Finished Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow.

This one’s about Dante Valentine, a necromancer who gets drafted by Lucifer to recover an artifact and kill a rogue demon. Dante would love to get her hands on the demon, since he murdered one of her best friends. But she’s not too hip on working for the devil — especially when he saddles her with Japhrimel, her own demon bodyguard/helper/assassin.

This book is classified as urban fantasy, but it’s really an mix of fantasy and sci-fi. For example, Dante can raise the dead, but she’s also uses plasma guns and other techie devices.

This isn’t a combination I usually enjoy, liking fantasy better, but this book worked for me. The sci-fi was interesting and didn’t overwhelm the fantasy elements. Although I think it would have been easier to read in places if Saintcrow had called items by their common names — like air conditioning instead of climate control, etc. Some of the twists on words for everday things pulled me out of the story in places.

I liked Dante a lot. She’s tough as nails and not afraid to use her magic to get what she needs from people. She doesn’t want to work for Lucifer, but she realizes she doesn’t have a choice. Instead of sitting around and whining about it, she bucks up and gets to work, determined to avenge her friend, even though she knows she probably won’t survive the job. I admired her strength. Plus, Dante Valentine is one of the best character names I’ve come across in a long time.

Then, there’s Japhrimel, the demon. Oh, Japh. He was the coolest character in the book, mainly because you don’t know what his motives are until the very end. I liked the way he viewed humans as fascinating, but odd creatures, and he was protective of Dante without going all alpha male on her. Plus, he got all the good lines.

The story moved along at a nice place, and the big showdown at the end with the villain was interesting and well done — and didn’t turn out the way I expected.

I do have a couple of little quibbles. One, the book needed a glossary. Saintcrow throws a lot of terms at the reader throughout the book, not all of which are thoroughly explained. (The second book, which is in my TBR pile, does have a glossary). I also would have liked a map of Saint City and the world in general, so I could orient things in my mind. But that’s the fantasy geek in me wanting as much info as possible. 😎

Overall, if you’re burnt out on vampires or looking for a good fantasy-sci-fi hybrid, you should definitely check out Working for the Devil.  

Thumbs up.

Here’s a shout-out to Chasity, who recommended this book on the blog. Thanks for the good read! :joecool:

Up next: The graphic novel Quiver by Kevin Smith

Finished McKettrick’s Luck by Linda Lael Miller.

Real estate developer Cheyenne Bridges has a problem. She has to get rich playboy Jessee McKettrick to sell some of his land to her for a condominium development or lose her job — and her way of supporting her mother and younger brother. Too bad Jesse’s more interested in Cheyenne than the lucrative settlement she’s offering for his land.

I love Western romances (historical and contemporary), and I picked this book up at a conference a couple months ago. It’s set in Indian Rock, Ariz., and Miller really gives you a feel for the beauty of the landscape — and cowboys. Who doesn’t love cowboys?   

I also liked Cheynne’s character a lot. She’s worked hard all her life, struggling to support her family, and she’s afraid she could lose what little she has at any moment. She’s a really sympathetic character. In contrast, all Jesse has to worry about is getting knifed or shot during one of his card games (he plays poker just about every night). I didn’t like Jesse quite as much as Cheyenne, but he redeems himself by helping Cheyenne with her disabled brother.

Sometimes, you just want a good, quick comfort read. If you like Westerns, this one should fit the bill. Plus, there are a whole slew of McKettrick books to choose from, both contemporary and historical. So if you like this one, you can read about all the whole family — past and present.

Thumbs up. 

Up next: Working with the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow.