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Jeremiah Hunt #2
King of the Dead
Joseph Nassise shook up the urban fantasy genre with Eyes to See, a novel New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry called "heartbreaking, deeply insightful, powerful and genuinely thrilling." In a devil's deal, Jeremiah Hunt sacrificed his human sight in exchange for the power to see the hidden world of ghosts and all of the darker spirits that prowl the streets. Hunt uncovered a world of murder and magic that took his daughter from him and nearly cost him his life, but that was only the beginning...
Now, Hunt is on the run from the FBI, who have pegged him as a mass-murdering dark sorcerer. His flight from the law is diverted to New Orleans when his companion, a potent witch, has a horrific vision of the city under magical siege. When they arrive, they realize that the situation is more dire than they could have the world of the living faces a terrifying attack by forces from beyond the grave.
King of the Dead, the second book in this groundbreaking series, promises more of Nassise's electrifying writing that will enthrall readers looking for a supercharged, supernatural thrill.
Books in the Jeremiah Hunt supernatural thriller
Eyes To See
King of the Dead
Watcher of the Dark
Now, Hunt is on the run from the FBI, who have pegged him as a mass-murdering dark sorcerer. His flight from the law is diverted to New Orleans when his companion, a potent witch, has a horrific vision of the city under magical siege. When they arrive, they realize that the situation is more dire than they could have the world of the living faces a terrifying attack by forces from beyond the grave.
King of the Dead, the second book in this groundbreaking series, promises more of Nassise's electrifying writing that will enthrall readers looking for a supercharged, supernatural thrill.
Books in the Jeremiah Hunt supernatural thriller
Eyes To See
King of the Dead
Watcher of the Dark
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
36 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Nassise
99 books331 followersI'm the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including the Templar Chronicles series, the Jeremiah Hunt trilogy, and the Great Undead War series. I've also written several books in the Rogue Angel action/adventure series from Gold Eagle. I'm a former president of the Horror Writers Association, the world's largest organization of professional horror writers, and a multiple Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominee.
When I'm not writing, I'm hanging out with dogs, practicing recurve archery, or off-roading in the desert around my home in Phoenix, AZ.
When I'm not writing, I'm hanging out with dogs, practicing recurve archery, or off-roading in the desert around my home in Phoenix, AZ.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 13, 2013
What can I say? I'm always looking for a good book, a good fantasy, a good urban fantasy. There are plenty of either of those genres out there. The trick of course is finding a good example of each book.
Here Joseph Nassise sets himself sort of a challenge. (Spoiler for the first book coming so be aware.) The first volume of this series ends with "our hero" on the run from the FBI. Wanted for the murder of a law enforcement officer and suspected of being a horrifying serial killer he's at the top of the agencies radar...and the list of an intractable Special Agent.
Here the book opens with Jeremiah (and his friends) having found a place where they felt relatively safe "going to ground". Then Denise (Clearwater) has a vision...they have to go to New Orleans.
Stupid to go into a city Jeremiah thinks, only Denise has no choice. That being the case Jeremiah and Dmitri (the berserker..."bearserker") don't hesitate to go with her.
What they are about to face is even nastier than the last supernatural critter they were up against...and they barely got away with their lives and beings intact that time.
While I can't bring myself to give these more than a 4 and while there is something about each of the books that leaves me feeling like there's just a little something missing, a slight flaw I like these. I like them quite a bit. I've made no secret of the fact that my favorite UF (urban fantasy) series is/are the Harry Dresden series. I'd say that on my "list" of favorite UF series these would be third or fourth.
So...I recommend these books highly. There isn't the humor here you find in some series, but there's a little. The plotting is good but there are a "few" eye roll moments. You'll wonder a bit about how the FBI managed to miss them at times and you'll wonder about the thought processes of some of the characters.
All that said none of it is a deal breaker. The book is a good fast moving read, a nice serving of brain candy. As I said I can recommend this and these. It will qualify as thriller, action read, fantasy and urban fantasy.
Really, try these.
Here Joseph Nassise sets himself sort of a challenge. (Spoiler for the first book coming so be aware.) The first volume of this series ends with "our hero" on the run from the FBI. Wanted for the murder of a law enforcement officer and suspected of being a horrifying serial killer he's at the top of the agencies radar...and the list of an intractable Special Agent.
Here the book opens with Jeremiah (and his friends) having found a place where they felt relatively safe "going to ground". Then Denise (Clearwater) has a vision...they have to go to New Orleans.
Stupid to go into a city Jeremiah thinks, only Denise has no choice. That being the case Jeremiah and Dmitri (the berserker..."bearserker") don't hesitate to go with her.
What they are about to face is even nastier than the last supernatural critter they were up against...and they barely got away with their lives and beings intact that time.
While I can't bring myself to give these more than a 4 and while there is something about each of the books that leaves me feeling like there's just a little something missing, a slight flaw I like these. I like them quite a bit. I've made no secret of the fact that my favorite UF (urban fantasy) series is/are the Harry Dresden series. I'd say that on my "list" of favorite UF series these would be third or fourth.
So...I recommend these books highly. There isn't the humor here you find in some series, but there's a little. The plotting is good but there are a "few" eye roll moments. You'll wonder a bit about how the FBI managed to miss them at times and you'll wonder about the thought processes of some of the characters.
All that said none of it is a deal breaker. The book is a good fast moving read, a nice serving of brain candy. As I said I can recommend this and these. It will qualify as thriller, action read, fantasy and urban fantasy.
Really, try these.
December 10, 2012
Terrible. Just terrible. I honestly can't pick out a redeeming quality to this book.
The point of view changes are so absolutely pointless it's frustrating. They offer nothing in the way of plot OR character development. Hell, I think it hurts both. The book would have greatly benefited from being told through just Hunt's eyes.
The plot is just atrocious. It's poorly paced and explained, things just kind of happen, and then it ends. The FBI agent hunting Hunt served zero purpose. I honestly don't even see why that was originally woven into this series. It felt forced and tacked on. Plot holes abound.
The other thing that really bothers me about this series - Hunt's ghost sight and harmonica playing. Ghost sight is pretty much Dresden's ability with a different name. The harmonica summoning/commanding ghosts thing is the exact same as Felix Castor's. How can you have such a random, unique technique that another author has? It rubs me the wrong way.
I'm really hoping I can convince my inner masochist to not read the next book in this series.
The point of view changes are so absolutely pointless it's frustrating. They offer nothing in the way of plot OR character development. Hell, I think it hurts both. The book would have greatly benefited from being told through just Hunt's eyes.
The plot is just atrocious. It's poorly paced and explained, things just kind of happen, and then it ends. The FBI agent hunting Hunt served zero purpose. I honestly don't even see why that was originally woven into this series. It felt forced and tacked on. Plot holes abound.
The other thing that really bothers me about this series - Hunt's ghost sight and harmonica playing. Ghost sight is pretty much Dresden's ability with a different name. The harmonica summoning/commanding ghosts thing is the exact same as Felix Castor's. How can you have such a random, unique technique that another author has? It rubs me the wrong way.
I'm really hoping I can convince my inner masochist to not read the next book in this series.
December 3, 2012
Sequels generally fail to live up to their predecessors. To be fair, they're under a lot of pressure. They need to refresh readers who read books out of order (a ghastly affair, I say) and to set up the following book, assuming there is one (which there usually is, duology's not being especially popular). Unfortunately, I feel like King of the Dead had some real issues, and was not as powerful as Eyes to See, however, the ending was jam packed and left me wanting more.
The first problem with King of the Dead I referenced above. Authors writing the second book of their series have two basic options: rehash the plot so that people who skipped book one won't be lost or launch straight in and hope that people are smart enough to go back to book one if they're confused. Nassise chose the former option, which might have been okay with me had I not read Eyes to See less than a week ago. With a strong knowledge of the plot, I could appreciate just how poorly the information dump was handled. One sentence, just a descriptive one about how inanimate objects take in emotions, he even reused verbatim in this book. If you're going to repeat the infodump, at least do me the favor of writing something new, especially since I wasn't a huge fan of that sentence in book one, which is why I recognized it.
Much as that annoyed me, though, it's a fairly common problem, and the repetition is dispensed with in a couple of chapters, so it's really not that big an issue. The larger problem was how the plot meandered for most of the book. Where Eyes to See started with a bang (Jeremiah performing an exorcism), this one only has a brief vision of Denise's to get us moving. Apparently, the vision means they need to go to New Orleans for some mission wholely unrelated to Hunt being wanted by the FBI. Alrighty then.
Thankfully, I do feel like the plot did come around to being a bit more overarching towards the end, bringing in a mysterious figure from book one. The last third or so of the book has a lot of action, death, and battle, so I got really into it at that point. There was one questionable moment in the battle's climax where I question Hunt's ability to take out the opponent, but hopefully the powers he uses then will be explained later on. Otherwise, not cool.
Hunt continues to be a delightfully odd hero, in that he's not especially heroic. He doesn't really want to save people and he's really not that useful a lot of the time. He gets them caught by doing something stupid, and he has to hide in the corner during battles, because he lacks any sort of fighting prowess. His most useful skills are his ghostsight and the fact that he's really good at the harmonica (soothes ghosts and three-headed dogs). Personally, I find this refreshing, because most people don't get to be the badass hero in their own lives.
King of the Dead had some issues, but I certainly recommend it with some reservations. Given the intense ending, I do plan to continue with the series myself and only hope that Nassise will ease the transition into book three and try to space out the action a bit better, like he did in Eyes to See.
The first problem with King of the Dead I referenced above. Authors writing the second book of their series have two basic options: rehash the plot so that people who skipped book one won't be lost or launch straight in and hope that people are smart enough to go back to book one if they're confused. Nassise chose the former option, which might have been okay with me had I not read Eyes to See less than a week ago. With a strong knowledge of the plot, I could appreciate just how poorly the information dump was handled. One sentence, just a descriptive one about how inanimate objects take in emotions, he even reused verbatim in this book. If you're going to repeat the infodump, at least do me the favor of writing something new, especially since I wasn't a huge fan of that sentence in book one, which is why I recognized it.
Much as that annoyed me, though, it's a fairly common problem, and the repetition is dispensed with in a couple of chapters, so it's really not that big an issue. The larger problem was how the plot meandered for most of the book. Where Eyes to See started with a bang (Jeremiah performing an exorcism), this one only has a brief vision of Denise's to get us moving. Apparently, the vision means they need to go to New Orleans for some mission wholely unrelated to Hunt being wanted by the FBI. Alrighty then.
Thankfully, I do feel like the plot did come around to being a bit more overarching towards the end, bringing in a mysterious figure from book one. The last third or so of the book has a lot of action, death, and battle, so I got really into it at that point. There was one questionable moment in the battle's climax where I question Hunt's ability to take out the opponent, but hopefully the powers he uses then will be explained later on. Otherwise, not cool.
Hunt continues to be a delightfully odd hero, in that he's not especially heroic. He doesn't really want to save people and he's really not that useful a lot of the time. He gets them caught by doing something stupid, and he has to hide in the corner during battles, because he lacks any sort of fighting prowess. His most useful skills are his ghostsight and the fact that he's really good at the harmonica (soothes ghosts and three-headed dogs). Personally, I find this refreshing, because most people don't get to be the badass hero in their own lives.
King of the Dead had some issues, but I certainly recommend it with some reservations. Given the intense ending, I do plan to continue with the series myself and only hope that Nassise will ease the transition into book three and try to space out the action a bit better, like he did in Eyes to See.
November 30, 2012
I reviewed the first book in the series, Eyes to See last year and I really enjoyed it. This is the second book in this series and I have to say I enjoyed this book even more. The characters are established and I found myself rooting even more for the main hero, Jeremiah, even more. We also pick up where the last book left off, so I do suggest these be read in order. Not because it would be too confusing (you could read these out of order), but because you get such a better feel for the characters this way.
I know that some people might worry that ghosts and the fact that this is listed as horror that it would be too scary. I admit... *stands up and confesses* that I am a wimp when it comes to horror. This series is more in the realm of UF and a lot of UF does get put into the horror genre. It isn't too scary at all, but the world these characters inhabit are also not full of sunshine and daisies. It is quite a dark world and full of action. In this book as with the last, our main characters are fighting a almost unstoppable paranormal force. In fact, it is death itself that they are fighting. Not quite the grim reaper, but more like one built of fae legends.
I don't want to give away hardly anything. There is too much here for me that I want to say, but I refuse to spoil it. I will say that the mystery here has a few twist and turns I enjoyed how the mysteries were solved. My only complaint would be the shifting POV. It wasn't constant, but it was used so lightly I would forget that I was reading someone else's POV besides Hunt's. Still, it did not prevent my enjoyment of this book as a whole.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I recommend it to anyone who loves UF. Oh, and there is a romance story-line in the book. The romance isn't quite there, but it is budding... :)
I know that some people might worry that ghosts and the fact that this is listed as horror that it would be too scary. I admit... *stands up and confesses* that I am a wimp when it comes to horror. This series is more in the realm of UF and a lot of UF does get put into the horror genre. It isn't too scary at all, but the world these characters inhabit are also not full of sunshine and daisies. It is quite a dark world and full of action. In this book as with the last, our main characters are fighting a almost unstoppable paranormal force. In fact, it is death itself that they are fighting. Not quite the grim reaper, but more like one built of fae legends.
I don't want to give away hardly anything. There is too much here for me that I want to say, but I refuse to spoil it. I will say that the mystery here has a few twist and turns I enjoyed how the mysteries were solved. My only complaint would be the shifting POV. It wasn't constant, but it was used so lightly I would forget that I was reading someone else's POV besides Hunt's. Still, it did not prevent my enjoyment of this book as a whole.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I recommend it to anyone who loves UF. Oh, and there is a romance story-line in the book. The romance isn't quite there, but it is budding... :)
November 25, 2012
The magical construction of EYES TO SEE was mesmerizing, and though I wasn't swept away that book's eventual resolution, I was eager to pick up KING OF THE DEAD to see where Nassise took me next.
KING OF THE DEAD starts a little slow, as Hunts sometimes pedantic nature is used to remind readers of prior events. People new to the series should have no problem jumping right in with KING OF THE DEAD. The rush of information made things a little dry, but once Hunt and his companions get to New Orleans, new events reinvigorated my interest in the story.
Throughout the book, however, I continued to have difficulty with shifts in the narrative tone. I'm used to books switching point of view at the chapter or a paragraph break, but Nassise isn't consistent about grouping these narratives. I would be reading the story from Denise's perspective, then get three lines that sounded like Hunt, then back to Denise. Nassise's style is an odd mix of deadpan recounting of events paired with exclamation points and adverbs where I'd least expect them. This makes it hard enough to connect with his characters, even without narrative point of view potholes jarring me out of focus.
A mix of police procedural and the occult, KING OF THE DEAD offers more of Nassise's excellent mythologies. As much as I enjoyed the magic, however, I never connected with his characters beyond a superficial level. Fans of both fantasy and thrillers will enjoy this mix of genres, but character focused readers may be left wanting.
Full review to follow.
Sexual Content: None.
KING OF THE DEAD starts a little slow, as Hunts sometimes pedantic nature is used to remind readers of prior events. People new to the series should have no problem jumping right in with KING OF THE DEAD. The rush of information made things a little dry, but once Hunt and his companions get to New Orleans, new events reinvigorated my interest in the story.
Throughout the book, however, I continued to have difficulty with shifts in the narrative tone. I'm used to books switching point of view at the chapter or a paragraph break, but Nassise isn't consistent about grouping these narratives. I would be reading the story from Denise's perspective, then get three lines that sounded like Hunt, then back to Denise. Nassise's style is an odd mix of deadpan recounting of events paired with exclamation points and adverbs where I'd least expect them. This makes it hard enough to connect with his characters, even without narrative point of view potholes jarring me out of focus.
A mix of police procedural and the occult, KING OF THE DEAD offers more of Nassise's excellent mythologies. As much as I enjoyed the magic, however, I never connected with his characters beyond a superficial level. Fans of both fantasy and thrillers will enjoy this mix of genres, but character focused readers may be left wanting.
Full review to follow.
Sexual Content: None.
August 13, 2019
In general, book series and sequels are often better than film franchises. David Wellington's "Monster" series (
Monster Island
, Monster Nation, and
Monster Planet
) and F. Paul Wilson's “Repairman Jack” novels are but just two examples that come to mind where each book is a welcome addition to that writer's universe. I have on deck the sequels to Graeme Reynolds'
High Moor
and Dana Fredsti's
Plague Town
, and I am confident I will enjoy both because statistically it's inevitable. The same can't be said of movies. You can't say that every Hellraiser movie is worth watching. Or every Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or the numerous other film sequels, prequels and reboots that populate the genre. No doubt this is due to the fact that the creators of the first generally don't have much participation in the movies that follow, unlike in books where the same author is writing the newest addition each time (for the most part). So, as you can imagine, when Joe Nassise's King of the Dead (his sequel to the very fun
Eyes to See
) came across my plate, I had my usual expectations of this type of novel: high. I was not disappointed.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
December 24, 2012
One of the best combinations that has come about with the tremendous growth of crossgenre fiction is crimefighting supernatural beings. Early players—meaning in recent years because crossgenre is certainly not a new thing—such as Harry Dresden (Jim Butcher) and Rachel Morgan (Kim Harrison) whetted our appetites and many readers, including me, are always on the lookout for more, especially those that are a bit different.
And Jeremiah Hunt is decidedly different. We’ve had central characters who can wizard or witch their way through life, or chase down bad guys while in the form of werewolves and vampires and such, but how often do we come across a guy who can see ghosts and all the scary things in the dark and can do so BECAUSE he’s blind? To make it even more unique, Jeremiah actually wanted his blindness, unlike so many who gain their abilities through no desire to be able to do these things. Jeremiah and his cohorts, a witch and a berserker, ought to be kickbutt.
Unfortunately, they don’t quite do it for me and I’m not entirely sure why. Part of the problem is a bit too much infodumping in an effort to bring the reader up to speed in this second book. I appreciate the effort because knowing some background helps when you haven’t read the earlier books in a series (a frequent happenstance for reviewers) but it’s a little too heavyhanded in this case. I was also a little put off by the shifting points of view—generally, I like that but the shifts were sometimes too abrupt and I would lose my connection to the story while taking the time to figure out who’s speaking.
Having said that, the worldbuilding is very good and I like these characters, especially Jeremiah. I’ve heard excellent reports about the first book, Eyes to See, so I think this may be one of those rare occasions when I should have read the first book first. King of the Dead interests me a lot and I think I’ll enjoy it much more if I start at the beginning.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, December 2012.
And Jeremiah Hunt is decidedly different. We’ve had central characters who can wizard or witch their way through life, or chase down bad guys while in the form of werewolves and vampires and such, but how often do we come across a guy who can see ghosts and all the scary things in the dark and can do so BECAUSE he’s blind? To make it even more unique, Jeremiah actually wanted his blindness, unlike so many who gain their abilities through no desire to be able to do these things. Jeremiah and his cohorts, a witch and a berserker, ought to be kickbutt.
Unfortunately, they don’t quite do it for me and I’m not entirely sure why. Part of the problem is a bit too much infodumping in an effort to bring the reader up to speed in this second book. I appreciate the effort because knowing some background helps when you haven’t read the earlier books in a series (a frequent happenstance for reviewers) but it’s a little too heavyhanded in this case. I was also a little put off by the shifting points of view—generally, I like that but the shifts were sometimes too abrupt and I would lose my connection to the story while taking the time to figure out who’s speaking.
Having said that, the worldbuilding is very good and I like these characters, especially Jeremiah. I’ve heard excellent reports about the first book, Eyes to See, so I think this may be one of those rare occasions when I should have read the first book first. King of the Dead interests me a lot and I think I’ll enjoy it much more if I start at the beginning.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, December 2012.
November 14, 2012
“King of the Dead” by Joseph Nassise, published by Tor Books.
Category – Urban Fantasy
This could be the craziest damn book I have ever read, and I loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, and I apologize to the author, I took a different view of the book than most critics.
Although the book is suspenseful and deals with the paranormal, I found it to be a clever, funny, and all around just good read. My only regret is that I did not read the first book in the series, “Eyes to See”.
Jeremiah Hunt, in attempting to find the fate of his daughter, sacrifices his sight so that he can see the world of ghost and spirits. He has teamed up with a shape-shifter or berserker who changes into a polar bear when times get tough and a mage named Denise. Jeremiah is also running from the FBI because they think he is a serial killer “The Reaper”.
Denise Clearwater has a vision that has her going to New Orleans to help in an epidemic there. When they arrive in New Orleans they are faced with intellectuals dying that show no sign of disease but are comatose. This is when the three must summon their powers to find out who is responsible and why this is happening.
If you are looking for a totally enjoyable read that is totally off the charts I highly recommend this series. Again, apologizes to Joseph Nassise, but you can take solace in providing a book that I literally could not put down.
Category – Urban Fantasy
This could be the craziest damn book I have ever read, and I loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, and I apologize to the author, I took a different view of the book than most critics.
Although the book is suspenseful and deals with the paranormal, I found it to be a clever, funny, and all around just good read. My only regret is that I did not read the first book in the series, “Eyes to See”.
Jeremiah Hunt, in attempting to find the fate of his daughter, sacrifices his sight so that he can see the world of ghost and spirits. He has teamed up with a shape-shifter or berserker who changes into a polar bear when times get tough and a mage named Denise. Jeremiah is also running from the FBI because they think he is a serial killer “The Reaper”.
Denise Clearwater has a vision that has her going to New Orleans to help in an epidemic there. When they arrive in New Orleans they are faced with intellectuals dying that show no sign of disease but are comatose. This is when the three must summon their powers to find out who is responsible and why this is happening.
If you are looking for a totally enjoyable read that is totally off the charts I highly recommend this series. Again, apologizes to Joseph Nassise, but you can take solace in providing a book that I literally could not put down.
February 14, 2013
King of the Dead by Joseph Nassise
A blind man, a witch and a changeling walk into a bar….. So many endings but none as intriguing as Nassise’s story. Jeremiah Hunt is blind to the mundane world due to a pact he made with a mysterious entity called the Preacher. He and his companions, a witch and a changeling are arcanely summoned to New Orleans to stop a plague.
Nassise does a nice job crafting characters that you care about. His characters are flawed and quite human for the most. Jeremiah finds himself questioning his own character and his mores in this book. The prequel to this book, Eyes to See,(http://azuredwarf.blogspot.com/2011/1...) will give you Jeremiah’s back story.
Denise and Dmitri are important characters but we don’t get a lot on their background. If recollection serves me they were provided with a better back story in Eyes to See.
There is plenty of action in this book. Most of the action is of the arcane nature but some is brought by an obsessed FBI agent.
I like the plots and the intricate nature of the stories from Nassise.
I recommend the book.
A blind man, a witch and a changeling walk into a bar….. So many endings but none as intriguing as Nassise’s story. Jeremiah Hunt is blind to the mundane world due to a pact he made with a mysterious entity called the Preacher. He and his companions, a witch and a changeling are arcanely summoned to New Orleans to stop a plague.
Nassise does a nice job crafting characters that you care about. His characters are flawed and quite human for the most. Jeremiah finds himself questioning his own character and his mores in this book. The prequel to this book, Eyes to See,(http://azuredwarf.blogspot.com/2011/1...) will give you Jeremiah’s back story.
Denise and Dmitri are important characters but we don’t get a lot on their background. If recollection serves me they were provided with a better back story in Eyes to See.
There is plenty of action in this book. Most of the action is of the arcane nature but some is brought by an obsessed FBI agent.
I like the plots and the intricate nature of the stories from Nassise.
I recommend the book.
December 10, 2012
3.5 stars
So last year the first book in the Jeremiah Hunt series, Eyes to See, was released and I read it. I was drawn to the idea of the main character being a guy who traded his eyesight to be able to see the dead. In King of the Dead we’re back with Hunt, Denise Clearwater the mage and Dmitri the berserker as they are on the run from the FBI after Hunt was framed as the famous serial killer the Reaper. They travel to New Orleans after Denise has a vision of something terrifying going on there. There they meet up with an old friend of Denise’s, Simon Gallagher, also a mage. Apparently evil beings are sucking the life out of people and leaving empty shells behind and the group decides to get to the bottom of it.
Read the rest of the review at Starmetal Oak Reviews.
Review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.
So last year the first book in the Jeremiah Hunt series, Eyes to See, was released and I read it. I was drawn to the idea of the main character being a guy who traded his eyesight to be able to see the dead. In King of the Dead we’re back with Hunt, Denise Clearwater the mage and Dmitri the berserker as they are on the run from the FBI after Hunt was framed as the famous serial killer the Reaper. They travel to New Orleans after Denise has a vision of something terrifying going on there. There they meet up with an old friend of Denise’s, Simon Gallagher, also a mage. Apparently evil beings are sucking the life out of people and leaving empty shells behind and the group decides to get to the bottom of it.
Read the rest of the review at Starmetal Oak Reviews.
Review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.
January 19, 2014
Ok, great book. The Irish King of the Dead is stealing souls to invade the human realm. Hunt, Dmitri, and Denise go to New Orleans to try to help stop this. The book features the return of The Preacher with the usual trouble he brings. If you liked the first book you'll love this one.
Although, your wallet may not like it as much. You see, Nassise is a master of the cliffhanger, and you'll be purchasing and starting Watcher in the Dark as soon as you close the back cover of King of the Dead. One bit of advice, buy both books together or you'll be frustrated waiting to start Watcher. And on that note, I'm starting Watcher in the Dark...NOW!
Although, your wallet may not like it as much. You see, Nassise is a master of the cliffhanger, and you'll be purchasing and starting Watcher in the Dark as soon as you close the back cover of King of the Dead. One bit of advice, buy both books together or you'll be frustrated waiting to start Watcher. And on that note, I'm starting Watcher in the Dark...NOW!
April 14, 2013
Joseph Nassise delivers a very solid sequel to Eyes to See, with more action, more victims, and more of those things that go bump in the night. You can read my full review at HorrorTalk.com
December 29, 2012
Love this series can't wait for the next one. If you like Dresden Files, Nightside and or Rachel Morgan series, this is a series you would love. It's a blended mix filled with flavors from all three of those series plus more. highly recommend.
January 3, 2014
Fresh. Totally fresh. Running from the FBI and fighting evil at the same time? WHILE BLIND? Get some, New Orleans.
This book continued the enjoyment I derived from the first book. Certainly a slightly different feel than the first but . So it all makes sense.
This book continued the enjoyment I derived from the first book. Certainly a slightly different feel than the first but . So it all makes sense.
December 21, 2012
I can not wait to read this!!!
July 22, 2016
The book had too many ups and downs for me to give it more than 3 1/2 stars...
June 12, 2015
2.5 stars, rounded up.
*I apologize in advance if this review is a little rambling.*
Despite the reviews and the jump in price ($7 more than what I paid for the first book), I enjoyed the concept enough (Jeremiah's "blindness") to take a chance on this one. While there's a lot of good ideas here, the execution fails, unfortunately.
I think it's impossible to read an urban fantasy with a first-person male narrator and not compare it to Harry Dresden and the Dresden Files series. Although that series has its flaws (Jim Butcher really can't write women, for one), I've admired his skill at crafting amazing action scenes as well as his world building and his ability to create such a complex, intricate series that really works. Mr. Nassise doesn't seem to have those talents, and it really shows in this book.
The ideas are there--there's a LOT happening, with sort of a domino/pyramid effect where they go to New Orleans to solve one problem, which turns out to be a bigger problem, which turns out to be an even BIGGER problem, and once they've solved THAT problem, there's another problem, and then once they've solved THAT one, there's still ANOTHER one, etc., etc. (Trying to do this as spoiler-free as possible.) And I'll admit that those problems, and how they escalate, are really fantastic, and though in some ways they remind me a lot of the first Dresden book, Storm Front, it was still unique enough to be interesting.
The major problem with this book is that despite all this really intense, apocalyptical stuff happening, the tension/suspense just really wasn't there for me. Part of it was the POV shifts, which this book does again, although, for the most part, I feel like they're done much better than they were in the first book. I still don't understand why Hunt's chapters are first person and the others are third, though. Was the author afraid of tackling other voices or something? It did get weird toward the end, though, because the whole book alternates chapters, heading them with the name of the person whose POV we're in, but then suddenly we get a couple paragraphs interrupting one of Clearwater (Denise)'s chapters with another character. It was really bizarre to do that after the entire book has been set up differently. It also messed with the suspense a little.
Because i'm a writer and I don't just READ, but I think about what I read, and why things bother me or why something's not working, I actually thought a lot about why certain aspects of the book irritated me or why I felt like the tension just wasn't there. (Seriously, at one point during a climactic fight scene, I got bored and put the book down.) I thought about it a LOT and I came up with a few possibilities:
1- Mr. Nassise has a tendency to have Hunt, in the midst of something scary happening, to say something like, "We only need a few more seconds. But we wouldn't get them." That really irked me, and the more it happened, the more it bothered me. And when I analyzed why, I realized it was because it pulled me out of the narrative. Saying things like that made me remember that I'm reading a book, that this is something that's "already happened" (since it's in past tense). Instead of just experiencing the moment along with Hunt, at that point I'm reminded that everything will be fine, because he already survived it.
2- Tying into #1, the fact that that type of thing happens so often made the book feel predictable. Scary thing happens, Hunt thinks they're going to make it, tells you they won't, they do anyway, then rinse and repeat.
3- The shifting POVs also minimized some of the tension again--since we get to see other people, we aren't as surprised when certain things come along. Again, I really think sticking to just Hunt's POV would have been better. His blindness to the supernatural, in the sense of being ignorant, could have been something really used to advantage here.
4- The "love" between Denise and J (I hesitate to say "romance") really isn't developed at all, and it ends up being a crucial plot point. The reader never really SEES how they could be falling for each other, so when things happen later, you're like, eh?
5- Magick seems almost unlimited because a lot of the world building around it is left out - Granted, Hunt is clueless about so much, but one of the things that makes the Dresden files so good (and maybe is part of the reason people have issues with later books) is that magic (no K in those books) is all about balance. Not only does using it affect Dresden physically (And yeah, we see some of that here) but there's also the balance between good and evil, and how it has to obey the laws of physics, etc., etc. In other words, it's really carefully thought out. The problem with this book is it felt almost like every time there was a problem, poof, magic fixed it and the consequences weren't felt the way they could or should have been. Yeah, at one point they find an enemy that seems immune to magick, but . I think this is part of what led to the predictability I spoke of earlier, because it was just like, eh, they'll just fix it with magick. I'm exaggerating a little here, but I just wish it had been handled better.
6- Convenient fixes to major problems - This ties into the above, but also has a lot to do with the FBI/fugitive subplot. That whole thing is just... I don't know. It feels so tacked on, especially how it's "resolved" at the end (see below spoiler), and it also felt silly that we trade one thing for another at the end of the book. It felt almost like the author didn't know what to do with all of that so they just were like, ah, OK, here we go! And then he was like, Oh, crap. Now I need to create something else to fill that gap... It just didn't work for me.
All in all, while I like the whole concept of Jeremiah's blindness and ghost corralling abilities, there was a lot this book lacked. And it also did the same thing as the last book, where it left a bunch of things unresolved, and I'm not talking about the cliffhanger ending, either.
Oh, I wanted to add (since this review seems so negative) that I was a little hesitant to read it at first because it was set in New Orleans, and as someone who lived in NOLA for many years, who lived through Katrina, etc., etc., I'm always afraid of how badly people butcher my beloved hometown. Mr. Nassise, however, does a really good job of not only capturing the actual lay of the land, but also the spirit of the town. I was a little confused about the timeline in terms of how long after Katrina it was, but there was a lovely passage when they first enter the city where Hunt talks about New Orleans having ghosts, and not just in the literal sense that really resonated with me as someone who's familiar with the city. So he gets a huge kudos in my book for that.
Anyway, despite all its flaws, I was willing to try the next book in the series until I saw it was $13 (for the kindle version). Sorry, but this series isn't good enough to pay that much. If the price ever drops, then I'll try it, but otherwise, there are better UF series out there.
*I apologize in advance if this review is a little rambling.*
Despite the reviews and the jump in price ($7 more than what I paid for the first book), I enjoyed the concept enough (Jeremiah's "blindness") to take a chance on this one. While there's a lot of good ideas here, the execution fails, unfortunately.
I think it's impossible to read an urban fantasy with a first-person male narrator and not compare it to Harry Dresden and the Dresden Files series. Although that series has its flaws (Jim Butcher really can't write women, for one), I've admired his skill at crafting amazing action scenes as well as his world building and his ability to create such a complex, intricate series that really works. Mr. Nassise doesn't seem to have those talents, and it really shows in this book.
The ideas are there--there's a LOT happening, with sort of a domino/pyramid effect where they go to New Orleans to solve one problem, which turns out to be a bigger problem, which turns out to be an even BIGGER problem, and once they've solved THAT problem, there's another problem, and then once they've solved THAT one, there's still ANOTHER one, etc., etc. (Trying to do this as spoiler-free as possible.) And I'll admit that those problems, and how they escalate, are really fantastic, and though in some ways they remind me a lot of the first Dresden book, Storm Front, it was still unique enough to be interesting.
The major problem with this book is that despite all this really intense, apocalyptical stuff happening, the tension/suspense just really wasn't there for me. Part of it was the POV shifts, which this book does again, although, for the most part, I feel like they're done much better than they were in the first book. I still don't understand why Hunt's chapters are first person and the others are third, though. Was the author afraid of tackling other voices or something? It did get weird toward the end, though, because the whole book alternates chapters, heading them with the name of the person whose POV we're in, but then suddenly we get a couple paragraphs interrupting one of Clearwater (Denise)'s chapters with another character. It was really bizarre to do that after the entire book has been set up differently. It also messed with the suspense a little.
Because i'm a writer and I don't just READ, but I think about what I read, and why things bother me or why something's not working, I actually thought a lot about why certain aspects of the book irritated me or why I felt like the tension just wasn't there. (Seriously, at one point during a climactic fight scene, I got bored and put the book down.) I thought about it a LOT and I came up with a few possibilities:
1- Mr. Nassise has a tendency to have Hunt, in the midst of something scary happening, to say something like, "We only need a few more seconds. But we wouldn't get them." That really irked me, and the more it happened, the more it bothered me. And when I analyzed why, I realized it was because it pulled me out of the narrative. Saying things like that made me remember that I'm reading a book, that this is something that's "already happened" (since it's in past tense). Instead of just experiencing the moment along with Hunt, at that point I'm reminded that everything will be fine, because he already survived it.
2- Tying into #1, the fact that that type of thing happens so often made the book feel predictable. Scary thing happens, Hunt thinks they're going to make it, tells you they won't, they do anyway, then rinse and repeat.
3- The shifting POVs also minimized some of the tension again--since we get to see other people, we aren't as surprised when certain things come along. Again, I really think sticking to just Hunt's POV would have been better. His blindness to the supernatural, in the sense of being ignorant, could have been something really used to advantage here.
4- The "love" between Denise and J (I hesitate to say "romance") really isn't developed at all, and it ends up being a crucial plot point. The reader never really SEES how they could be falling for each other, so when things happen later, you're like, eh?
5- Magick seems almost unlimited because a lot of the world building around it is left out - Granted, Hunt is clueless about so much, but one of the things that makes the Dresden files so good (and maybe is part of the reason people have issues with later books) is that magic (no K in those books) is all about balance. Not only does using it affect Dresden physically (And yeah, we see some of that here) but there's also the balance between good and evil, and how it has to obey the laws of physics, etc., etc. In other words, it's really carefully thought out. The problem with this book is it felt almost like every time there was a problem, poof, magic fixed it and the consequences weren't felt the way they could or should have been. Yeah, at one point they find an enemy that seems immune to magick, but . I think this is part of what led to the predictability I spoke of earlier, because it was just like, eh, they'll just fix it with magick. I'm exaggerating a little here, but I just wish it had been handled better.
6- Convenient fixes to major problems - This ties into the above, but also has a lot to do with the FBI/fugitive subplot. That whole thing is just... I don't know. It feels so tacked on, especially how it's "resolved" at the end (see below spoiler), and it also felt silly that we trade one thing for another at the end of the book. It felt almost like the author didn't know what to do with all of that so they just were like, ah, OK, here we go! And then he was like, Oh, crap. Now I need to create something else to fill that gap... It just didn't work for me.
All in all, while I like the whole concept of Jeremiah's blindness and ghost corralling abilities, there was a lot this book lacked. And it also did the same thing as the last book, where it left a bunch of things unresolved, and I'm not talking about the cliffhanger ending, either.
Oh, I wanted to add (since this review seems so negative) that I was a little hesitant to read it at first because it was set in New Orleans, and as someone who lived in NOLA for many years, who lived through Katrina, etc., etc., I'm always afraid of how badly people butcher my beloved hometown. Mr. Nassise, however, does a really good job of not only capturing the actual lay of the land, but also the spirit of the town. I was a little confused about the timeline in terms of how long after Katrina it was, but there was a lovely passage when they first enter the city where Hunt talks about New Orleans having ghosts, and not just in the literal sense that really resonated with me as someone who's familiar with the city. So he gets a huge kudos in my book for that.
Anyway, despite all its flaws, I was willing to try the next book in the series until I saw it was $13 (for the kindle version). Sorry, but this series isn't good enough to pay that much. If the price ever drops, then I'll try it, but otherwise, there are better UF series out there.
September 28, 2018
Mini-Review:
This story was less polished than the first. The flaws that were minor bumps in the first book were like huge cracks in this one. The characters and overall action felt detached. Too many narrative sequences were aimed at the reader for various info dumps. I did not look for a "mystery" when I started this series but the book became too cookie-cutter predictable.
The romance feels like a plot device more than a natural event. I can take Jeremiah falling for the first female that he interacts with after years of fruitlessly searching for his daughter. He's been alone for a long time and cut adrift from everything he knew. Yet, the actual interactions and exchanges between them have been in stressful situations. No real indicators for a relationship. Meh.
This story was less polished than the first. The flaws that were minor bumps in the first book were like huge cracks in this one. The characters and overall action felt detached. Too many narrative sequences were aimed at the reader for various info dumps. I did not look for a "mystery" when I started this series but the book became too cookie-cutter predictable.
The romance feels like a plot device more than a natural event. I can take Jeremiah falling for the first female that he interacts with after years of fruitlessly searching for his daughter. He's been alone for a long time and cut adrift from everything he knew. Yet, the actual interactions and exchanges between them have been in stressful situations. No real indicators for a relationship. Meh.
August 28, 2020
Joseph Nassise hit it out of the park again. After reading book 1 I immediately ordered book 2 and, as before, got nothing done except find out what happens to Jeremiah Hunt. The book is superb. Mr. Nassise's use of writing in the first person draws you in and has you sitting on the edge of your seat until the end. Then you'll order book 3 because you can't help yourself.
One of the best books I've read. I would rate book 1 as THE best. I highly recommend this book. It's compelling and terrifying, yet not in a way that will have you shuttering in your bed. Mr. Nassise uses just enough terror and suspense that you're not afraid once you put the book down.
Highly recommend.
One of the best books I've read. I would rate book 1 as THE best. I highly recommend this book. It's compelling and terrifying, yet not in a way that will have you shuttering in your bed. Mr. Nassise uses just enough terror and suspense that you're not afraid once you put the book down.
Highly recommend.
October 27, 2018
It was bad I should have stopped after the first scene in the story that made no sense what's so ever, and only got worse had to skim most of the book just to see what happened at the end, an even that was a waste of time.
November 22, 2020
Why has this series not been snapped up by Netflix? Would be great to see these and the templar books on TV. I love the easy reading pace of this 3 book set, not as intense as templar books but just as fun to read.
If your just getting into Joseph nassise then read templar first then these.
If your just getting into Joseph nassise then read templar first then these.
July 16, 2017
Had to read this immediately, then get to the next...
February 7, 2013
O……..M………G……….
Yesterday I posted my review of Eyes to See (Jeremiah Hunt #1) and today we are looking at King of the Dead (Jeremiah Hunt #2).
King of the Dead takes off following the events of Eyes to See. Hunt is on the run from the law for murders he didn’t commit.
Man, I thought that Eyes to See was intense. King of the Dead makes the events of book #1 look like a cake walk! After how much I loved Eyes to See, I was afraid that I was going to be disappointed with King of the Dead and that was not the case. This book is filled with even more suspense and action and it takes a DARK turn.
Once again, I LOVE the character of Jeremiah Hunt. Following the little bit of closure he got in book #1 (not saying in regards to what so I don’t spoil it for you), we kick off King of the Dead on a bit of a lighter note. More of his humor is showing through than it did in book #1 because there’s been that big emotional shift. He also has genuine companions (Denise and Dmitri) for the first time in a long time and I think that a character like Hunt needs that connection to thrive. Solitude obviously doesn’t suit him because he’s a touch crabby in the beginning of book #1 and King of the Dead really shows a warmth in him that we only started to get a peek at in Eyes to See. These connections that Jeremiah has made are filled with an admirable love and respect and you know right away that should anything happen to his companions, he’d be WRECKED all over again.
One of the things I loved about the characters in this book is the very distinct personalities that they all have. In our core characters of Hunt, Denise and Dmitri, these three people are so different as individuals but they really fit together like puzzle pieces. They make a great team, one filling in talents/skills where another might lack.
As I mentioned above, King of the Dead takes a dark turn – if you can imagine a darker storyline than what we were dealing with in Eyes to See. Well, Joseph Nassise did it. There were moments in this book that made me put my hand to my mouth in a gasp. Between the Big Bad that they’re dealing with (and he is a particularly BIG BAD) and the suspense of trying to figure out exactly what is going on, this book is a spitfire thrill ride.
I loved it. I genuinely loved it.
As I mentioned in my review of Eyes to See, Joseph Nassise officially has an obsessive fan! I am in love with this series and it is one I will be following until the very end. I did some poking around and haven’t been able to find a release date yet but I am being told that there is a Jeremiah Hunt #3 coming out. And it’s a damn good thing too because this ending most certainly classifies as a cliffhanger from hell! The final two chapters are surrounding this massive stunner moment that is shocking and heart breaking all at the same time. I seriously wanted to just CRY and track Mr. Hunt down and just give him a great big hug. My heart bled for him.
One of my favorite sarcastic moments in King of the Dead:
“When we get out there, I’d like you to use that unique perspective of yours and let me know if you see anything unusual. Denise and I will be doing the same.”
I was standing in a faerie enclave, taking orders from a mage, and getting ready to look at a soul-sucking beast through the eyes of a ghost…..and he wanted me to point out the unusual?
King of the Dead gets a well-earned 5 stars!! Well done, Mr. Nassise! The Jeremiah Hunt series is what urban fantasy is all about! On a side note: LOOK AT THAT COVER!!! GORGEOUS!!!
Yesterday I posted my review of Eyes to See (Jeremiah Hunt #1) and today we are looking at King of the Dead (Jeremiah Hunt #2).
King of the Dead takes off following the events of Eyes to See. Hunt is on the run from the law for murders he didn’t commit.
Man, I thought that Eyes to See was intense. King of the Dead makes the events of book #1 look like a cake walk! After how much I loved Eyes to See, I was afraid that I was going to be disappointed with King of the Dead and that was not the case. This book is filled with even more suspense and action and it takes a DARK turn.
Once again, I LOVE the character of Jeremiah Hunt. Following the little bit of closure he got in book #1 (not saying in regards to what so I don’t spoil it for you), we kick off King of the Dead on a bit of a lighter note. More of his humor is showing through than it did in book #1 because there’s been that big emotional shift. He also has genuine companions (Denise and Dmitri) for the first time in a long time and I think that a character like Hunt needs that connection to thrive. Solitude obviously doesn’t suit him because he’s a touch crabby in the beginning of book #1 and King of the Dead really shows a warmth in him that we only started to get a peek at in Eyes to See. These connections that Jeremiah has made are filled with an admirable love and respect and you know right away that should anything happen to his companions, he’d be WRECKED all over again.
One of the things I loved about the characters in this book is the very distinct personalities that they all have. In our core characters of Hunt, Denise and Dmitri, these three people are so different as individuals but they really fit together like puzzle pieces. They make a great team, one filling in talents/skills where another might lack.
As I mentioned above, King of the Dead takes a dark turn – if you can imagine a darker storyline than what we were dealing with in Eyes to See. Well, Joseph Nassise did it. There were moments in this book that made me put my hand to my mouth in a gasp. Between the Big Bad that they’re dealing with (and he is a particularly BIG BAD) and the suspense of trying to figure out exactly what is going on, this book is a spitfire thrill ride.
I loved it. I genuinely loved it.
As I mentioned in my review of Eyes to See, Joseph Nassise officially has an obsessive fan! I am in love with this series and it is one I will be following until the very end. I did some poking around and haven’t been able to find a release date yet but I am being told that there is a Jeremiah Hunt #3 coming out. And it’s a damn good thing too because this ending most certainly classifies as a cliffhanger from hell! The final two chapters are surrounding this massive stunner moment that is shocking and heart breaking all at the same time. I seriously wanted to just CRY and track Mr. Hunt down and just give him a great big hug. My heart bled for him.
One of my favorite sarcastic moments in King of the Dead:
“When we get out there, I’d like you to use that unique perspective of yours and let me know if you see anything unusual. Denise and I will be doing the same.”
I was standing in a faerie enclave, taking orders from a mage, and getting ready to look at a soul-sucking beast through the eyes of a ghost…..and he wanted me to point out the unusual?
King of the Dead gets a well-earned 5 stars!! Well done, Mr. Nassise! The Jeremiah Hunt series is what urban fantasy is all about! On a side note: LOOK AT THAT COVER!!! GORGEOUS!!!
April 11, 2018
O……..M………G……….
Yesterday I posted my review of Eyes to See (Jeremiah Hunt #1) and today we are looking at King of the Dead (Jeremiah Hunt #2).
King of the Dead takes off following the events of Eyes to See. Hunt is on the run from the law for murders he didn’t commit.
Man, I thought that Eyes to See was intense. King of the Dead makes the events of book #1 look like a cake walk! After how much I loved Eyes to See, I was afraid that I was going to be disappointed with King of the Dead and that was not the case. This book is filled with even more suspense and action and it takes a DARK turn.
Once again, I LOVE the character of Jeremiah Hunt. Following the little bit of closure he got in book #1 (not saying in regards to what so I don’t spoil it for you), we kick off King of the Dead on a bit of a lighter note. More of his humor is showing through than it did in book #1 because there’s been that big emotional shift. He also has genuine companions (Denise and Dmitri) for the first time in a long time and I think that a character like Hunt needs that connection to thrive. Solitude obviously doesn’t suit him because he’s a touch crabby in the beginning of book #1 and King of the Dead really shows a warmth in him that we only started to get a peek at in Eyes to See. These connections that Jeremiah has made are filled with an admirable love and respect and you know right away that should anything happen to his companions, he’d be WRECKED all over again.
One of the things I loved about the characters in this book is the very distinct personalities that they all have. In our core characters of Hunt, Denise and Dmitri, these three people are so different as individuals but they really fit together like puzzle pieces. They make a great team, one filling in talents/skills where another might lack.
As I mentioned above, King of the Dead takes a dark turn – if you can imagine a darker storyline than what we were dealing with in Eyes to See. Well, Joseph Nassise did it. There were moments in this book that made me put my hand to my mouth in a gasp. Between the Big Bad that they’re dealing with (and he is a particularly BIG BAD) and the suspense of trying to figure out exactly what is going on, this book is a spitfire thrill ride.
I loved it. I genuinely loved it.
As I mentioned in my review of Eyes to See, Joseph Nassise officially has an obsessive fan! I am in love with this series and it is one I will be following until the very end. I did some poking around and haven’t been able to find a release date yet but I am being told that there is a Jeremiah Hunt #3 coming out. And it’s a damn good thing too because this ending most certainly classifies as a cliffhanger from hell! The final two chapters are surrounding this massive stunner moment that is shocking and heart breaking all at the same time. I seriously wanted to just CRY and track Mr. Hunt down and just give him a great big hug. My heart bled for him.
One of my favorite sarcastic moments in King of the Dead:
“When we get out there, I’d like you to use that unique perspective of yours and let me know if you see anything unusual. Denise and I will be doing the same.”
I was standing in a faerie enclave, taking orders from a mage, and getting ready to look at a soul-sucking beast through the eyes of a ghost…..and he wanted me to point out the unusual?
King of the Dead gets a well-earned 5 stars!! Well done, Mr. Nassise! The Jeremiah Hunt series is what urban fantasy is all about! On a side note: LOOK AT THAT COVER!!! GORGEOUS!!!
Yesterday I posted my review of Eyes to See (Jeremiah Hunt #1) and today we are looking at King of the Dead (Jeremiah Hunt #2).
King of the Dead takes off following the events of Eyes to See. Hunt is on the run from the law for murders he didn’t commit.
Man, I thought that Eyes to See was intense. King of the Dead makes the events of book #1 look like a cake walk! After how much I loved Eyes to See, I was afraid that I was going to be disappointed with King of the Dead and that was not the case. This book is filled with even more suspense and action and it takes a DARK turn.
Once again, I LOVE the character of Jeremiah Hunt. Following the little bit of closure he got in book #1 (not saying in regards to what so I don’t spoil it for you), we kick off King of the Dead on a bit of a lighter note. More of his humor is showing through than it did in book #1 because there’s been that big emotional shift. He also has genuine companions (Denise and Dmitri) for the first time in a long time and I think that a character like Hunt needs that connection to thrive. Solitude obviously doesn’t suit him because he’s a touch crabby in the beginning of book #1 and King of the Dead really shows a warmth in him that we only started to get a peek at in Eyes to See. These connections that Jeremiah has made are filled with an admirable love and respect and you know right away that should anything happen to his companions, he’d be WRECKED all over again.
One of the things I loved about the characters in this book is the very distinct personalities that they all have. In our core characters of Hunt, Denise and Dmitri, these three people are so different as individuals but they really fit together like puzzle pieces. They make a great team, one filling in talents/skills where another might lack.
As I mentioned above, King of the Dead takes a dark turn – if you can imagine a darker storyline than what we were dealing with in Eyes to See. Well, Joseph Nassise did it. There were moments in this book that made me put my hand to my mouth in a gasp. Between the Big Bad that they’re dealing with (and he is a particularly BIG BAD) and the suspense of trying to figure out exactly what is going on, this book is a spitfire thrill ride.
I loved it. I genuinely loved it.
As I mentioned in my review of Eyes to See, Joseph Nassise officially has an obsessive fan! I am in love with this series and it is one I will be following until the very end. I did some poking around and haven’t been able to find a release date yet but I am being told that there is a Jeremiah Hunt #3 coming out. And it’s a damn good thing too because this ending most certainly classifies as a cliffhanger from hell! The final two chapters are surrounding this massive stunner moment that is shocking and heart breaking all at the same time. I seriously wanted to just CRY and track Mr. Hunt down and just give him a great big hug. My heart bled for him.
One of my favorite sarcastic moments in King of the Dead:
“When we get out there, I’d like you to use that unique perspective of yours and let me know if you see anything unusual. Denise and I will be doing the same.”
I was standing in a faerie enclave, taking orders from a mage, and getting ready to look at a soul-sucking beast through the eyes of a ghost…..and he wanted me to point out the unusual?
King of the Dead gets a well-earned 5 stars!! Well done, Mr. Nassise! The Jeremiah Hunt series is what urban fantasy is all about! On a side note: LOOK AT THAT COVER!!! GORGEOUS!!!
January 29, 2013
In Eyes to See, the first book in this series, we met Jeremiah Hunt, a man who sacrificed his eyesight in order to “see” the supernatural world in hopes of finding his missing daughter. After the events of the first book, Jeremiah is now at the top of the FBI’s most wanted list. On the run with his two friends, Dmitri (a berserkr/shapeshifter) and Denise (a witch), Jeremiah and the group find their way to New Orleans after Denise has a horrible vision of the city falling into chaos and ruin at the hands of something dark and sinister. The three hope to combine their powers to find out who, or what is causing a string of recent deaths, and what they find is far worse than what they could have imagined.
I loved the world Mr. Nassise created in the first book, and it was expanded on in this one. Most of the action takes place in New Orleans (a city I LOVE), and I enjoyed how the author combined his rules with this historic city. New Orleans is famous for its voodoo, underground magic and ghosts, so this was the perfect setting.
I really liked Jeremiah in the first book. He was a character we could root for. The poor guy had literally lost everything (his daughter, his job, his wife and eventually, his eyesight) and I understood his cause. What I like most about him is that while he’s the hero, he isn’t particularly heroic. He can’t do much outside of see ghosts, so when it comes to the big battles, he must rely on his cohorts to do the fighting.
Denise, while likable, just hasn’t quite done it for me yet. I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t been able to connect with her. That’s not to say that I dislike her, I just don’t really care for her one way or another. I’m hoping that changes in future installments. Dimitri, on the other hand, is just plain awesome.
My biggest problem with these books, and this one especially, is the frequent head-hopping that happens. I get the reasoning behind it, but at times it can be a bit jarring, and I found myself frequently going back to reread passages to figure out whose POV we were experiencing. The other thing that bothered me was the pace. The book moves much slower than the first one did, mainly because we get a very long and drawn out replay of what happened in the first book. I understand this can be important, and helps ground the reader, especially if there is a long gap between release dates, but this one felt especially long. This could have something to do with the fact that there was only a gap of about a month between when I read the first and second books.
All in all, I am a big fan of this series, and I look forward to future installments. Despite the slow beginning and clunky POV shifts, it’s a good read with a killer ending. The last quarter of the book is filled with a lot of action and keeps you on your toes. I just wish the pace in the beginning of the book had been quicker. If you are a fan of urban fantasies, and looking for something new, I would definitely recommend this series.
I loved the world Mr. Nassise created in the first book, and it was expanded on in this one. Most of the action takes place in New Orleans (a city I LOVE), and I enjoyed how the author combined his rules with this historic city. New Orleans is famous for its voodoo, underground magic and ghosts, so this was the perfect setting.
I really liked Jeremiah in the first book. He was a character we could root for. The poor guy had literally lost everything (his daughter, his job, his wife and eventually, his eyesight) and I understood his cause. What I like most about him is that while he’s the hero, he isn’t particularly heroic. He can’t do much outside of see ghosts, so when it comes to the big battles, he must rely on his cohorts to do the fighting.
Denise, while likable, just hasn’t quite done it for me yet. I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t been able to connect with her. That’s not to say that I dislike her, I just don’t really care for her one way or another. I’m hoping that changes in future installments. Dimitri, on the other hand, is just plain awesome.
My biggest problem with these books, and this one especially, is the frequent head-hopping that happens. I get the reasoning behind it, but at times it can be a bit jarring, and I found myself frequently going back to reread passages to figure out whose POV we were experiencing. The other thing that bothered me was the pace. The book moves much slower than the first one did, mainly because we get a very long and drawn out replay of what happened in the first book. I understand this can be important, and helps ground the reader, especially if there is a long gap between release dates, but this one felt especially long. This could have something to do with the fact that there was only a gap of about a month between when I read the first and second books.
All in all, I am a big fan of this series, and I look forward to future installments. Despite the slow beginning and clunky POV shifts, it’s a good read with a killer ending. The last quarter of the book is filled with a lot of action and keeps you on your toes. I just wish the pace in the beginning of the book had been quicker. If you are a fan of urban fantasies, and looking for something new, I would definitely recommend this series.
December 3, 2012
The magical construction of EYES TO SEE was mesmerizing, and though I wasn’t swept away that book’s eventual resolution, I was eager to pick up KING OF THE DEAD to see where Nassise took me next. Nassise’s flair for the paranormal is back in full effect and the plot has a great balance between urban fantasy and an upside down police procedural (as it is our hero who the FBI is hunting).
KING OF THE DEAD starts a little slow, as Hunts sometimes pedantic narration is used to remind readers of prior events. People new to the series should have no problem jumping right in with KING OF THE DEAD. The rush of information made things a little dry, but once Hunt and his companions got to New Orleans, new events began to overpower old, fully engaging me in the plot. I loved the mix of realistic battle tactics and magical opponents, Nassise has a knack for writing riveting but accessible magic.
Unfortunately, even as the action grew more interesting, there were a few issues that kept me from wholly immersing myself in the story. Nassise’s style is a mix of deadpan recounting interspersed with exclamation points and adverbs where I least expected them. This meant that the characters’ emotional reactions seemed to be laid over top of the story rather than integrated with the action, things never felt quite in sync. As a character focused reader, the resultant difficulty connecting with Hunt and his companions was a big problem.
Perhaps exacerbated by my character issues, I had a hard time with some of the shifts in point of view. In addition to following the protagonist, KING OF THE DEAD offers some chapters from Denise’s and Agent Robertson’s points of view. This structure is a great compliment for the police procedural/thriller aspects of the book, but the tone wasn’t always consistent within these alternate points of view. I would be reading the story from Denise’s perspective, run into three lines that sounded like Hunt is thinking, then be back to Denise. Pair these narrative potholes with my existing character disconnect, and you have a book I never managed to immerse myself in.
A mix of police procedural and the occult, KING OF THE DEAD offers more of Nassise’s excellent mythologies. As much as I enjoyed the magic, however, I never connected with his characters beyond a superficial level. Fans of both fantasy and thrillers will enjoy this mix of genres, but character focused readers may be left wanting.
Sexual Content: None.
KING OF THE DEAD starts a little slow, as Hunts sometimes pedantic narration is used to remind readers of prior events. People new to the series should have no problem jumping right in with KING OF THE DEAD. The rush of information made things a little dry, but once Hunt and his companions got to New Orleans, new events began to overpower old, fully engaging me in the plot. I loved the mix of realistic battle tactics and magical opponents, Nassise has a knack for writing riveting but accessible magic.
Unfortunately, even as the action grew more interesting, there were a few issues that kept me from wholly immersing myself in the story. Nassise’s style is a mix of deadpan recounting interspersed with exclamation points and adverbs where I least expected them. This meant that the characters’ emotional reactions seemed to be laid over top of the story rather than integrated with the action, things never felt quite in sync. As a character focused reader, the resultant difficulty connecting with Hunt and his companions was a big problem.
Perhaps exacerbated by my character issues, I had a hard time with some of the shifts in point of view. In addition to following the protagonist, KING OF THE DEAD offers some chapters from Denise’s and Agent Robertson’s points of view. This structure is a great compliment for the police procedural/thriller aspects of the book, but the tone wasn’t always consistent within these alternate points of view. I would be reading the story from Denise’s perspective, run into three lines that sounded like Hunt is thinking, then be back to Denise. Pair these narrative potholes with my existing character disconnect, and you have a book I never managed to immerse myself in.
A mix of police procedural and the occult, KING OF THE DEAD offers more of Nassise’s excellent mythologies. As much as I enjoyed the magic, however, I never connected with his characters beyond a superficial level. Fans of both fantasy and thrillers will enjoy this mix of genres, but character focused readers may be left wanting.
Sexual Content: None.
January 15, 2013
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
*Beware of Spoilers*
I started reading book two of the Jeremiah Hunt series as soon as I finished book one, Eyes to See, and wish the next book was out already. I loved this continuing story.
We get to see more about how the relationships with Dimtri, Denise and Hunt are evolving, how they have each other’s backs, I really liked how they have become a team. The sexual tension between Hunt and Denise is titillating and I’m looking forward to seeing how that part of their relationship plays out. This story delves more into how the three of them manage to run and stay hidden from the FBI and their adventures on how they do that and the difficulties involved. They make some enemies, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them in another story in some complicated way.
When Denise has visions and wants to help, Dimtri is with her, but Hunt sounds selfish although he does come around. It seemed like he really didn’t understand the ramifications of her visions and what it could and did mean. It was perfect the way he was able to help with his sight and as this series goes on I believe he will understand more about what he sees and how to react to it.
Some questions and loose ends that I cant wait to find out more about. Simon and his relationship with Denise, what happened to make her leave their coven. Who and what is the Preacher??? Can’t wait to find out. He is a wily guy and makes interesting bargains. Where is Denise and what does Hunt have to do to get her back???
My favorite lines in this story.
“With the right ritual and no small measure of arcane energy, a shade can even regain its physical form, or in the words of Star Trek’s Spock, create life from from lifelessness.”
Oh my gosh, a Spock quote LOVE it.
And…
“While I can appreciate your need to wallow in the equivalent of gun porn, we seem to be forgetting something important.”
What a great line!
This story was awesome! I highly recommend it for mature young adults and folks who enjoy a Urban Fantasy/Horror/Thriller with Police Procedural added to make this a well rounded story with twists and turns that will surprise the reader leaving them wanting more, I can’t wait for the next installment of this series. It’s an auto buy for me.
http://openbooksociety.com/article/ki...
*Beware of Spoilers*
I started reading book two of the Jeremiah Hunt series as soon as I finished book one, Eyes to See, and wish the next book was out already. I loved this continuing story.
We get to see more about how the relationships with Dimtri, Denise and Hunt are evolving, how they have each other’s backs, I really liked how they have become a team. The sexual tension between Hunt and Denise is titillating and I’m looking forward to seeing how that part of their relationship plays out. This story delves more into how the three of them manage to run and stay hidden from the FBI and their adventures on how they do that and the difficulties involved. They make some enemies, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them in another story in some complicated way.
When Denise has visions and wants to help, Dimtri is with her, but Hunt sounds selfish although he does come around. It seemed like he really didn’t understand the ramifications of her visions and what it could and did mean. It was perfect the way he was able to help with his sight and as this series goes on I believe he will understand more about what he sees and how to react to it.
Some questions and loose ends that I cant wait to find out more about. Simon and his relationship with Denise, what happened to make her leave their coven. Who and what is the Preacher??? Can’t wait to find out. He is a wily guy and makes interesting bargains. Where is Denise and what does Hunt have to do to get her back???
My favorite lines in this story.
“With the right ritual and no small measure of arcane energy, a shade can even regain its physical form, or in the words of Star Trek’s Spock, create life from from lifelessness.”
Oh my gosh, a Spock quote LOVE it.
And…
“While I can appreciate your need to wallow in the equivalent of gun porn, we seem to be forgetting something important.”
What a great line!
This story was awesome! I highly recommend it for mature young adults and folks who enjoy a Urban Fantasy/Horror/Thriller with Police Procedural added to make this a well rounded story with twists and turns that will surprise the reader leaving them wanting more, I can’t wait for the next installment of this series. It’s an auto buy for me.
http://openbooksociety.com/article/ki...
December 31, 2012
Now a wanted man, Jeremiah Hunt hides out on one of Dmitri’s properties – along with Dmitri and Denise. His options are a tad limited now, what with his (lack of) eyesight, and oh, being on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. So, along with the peace and quiet, reflection and regrouping, Jeremiah has to figure out where to go from here.
Then Denise has visions of doom and gloom (or hellfire and brimstone), and the three are on the way to New Orleans to investigate. I loved that Jeremiah drives, by the way. I mean, the dude’s blind for crying out loud!
King of the Dead is dark and not very kind to our protagonist, or his friends. As Jeremiah et al race around trying to identify the threat – and its resolution – it’s hard to not cheer for them. But it is hard to stay involved with them. I mean, I like the three just fine, but I don’t feel like I know them any better now than I did before I picked up King of the Dead.
Good thing that the story’s pretty interesting. How could it not be, with the King of the Dead playing a role (albeit silent) and nightmarish Sorrows slurping souls? It makes up for the slower-than-ideal pace that waits between the pages. The three are on the lam, after all – even if the FBI doesn’t know anything about Denise (yet). And they’re on the clock (see “race around” above) too. Which is why it gets a bit annoying when the hero indulges in a bit of angst at meeting people (i.e. men) Denise knew pre-Hunt.
And while I enjoyed meeting a new face (Simon Gallagher in New Orleans) or two (Agent Doherty in the FBI), I never really got to know them. I did wonder how the FBI fared after that anti-climactic save-the-world meeting in the cemetery, but not enough to actually care if Robertson or Doherty made it out in (relatively) one piece. All in all, this was not what I’d hoped the follow up to Eyes to See would be – it’s not pulse-pounding, supernaturally-shining, truly-end-of-world-worthy, nor dramatic. *sigh*
I’m holding out hope for another installment though, because I’m curious enough to want to know what happens next.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!
Then Denise has visions of doom and gloom (or hellfire and brimstone), and the three are on the way to New Orleans to investigate. I loved that Jeremiah drives, by the way. I mean, the dude’s blind for crying out loud!
King of the Dead is dark and not very kind to our protagonist, or his friends. As Jeremiah et al race around trying to identify the threat – and its resolution – it’s hard to not cheer for them. But it is hard to stay involved with them. I mean, I like the three just fine, but I don’t feel like I know them any better now than I did before I picked up King of the Dead.
Good thing that the story’s pretty interesting. How could it not be, with the King of the Dead playing a role (albeit silent) and nightmarish Sorrows slurping souls? It makes up for the slower-than-ideal pace that waits between the pages. The three are on the lam, after all – even if the FBI doesn’t know anything about Denise (yet). And they’re on the clock (see “race around” above) too. Which is why it gets a bit annoying when the hero indulges in a bit of angst at meeting people (i.e. men) Denise knew pre-Hunt.
And while I enjoyed meeting a new face (Simon Gallagher in New Orleans) or two (Agent Doherty in the FBI), I never really got to know them. I did wonder how the FBI fared after that anti-climactic save-the-world meeting in the cemetery, but not enough to actually care if Robertson or Doherty made it out in (relatively) one piece. All in all, this was not what I’d hoped the follow up to Eyes to See would be – it’s not pulse-pounding, supernaturally-shining, truly-end-of-world-worthy, nor dramatic. *sigh*
I’m holding out hope for another installment though, because I’m curious enough to want to know what happens next.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!
January 13, 2013
It wasn't amazing, but it kept me interested throughout. It's nice to read an urban fantasy book with no paranormal romance.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it, but as long as it takes a back burner to the main story. A lot of urban fantasy books are very little on main story and a lot on bedroom antics.
One thing that has been bugging me though.
Hunt is being called the 'Reaper'. The serial killer with a laundry list of murder victims over the past X amount of years (I forget the actual amount, was it 15?).
I understand how the authorities could tie him to the one murder by the doppelganger who took Hunt's appearance, and once again when Stanton was killed in book 1 by the same monster they could jump to the conclusion, but how can they tie him to a series of murders all over the country going back so many years?
Shouldn't they have date and times of when these murders occurred? Before Hunt's life went to hell he had a respectable job, a lawyer for a wife and a kid. Shouldn't they have been able to know his whereabouts at least once during a murder over the years? Thus proving that he couldn't have been two places at once and not responsible?
I don't know, it just seems silly that the FBI was so determined to take down Hunt for being a big, bad serial killer but can't piece basic facts together.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it, but as long as it takes a back burner to the main story. A lot of urban fantasy books are very little on main story and a lot on bedroom antics.
One thing that has been bugging me though.
Hunt is being called the 'Reaper'. The serial killer with a laundry list of murder victims over the past X amount of years (I forget the actual amount, was it 15?).
I understand how the authorities could tie him to the one murder by the doppelganger who took Hunt's appearance, and once again when Stanton was killed in book 1 by the same monster they could jump to the conclusion, but how can they tie him to a series of murders all over the country going back so many years?
Shouldn't they have date and times of when these murders occurred? Before Hunt's life went to hell he had a respectable job, a lawyer for a wife and a kid. Shouldn't they have been able to know his whereabouts at least once during a murder over the years? Thus proving that he couldn't have been two places at once and not responsible?
I don't know, it just seems silly that the FBI was so determined to take down Hunt for being a big, bad serial killer but can't piece basic facts together.
February 1, 2013
‘King of the Dead’ picks up where ‘Eyes to See’ left off and the three main characters are on the run from the FBI when Denise Clearwater receives visions of a threat in New Orleans. As Hunt, Dmitri, and Denise enter New Orleans, it is clear something is very wrong. A number of the Gifted are in a strange sort of coma and when Hunt looks deeper, he realizes something or someone has stolen their souls. Yet, this is not the worst event as Death himself is coming to reap all the souls in New Orleans and perhaps beyond. Now Hunt, Denise, and Dmitri are in the fight of their lives and risk their very souls to save those around them.
I really like Mr. Nassise’s “Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle” and ‘King of the Dead’ is a great addition. I enjoy how the author can go in almost any direction with the stories and weaves together differing magickal paths and mythologies to create terrifying enemies for the main characters. I did have problems at times with the shifting viewpoints. It’s good to see into another characters’ thoughts, but it didn’t feel cohesive when it was a viewpoint other than Hunt’s. Overall, I really enjoyed ���King of the Dead’ and I am looking forward to the next book.
Jeremiah Hunt Series: Eyes to See (1), King of the Dead (2), Watcher of the Dark (3)
I really like Mr. Nassise’s “Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle” and ‘King of the Dead’ is a great addition. I enjoy how the author can go in almost any direction with the stories and weaves together differing magickal paths and mythologies to create terrifying enemies for the main characters. I did have problems at times with the shifting viewpoints. It’s good to see into another characters’ thoughts, but it didn’t feel cohesive when it was a viewpoint other than Hunt’s. Overall, I really enjoyed ���King of the Dead’ and I am looking forward to the next book.
Jeremiah Hunt Series: Eyes to See (1), King of the Dead (2), Watcher of the Dark (3)
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