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Eric Carter #1
Dead Things
Necromancer is such an ugly word, but it's a title Eric Carter is stuck with. He sees ghosts, talks to the dead. He's turned it into a lucrative career putting troublesome spirits to rest, sometimes taking on even more dangerous things. For a fee, of course. When he left LA fifteen years ago, he thought he'd never go back. Too many bad memories. Too many people trying to kill him. But now his sister's been brutally murdered and Carter wants to find out why. Was it the gangster looking to settle a score? The ghost of a mage he killed the night he left town? Maybe it's the patron saint of violent death herself, Santa Muerte, who's taken an unusually keen interest in him. Carter's going to find out who did it, and he's going to make them pay. As long as they don't kill him first.
9 pages, Audio CD
First published February 5, 2013
413 people are currently reading
7672 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Blackmoore
27 books798 followersStephen Blackmoore is the author of the noir / urban fantasy Eric Carter series (DEAD THINGS, BROKEN SOULS, HUNGRY GHOSTS, and FIRE SEASON), about a necromancer in modern-day Los Angeles.
You can find him online at stephenblackmoore.com, or follow him on Twitter at @sblackmoore.
You can find him online at stephenblackmoore.com, or follow him on Twitter at @sblackmoore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 579 reviews
August 13, 2017
I see dead people. Well, I don't, not really, although I do regularly encounter the dying. But I was curious to see how a urban fantasy would handle the idea of death when I saw this book about a necromancer, and what kind of operating system an author might conceive of for the spiritual world. This particular world still seems like it could use a little fleshing out (groan), but it passed the litmus test of entertaining, a palate cleanser between substantial reads. It's a streamlined noir mystery where the investigator, Eric Carter, is a necromancer--oh, and technically, an assassin, as he kills things or people for hire.
The opening chapter is a zinger, a fast episode that must have been perfect to workshop. Carter has been chasing an undead man-spirit around the southern U.S., trying to stop an ongoing killing spree. Finally corners the spirit in a bar, resulting in a dramatic confrontation. It's a great lead in to the book, priming the reader for understanding the powers Carter wields, and whetting the appetite through the following expositionary chapters. When an old friend calls Carter to tell him his younger sister has been murdered, Carter's pulled back to L.A., a town full of questions and contacts he left decades ago.
Strip away the ghosts and you have a basic noir revenge plot, with complications from the 'never darken my town again' trope. There's a red herring or two regarding possible double crosses. But that's not necessarily bad, just a note for genre readers. The necromancy adds an interesting angle, allowing Carter access to a certain group of informants and certain problem-solving skills, but it's involved enough and a consistent enough inclusion to place it solidly in the UF world.
It was entertaining, but I can see where there are issues. It does feel Dresden-ish in many ways (power levels, male-centric with lingering ex-issues, somewhat lacking in actual investigative skills), although far more entertaining than the earliest couple of Dresden books. Although Carter talks as is if he is comfortable killing, its worth noting that he doesn't usually do it unless he has to. World-building feels like it has a little ways to go; though Carter works with the dead and their spirits, I'm still not entirely clear on the theology. Haunts are locked in place, some spirits are Wanders; all eventually lose their memories, whether it's a few days or a thousand years. The ending was a tad annoying, particularly with evidence of Carter's stupidity and the 'I'm going to stay to protect __' resolution. Despite that, it was entertaining enough for me that I'll check out the next to see where Blackmoore takes it.
Three stars, edging to two and a half for the forgetability of it.
The opening chapter is a zinger, a fast episode that must have been perfect to workshop. Carter has been chasing an undead man-spirit around the southern U.S., trying to stop an ongoing killing spree. Finally corners the spirit in a bar, resulting in a dramatic confrontation. It's a great lead in to the book, priming the reader for understanding the powers Carter wields, and whetting the appetite through the following expositionary chapters. When an old friend calls Carter to tell him his younger sister has been murdered, Carter's pulled back to L.A., a town full of questions and contacts he left decades ago.
Strip away the ghosts and you have a basic noir revenge plot, with complications from the 'never darken my town again' trope. There's a red herring or two regarding possible double crosses. But that's not necessarily bad, just a note for genre readers. The necromancy adds an interesting angle, allowing Carter access to a certain group of informants and certain problem-solving skills, but it's involved enough and a consistent enough inclusion to place it solidly in the UF world.
It was entertaining, but I can see where there are issues. It does feel Dresden-ish in many ways (power levels, male-centric with lingering ex-issues, somewhat lacking in actual investigative skills), although far more entertaining than the earliest couple of Dresden books. Although Carter talks as is if he is comfortable killing, its worth noting that he doesn't usually do it unless he has to. World-building feels like it has a little ways to go; though Carter works with the dead and their spirits, I'm still not entirely clear on the theology. Haunts are locked in place, some spirits are Wanders; all eventually lose their memories, whether it's a few days or a thousand years. The ending was a tad annoying, particularly with evidence of Carter's stupidity and the 'I'm going to stay to protect __' resolution. Despite that, it was entertaining enough for me that I'll check out the next to see where Blackmoore takes it.
Three stars, edging to two and a half for the forgetability of it.
August 27, 2016
Have you guys ever had one of those books that really didn't want to like? This book annoyed me for several reasons but I still really enjoyed it.
Here are my annoyances;
1. Dresden Clone
2. The word "fuck" is used 182 times in 256 pages. I've been known to use the fucking word. I even thought of writing this fucking review that way. But, fuck? Who the fuck wants to read that shit?
3. This guy got his ass kicked way too many times with way too little downtime... wait, that's the Dresden Clone thing again ;)
Still, I absolutely freaking LOVE books about demons and ghosts. And apparently necromancy falls into that category. This was actually a suspenseful book that had some really cool elements (fire elemental!) and it fully deserves four stars. So I'm going to quit being a grumpy little fucker and give it four stars. I really really want to read the sequel!!! And it really leaves it off with an intriguing little cliffhanger.
Here are my annoyances;
1. Dresden Clone
2. The word "fuck" is used 182 times in 256 pages. I've been known to use the fucking word. I even thought of writing this fucking review that way. But, fuck? Who the fuck wants to read that shit?
3. This guy got his ass kicked way too many times with way too little downtime... wait, that's the Dresden Clone thing again ;)
Still, I absolutely freaking LOVE books about demons and ghosts. And apparently necromancy falls into that category. This was actually a suspenseful book that had some really cool elements (fire elemental!) and it fully deserves four stars. So I'm going to quit being a grumpy little fucker and give it four stars. I really really want to read the sequel!!! And it really leaves it off with an intriguing little cliffhanger.
April 15, 2023
😮 Bloody Hell It Didn't Suck Buddy Read (BHIDSBR™) with the MacHalos and stuff 😮
I'm about to start reading the second book in this series and quite logically thought that writing the review for this installment would refresh my memory about what the fish might have possibly happened in it. (I read it centuries ago, you see, in July2021 1751 and am having sort of a hard time remembering what the book was about.) Anyhoo and stuff, I'll just go ahead and dig up my notes for this one, and see what fascinating crap information I come up with. Here goes and stuff.
*opens notebook*
*goes to the Dead Things bookmark*
*stares at the page*
*realizes ALL of her notes about the book amount to twelve bloody shrimping words, half of which she can't decipher*
*excitedly looks forward to writing what is sure to be a captivatingreview thing*
Okaayyyy, so let's see. I do remember that the story gave off very strong, dark and delicious Sandman Slim vibes. (I don't need to remind you that Sandman Slim is one of the top 3 VIP residents of my High Security Harem, do I? Oh, good.) Eric Carter isn't quite as scrumptiously fished up/obnoxious/foul-mouthed/homicidal as my boyfriend Jimmy Stark (that's not humanly—or even inhumanly—possible, if you ask me), which I guess would make him Jimmy's third cousin thrice removed or something.
Let's see, what else? Oh yes, Eric Carter has some cool toys. Well that's what my notes say anyway 🤷♀️ *gets her two ever-decaying grey cells together and tries to remember what the shrimp said toys might have been* Oh wait, I think there's a pretty nifty Wehrmacht gun that makes you feel as if cockroaches were crawling all over you when you touch it (nice!). Okay so that's one toy down...Think think think ....Hey hey hey, I got it! It's a watch! The only thing I seem to recall is that it's old and does great and terrible things. I think. Maybe. Who the fish knows? Not me, that's who.
Oh oh oh, wait! Mein shrimp, I can't believe I'd forgotten about this! I just remembered that the story has something to do with the loa of Haitian Vodou and stuff! And that Santa Muerte (the Aztec goddess edition) herself is part of the cast! Now if that isn't lusciously luscious, I don't know what is.
Hey, it only just occurred to me that I should check my highlights for this book! Yeah yeah yeah, I know, I should have thought of that sooner. I'm doing what I can with the brain I have, okay? So show some compassion and understanding and stuff, will you?
*takes a quick look at her highlights*
*realizes 90% of the book is highlighted*
*picks a quote at random*(turns out there's nothing random about said quote but no one will ever find out about it and/or figure out that I'm full of fish so who cares and stuff)
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): the last thing I wrote about this story in my notebook is “fluffy bunnies and pastel-colored rainbows,” which to most people would seem to indicate that I was high on some premium quality stuff while I was reading this book. But given that cute, comforting little tales tend to give me the creeps (vade retro, Winnie the Pooh!), it seems logical that Eric Carter's slightly gory, moderately violent adventures would make me feel all soft and homey and cozy and comfy and stuff, therefore reminding me of fluffy bunnies and pastel-colored rainbows, right? Right. Makes perfect sense.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
· Book 2: Broken Souls ★★★★
· Book 3: Hungry Ghosts ★★★★
· Book 4: Fire Season ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
Take that, you Book Slump of Doom and Oblivion!
➽ Review to come and stuff.
I'm about to start reading the second book in this series and quite logically thought that writing the review for this installment would refresh my memory about what the fish might have possibly happened in it. (I read it centuries ago, you see, in July
*opens notebook*
*goes to the Dead Things bookmark*
*stares at the page*
*realizes ALL of her notes about the book amount to twelve bloody shrimping words, half of which she can't decipher*
*excitedly looks forward to writing what is sure to be a captivating
Okaayyyy, so let's see. I do remember that the story gave off very strong, dark and delicious Sandman Slim vibes. (I don't need to remind you that Sandman Slim is one of the top 3 VIP residents of my High Security Harem, do I? Oh, good.) Eric Carter isn't quite as scrumptiously fished up/obnoxious/foul-mouthed/homicidal as my boyfriend Jimmy Stark (that's not humanly—or even inhumanly—possible, if you ask me), which I guess would make him Jimmy's third cousin thrice removed or something.
Let's see, what else? Oh yes, Eric Carter has some cool toys. Well that's what my notes say anyway 🤷♀️ *gets her two ever-decaying grey cells together and tries to remember what the shrimp said toys might have been* Oh wait, I think there's a pretty nifty Wehrmacht gun that makes you feel as if cockroaches were crawling all over you when you touch it (nice!). Okay so that's one toy down...Think think think ....Hey hey hey, I got it! It's a watch! The only thing I seem to recall is that it's old and does great and terrible things. I think. Maybe. Who the fish knows? Not me, that's who.
Oh oh oh, wait! Mein shrimp, I can't believe I'd forgotten about this! I just remembered that the story has something to do with the loa of Haitian Vodou and stuff! And that Santa Muerte (the Aztec goddess edition) herself is part of the cast! Now if that isn't lusciously luscious, I don't know what is.
Hey, it only just occurred to me that I should check my highlights for this book! Yeah yeah yeah, I know, I should have thought of that sooner. I'm doing what I can with the brain I have, okay? So show some compassion and understanding and stuff, will you?
*takes a quick look at her highlights*
*realizes 90% of the book is highlighted*
*picks a quote at random*
“Over here I’m a fucking bonfire barbeque with a blinking neon sign that says GOOD EATS.”Oh look, a quote! And if that one doesn't SCREAM SANDMAN SLIM at you, well, I guess that means you haven't read Sandman Slim. Shame on you and stuff.
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): the last thing I wrote about this story in my notebook is “fluffy bunnies and pastel-colored rainbows,” which to most people would seem to indicate that I was high on some premium quality stuff while I was reading this book. But given that cute, comforting little tales tend to give me the creeps (vade retro, Winnie the Pooh!), it seems logical that Eric Carter's slightly gory, moderately violent adventures would make me feel all soft and homey and cozy and comfy and stuff, therefore reminding me of fluffy bunnies and pastel-colored rainbows, right? Right. Makes perfect sense.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
· Book 2: Broken Souls ★★★★
· Book 3: Hungry Ghosts ★★★★
· Book 4: Fire Season ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
Take that, you Book Slump of Doom and Oblivion!
➽ Review to come and stuff.
February 21, 2025
"Great. Now I've got a crazy death goddess making googly eyes at me."
The best way to describe this one is a paranormal and gritty nourish Urban Fantasy. The main character isn’t a detective officially but he goes around solving paranormal crimes, mainly to bring in justice as a sort of bounty hunter type. He’s called home, a place he has avoided since youth, when he founds out his sister has been murdered. What he finds there are friends who have changed, past loves who don’t recognize him anymore, and old enemies once again active.
Eric is a dark lead of a main character, able to see ghosts in an unconventional and haunting way – they can consume him if he gets trapped with them in his world – and stays as a valuable supernatural because his power has been amplified in comparison to other talents. Being a rare necromancer gives him plenty of paranormal street cred and power punch. While he doesn’t care about getting his hands dirty when he needs to and doesn’t blink an eye if a kill is required, his heart isn’t sadistically empty.
I like how his unique powers make him so isolated from others since that’s a more realistic result. Necromancy may be a powerful pull for the character but the world of the dead means the character has to live with the dark stuff on a daily basis and there’s no way he can stay untouched or untainted. Half with the dead makes it hard to stay long with the living in a normal or healthy relationship, and running from people and finding it easier to avoid entanglement seems to be a natural trait for Eric, for good reason.
There’s a clever idea from the author to bring the legend of a death goddess Santa Muerte, the Patron Saint of the Narcos (Drug Traffickers) on the Mexican Border, to life in the series. I hadn’t heard of her before, so this added an interesting texture to an already dark and multi-layered book.
It’s not hard to stay fascinated by the twisted paranormal streets in this one, and action scenes that make you wonder who is betraying who and what will happen next keep readers guessing. It was a little annoying how injured Eric gets every time he turns around – how he keeps walking around without fainting of a concussion is stretching it at times. Overall it’s a well-paced and structured story, although sometimes the feel of it gets a little sedate and doesn’t make it the fastest read. The ending is a neat twist that ties him into a supernatural creature that gives ammunition for weird, future stories.
It’s violent and gritty – there’s a few humorous lines laced with sarcasm to give the character more convincing life – but this one is one for the dark seekers who enjoy Urban Fantasy with seedy structures and disturbing situations that offer little hope.
The best way to describe this one is a paranormal and gritty nourish Urban Fantasy. The main character isn’t a detective officially but he goes around solving paranormal crimes, mainly to bring in justice as a sort of bounty hunter type. He’s called home, a place he has avoided since youth, when he founds out his sister has been murdered. What he finds there are friends who have changed, past loves who don’t recognize him anymore, and old enemies once again active.
Eric is a dark lead of a main character, able to see ghosts in an unconventional and haunting way – they can consume him if he gets trapped with them in his world – and stays as a valuable supernatural because his power has been amplified in comparison to other talents. Being a rare necromancer gives him plenty of paranormal street cred and power punch. While he doesn’t care about getting his hands dirty when he needs to and doesn’t blink an eye if a kill is required, his heart isn’t sadistically empty.
I like how his unique powers make him so isolated from others since that’s a more realistic result. Necromancy may be a powerful pull for the character but the world of the dead means the character has to live with the dark stuff on a daily basis and there’s no way he can stay untouched or untainted. Half with the dead makes it hard to stay long with the living in a normal or healthy relationship, and running from people and finding it easier to avoid entanglement seems to be a natural trait for Eric, for good reason.
There’s a clever idea from the author to bring the legend of a death goddess Santa Muerte, the Patron Saint of the Narcos (Drug Traffickers) on the Mexican Border, to life in the series. I hadn’t heard of her before, so this added an interesting texture to an already dark and multi-layered book.
It’s not hard to stay fascinated by the twisted paranormal streets in this one, and action scenes that make you wonder who is betraying who and what will happen next keep readers guessing. It was a little annoying how injured Eric gets every time he turns around – how he keeps walking around without fainting of a concussion is stretching it at times. Overall it’s a well-paced and structured story, although sometimes the feel of it gets a little sedate and doesn’t make it the fastest read. The ending is a neat twist that ties him into a supernatural creature that gives ammunition for weird, future stories.
It’s violent and gritty – there’s a few humorous lines laced with sarcasm to give the character more convincing life – but this one is one for the dark seekers who enjoy Urban Fantasy with seedy structures and disturbing situations that offer little hope.
March 16, 2013
Disclaimer: In reading this book I recommend lots of salty, buttery, popcorn, you are going to need it.
I loved this book for all its faults, I am not sure if it was what the author was going for, but for me it was a cheesy horror flick. The main character is that heroine you love to hate, the one who you scream at to not go down that dark alley, the basement are you crazy, and you stupid bitch why are you leaving the group to go it alone.
Eric Carter has been running from his past for fifteen years, taking on jobs killing monsters for money. Well his past is about to catch up with him, something, or someone has killed his sister, slowly, and painfully, to bring him back home.
With a parting warning from some voodoo gods to be careful who you trust, he is heading back to California.
Now this is where the fun starts, get the popcorn ready, cause here comes the stupid.
Through out the rest of the book Eric becomes “Too Stupid To Live”, which, for me was oh so fun to watch.
Case in point...
Eric, you are really going to go into that abandoned warehouse by yourself, tell me why you think that is a good idea?
Though it was a good idea from the author cause now you are stuck, you have to keep reading until you see how he gets out, and to see what the next stupid thing he is going to do.
I can't wait for the next book, the ending was a lot of stupid, I want to see how he gets out of the mess me made.
I loved this book for all its faults, I am not sure if it was what the author was going for, but for me it was a cheesy horror flick. The main character is that heroine you love to hate, the one who you scream at to not go down that dark alley, the basement are you crazy, and you stupid bitch why are you leaving the group to go it alone.
Eric Carter has been running from his past for fifteen years, taking on jobs killing monsters for money. Well his past is about to catch up with him, something, or someone has killed his sister, slowly, and painfully, to bring him back home.
With a parting warning from some voodoo gods to be careful who you trust, he is heading back to California.
Now this is where the fun starts, get the popcorn ready, cause here comes the stupid.
Through out the rest of the book Eric becomes “Too Stupid To Live”, which, for me was oh so fun to watch.
Case in point...
Eric, you are really going to go into that abandoned warehouse by yourself, tell me why you think that is a good idea?
Though it was a good idea from the author cause now you are stuck, you have to keep reading until you see how he gets out, and to see what the next stupid thing he is going to do.
I can't wait for the next book, the ending was a lot of stupid, I want to see how he gets out of the mess me made.
July 9, 2013
Dead Things is serious magic noir. The name of this book tells it all. This book is about a man surrounded by dead and the consequences it has on his life and his relationships with the living. The narrative is very cynical, with a main character who has a foul mouth and a dark point of view. Of course, anyone who has his necromantic abilities might tend to lose his faith in humanity and everything else. Despite that fact, I did like this book for the most part. Blackmoore lost me some near the end though. It was too abrupt and I didn't completely like the choice he made with the story. The end does make sense to some extent, and if this is a series, it will be interesting to see how Eric gets himself out of the mess he is currently in as of the end of this book.
I don't like to compare, but for male-lead UF readers, you could think of Eric as the darker counterpart to characters like Dresden and O'Sullivan, probably more like Connor Gray than the former. His gifts are part of him, and they taint his life in many ways. But in the case of Eric, his choices continue to alienate him from those who live and want connection with him. He fears tainting them or destroying them, but by walking away, he endangers them even more. Kind of a vicious cycle and a bound to bring on the existential crisis or dark night of the soul.
The imagery is what got me with this story. The world-building is suitably and necessarily dark for a story about a necromancer. His vantage point of life on the highways and backroads of America, seeing all the ghosts who either wander or who are anchored to their place of dying. In some ways a warrior for the light, but one who exists in the twilight and shadows. Eric sees and deals with many so-called deities and has little respect for them. Unfortunately, he makes a deal with one and will have to pay the piper very dearly.
I hadn't ever heard of Santa Muerte, the Patron Saint of the Narcos (Drug Traffickers) on the Mexican Border. A death goddess who started out in the Aztec pantheon, but found her way into the Narco-influenced border culture where she has plenty of followers. Blackmoore brings this mythology to vivid but disturbing life. A distinctive turn in urban fantasy that fits this very noir read.
I can't say Dead Things is for everyone. This is one is quite violent and kind of depressing in some ways. Lots of swear words and a great deal of irreverence on display, along with moments that border on being nauseating for the squeamish. Eric's choices aren't always admirable, but I did feel for him. He remains a sympathetic character despite his flaws. People around him tend to get hurt, and that's hard for me to read, especially since I can't 100% place that blame on his shoulders. I felt his loneliness and isolation, his front of apathy that doesn't quite hide a fear of being the screw-up that no can love, respect or stand up for. I wish his actions didn't turn this into a self-fulfilling prophecy. I want to continue this series to see what happens next to Eric, and to hope that he turns things around and stops walking away from life and deeper into the world of the dead, while there is still some part of him that has a connection to the living.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
I don't like to compare, but for male-lead UF readers, you could think of Eric as the darker counterpart to characters like Dresden and O'Sullivan, probably more like Connor Gray than the former. His gifts are part of him, and they taint his life in many ways. But in the case of Eric, his choices continue to alienate him from those who live and want connection with him. He fears tainting them or destroying them, but by walking away, he endangers them even more. Kind of a vicious cycle and a bound to bring on the existential crisis or dark night of the soul.
The imagery is what got me with this story. The world-building is suitably and necessarily dark for a story about a necromancer. His vantage point of life on the highways and backroads of America, seeing all the ghosts who either wander or who are anchored to their place of dying. In some ways a warrior for the light, but one who exists in the twilight and shadows. Eric sees and deals with many so-called deities and has little respect for them. Unfortunately, he makes a deal with one and will have to pay the piper very dearly.
I hadn't ever heard of Santa Muerte, the Patron Saint of the Narcos (Drug Traffickers) on the Mexican Border. A death goddess who started out in the Aztec pantheon, but found her way into the Narco-influenced border culture where she has plenty of followers. Blackmoore brings this mythology to vivid but disturbing life. A distinctive turn in urban fantasy that fits this very noir read.
I can't say Dead Things is for everyone. This is one is quite violent and kind of depressing in some ways. Lots of swear words and a great deal of irreverence on display, along with moments that border on being nauseating for the squeamish. Eric's choices aren't always admirable, but I did feel for him. He remains a sympathetic character despite his flaws. People around him tend to get hurt, and that's hard for me to read, especially since I can't 100% place that blame on his shoulders. I felt his loneliness and isolation, his front of apathy that doesn't quite hide a fear of being the screw-up that no can love, respect or stand up for. I wish his actions didn't turn this into a self-fulfilling prophecy. I want to continue this series to see what happens next to Eric, and to hope that he turns things around and stops walking away from life and deeper into the world of the dead, while there is still some part of him that has a connection to the living.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
September 5, 2022
Dead Things
(Eric Carter #1)
by Stephen Blackmoore
This is such a great fantasy book. A necromancer that leaves his home town after an incident and stays gone for years. He gets a call his sister is murdered. He returns and finds many things have changed. He also finds that the patron saint of death has a very deep interest in him!
It's very exciting, action packed, a bit gory ( but yeah, it's necromancy), and sprinkled with humor and wit!
(Eric Carter #1)
by Stephen Blackmoore
This is such a great fantasy book. A necromancer that leaves his home town after an incident and stays gone for years. He gets a call his sister is murdered. He returns and finds many things have changed. He also finds that the patron saint of death has a very deep interest in him!
It's very exciting, action packed, a bit gory ( but yeah, it's necromancy), and sprinkled with humor and wit!
April 18, 2013
What luck! Dead Things was pretty much everything I could ever want in an Urban Fantasy. The hero kicked ass, the pacing was fast, and the story was devoid of cliches (the ones that annoy me anyway).
+ the hero
Eric Carter was my ideal Urban Fantasy hero. He embraced his power, and even better, he didn't hesitate killing bad guys with it. With great power comes great responsibility to kick ass and make them stay down — permanently.
I loved how he owned up to his bad decisions and personality flaws. Say what? I couldn't believe it. Eric was trying make things right and become a better person. *knock, knock* Who's there? Character Growth? OMG! Welcome! I hardly ever see you, especially in book 1 of a series. Please, stay as long as you want.
I liked that it wasn’t part of his character growth for Eric to begin as a weak magical player. Dude was not an underdog cliche, which was very atypical of an Urban Fantasy. Dude was a power player and I loved it! I loved how by the end of the book, he got more powerful. None of this “let’s wait till book 3 or fucking 12 for magic leveling up” crap.
The only things I didn’t like about Eric were how a few times low level bad guys got the upper hand and how Eric lost conscious multiple times even though it was for various reasons. Eric and near-death experiences seemed to be quite the close friends, too close for my liking. Lady Luck must also be Eric’s friend, too. On the other hand, powerful doesn’t mean invincible or infallible.
+ the plot
The pacing was fast, which was rare for an Urban Fantasy, even rarer for book 1 of a series. It was fast in the way that things were progressing steadily and a small level of suspense was sustained. I was not bored! Not bored at all!
I loved how Eric didn't waste time doing what was needed to be done. It would have been in character and understandable for Eric to have some emo me-times; dude literally watched his sister being murdered in a flashback/ghost echo. Woah. I was very glad he plowed through his issues and resolved to get vengeance.
+ the plot hole
Unfortunately, there was a Chekhov's Gun-based plot hole. In chapter 8, Eric made a deal with a goddess of death in which she would provide a clue about his sister's murderer if Eric successfully kill this evil mage lord/mafia boss, Griffin, in town. The deal was quickly forgotten about; Eric never made it a priority or even thought about it. If I made an unbreakable magical deal with the goddess of death, you bet your ass I would be thinking about it 24/7 till I completed it.
Eric eventually faced Griffin, but he didn't kill Griffin on the first confrontation, nor on multiple confrontations thereafter. Eric finally dealt with the guy towards the end but only because it fit in his “kill two birds with one stone” plan to take out this second evil guy. It was not because Eric remembered that he had to kill Griffin anyway because of his deal with the goddess.
Eric never received that divinely promised clue, the goddess never mentioned the deal again, and the story proceeded as if the deal never happened.
+ the plot, part 2
Barring that plot hole, everything went fine and dandy and non-holey. One of the things I loved about the story was the absence of damsel in distress. Urban Fantasies are flooded with damsels in distress, but the book stayed on dry ground.
One of my favorite scenes was when Eric and Vivian took out their gun as they entered a dangerous place in chapter 15. Eric casually asked, possibly to inject levity to the situation, if the gun Vivian was holding her boyfriend's gun. Vivian immediately scolded Eric and said it was hers and that her boyfriend actually hated guns as a matter of fact.
As I read Dead Things, I got a Dresden Files feel, especially how similar the goddess of death was to Mab and the deal Eric made with the goddess to the deal Harry made with Mab among several other things. Dead Things was like Dresden Files but without the issues I had with Dresden Files. No dilly dallying in progression of story arc, no damsels in distress, no underdogs, no stupid moral qualms that stop the protagonist from doing what must be done, no martyr complex, etc.
In Conclusion
I rate Dead Things 4-stars I really liked it. Book 1 started with a bang and it ended on a bang. The series is fast to becoming one of my favorites. (Oh Mother of all Tentacle Aliens, please let the sequels continue the awesome!)
+ the hero
Eric Carter was my ideal Urban Fantasy hero. He embraced his power, and even better, he didn't hesitate killing bad guys with it. With great power comes great responsibility to kick ass and make them stay down — permanently.
I loved how he owned up to his bad decisions and personality flaws. Say what? I couldn't believe it. Eric was trying make things right and become a better person. *knock, knock* Who's there? Character Growth? OMG! Welcome! I hardly ever see you, especially in book 1 of a series. Please, stay as long as you want.
I liked that it wasn’t part of his character growth for Eric to begin as a weak magical player. Dude was not an underdog cliche, which was very atypical of an Urban Fantasy. Dude was a power player and I loved it! I loved how by the end of the book, he got more powerful. None of this “let’s wait till book 3 or fucking 12 for magic leveling up” crap.
The only things I didn’t like about Eric were how a few times low level bad guys got the upper hand and how Eric lost conscious multiple times even though it was for various reasons. Eric and near-death experiences seemed to be quite the close friends, too close for my liking. Lady Luck must also be Eric’s friend, too. On the other hand, powerful doesn’t mean invincible or infallible.
+ the plot
The pacing was fast, which was rare for an Urban Fantasy, even rarer for book 1 of a series. It was fast in the way that things were progressing steadily and a small level of suspense was sustained. I was not bored! Not bored at all!
I loved how Eric didn't waste time doing what was needed to be done. It would have been in character and understandable for Eric to have some emo me-times; dude literally watched his sister being murdered in a flashback/ghost echo. Woah. I was very glad he plowed through his issues and resolved to get vengeance.
+ the plot hole
Unfortunately, there was a Chekhov's Gun-based plot hole. In chapter 8, Eric made a deal with a goddess of death in which she would provide a clue about his sister's murderer if Eric successfully kill this evil mage lord/mafia boss, Griffin, in town. The deal was quickly forgotten about; Eric never made it a priority or even thought about it. If I made an unbreakable magical deal with the goddess of death, you bet your ass I would be thinking about it 24/7 till I completed it.
Eric eventually faced Griffin, but he didn't kill Griffin on the first confrontation, nor on multiple confrontations thereafter. Eric finally dealt with the guy towards the end but only because it fit in his “kill two birds with one stone” plan to take out this second evil guy. It was not because Eric remembered that he had to kill Griffin anyway because of his deal with the goddess.
Eric never received that divinely promised clue, the goddess never mentioned the deal again, and the story proceeded as if the deal never happened.
+ the plot, part 2
Barring that plot hole, everything went fine and dandy and non-holey. One of the things I loved about the story was the absence of damsel in distress. Urban Fantasies are flooded with damsels in distress, but the book stayed on dry ground.
One of my favorite scenes was when Eric and Vivian took out their gun as they entered a dangerous place in chapter 15. Eric casually asked, possibly to inject levity to the situation, if the gun Vivian was holding her boyfriend's gun. Vivian immediately scolded Eric and said it was hers and that her boyfriend actually hated guns as a matter of fact.
As I read Dead Things, I got a Dresden Files feel, especially how similar the goddess of death was to Mab and the deal Eric made with the goddess to the deal Harry made with Mab among several other things. Dead Things was like Dresden Files but without the issues I had with Dresden Files. No dilly dallying in progression of story arc, no damsels in distress, no underdogs, no stupid moral qualms that stop the protagonist from doing what must be done, no martyr complex, etc.
In Conclusion
I rate Dead Things 4-stars I really liked it. Book 1 started with a bang and it ended on a bang. The series is fast to becoming one of my favorites. (Oh Mother of all Tentacle Aliens, please let the sequels continue the awesome!)
September 27, 2021
Kind of a Constantine/ Sandman Slim vibe. I like it.
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
December 6, 2014
3.5
There are so many things I like in this book, I don't know where to start. True, there are some I don't, but it's still a good story.
The main character is an urban fantasy hero (or anti-hero if you like) done right. A warning though: he does things that those who got used to last moment solutions that help the hero avoid ugly or distasteful actions trope might find a bit hard to accept. Eric Carter doesn't get off easy only because he is the main character. After he gets back to L.A. to find his sister's murderer, he is forced to do a lot of things that a usual hero never does. Guess what? It suits him and the story perfectly. Besides, after the introduction, you'd expect nothing less from him.
The plot is pretty good: a powerful necromancer trying to find his sister's murderer while fighting against his past enemies, and dealing with the knowledge of what happened after he left fifteen years ago.
Eric Carter is the reason I like this book. I never got attached to other characters. That brings me to his ex. The great thing is Vivian is not someone who needs saving, she is capable and smart. Still, I have a feeling that I should like her more. I didn't. Throughout the book I kept wondering whether I like Carter that much or the rest of the characters are that annoying and unlikeable. I still don't have the answer to that.
I wish the moment when he sees himself in the car mirror near the end happened a bit later in the book (something a ghost said earlier in the book gave everything away). I had to read the whole confrontation knowing who killed the sister.
Overall, an enjoyable dark urban fantasy. I just hope Carter stays as anti as he can get away with in the future books.
There are so many things I like in this book, I don't know where to start. True, there are some I don't, but it's still a good story.
The main character is an urban fantasy hero (or anti-hero if you like) done right. A warning though: he does things that those who got used to last moment solutions that help the hero avoid ugly or distasteful actions trope might find a bit hard to accept. Eric Carter doesn't get off easy only because he is the main character. After he gets back to L.A. to find his sister's murderer, he is forced to do a lot of things that a usual hero never does. Guess what? It suits him and the story perfectly. Besides, after the introduction, you'd expect nothing less from him.
The plot is pretty good: a powerful necromancer trying to find his sister's murderer while fighting against his past enemies, and dealing with the knowledge of what happened after he left fifteen years ago.
Eric Carter is the reason I like this book. I never got attached to other characters. That brings me to his ex. The great thing is Vivian is not someone who needs saving, she is capable and smart. Still, I have a feeling that I should like her more. I didn't. Throughout the book I kept wondering whether I like Carter that much or the rest of the characters are that annoying and unlikeable. I still don't have the answer to that.
I wish the moment when he sees himself in the car mirror near the end happened a bit later in the book (something a ghost said earlier in the book gave everything away). I had to read the whole confrontation knowing who killed the sister.
Overall, an enjoyable dark urban fantasy. I just hope Carter stays as anti as he can get away with in the future books.
November 28, 2020
Noir. Necromancer. LA.
It's everything you might expect it to be, troubled past, loose dames, sketchy friends, and a deal that he just can't refuse.
Oh, yeah, and there's a bit (a lot) of revenge.
This is NOT a deep tale, but it is a fast, furious, action-filled mystery-bruiser novel that's all magic and action. It's very much like the other genre while being firmly entrenched in the UF.
Fun. Fast and furious fun. Entertaining, but still empty calories. Junk food for the soul. :)
It's everything you might expect it to be, troubled past, loose dames, sketchy friends, and a deal that he just can't refuse.
Oh, yeah, and there's a bit (a lot) of revenge.
This is NOT a deep tale, but it is a fast, furious, action-filled mystery-bruiser novel that's all magic and action. It's very much like the other genre while being firmly entrenched in the UF.
Fun. Fast and furious fun. Entertaining, but still empty calories. Junk food for the soul. :)
September 22, 2016
Not really my cup of tea, but entertaining. A dark noir about a necromancer and the wake of destruction he leaves in his wake.
October 26, 2025
Eric tiene mas de 15 años moviéndose dentro y fuera del país "matando" seres sobre-naturales y algunos mortales. Pero cuando le avisan que su propia hermana fue asesinada, y que nadie sabe quien pudo haberlo hecho, Eric se decide a volver al que fue su hogar. Sin embargo, las cosas son mas complicadas de lo que lo han sido nunca, viejos amigos, muchos cambios, no sabe en quien confiar. Y aún así esta decido a vengar a su hermana. Podrá realmente averiguar quien fue el asesino? Como va a poder vengarse? Conseguirá que alguno de sus antiguos amigos lo ayuden?
Este libro tiene una trama interesante, pero creo que le falto un poco mas de descripción del protagonista. No sentí, realmente, su sufrimiento por la perdida de su última familia, ni las ganas de "venganza" que tenía. Tampoco entendí mucho de lo que intentaban explicar del mundo de los muertos y los "dioses", o como aprendió a usar su poder.
Y sin embargo, me pareció un buen comienzo de serie, quiero saber que va a hacer ahora con su nueva relación con la "Santa Muerte", y que nuevos retos va a tener que enfrentar. Así que si, voy a continuar con la serie, esperando entender un poco mas del personaje y su universo.
Este libro tiene una trama interesante, pero creo que le falto un poco mas de descripción del protagonista. No sentí, realmente, su sufrimiento por la perdida de su última familia, ni las ganas de "venganza" que tenía. Tampoco entendí mucho de lo que intentaban explicar del mundo de los muertos y los "dioses", o como aprendió a usar su poder.
Y sin embargo, me pareció un buen comienzo de serie, quiero saber que va a hacer ahora con su nueva relación con la "Santa Muerte", y que nuevos retos va a tener que enfrentar. Así que si, voy a continuar con la serie, esperando entender un poco mas del personaje y su universo.
November 30, 2018
Ölülerin dünyasında bir yolculuğa var mısınız? Ya bu kapakla nasıl paranormal kitap basarsınız? Bu ne alakasız bir kapak? Direkt spoiler ile giriyorum.
Yorumun buradan sonrası spoiler içeriyor ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Adam ölüler diyarına gidiyor geliyor. Büyü yapıyor. Sağa sola ışık küreleri fırlatıyor. Hayaletleri şişelere hapsediyor. Cesetleri diriltiyor. Bir espriler bir komiklikler. Lan kız kardeşini vahşice öldürmüş Ölüm Azizesi. Sana sahip olmak istiyor. Kan yemini ediyorsun. Düşmanın hayaletmiş başka bedene girmiş. Bu nasıl bir kitaptı ya? Feci şekilde tarzımın dışında ve sıkıcıydı. Beyin devrelerim yandı. Paranormal seviyorsanız kafa göz dalın diyorum. Yok sevmiyorsanız almayın. Polisiye değil. Kapağına kanmayın.
Yorumun buradan sonrası spoiler içeriyor ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Adam ölüler diyarına gidiyor geliyor. Büyü yapıyor. Sağa sola ışık küreleri fırlatıyor. Hayaletleri şişelere hapsediyor. Cesetleri diriltiyor. Bir espriler bir komiklikler. Lan kız kardeşini vahşice öldürmüş Ölüm Azizesi. Sana sahip olmak istiyor. Kan yemini ediyorsun. Düşmanın hayaletmiş başka bedene girmiş. Bu nasıl bir kitaptı ya? Feci şekilde tarzımın dışında ve sıkıcıydı. Beyin devrelerim yandı. Paranormal seviyorsanız kafa göz dalın diyorum. Yok sevmiyorsanız almayın. Polisiye değil. Kapağına kanmayın.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
This is one of the rare urban fantasy books that well, haunts me. Eric Carter is definitely a hero in the noir sense, and Blackmoore lays out a world and magic system I want to dig deeper into. I picked up Dead Things on a whim in Portland, read it on the plane back to Denver, and immediately grabbed the next book. I recommend it often, especially to friends wanting a UF read a little more on the dark side.
Read
July 14, 2023Noir necromancy. You wouldn't think necromancy would need to be noir but here we are. Lots of violence, very bleak. The narrator is nor a whistling-in-the-dark wisecracker, more on the suicidally depressed side of things, which made the tone a bit unrelenting for my tastes, but if you like necromancy and noir, it does exactly what it says on the tin.
December 16, 2014
3.75 stars rounded up
For the first story in a series, I mostly loved it. But I did have niggles.
Okay, the good part first:
Just like my friend, Expy, I loved how Eric embraced his dark power. I was refreshing to see the hero who didn't hesitate to kill the bad guys (like what he did with the cab driver) and didn't went back and forth on questioning the 'morality' of it. Those people (dead or alive) that he killed was the bad guys and Eric got the job done. Period.
The villains were vicious and insane and powerful. The action was quite intense. And the book was quite fast-paced.
And the not-so-good parts:
This was my personal issue with urban fantasy/paranormal books. I start to really dislike the 'martyrdom' trope, where the hero (or heroine) think that the weight of the world is on their shoulder, and they need to kill the villains alone. I always prefer when they gather their wits, check out their resources, and work with their friends to kill the enemies. You know, like "The Avengers". I mean, even Batman needs Robin. Oops, okay, I am getting side-tracked here. But you know what I meant, yes?
Personally, I thought that .
I will keep the sequel on my radar, but I would prefer to see Eric having friends this time around...
ETA: December 16th, 2014
I just lost interest with the sequel. Try to read it several times only to put it down again. I guess I'm not invested enough with Eric that I want to read more of his story. So without further ado, I decided to not continue this series.
For the first story in a series, I mostly loved it. But I did have niggles.
Okay, the good part first:
Just like my friend, Expy, I loved how Eric embraced his dark power. I was refreshing to see the hero who didn't hesitate to kill the bad guys (like what he did with the cab driver) and didn't went back and forth on questioning the 'morality' of it. Those people (dead or alive) that he killed was the bad guys and Eric got the job done. Period.
The villains were vicious and insane and powerful. The action was quite intense. And the book was quite fast-paced.
And the not-so-good parts:
This was my personal issue with urban fantasy/paranormal books. I start to really dislike the 'martyrdom' trope, where the hero (or heroine) think that the weight of the world is on their shoulder, and they need to kill the villains alone. I always prefer when they gather their wits, check out their resources, and work with their friends to kill the enemies. You know, like "The Avengers". I mean, even Batman needs Robin. Oops, okay, I am getting side-tracked here. But you know what I meant, yes?
Personally, I thought that .
I will keep the sequel on my radar, but I would prefer to see Eric having friends this time around...
ETA: December 16th, 2014
I just lost interest with the sequel. Try to read it several times only to put it down again. I guess I'm not invested enough with Eric that I want to read more of his story. So without further ado, I decided to not continue this series.
April 28, 2025
This was one of those titles I had seen mentioned and I thought why not - so when an opportunity presented itself I thought I would give it a go and I really enjoyed it.
This comes from the stable to urban fantasy - where the main character is presented as a flawed and generally unpleasant person however in this case driven my circumstance and human frailty rather than being just a nasty piece of work.
As a result you can look past the one liners, the violence and the lack of commitment as you watch them grow and develop. This is not a book for the easily offended or light of heart however the storyline never seems to get lost in the mayhem and action.
This is the start of the series and I have to say rather than thinking - interesting now lets move I think there is some fun possibilities around the corner and so am looking forward to picking up the next in the series and seeing where it all goes.
This comes from the stable to urban fantasy - where the main character is presented as a flawed and generally unpleasant person however in this case driven my circumstance and human frailty rather than being just a nasty piece of work.
As a result you can look past the one liners, the violence and the lack of commitment as you watch them grow and develop. This is not a book for the easily offended or light of heart however the storyline never seems to get lost in the mayhem and action.
This is the start of the series and I have to say rather than thinking - interesting now lets move I think there is some fun possibilities around the corner and so am looking forward to picking up the next in the series and seeing where it all goes.
August 30, 2017
3.5 to 4 stars
So, this turned out to be a pretty entertaining start to a new series. It features Eric Carter, a mage whose specialty is the necromantic arts. The story kicks off with a pretty gruesome first chapter and things only escalate from there. Eric fled Los Angeles fifteen years ago, for reasons that become apparent not long into the story, and has spent most of that time as a sort of nomadic, supernatural hitman, taking down bad people and/or the bad ghosts they leave behind. Though he’s not squeamish about the methods he uses, he also doesn’t seem particularly fond of them. In other words, he’s your basic good guy wrapped up in a hard, outer shell.
When news of his younger sister’s brutal (and I do mean brutal) murder reaches him, Eric decides to head back to L.A. to make someone pay for it. Can you ever really go home again? In Eric’s case, the answer may be “no”. In addition to finding the city itself much changed after a decade and a half of being away, he also finds his old friends have moved on without him. And there’s more than a little lingering anger and resentment over his abandonment of them.
Eric’s investigation into the identity of his sister’s murderer soon puts him in the crosshairs of some very dangerous people from his past. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it seems that he’s also garnered the unwanted attention of Santa Muerte, Death herself, who wants to recruit him to her side. So, bottom line, Eric has his hands full. There is lots of violence, some grisly details, and lots of ghosts – most of whom are NOT happy.
The story was pretty fast paced and it’s utilitarian writing style lent itself well to creating a noir-ish atmosphere. Eric is definitely no knight in shining, white armor. He’s been too long on his own to be very good at making connections with living people it seems. He can be an ass to the very people that are trying to care about him. That said, there is still something very appealing about him and I think anyone who enjoys the Alex Verus series might also get a kick out of this one.
So, this turned out to be a pretty entertaining start to a new series. It features Eric Carter, a mage whose specialty is the necromantic arts. The story kicks off with a pretty gruesome first chapter and things only escalate from there. Eric fled Los Angeles fifteen years ago, for reasons that become apparent not long into the story, and has spent most of that time as a sort of nomadic, supernatural hitman, taking down bad people and/or the bad ghosts they leave behind. Though he’s not squeamish about the methods he uses, he also doesn’t seem particularly fond of them. In other words, he’s your basic good guy wrapped up in a hard, outer shell.
When news of his younger sister’s brutal (and I do mean brutal) murder reaches him, Eric decides to head back to L.A. to make someone pay for it. Can you ever really go home again? In Eric’s case, the answer may be “no”. In addition to finding the city itself much changed after a decade and a half of being away, he also finds his old friends have moved on without him. And there’s more than a little lingering anger and resentment over his abandonment of them.
Eric’s investigation into the identity of his sister’s murderer soon puts him in the crosshairs of some very dangerous people from his past. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it seems that he’s also garnered the unwanted attention of Santa Muerte, Death herself, who wants to recruit him to her side. So, bottom line, Eric has his hands full. There is lots of violence, some grisly details, and lots of ghosts – most of whom are NOT happy.
The story was pretty fast paced and it’s utilitarian writing style lent itself well to creating a noir-ish atmosphere. Eric is definitely no knight in shining, white armor. He’s been too long on his own to be very good at making connections with living people it seems. He can be an ass to the very people that are trying to care about him. That said, there is still something very appealing about him and I think anyone who enjoys the Alex Verus series might also get a kick out of this one.
July 31, 2020
I think this is very much aimed at wish fulfillment for young men, especially since it is written in first person. Every woman the protagonist meets wants to, or does, have sex with him, he is constantly succeeding not due to his ability but due to blundering into solutions, and his anger issues are never addressed nor is he ever hindered by them. He shows little care or concern for the people around him, and that doesn't change at all throughout the book, and mostly people are important to him when they can do something for him.
The critique above does not necessarily set the book apart from other Urban Fantasy male protagonist books, but it is my major gripe with the genre.
PS: I has a strange realization after finishing the book. The author tells us what all the female characters wear, on more than one occasion, yet male characters are never given a wardrobe description, except for that one time change of clothes.
The critique above does not necessarily set the book apart from other Urban Fantasy male protagonist books, but it is my major gripe with the genre.
PS: I has a strange realization after finishing the book. The author tells us what all the female characters wear, on more than one occasion, yet male characters are never given a wardrobe description, except for that one time change of clothes.
December 20, 2022
Add one part Mike Carey, three parts Richard Kadrey, a dose of Quentin Tarantino, shake, pour. You have Blackmoore.
"I lean back in the seat, close my eyes. Exhaustion threatens to overwhelm me. I need sleep and unconsciousness doesn't count. But I don't have time for that. I pull together a spell for wakefulness. At most it'll be like a cup of coffee. Enough to keep me going until I can find a case of Red Bull."
Lots of brusque lines, sometimes incomplete, with more action than introspection made the pace almost feel like a freefall. Captured the tone of the above names pretty well. I felt the most fun, however, came later in the book. I will be reading the next.
"For a book all about dead things, this novel is alive with great characters and a twisty, scary-funny story that teaches you not to tango with too much necromancy. My favorite book this year, bar none." — Chuck Wendig
"I lean back in the seat, close my eyes. Exhaustion threatens to overwhelm me. I need sleep and unconsciousness doesn't count. But I don't have time for that. I pull together a spell for wakefulness. At most it'll be like a cup of coffee. Enough to keep me going until I can find a case of Red Bull."
Lots of brusque lines, sometimes incomplete, with more action than introspection made the pace almost feel like a freefall. Captured the tone of the above names pretty well. I felt the most fun, however, came later in the book. I will be reading the next.
"For a book all about dead things, this novel is alive with great characters and a twisty, scary-funny story that teaches you not to tango with too much necromancy. My favorite book this year, bar none." — Chuck Wendig
September 22, 2023
03 Feb, 2022
1. Necromancer gets news that his sister has been killed, goes back to the hometown he abandoned, and catches up with old friends and enemies while he tries to solve her murder.
2. Sigh. You know, I did actually pick this book up because of how similar the premise (and the cover!) is to the Dresden Files (because DF left a hole and a lot of complicated emotions in my heart on the way out). Turns out it was similar to DF, but only in terms of the bad bits and none of the good bits.
3. And okay, that's kinda mean. There are things in here that are good in concept if not execution. The opening was actually pretty good, but then it turns out to have nothing to do with the rest of the story. The murder cab driver was a great concept, but it got wrapped up too soon and too neat, with barely any moral quandries and even fewer creepy atmospheric shit- such a wasted opportunity. Everything about that weird bar place where Eric goes into. The death echo thing , even if it got tarnished by the relatively blase reactions to her death.
Eric's swiss army knife of tattoos could be a magic system by itself and honestly should have been. The watch is great- too bad it's only there in one scene and gets forgotten immediately after. There are also a few of nice one-liners (“The thing I hate most about skeletons is you can never tell when they're smiling.” I love it.) here and there. But the good stuff is not really good enough to counter the bad (or worse) boring stuff.
4. The magic system is not soft as much as it is undefined, and that poses a bit of a problem. A lot of the tension in the book comes from Eric being in mortal peril (because uh- it's kinda hard to actually buy that Eric and Lucy had any kind of relationship at all), and that sort of scene is no fun without clear limits. Well, I suppose it could be, but not the way the scenes play out here. I mean, you have to have something to keep my interest, damn it. The plot is pretty generic, mystery-wise. The magic system is all over the place. And the characters are pretty meh.
5. Hard to find yourself invested in a bunch of people whose relationships with each other seem really shallow. Alex and Eric had the beginnings of an interesting dynamic, but it was not developed at all. There are two women in here- one is Eric's ex he;s pining over and the other is some girl who randomly has sex with him twice
Eric's dead sister a prop. She's not even a plot device. She's a prop. There are times when she's used for pathos which had me going "maybe I'd care a little more if anyone actually convinced me she mattered to them."
One actually interesting character in this was Ellis (traumatic backstory, reasons for why he is the way he is, actual character progression) and he was there in barely a handful of scenes . Boo.
Santa Muerte was another interesting character. Delightfully creepy! Her scenes were some of the best bits of the book. I do love a good puppetmaster. But that reveal in the last chapter just left me with some mixed feelings. Sortof. Still better than the rest of the book though.
I'm not even going to talk about Eric. He's a discount wannabe Harry Dresden, with none of the morals, none of the charm, and more of the sleaze.
6. The worldbuilding with all the ghosts was also one of the better parts of the book (More Ellis! Give me some ghost academicians!), but it's not a major part of said book so eh.
7. There's also a lot of gore and look- I don't really object to gore and like it a lot of the time. But the gore here mostly came across as senseless. But admittedly, I was too irritated by the story after a point to make reliable emotional judgements.
8. Anyway. Some interesting ideas and elements, made worse with subpar character relationships and not enough emotional investment put into the plot. Which would be fine for a mystery story, but this book is clearly trying to be something deeper, and it does not work.
1. Necromancer gets news that his sister has been killed, goes back to the hometown he abandoned, and catches up with old friends and enemies while he tries to solve her murder.
2. Sigh. You know, I did actually pick this book up because of how similar the premise (and the cover!) is to the Dresden Files (because DF left a hole and a lot of complicated emotions in my heart on the way out). Turns out it was similar to DF, but only in terms of the bad bits and none of the good bits.
3. And okay, that's kinda mean. There are things in here that are good in concept if not execution. The opening was actually pretty good, but then it turns out to have nothing to do with the rest of the story. The murder cab driver was a great concept, but it got wrapped up too soon and too neat, with barely any moral quandries and even fewer creepy atmospheric shit- such a wasted opportunity. Everything about that weird bar place where Eric goes into. The death echo thing , even if it got tarnished by the relatively blase reactions to her death.
Eric's swiss army knife of tattoos could be a magic system by itself and honestly should have been. The watch is great- too bad it's only there in one scene and gets forgotten immediately after. There are also a few of nice one-liners (“The thing I hate most about skeletons is you can never tell when they're smiling.” I love it.) here and there. But the good stuff is not really good enough to counter the bad (or worse) boring stuff.
4. The magic system is not soft as much as it is undefined, and that poses a bit of a problem. A lot of the tension in the book comes from Eric being in mortal peril (because uh- it's kinda hard to actually buy that Eric and Lucy had any kind of relationship at all), and that sort of scene is no fun without clear limits. Well, I suppose it could be, but not the way the scenes play out here. I mean, you have to have something to keep my interest, damn it. The plot is pretty generic, mystery-wise. The magic system is all over the place. And the characters are pretty meh.
5. Hard to find yourself invested in a bunch of people whose relationships with each other seem really shallow. Alex and Eric had the beginnings of an interesting dynamic, but it was not developed at all. There are two women in here- one is Eric's ex he;s pining over and the other is some girl who randomly has sex with him twice
Eric's dead sister a prop. She's not even a plot device. She's a prop. There are times when she's used for pathos which had me going "maybe I'd care a little more if anyone actually convinced me she mattered to them."
One actually interesting character in this was Ellis (traumatic backstory, reasons for why he is the way he is, actual character progression) and he was there in barely a handful of scenes . Boo.
Santa Muerte was another interesting character. Delightfully creepy! Her scenes were some of the best bits of the book. I do love a good puppetmaster. But that reveal in the last chapter just left me with some mixed feelings. Sortof. Still better than the rest of the book though.
I'm not even going to talk about Eric. He's a discount wannabe Harry Dresden, with none of the morals, none of the charm, and more of the sleaze.
6. The worldbuilding with all the ghosts was also one of the better parts of the book (More Ellis! Give me some ghost academicians!), but it's not a major part of said book so eh.
7. There's also a lot of gore and look- I don't really object to gore and like it a lot of the time. But the gore here mostly came across as senseless. But admittedly, I was too irritated by the story after a point to make reliable emotional judgements.
8. Anyway. Some interesting ideas and elements, made worse with subpar character relationships and not enough emotional investment put into the plot. Which would be fine for a mystery story, but this book is clearly trying to be something deeper, and it does not work.
February 17, 2015
I loved this book. LOVED it. Top-rate urban fantasy. I'm telling you now, though, if you don't have a demented sense of humor and hate swearing, you probably won't like this book.
What really drives this book is the main character, Eric. I don't like to leave reviews with spoilers, so I'll just give you the basics. He's a necromancer. A powerful necromancer at that. He pisses off a lot of people, and a lot of people, and not people, want him dead. I don't blame them. He's kind of a jerk. I'm guessing that I wasn't inside his head, reading from his point of view, I'd hate him as well. But I can't. He's a good person, who has accepted that his line of work has turned him into a murderer and a monster. This is pretty rare in UF books. Not only has he accepted what life has thrown at him, but he's doing his best to change and be a better person. Too bad life keeps throwing some real doozies in his direction. Even better, he's a potty mouth. I tend to swear like a sailor, and it's always odd to me that UF characters rarely swear. I'm sorry, but if you're getting your head bludgeoned in by a demon, 'darn' is probably not the word you're thinking. But I digress.
'Dead Things' was fast paced, interesting, often hilariously macabre, and full of dry humor. Most importantly, the characters seemed real. I believed everybody's motivations and impulses. Best of all, the twist was actually relatively surprising. I haven't been genuinely surprised by a story in a long time. Good job, Stephen Blackmoore. You did well.
I said it before, but I'll say it again: If you don't enjoy or at least tolerate gore, this isn't the book for you. People die. Bloodily. Occasionally by exploding. The main character can occasionally see an Echo of a murder, and we get to share in his horror. And it really, truly is horrible. Even the humor in the book is doused in grim with a side of deadpan. Luckily, that's my favorite kind of humor.
I recommend his book. No, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It's never dull, and it keeps you on your toes.
What really drives this book is the main character, Eric. I don't like to leave reviews with spoilers, so I'll just give you the basics. He's a necromancer. A powerful necromancer at that. He pisses off a lot of people, and a lot of people, and not people, want him dead. I don't blame them. He's kind of a jerk. I'm guessing that I wasn't inside his head, reading from his point of view, I'd hate him as well. But I can't. He's a good person, who has accepted that his line of work has turned him into a murderer and a monster. This is pretty rare in UF books. Not only has he accepted what life has thrown at him, but he's doing his best to change and be a better person. Too bad life keeps throwing some real doozies in his direction. Even better, he's a potty mouth. I tend to swear like a sailor, and it's always odd to me that UF characters rarely swear. I'm sorry, but if you're getting your head bludgeoned in by a demon, 'darn' is probably not the word you're thinking. But I digress.
'Dead Things' was fast paced, interesting, often hilariously macabre, and full of dry humor. Most importantly, the characters seemed real. I believed everybody's motivations and impulses. Best of all, the twist was actually relatively surprising. I haven't been genuinely surprised by a story in a long time. Good job, Stephen Blackmoore. You did well.
I said it before, but I'll say it again: If you don't enjoy or at least tolerate gore, this isn't the book for you. People die. Bloodily. Occasionally by exploding. The main character can occasionally see an Echo of a murder, and we get to share in his horror. And it really, truly is horrible. Even the humor in the book is doused in grim with a side of deadpan. Luckily, that's my favorite kind of humor.
I recommend his book. No, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It's never dull, and it keeps you on your toes.
August 12, 2015
Eric Carter is a necromancer and he's turned his ability to see ghosts and talk to the dead into a career. When he left L.A. fifteen years ago, he never thought he'd go back - too many bad memories and too many people trying to kill him. Now, he has no choice but to return after his sister was brutally murdered. Carter is going to find out who did it and why and then he's going to make them pay.
If you like your urban fantasy on the dark and gritty side, Dead Things is for you. Eric Carter is not the kind of character I would traditionally imagine when someone says necromancer, but this definitely works to the story's advantage and gives it a refreshing boost. Carter embraces who he is, flaws and bad decisions and all.
Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore is a great beginning to a new urban fantasy series. And, the cover art has been done by Chris McGrath who is one of my favorites in the business. If you like John Constantine, you may like to meet Eric Carter. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Broken Souls.
If you like your urban fantasy on the dark and gritty side, Dead Things is for you. Eric Carter is not the kind of character I would traditionally imagine when someone says necromancer, but this definitely works to the story's advantage and gives it a refreshing boost. Carter embraces who he is, flaws and bad decisions and all.
Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore is a great beginning to a new urban fantasy series. And, the cover art has been done by Chris McGrath who is one of my favorites in the business. If you like John Constantine, you may like to meet Eric Carter. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Broken Souls.
January 15, 2015
Mr. Blackmoore is a writer after my own heart - dark, hilarious, darkly hilarious, violent, and clever. What more could you possibly want?
July 18, 2022
My review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r5jOhxDj7bE
3.5. This was fun! Very grim but some lighter comedic moments to balance it out. Will be doing a full review on my channel soon.
3.5. This was fun! Very grim but some lighter comedic moments to balance it out. Will be doing a full review on my channel soon.
July 29, 2022
3.5 stars. A solid start to a UF series. Very dark and gritty, which is how I like UF. The prose is a little too sparse for my taste, but it stopped bothering me after a while. The protagonist is complicated and very gray morally speaking, which I also like. And finally, the world-building is strong and original. It stands out in an otherwise saturated genre. Will continue the series.
June 12, 2024
Das hat mir wirklich Spaß gemacht!
February 17, 2023
I have had this series on my wishlist forever, so when the opportunity presented itself to review the audiobooks, I dove in.
We meet Eric Carter, a foul-mouthed necromancer who doesn’t have the greatest opinion of humanity. Unlike other UF characters, Eric is a bit of a dark horse and finds himself an outcast of his own creation. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. He reacts first, regrets later. I can’t say I liked him at first, but Blackmoore had me intrigued.
Eric left Los Angeles fifteen years ago after things went sideways with a magic user and gang leader. He has recently learned that his sister has been killed and is determined to find out who’s responsible and get revenge.
Eric returns to find that his best friend and girl are together. To him, it feels like everyone has grown up and that he is still facing down his own demons. We learn he isn’t tapping into his full potential, leaving room for growth both as a person and necromancer.
In this first book, we’ll encounter an Aztec Goddess of Death, ghosts, demons and zombies. It was an engaging tale that left me curious for more. The story starts and ends dark with enough of a hook to have me downloading the next in series.
Blackmoore brought the mythology to life in vivid detail. The story is dark, gory and disturbing. The twist Eric gets himself in and the ending has me excited to see what comes next. Fans of urban fantasy, noir and troubled protagonists will enjoy this one.
Rudy Sanda narrates and did a wonderful job of capturing the characters and tone of the story. The overall story was enhanced by the audio format. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
We meet Eric Carter, a foul-mouthed necromancer who doesn’t have the greatest opinion of humanity. Unlike other UF characters, Eric is a bit of a dark horse and finds himself an outcast of his own creation. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. He reacts first, regrets later. I can’t say I liked him at first, but Blackmoore had me intrigued.
Eric left Los Angeles fifteen years ago after things went sideways with a magic user and gang leader. He has recently learned that his sister has been killed and is determined to find out who’s responsible and get revenge.
Eric returns to find that his best friend and girl are together. To him, it feels like everyone has grown up and that he is still facing down his own demons. We learn he isn’t tapping into his full potential, leaving room for growth both as a person and necromancer.
In this first book, we’ll encounter an Aztec Goddess of Death, ghosts, demons and zombies. It was an engaging tale that left me curious for more. The story starts and ends dark with enough of a hook to have me downloading the next in series.
Blackmoore brought the mythology to life in vivid detail. The story is dark, gory and disturbing. The twist Eric gets himself in and the ending has me excited to see what comes next. Fans of urban fantasy, noir and troubled protagonists will enjoy this one.
Rudy Sanda narrates and did a wonderful job of capturing the characters and tone of the story. The overall story was enhanced by the audio format. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
July 15, 2014
4.5 Stars
I read this a while ago, but with the sequel coming out I thought I would show some love a write a quick review on this because I loved it.
I also think Stephen Blackmoore is an excellent and underrated talent in this genre.
Eric is a necromancer. That's right, our protagonist actually uses the "bad guy's magic". One of the things that intrigued me about this novel was the fact that Eric dabbled in the dark side.
The story is a bit of a mystery where Eric is returning home to L.A. after skipping town when shit hit the fan years ago. He left behind family, friends, and everything he knew. And now his sister's dead, murdered, and he wants to know why.
Some reasons to read this:
1. The story is a thriller, action packed with very little down time,and Blackmoore does an excellent job of keeping you turning the pages wanting to know more.
2. The magic is great. That's a big reason why I read UF, for the magic. And the opening scene is a battle that puts it on full display.
3. Eric is snarky and hilarious at times in the vein of fan favorites Dresden and Atticus. Also, he a self-deprecating chain smoker who looks like he's always ready for a funeral.
4. It's different. Not to say there aren't any tropes involved, but the mythology Blackmoore uses, Eric's abilities and the world don't have traditional Vamps, Werewolves and what not. Gods like the Loa and Santa Muerte are featured. (Getting tired of Greek Gods and the Fey)
It's funny, fast, and full of entertainment. Eric Carter is the product of that one night in Taiwan when Harry Dresden, John Constantine and too much tequila led to some bad decisions. After you throw up from that imagery go read the book! Now!
I read this a while ago, but with the sequel coming out I thought I would show some love a write a quick review on this because I loved it.
I also think Stephen Blackmoore is an excellent and underrated talent in this genre.
Eric is a necromancer. That's right, our protagonist actually uses the "bad guy's magic". One of the things that intrigued me about this novel was the fact that Eric dabbled in the dark side.
The story is a bit of a mystery where Eric is returning home to L.A. after skipping town when shit hit the fan years ago. He left behind family, friends, and everything he knew. And now his sister's dead, murdered, and he wants to know why.
Some reasons to read this:
1. The story is a thriller, action packed with very little down time,and Blackmoore does an excellent job of keeping you turning the pages wanting to know more.
2. The magic is great. That's a big reason why I read UF, for the magic. And the opening scene is a battle that puts it on full display.
3. Eric is snarky and hilarious at times in the vein of fan favorites Dresden and Atticus. Also, he a self-deprecating chain smoker who looks like he's always ready for a funeral.
4. It's different. Not to say there aren't any tropes involved, but the mythology Blackmoore uses, Eric's abilities and the world don't have traditional Vamps, Werewolves and what not. Gods like the Loa and Santa Muerte are featured. (Getting tired of Greek Gods and the Fey)
It's funny, fast, and full of entertainment. Eric Carter is the product of that one night in Taiwan when Harry Dresden, John Constantine and too much tequila led to some bad decisions. After you throw up from that imagery go read the book! Now!
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