instead of "necromancer" but whatever. The plot moved along well. The dialogue was shakey in certain parts, but by the end of the novel, the author was definitely improving. The plot was interesting. I can't wait to see what the author does with the next installment in this series.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great new supernatural suspense series!

This book hooked me in from the very beginning. From page one I wanted to keep reading, and reading so I could find out what would happen next. And there was absolutely nothing predictable about Danny or the world she lives in.

There are necromances, hedgewitches, healers, shamans, demons and even the Devil himself! Honestly, this paranormal world of the future was outstanding in description and the way it functioned. Danny Valentine is a necromance with outstanding power. One rainy afternoon she gets an unexpected visit from a demon called Japhrimel, claiming Lucifer wants to see her. He's got a job for her, one she has no choice but to take - she needs to kill a demon called Santino and retrieve something the Devil calls the Egg.

The adventure is great and Danny's past intriguing! I enjoyed every minute of it and loved all the wonderful characters introduced in this book. I truly can't wait to see what happens next in this series... absolutely awesome!

If you're looking for a terrific book with a tough heroine, terrific cast and interesting quest -- you have to check this one out!

Dante Valentine, necromancer, has been recruited for a new job - whether she wants it or not. Japhrimel, a demon assassin, accompanies her to his boss, Satan, on a trip thru hell. After surviving that visit, Dante's not sure what could be worse, but she begins by getting in touch with her contacts. Unfortunately the rumor of her having picked up a demon precedes her, and most of her acquaintances want nothing to do with her. Despite the setbacks, Dante inches forward in her investigation, learning what she needs to as well as realizing that demons are a lot like humans - no one is the same. Great story - I've ordered the rest of her work, and I can't wait for the next Dante book.

I really wanted to love this book and to finish it in a few days. I like fast paced adventure fantasy that puts me on the edge of my seat. The occult theme is a HUGE plus. But it's just not that kind of book. It's not the kind of book you put down and never pick back up, but it's likely not a book you're going to pick up and not be able to put down either. This is what I'd call an intellectual slow read. Meaning -- if you're looking for mere brain candy (which sometimes I am, sometimes not), these books are not it. Instead, this is urban fantasy that makes you think. The world is rich, the writing tight, the plot interesting and intriguing. The charcters are complex and fascinating. I have to hand it to Ms. Saintcrow in that she definitely has written a worthwhile series. It's just not the kind of book I'm going to pick up for fun. This is a novel I'll read a little here, a little there, and maybe more later. Haven't decided if I'm picking up book two or not yet.

A long-time fantasy reader, I've just recently gotten into the supernatural genre and have quickly learned there are just as many mediocre writers as really good ones and the stories run the gamut from frothy to predictable to can't-put-it-down-begging-for-more.

If you're looking for fun, fiendish fluff (think Mary Janice Davidson or Katie MacAlister), this probably won't be the best choice. But if you're looking for something a little more serious and a worthy heroine--flaws and all--who knows how to kick butt and take names while keeping her wits and humor about her, then Dante Valentine is for you.

I don't want to write a review that goes into story and character details (that's what the description is for), but I will tell you that this is a superbly developed story with great characters you can care about and just enough darkness to keep it real. If you're a fan of Kim Harrison or Carrie Vaughn, you'll want to devour this book in one sitting. I recommend ordering it with the sequal Dead Man Rising so you won't have to wait to continue the story. I'm anxiously awaiting the third installment!

I liked this one. She's opened up a new avenue on necromancers, demons and other magical manifestations. I love a book where it's a kick butt heroine but with the neurosis that exist anywhere today. Can't wait to see what's next for her.

For 3/4's of this book I felt as if I needed a glossary for the futuristic terms and the different foreign languages spoken. I liked all the character's, especially Dante and her interaction with the Devil and Japh. I think I disliked the world in which the story was set. Seedy, run down etc.

The storyline however was good. Dante Valentine is the best in her field of Necromance and is contacted by the devil to hunt down a rogue demon and kill him. She is also instructed to capture an 'egg' and bring it back to the devil unharmed. In the process she is given a demon familiar to protect her on her hunt. The story is about 75% preperation for the hunt with the final 25% going to the hunt and subsequent death of the rogue demon.

The reason that I'm ticked off is that all the way through this book, I kept telling myself that I really didn't like it. I didn't like the overkill use of curse words( Real heavy on GD/ which is just a personal turn-off for me) and like I said earlier, I think I would have enjoyed the book much, MUCH more had there been a glossary, or a better description of some futuristic things.

But, guess what? Saintcrow ROCKED the ending. I mean absolutely rocked it. I was so riveted that as soon as I got off from work I went directly to the bookstore to get the sequel. So, all in all, my opinion is this. If a writer can write an ending like that, then she deserves for me to read book 2!

Working For The Devil is part police procedural, part suspense novel, part mystery, and part romance. No one part wins out over the others, and as a whole, it was a fast, engrossing read.

Dante Valentine is a registered Necromance, called upon to bring the dead into the living world for whoever will pay her fees to do so. She's also a mercenary; she does jobs, whatever jobs she can and wants to, to pay her bills, buy some financial freedom, and put her past behind her. Because she has a past - an unhappy one, filled with childhood trauma, emotional breakage, and loss - that haunts her more than her interactions with the dead ever could. Not that she'd admit it, mind you - Danny's one prickly character. The kind you want to hit, throttle, shake, and otherwise beat some sense into, all at the same time that you're cheering her on.

The book opens with a knock on Danny's door, and a job offer. From Lucifer. Because Dante Valentine works in a world that not only has magic (of the necromantic, shamanistic, and wiccan-esque varieties), but also has a very real hell-dimension. And one does not simply turn down a job from The Devil.

The supporting cast of characters introduced in this book are just as intriguing and charismatic as Dante Valentine herself. The world-building is spectacular - it's a gritty world full of quiet references to cybertechnology, broad magic use, a criminal subculture, a history unique to this vision of Earth (including what happened to organized religion once it became clear that magic was real), and social structures both like and unlike the familiarity of our world. Danny seems to live on a razor's edge between the respectable side and the dirty underside, so her story is full of politics, crime, magic, drugs, and violence.

Saintcrow has created a really engaging story set in a fascinating world, and a wonderful main character who will annoy you and grab at your heart at the same time.

I loved this book. It was raw, harsh and brash. Dante Valentine is my kind of gal and I cheered for her all the way, and cried with her at the end. I'm loving this series and hope it has many many more stories to come.