Dead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow

*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*


Okay, now that that's out of the way, I can begin this review. Okay, one more.
*squeeeeeee* Just a little one.



Dead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow. Sequel to Working for the Devil.

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...

Dead Man Walking takes place almost a year after the events in the previous book. Danny has been working herself to the bone doing bounties to keep her from thinking about what happened. She's also been doing research on what Japhrimel did to her and what exactly she now is. The story really gets started when Danny's brought in on a case by Gabe where some people have been violently killed. But when Dante tries to speak with the dead, it's obvious that something incredibly horrific happened, something so bad that it's made even the soul insane. But the case takes a personal turn when it becomes apparent that Dante's past has come back to haunt her and she's going to have to use all her courage to face it.

Many of the characters from the first book show up here. They've all been changed by what happened in Working for the Devil. Jace is still around, yet Dante can't bring herself to be intimate with him as she still mourns Jaf. I really don't want to tell more because it would really venture into spoiler territory. Let's just say that Lilith doesn't make it easy on these characters. Of course, if you read the last book, you know that. She puts Dante through hell. Sometimes literally.

It's also a fast-paced book. Once I started it, I had a whole lot of trouble putting it down. I like Saintcrow's voice and her style of writing works for me. Obviously won't for everyone. But if you enjoyed the first book, this is a definite must-read. I like how it blends SF with urban fantasy into a rather unique book. I can't wait to read future books. Some have compared the first book to LKH's Anita Blake, but although they have main characters with similar professions, I felt that there's quite a difference in how they approach their magic and the paranormal. LS's books seem to incorporate more world religion into the mix, rather than just things that go bump in the night.

And, well, Dante is one kickass heroine. If you're ever in a fight with something nasty, you'd want her at your back. So...in September, GO BUY THIS BOOK. If only so we can talk about how I can't believe Lilith Saintcrow did that. And then how she did this other thing and then the damn book ended. I mean, it ended where it should have ended and it was good for Dante to face what she faced how she faced it (how's that for cryptic?), but still...I can't wait for the next book.