Gwen’s review of The Devil’s Right Hand (Dante Valentine, Book 3) by Lilith Saintcrow
Futuristic paranormal urban sci-fi so-not-your-normal-romance published 1 Sep 07 by Orbit
This series is not normal. And I am BIG TIME glad it isn’t. It combines science fiction, urban fantasy, futuristic, paranormal and romance all in one (or five) package. The main character is a bounty hunter and necromancer named Dante Valentine. She leads a dangerous life tracking down the bad guys and, sometimes, slicing them up.
Dante, Danny to her friends, has fallen in love with a demon named Japhrimel, the Devil’s eldest child and his assassin. Japh, thru his love of Dante, has “fallen” and lost some of his demon-ness. At the same time, he made Dante a bit of a demon herself so that she could fight the bad guys and not be “damaged.” These books are about Dante’s complicated personal and professional life, her unusual but so satisfying love affair with Japh, and acts as a primer on how to negotiate with the damned. It’s an all around good time that doesn’t fit neatly into any of the genres (yay!).
We start this book with Dante and Japh living in a villa in what would be today’s Italy. They live a quiet, peaceful life and are constantly in each other’s company. What occurs in the first two novels is a large part of this book. I wouldn’t recommend reading RIGHT HAND without reading the other books first. Too much happens that sets up events for this book.
Saintcrow may as well be writing history books – her world-building is so complete you feel like it exists. Her primary and secondary characters are full, complex, three-dimensional beings that stay true to their personalities. The fight action sequences are so well written you’re there, watching it as if it were a movie. The love affair between Dante and Japhrimel is intricate and gratifying, and you so want them to have it – they really complete each other.
This book is a “mid-story” book. It covers an important part of the story, but you meet it and leave it mid-stream. It’s critical to read if you’re interested in the series but not one I’d read on its own. There were several times the love story brought tears to my eyes, and this was not the first time in this series. The story is complex, rich in detail, and full of complicated emotions. There is no happy ending, but it’s not a bummer either – it’s not your classic romance, though there is undoubtedly a romance.
I really love this series. I am totally transported each time I read one of these books. Thanks, Lilith!!
Grade: A
Blurb:
Dante Valentine is not a happy camper. She’s just signed away seven years of her life—and her partner’s—to hunt down four rogue demons that have escaped from hell. Maybe she’ll find them. Maybe they’ll find her. Nobody said it was easy being the Devil’s right hand.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in the series:
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