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The Reluctant Reaper #1
The Reluctant Reaper
Life for Kirsty d’Arc might not be perfect, but it’s far from hellish. She likes her job, has a great BFF and truly admires Conrad, her boss. But when she dives in front of a lunatic’s blade to save him from certain death, she finds out Conrad isn’t so admirable after all. In fact, he’s traded her soul to the Devil!
While her body lies comatose on the Mortal Coil, Kirsty’s spirit is dragged straight to Hell…which is not quite the fire-and-brimstone abyss she’d expected. In fact, the place is quirky, wacky, and not without charm. Desperate to reunite body and soul before her time runs out, she seeks out allies, earning the friendship of a powerful drag demon, a psychic server and most importantly, Hell’s civil servant. But what of her growing attraction to Dante, the sexy Reaper with a flair for romantic language—can she forgive him for scything her soul?
Stuck in the netherworld, Kirsty vows she’ll do everything on her postmortem bucket-list, starting with getting her life back and ensuring that Conrad has Hell to pay!
While her body lies comatose on the Mortal Coil, Kirsty’s spirit is dragged straight to Hell…which is not quite the fire-and-brimstone abyss she’d expected. In fact, the place is quirky, wacky, and not without charm. Desperate to reunite body and soul before her time runs out, she seeks out allies, earning the friendship of a powerful drag demon, a psychic server and most importantly, Hell’s civil servant. But what of her growing attraction to Dante, the sexy Reaper with a flair for romantic language—can she forgive him for scything her soul?
Stuck in the netherworld, Kirsty vows she’ll do everything on her postmortem bucket-list, starting with getting her life back and ensuring that Conrad has Hell to pay!
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2013
7 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Gina X. Grant
17 books52 followersGINA X. GRANT writes multi-genre fiction that leans more light than dark, blending humor, heart, and just a hint of mischief. She lives just north of Toronto, Canada, where she shares her home with Canoli, a rescued Mexican street dog who runs the place with quiet authority.
Her latest series, THE UNLIKELY MURDER CLUB, is a sharp, witty cozy mystery featuring a senior sleuth, found family, and crimes that refuse to stay neatly solved.
New to Gina’s world? Start with the FREE prequel novella, Agatha’s First Murder, available via her website.
Her latest series, THE UNLIKELY MURDER CLUB, is a sharp, witty cozy mystery featuring a senior sleuth, found family, and crimes that refuse to stay neatly solved.
New to Gina’s world? Start with the FREE prequel novella, Agatha’s First Murder, available via her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 31, 2013
I wish I could say that I connected to this one like I wanted to. The premises held so much promises and I was really looking forward to this read. And while I wouldn't say I was disappointed, I did feel a little let down by it.
This was a witty read. There were some funny moments but a lot of those moments felt over done to me. Like the author was trying too hard to make the protagonist funny and likeable. I sadly just never felt any kind of connection with Kirsty.
There were some memorable characters in this, I liked Captain Char, Sybil and Dante but again, I never felt a deep connection to any of them.
I think this was a good first attempt at a series but just maybe not the series for me. .
This was a witty read. There were some funny moments but a lot of those moments felt over done to me. Like the author was trying too hard to make the protagonist funny and likeable. I sadly just never felt any kind of connection with Kirsty.
There were some memorable characters in this, I liked Captain Char, Sybil and Dante but again, I never felt a deep connection to any of them.
I think this was a good first attempt at a series but just maybe not the series for me. .
July 24, 2013
Kirsty D’Arc is happily living her life, doing her thing when her day is spoiled by being attacked by a stapler. A stapler. As if violent office supplies weren’t enough, she then finds her boss is actually trying to sell her soul – to get an extension on his old contract
A dizzying series of terrible accidents finds Kirsty down in Hell, the afterlife. And nothing is what she expected but nor is it easy to fix such a blatant mistake. She’s down there for some time – giving her chance to learn a little about herself, her family – and how little she had done with her life but also what she actually wants
Especially concerning attractive Reaper Dante.
You can tell this book was designed to be funny and light full of quips and wit and lots of giggly moments. It doesn’t take itself seriously, it often jumps into the ridiculous and positively wallows there. Everything is a little silly, a lot zany, a lot whacky and more than a little cartoony. And I can appreciate that – some of my favourite books have been those that are just loopy and out there and make me giggle all the time. It’s especially fun when you take something as serious and dark and mournful and, well, grim as a Grim Reaper and throw all this light, silly, funny joy on top. So it had a lot of potential
And completely missed the mark for me. I don’t think I laughed once, unfortunately, I’m not even sure if I cracked a smile. The humour is contrived, it doesn’t fit even in the zaniness. It relied a lot on convoluted mental monologues while Kirsty chased her own thoughts in circles until she could force out a quip (and setting up your own funny lines doesn’t work). There is an inordinate number of puns – puns on top of puns on top of puns that just don’t work for me even slightly.
It has the odd line like: “When life had handed me lemons, I’d gone online and purchased grapefruits. Victoria’s Secret was safe with me.” That wasn’t bad. But gee-nomes that sting you and alter your DNA? Lead by the streetsmart “metrognome”. She gets angry when it’s misty so becomes “misterical”. The mist that would not be missed? I didn’t laugh – I did groan. I did look back and see if I had actually read that. Then I groaned again. And really, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It gets worse. It gets so much worse.
This is shaky ground to be on. You have a book whose prime selling point is its humour and, to me, it’s just not funny. That’s crashing and burning right there.
But, worse, humour is pretty much all the book has. The plot is really weak. She dies, she goes to Hell, she wanders around and random stuff happens. That’s about it – each random event is an excuse for some more zaniness and puns and maybe some world exploration – but there’s no actual plot. There’s a vague, background “oh I want to go back to my life” but she doesn’t actually do anything about that or about anything else. She just kind of exists. I think this is trying to set up her character as someone who has no karma – because that is exactly what she is in this setting, she has neither good karma nor bad karma (which is currency in this Hell) because she hasn’t actually lived; she never takes chances, she never does anything, she’s not an active participant in her own life. Which is an interesting thing to explore in both a character beginning to grow and over a series – but there’s nothing else in this book to provide a scaffolding around a deliberately blank protagonist.
Read More
A dizzying series of terrible accidents finds Kirsty down in Hell, the afterlife. And nothing is what she expected but nor is it easy to fix such a blatant mistake. She’s down there for some time – giving her chance to learn a little about herself, her family – and how little she had done with her life but also what she actually wants
Especially concerning attractive Reaper Dante.
You can tell this book was designed to be funny and light full of quips and wit and lots of giggly moments. It doesn’t take itself seriously, it often jumps into the ridiculous and positively wallows there. Everything is a little silly, a lot zany, a lot whacky and more than a little cartoony. And I can appreciate that – some of my favourite books have been those that are just loopy and out there and make me giggle all the time. It’s especially fun when you take something as serious and dark and mournful and, well, grim as a Grim Reaper and throw all this light, silly, funny joy on top. So it had a lot of potential
And completely missed the mark for me. I don’t think I laughed once, unfortunately, I’m not even sure if I cracked a smile. The humour is contrived, it doesn’t fit even in the zaniness. It relied a lot on convoluted mental monologues while Kirsty chased her own thoughts in circles until she could force out a quip (and setting up your own funny lines doesn’t work). There is an inordinate number of puns – puns on top of puns on top of puns that just don’t work for me even slightly.
It has the odd line like: “When life had handed me lemons, I’d gone online and purchased grapefruits. Victoria’s Secret was safe with me.” That wasn’t bad. But gee-nomes that sting you and alter your DNA? Lead by the streetsmart “metrognome”. She gets angry when it’s misty so becomes “misterical”. The mist that would not be missed? I didn’t laugh – I did groan. I did look back and see if I had actually read that. Then I groaned again. And really, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It gets worse. It gets so much worse.
This is shaky ground to be on. You have a book whose prime selling point is its humour and, to me, it’s just not funny. That’s crashing and burning right there.
But, worse, humour is pretty much all the book has. The plot is really weak. She dies, she goes to Hell, she wanders around and random stuff happens. That’s about it – each random event is an excuse for some more zaniness and puns and maybe some world exploration – but there’s no actual plot. There’s a vague, background “oh I want to go back to my life” but she doesn’t actually do anything about that or about anything else. She just kind of exists. I think this is trying to set up her character as someone who has no karma – because that is exactly what she is in this setting, she has neither good karma nor bad karma (which is currency in this Hell) because she hasn’t actually lived; she never takes chances, she never does anything, she’s not an active participant in her own life. Which is an interesting thing to explore in both a character beginning to grow and over a series – but there’s nothing else in this book to provide a scaffolding around a deliberately blank protagonist.
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September 20, 2013
I received a free ARC of The Reluctant Reaper from Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review*
This was a fun story! So many 80s and 90s references, and word-play galore!
This and other reviews can also be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.
On the night of her 25th birthday, Kristy’s life as she knows it takes a huge turn for the worse, or maybe actually better. As her soul is reaped by mistake, her body is in a coma, and she is brought to the Netherworld by Dante. The Reluctant Reaper is filled with 80s and 90s references that truly had me laughing out loud, and the wordplay is masterfully done. There is a lot of it, and I had trouble choosing what to quote in my review!
This was a fun story! So many 80s and 90s references, and word-play galore!
This and other reviews can also be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.
On the night of her 25th birthday, Kristy’s life as she knows it takes a huge turn for the worse, or maybe actually better. As her soul is reaped by mistake, her body is in a coma, and she is brought to the Netherworld by Dante. The Reluctant Reaper is filled with 80s and 90s references that truly had me laughing out loud, and the wordplay is masterfully done. There is a lot of it, and I had trouble choosing what to quote in my review!
July 4, 2013
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Kirsty d'Arc has been reaped accidentally.
Now stuck in afterlife hell, she is awaiting for the hell's version of court of appeal, to hear her case.
In this widely quirk and unusual novel, we are introduced to several after-life creatures, funny puns and a wholly different world.
ARC Courtesy of Edelweiss and Pocket Star.
Kirsty d'Arc has been reaped accidentally.
Now stuck in afterlife hell, she is awaiting for the hell's version of court of appeal, to hear her case.
In this widely quirk and unusual novel, we are introduced to several after-life creatures, funny puns and a wholly different world.
ARC Courtesy of Edelweiss and Pocket Star.
not-worth-finishing
August 1, 2021DNF @ 22% . She's naive and/or oblivious... The author might as well have written a giant - "warning warning evil guy" sign over one guy, and the 'heroine' is like poor evil guy, let's hate on everyone who was mean to him. Then there's the fact that she didn't know who Dante Aligheri was 🙄, Dante speaks like he's from the 13th century, she freaks out on him, gets her to calm down and says "good girl" and she calls him sexist and attacks him.
I'd say she's TSTL, but clearly that's why she died. (Not a spoiler, it's in the summary for the book). She's just a really unintelligent, unlikable character - I can see AOC playing her in the tv series.
I'd say she's TSTL, but clearly that's why she died. (Not a spoiler, it's in the summary for the book). She's just a really unintelligent, unlikable character - I can see AOC playing her in the tv series.
June 15, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE RELUCTANT REAPER is exactly what one would expect from the illustration on the cover, goofy and a bit ridiculous. While it wasn’t perfect, I did enjoy this first installment in The Reluctant Reaper series, despite its flaws (and puns — so many puns). It was as advertised in the book description, quirky and wacky, and I liked learning about the hell Grant created with all of its oddities, such as how swearing pollutes the environment and strip malls are where you go to get your clothes ripped off. Plus, there are characters wandering around such as Loki and Charon, and I do enjoy a good mythology name-drop.
The problem is with Kristy, our main character. She’s a bit boring. She ends up in hell not because she did something terrible, but because she tried to save her boss and accidentally ended up on the business end of a scythe carried by the reaper Dante (yep, that Dante). And that’s where the title is a bit misleading. Kristy isn’t exactly a reluctant reaper, she is more like a reluctant reapee – that is, someone who was reaped (I am aware I’m making up words at this point). I was kind of hoping she’d end up as a reaper but the story pretty much ends with the judgement at her accidental reaping trial. It is part of the plot that she is as nondescript as she is, but it was a little frustrating that she didn’t do more. What was interesting was learning about hell through Kristy’s eyes, with the credit cards that pay in karma points and bureaucratic reincarnation offices.
I think because of the length of THE RELUCTANT REAPER, the story felt a little more like a prequel than the actual start of a series. At around 200 pages, it is a bit longer than a novella, but a bit shorter than a full novel, and there was a lot crammed into those 200 pages. The character growth, the mystery about Kristy’s boss and her reaping, and even the beginning of a relationship between Kristy and Dante were all thrown into the mix. Plus, the world building alone was enough to keep me interested (if you couldn’t already tell). As a result, I’m looking forward to the next installment in The Reluctant Reaper series, to find out where Kristy ends up, and how her relationship with Dante evolves, bad poetry and all. Luckily, I won’t have to wait long as SCYTHE DOES MATTER, the next in the series, comes out in July.
Sexual content: Very briefly described sex scenes
THE RELUCTANT REAPER is exactly what one would expect from the illustration on the cover, goofy and a bit ridiculous. While it wasn’t perfect, I did enjoy this first installment in The Reluctant Reaper series, despite its flaws (and puns — so many puns). It was as advertised in the book description, quirky and wacky, and I liked learning about the hell Grant created with all of its oddities, such as how swearing pollutes the environment and strip malls are where you go to get your clothes ripped off. Plus, there are characters wandering around such as Loki and Charon, and I do enjoy a good mythology name-drop.
The problem is with Kristy, our main character. She’s a bit boring. She ends up in hell not because she did something terrible, but because she tried to save her boss and accidentally ended up on the business end of a scythe carried by the reaper Dante (yep, that Dante). And that’s where the title is a bit misleading. Kristy isn’t exactly a reluctant reaper, she is more like a reluctant reapee – that is, someone who was reaped (I am aware I’m making up words at this point). I was kind of hoping she’d end up as a reaper but the story pretty much ends with the judgement at her accidental reaping trial. It is part of the plot that she is as nondescript as she is, but it was a little frustrating that she didn’t do more. What was interesting was learning about hell through Kristy’s eyes, with the credit cards that pay in karma points and bureaucratic reincarnation offices.
I think because of the length of THE RELUCTANT REAPER, the story felt a little more like a prequel than the actual start of a series. At around 200 pages, it is a bit longer than a novella, but a bit shorter than a full novel, and there was a lot crammed into those 200 pages. The character growth, the mystery about Kristy’s boss and her reaping, and even the beginning of a relationship between Kristy and Dante were all thrown into the mix. Plus, the world building alone was enough to keep me interested (if you couldn’t already tell). As a result, I’m looking forward to the next installment in The Reluctant Reaper series, to find out where Kristy ends up, and how her relationship with Dante evolves, bad poetry and all. Luckily, I won’t have to wait long as SCYTHE DOES MATTER, the next in the series, comes out in July.
Sexual content: Very briefly described sex scenes
September 6, 2013
The teaser for this book sounded really quirky and fun. Like a mish-mash of Piers Anthony and Dead Like Me. I love the Xanth novels. I loved Dead Like Me for the 2 seasons I got to enjoy it (thanks alot Showtime). Combining the two seemed like a good idea.
In fact I still think it is a good idea. Just not as executed in this book.
Gina X. Grant fails to create characters that are sympathetic or even really likeable. Kirsty is an annoying whiner. She also seems incredibly dense. They way her actual death is set up makes her seem like the least observant, slowest person in the world. This is due to the heavy handed way the story is setup. The reader is being smacked upside the head with hints and clues that a 2 year old couldn't miss. There is no subtlety or craft employed.
So we find ourselves reading a scene with more bad situation warning bells than a Scary Movie sequel and wondering how on earth our protagonist Kirsty could possibly be so naive. And the truth is there is no plausible or logical way she could be.
This is how we meet a reaper named Dante.
Yes - that Dante.
Who in this book is a ridiculously awkward man-boy with no eloquence. Seriously no eloquence from the guy who wrote The Inferno?
I wish I had stopped reading there.
Puns the world over should be rising up in revolt against their shabby treatment in this book. Where Piers Anthony deftly wields puns to create whimsically literal worlds and situations - Ms. Grant lobs them about like a drunken darts player. Instead of being seamlessly woven into the story she is creating they seemed forced and often painfully setup.
I wanted to like, even love this book. But I just couldn't. Aside from essentially uninteresting main characters and poor use of puns, the story itself felt cursory and pedantic. She attempted to create a new and different idea of Hell. Some of the elements had great potential. Sadly that potential was unrealized.
I still think the underlying idea could be pretty brilliant.
I was provided a gratis copy of this book for review.
In fact I still think it is a good idea. Just not as executed in this book.
Gina X. Grant fails to create characters that are sympathetic or even really likeable. Kirsty is an annoying whiner. She also seems incredibly dense. They way her actual death is set up makes her seem like the least observant, slowest person in the world. This is due to the heavy handed way the story is setup. The reader is being smacked upside the head with hints and clues that a 2 year old couldn't miss. There is no subtlety or craft employed.
So we find ourselves reading a scene with more bad situation warning bells than a Scary Movie sequel and wondering how on earth our protagonist Kirsty could possibly be so naive. And the truth is there is no plausible or logical way she could be.
This is how we meet a reaper named Dante.
Yes - that Dante.
Who in this book is a ridiculously awkward man-boy with no eloquence. Seriously no eloquence from the guy who wrote The Inferno?
I wish I had stopped reading there.
Puns the world over should be rising up in revolt against their shabby treatment in this book. Where Piers Anthony deftly wields puns to create whimsically literal worlds and situations - Ms. Grant lobs them about like a drunken darts player. Instead of being seamlessly woven into the story she is creating they seemed forced and often painfully setup.
I wanted to like, even love this book. But I just couldn't. Aside from essentially uninteresting main characters and poor use of puns, the story itself felt cursory and pedantic. She attempted to create a new and different idea of Hell. Some of the elements had great potential. Sadly that potential was unrealized.
I still think the underlying idea could be pretty brilliant.
I was provided a gratis copy of this book for review.
July 2, 2013
The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X Grant
Review by Kris (with I Heart Books)
5 stars – Loved it!
I was looking for a quick and quirky read in the paranormal genre, but also wanted something different than anything I’d read before. Picky aren’t I? Well, The Reluctant Reaper… NAILED IT!
Kirsty was a great, if not slightly flawed, character. Her flaw? Not really living life (or afterlife) to its fullest and being content in just getting by. In one brazen move her life is changed. Quite literally in limbo of sorts, she is ushered to ‘Hell’ by the sexy reaper Dante. Unfortunately Dante is the reason she is prematurely on her way south so she has a hard time warming up to him. Haha.
The author had a lot of fun with word play and it made it a lot of fun to read. The characters were funny and complex, while keeping light and sweet. This was easily read in an afternoon. I had a hard time putting it down. If I had a tiny complaint it would be that there are a lot of characters to keep track of, although we may only see them once in this book I get the feeling that they will return in subsequent books in the series. TRR was a good foundation for the rest of the series.
I have future plans of reuniting with Kirsty, Dante and the rest of the crazy, yet lovable, cast!
Review by Kris (with I Heart Books)
5 stars – Loved it!
I was looking for a quick and quirky read in the paranormal genre, but also wanted something different than anything I’d read before. Picky aren’t I? Well, The Reluctant Reaper… NAILED IT!
Kirsty was a great, if not slightly flawed, character. Her flaw? Not really living life (or afterlife) to its fullest and being content in just getting by. In one brazen move her life is changed. Quite literally in limbo of sorts, she is ushered to ‘Hell’ by the sexy reaper Dante. Unfortunately Dante is the reason she is prematurely on her way south so she has a hard time warming up to him. Haha.
The author had a lot of fun with word play and it made it a lot of fun to read. The characters were funny and complex, while keeping light and sweet. This was easily read in an afternoon. I had a hard time putting it down. If I had a tiny complaint it would be that there are a lot of characters to keep track of, although we may only see them once in this book I get the feeling that they will return in subsequent books in the series. TRR was a good foundation for the rest of the series.
I have future plans of reuniting with Kirsty, Dante and the rest of the crazy, yet lovable, cast!
August 23, 2013
THE RELUCTANT REAPER, the first book in Gina X Grant's series of the same name,
introduces single, orphaned, Kirsty d'Arc a PR marketing specialist at Iver PR.
The story begins on the momentous morning of her twenty-fifth birthday, when
strange things start happening. First she's attacked by a stapler in her office,
and her boss, Conrad Iver, rushes in to use her dripping blood as a signature on
a soul-selling contract. Next, at a celebration with her friends and coworkers
that evening, her soul is accidentally reaped by Reaper First Class, Dante
Alighieri, when she steps in front of the original target, lying, despicable
Conrad, whose own contract of death is now due. The rest of the book follows
Kirsty's time adapting to the Underworld while awaiting her accidental reaping
appeal. During her Hell-ish adventures, she falls in love, learns the layout and
culture of the Underworld, and is introduced to several interesting, and a few
pretty wacky, entities who will be featured through the rest of the
series.
THE RELUNCTANT REAPER is a lighthearted, humorous paranormal, and
I give it a solid 3.5 stars for an unusual storyline and unique characters.
Though it's a good book and a fun read, the overuse of puns keep me from setting
a higher rating. The puns are cute at first, but after a while they lose their
punch and just become tedious.
On the plus side, a good number of the
puns are amusing and their sources easily identified. The downside, besides
overuse, is that some might only be understood by a science major or
mythology-obsessed reader.
THE RELUNCTANT REAPER is definitely worth
reading and sets the scene for the next book, SCYTHE DOES MATTER, which I'll
review separately. It's good entertainment, funny, and definitely
beachworthy.
If You Like This, You May Also Like: --- SCYTHE DOES MATTER
and ESPRIT DE CORPSE by Gina X. Grant, HOW TO DISCIPLINE YOUR VAMPIRE by Mina
Vaughn, CHARLEY DAVIDSON SERIES by Darynda Jones, DARKLIGHT SERIES by Darynda
Jones, UNDERWORLD DETECTION AGENCY SERIES by Hannah Jayne, F.R.E.A.K.S. SQUAD
INVESTIGATION SERIES by Jennifer Harlow
* Read my other reviews on the Blue Moon Mystery Saloon blog.
** An ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster/Pocket Star Books and Edelweiss for an honest review.
June 17, 2013
Kirsty d’Arc's life just went from bad to worse. She was just trying to save her boss and friend Conrad from some creep in a black Snuggie who threatened him with some kind of laser scythe and the next thing she knows Kirsty is having out of the body experience. They say: go toward the light, but floating through the electric lamps on the ceiling didn't help. What is Kirsty going to do? And why does it seems that the only person who can help her is the guy who 'murdered' her?
Narrated by our heroine Kirsty, story of The Reluctant Reaper quickly leaves the mortal plain and goes straight to hell, literally. We get to meet a lot of mythical characters in person, and boy the legends don't do them justice. For example nobody mentioned Char's aka. Charon's sense of fashion. If you are newbie to the mythology you might have hard time making the connections but for more experienced fantasy fans I think there will be no problems recognising the people Kirsty meets. Nothing will be as you expected. Spiced up with quirky humor and puns generously sprinkled in Kirsty's comments, Hell sure turns out to be one wacky place.
The Reluctant Reaper is mostly one big travel guide through Hell, since we follow Kirsty as she gets to know it's inhabitants and how the system works down there. Also there will be some harsh (and to me obvious) surprises revealed from Kirsty's life and how many karma points she earned.
There will be little time left for something else, although sexy grim reaper Dante who accidentally scythed Kirsty soul is never far from her mind. The attraction between them has a little bit insta-lust feel to it, I would have loved if romance progressed more slowly. But at least it was good for Kirsty:
"The Earth moved. So did Hell. And possibly some of the furniture. In fact, the sex was so good that even the neighbours had a cigarette!"
In The End...
The Reluctant Reaper is urban fantasy novel that will give a tour through wacky and original vision of hell invented by Gina X. Grant. If you would like to meet demons and various mythological characters in new light and you liked humor in Charley Davidson series, then you might also enjoy new urban fantasy series The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X. Grant.
My rating: 3.5 stars
Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
Narrated by our heroine Kirsty, story of The Reluctant Reaper quickly leaves the mortal plain and goes straight to hell, literally. We get to meet a lot of mythical characters in person, and boy the legends don't do them justice. For example nobody mentioned Char's aka. Charon's sense of fashion. If you are newbie to the mythology you might have hard time making the connections but for more experienced fantasy fans I think there will be no problems recognising the people Kirsty meets. Nothing will be as you expected. Spiced up with quirky humor and puns generously sprinkled in Kirsty's comments, Hell sure turns out to be one wacky place.
The Reluctant Reaper is mostly one big travel guide through Hell, since we follow Kirsty as she gets to know it's inhabitants and how the system works down there. Also there will be some harsh (and to me obvious) surprises revealed from Kirsty's life and how many karma points she earned.
There will be little time left for something else, although sexy grim reaper Dante who accidentally scythed Kirsty soul is never far from her mind. The attraction between them has a little bit insta-lust feel to it, I would have loved if romance progressed more slowly. But at least it was good for Kirsty:
"The Earth moved. So did Hell. And possibly some of the furniture. In fact, the sex was so good that even the neighbours had a cigarette!"
In The End...
The Reluctant Reaper is urban fantasy novel that will give a tour through wacky and original vision of hell invented by Gina X. Grant. If you would like to meet demons and various mythological characters in new light and you liked humor in Charley Davidson series, then you might also enjoy new urban fantasy series The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X. Grant.
My rating: 3.5 stars
Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.
May 26, 2013
Mon avis en Français
My English review
When I read the synopsis of this book I was excited to be able to discover the first volume of this new series. I must say that it is always a pleasure to read more about reapers. They are not featured a lot in books, even if we can see them a little more now. I had a lot of expectations and hopes for this book, maybe a little too much…
Kirsty is a young woman who loves to help people, and don’t have any grudge even when they do very bad things to her. She is now working in a company, a job she enjoys and hopes to keep for a long time. Everything would be perfect if her boss had not tried to sell her soul in exchange for his. And one night when our young heroine attends a meeting between her boss and an invisible entity, she finds herself thrown into hell by Dante, the reaper who took her by mistake. But the problem is there and although Kirsty wants to return home at any cost, she will have to stand a trial and discover hell, a world very different from what she had thought. Fortunately Dante will also be there to assist and help her when needed.
Dante is a character that I enjoyed. He is quite mysterious, and I was curious to know more about him. We know he had a pretty eventful life and I was always happy when the story goes back on him. He is good with his self-control at all times but it is very different for our heroine. She is very naive and ends up in pretty incredible situations. She tries to find her place in a world she does not know and where she does not want to stay.
I enjoyed discovering this hell full of rules and at the same time very free about many points. It was interesting to see how the author was able to develop this world and had many people cohabit together. The environment is very original and I enjoyed the ideas. My concern was more based on the story … I felt it was a bit disjointed and the ideas weren’t linked together. As much as I appreciate everything about the construction of the world and the plot, the relationship of the characters seemed wrong and too fast for me. I was quite surprised to see how everything evolved without I could really understand it. It’s a shame because this fact put me back from the events and characters.
I’m a little mixed but I’m curious to read how the story will progress.
My English review
When I read the synopsis of this book I was excited to be able to discover the first volume of this new series. I must say that it is always a pleasure to read more about reapers. They are not featured a lot in books, even if we can see them a little more now. I had a lot of expectations and hopes for this book, maybe a little too much…
Kirsty is a young woman who loves to help people, and don’t have any grudge even when they do very bad things to her. She is now working in a company, a job she enjoys and hopes to keep for a long time. Everything would be perfect if her boss had not tried to sell her soul in exchange for his. And one night when our young heroine attends a meeting between her boss and an invisible entity, she finds herself thrown into hell by Dante, the reaper who took her by mistake. But the problem is there and although Kirsty wants to return home at any cost, she will have to stand a trial and discover hell, a world very different from what she had thought. Fortunately Dante will also be there to assist and help her when needed.
Dante is a character that I enjoyed. He is quite mysterious, and I was curious to know more about him. We know he had a pretty eventful life and I was always happy when the story goes back on him. He is good with his self-control at all times but it is very different for our heroine. She is very naive and ends up in pretty incredible situations. She tries to find her place in a world she does not know and where she does not want to stay.
I enjoyed discovering this hell full of rules and at the same time very free about many points. It was interesting to see how the author was able to develop this world and had many people cohabit together. The environment is very original and I enjoyed the ideas. My concern was more based on the story … I felt it was a bit disjointed and the ideas weren’t linked together. As much as I appreciate everything about the construction of the world and the plot, the relationship of the characters seemed wrong and too fast for me. I was quite surprised to see how everything evolved without I could really understand it. It’s a shame because this fact put me back from the events and characters.
I’m a little mixed but I’m curious to read how the story will progress.
June 17, 2013
*Genre* Adult Satire? Not sure
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
"My new motto was going to be Trust no one. It had worked for Mulder."
I went into reading The Reluctant Reaper with no expectations other than to enjoy it and see what happens. The basic premise of the story is that 25 year old Kirsty D'Arc, without knowing the consequences of her actions, steps in front of a Reaper who came after Conrad, her boss, and ends up in Hell while her mortal body lands in a coma. It is up to Kirsty & a select few friends, to find a way back to her body, before she ends up in hell for eternity.
Hell, of course, is nothing like you would imagine. First, her reaper is none other than Dante Alighieri, yes that Dante, who has a lot of explaining to do as to why he reaped the wrong person. Dante, naturally, is a hot Italian sex on a stick who feels absolutely horrible about what happened to Kirsty and tries to the best of his abilities, to find a way out for Kirsty while saving his own bacon.
Then you have Captain Charon who is a transvestite with a very amazing personality and is also funny. Kirsty and Charon hit things off immediately, and become friends. Other notable characters were Sybil Serpent, Sue Sayer, and Claire Voyant. There's also an appearance by Loki, and Moses of all people.
The Reluctant Reaper is a book filled with snark, references to a generation (1980's & 1990's) that left us with lasting impressions. Techno-pop, Boy George, Kurt Cobain, Alice's Restaurant, Break Dancing, Duran Duran, and on and on.
Kirsty's main problem is that she's rather dull. She's done absolutely nothing good or bad. She has neither good karma or bad karma and those responsible for hearing her case, aren't impressed that she's lived 25 years without causing some sort of trouble for those around her. Kirsty also hangs her head and pretty much gives up doing anything constructive while others try to help her win her appeal to win a path back to her body.
Since I also have Scythe Does Matter, I'll be reading that book as well. Obviously, this series has lots of potential and I look forward to seeing how Kirsty's relationship with Dante progresses as well as the return of the characters I mentioned above.
*Recvd via Edelweiss 03/19/2013* Expected publication: June 17th 2013 by Pocket Star
*Rating* 3.0
*Thoughts*
"My new motto was going to be Trust no one. It had worked for Mulder."
I went into reading The Reluctant Reaper with no expectations other than to enjoy it and see what happens. The basic premise of the story is that 25 year old Kirsty D'Arc, without knowing the consequences of her actions, steps in front of a Reaper who came after Conrad, her boss, and ends up in Hell while her mortal body lands in a coma. It is up to Kirsty & a select few friends, to find a way back to her body, before she ends up in hell for eternity.
Hell, of course, is nothing like you would imagine. First, her reaper is none other than Dante Alighieri, yes that Dante, who has a lot of explaining to do as to why he reaped the wrong person. Dante, naturally, is a hot Italian sex on a stick who feels absolutely horrible about what happened to Kirsty and tries to the best of his abilities, to find a way out for Kirsty while saving his own bacon.
Then you have Captain Charon who is a transvestite with a very amazing personality and is also funny. Kirsty and Charon hit things off immediately, and become friends. Other notable characters were Sybil Serpent, Sue Sayer, and Claire Voyant. There's also an appearance by Loki, and Moses of all people.
The Reluctant Reaper is a book filled with snark, references to a generation (1980's & 1990's) that left us with lasting impressions. Techno-pop, Boy George, Kurt Cobain, Alice's Restaurant, Break Dancing, Duran Duran, and on and on.
Kirsty's main problem is that she's rather dull. She's done absolutely nothing good or bad. She has neither good karma or bad karma and those responsible for hearing her case, aren't impressed that she's lived 25 years without causing some sort of trouble for those around her. Kirsty also hangs her head and pretty much gives up doing anything constructive while others try to help her win her appeal to win a path back to her body.
Since I also have Scythe Does Matter, I'll be reading that book as well. Obviously, this series has lots of potential and I look forward to seeing how Kirsty's relationship with Dante progresses as well as the return of the characters I mentioned above.
*Recvd via Edelweiss 03/19/2013* Expected publication: June 17th 2013 by Pocket Star
September 11, 2013
Oh, my, I can’t remember the last time I read a book that had me smiling, chuckling. sometimes outright guffawing on every single page but Gina X. Grant has accomplished that very feat with The Reluctant Reaper. This is just one of the funniest books ever and here’s the weird thing—a LOT of the humor involves puns and I have never been enamored with puns. Until now.
Kirsty D’Arc has just been accidentally reaped by a guy named Dante who carries a scythe and struck her with it instead of her boss who was supposed to die. Since it was an accident, though, Kirsty is not exactly dead, more like undead (but not of the vampirish sort). Kirsty has no choice—she has to go to Hell and appeal her “death”.
Hell, it turns out, is full of interesting surprises, including Charon who ferries the river in full drag and a small, very cute kittenish animal who is actually a real life gargoyle. Her name is Jenni, short for Jenni-fur because she sheds so much. Then there are the vicious little creatures called gee-gnomes who can alter your DNA. Most are sort of countrified-looking except one that seems to be more sophisticated, known as a “metrognome”. Dante himself is a 700-year-old poet—yes, he’s THAT Dante.
Ms. Grant also has a great time skewering the very things we all love to hate, like this:
“Reaping is a precise art. It must occur only at the exact hour, preferably the exact minute, as ordained by Death. Or by our new software system, MS Death 2.0.”
“You have Microsoft products in Hell?”
Figures.
Kirsty’s adventures in Hell keep her busy while she’s waiting for her trial but, when that finally comes, she’s in for a rude awakening. Will she be able to go back to her life or will she have to stay in the afterlife even if she isn’t really dead? Will she have to give up the hunky Dante? Will she really have to do something useful with her life?
I can’t help it, I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one, Scythe Does Matter. Thank heavens—oops, Hell doesn’t appreciate that saying—it’s already on my Nook.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2013.
Kirsty D’Arc has just been accidentally reaped by a guy named Dante who carries a scythe and struck her with it instead of her boss who was supposed to die. Since it was an accident, though, Kirsty is not exactly dead, more like undead (but not of the vampirish sort). Kirsty has no choice—she has to go to Hell and appeal her “death”.
Hell, it turns out, is full of interesting surprises, including Charon who ferries the river in full drag and a small, very cute kittenish animal who is actually a real life gargoyle. Her name is Jenni, short for Jenni-fur because she sheds so much. Then there are the vicious little creatures called gee-gnomes who can alter your DNA. Most are sort of countrified-looking except one that seems to be more sophisticated, known as a “metrognome”. Dante himself is a 700-year-old poet—yes, he’s THAT Dante.
Ms. Grant also has a great time skewering the very things we all love to hate, like this:
“Reaping is a precise art. It must occur only at the exact hour, preferably the exact minute, as ordained by Death. Or by our new software system, MS Death 2.0.”
“You have Microsoft products in Hell?”
Figures.
Kirsty’s adventures in Hell keep her busy while she’s waiting for her trial but, when that finally comes, she’s in for a rude awakening. Will she be able to go back to her life or will she have to stay in the afterlife even if she isn’t really dead? Will she have to give up the hunky Dante? Will she really have to do something useful with her life?
I can’t help it, I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one, Scythe Does Matter. Thank heavens—oops, Hell doesn’t appreciate that saying—it’s already on my Nook.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2013.
August 30, 2013
Arc received via NetGalley
I was a bit disappointed with this book for several reasons.
Firstly, the humour seems unnatural and too forced; I didn't find it funny and since it is overused and omnipresent it quickly annoyed me.
As for the story, the premises were original and interested me but I don't really care for what the author has done with it. Kirsty doesn't really do anything in the story apart from wandering around and I didn't grow attach to her. Some emotional moments (like when Kristy discover that all her coworkers don't care about her, when she is betrayed by her boss or when she discover the depth of her aunts' sacrifice) could have been interesting to explore but they were gloss over. I was curious about the Reapers, but we don't learn a lot about them here. However I think that we learn more about them in the next books of the series.
Thirdly, I didn't like what the author choose to do with Dante Alighieri, which is a shame since a big part of why I wanted to read this book was because I was curious to see how the author would use him. Indeed, he is the hero of the story but doesn't remind me of the historical figure or of someone of this time period, but rather of an awkward adolescent. He is supposed to be a master of language and to have participate in Florence politics and I would have like to see it reflect in something else that badly done poetry. In addition, he says that his major work,the Divine Comedy, was supposed to be humorous and that he can't stand the interpretations done by scholars, that's why he doesn't want to be reborn. Just...no. I really can't stand that.
People appreciating this kind of humour may like this book better than me. The world building was interesting and you may also appreciate it better than I did if you don't know about Dante Alighieri. I would recommend this book to people wanting a quick and light read with a lot of humour.
I was a bit disappointed with this book for several reasons.
Firstly, the humour seems unnatural and too forced; I didn't find it funny and since it is overused and omnipresent it quickly annoyed me.
As for the story, the premises were original and interested me but I don't really care for what the author has done with it. Kirsty doesn't really do anything in the story apart from wandering around and I didn't grow attach to her. Some emotional moments (like when Kristy discover that all her coworkers don't care about her, when she is betrayed by her boss or when she discover the depth of her aunts' sacrifice) could have been interesting to explore but they were gloss over. I was curious about the Reapers, but we don't learn a lot about them here. However I think that we learn more about them in the next books of the series.
Thirdly, I didn't like what the author choose to do with Dante Alighieri, which is a shame since a big part of why I wanted to read this book was because I was curious to see how the author would use him. Indeed, he is the hero of the story but doesn't remind me of the historical figure or of someone of this time period, but rather of an awkward adolescent. He is supposed to be a master of language and to have participate in Florence politics and I would have like to see it reflect in something else that badly done poetry. In addition, he says that his major work,the Divine Comedy, was supposed to be humorous and that he can't stand the interpretations done by scholars, that's why he doesn't want to be reborn. Just...no. I really can't stand that.
People appreciating this kind of humour may like this book better than me. The world building was interesting and you may also appreciate it better than I did if you don't know about Dante Alighieri. I would recommend this book to people wanting a quick and light read with a lot of humour.
September 11, 2013
The premise of this book sounded so intriguing, yet the story epically fails.
Girl (who's name I can't even remember)is accidentally reaped because she's inanely stupid. Her reaper is an Italian stud named Dante - yes, the Dante who wrote The Divine Comedy.
My problem with this book is.....
1. Girl is emotionally bipolar, screaming and hitting people one moment, then mushy the next. There's no consistency to her character. I really want to medicate her. She's also so dumb and worthless. Even people in the book tell her this. hah.
2. Dante - HOW CAN YOU MAKE DANTE ALIGHIERI A BAD CORNY POET??!!!!???? It's blasphemy what she does to Dante. BLASPHEMY! He spouts really bad poetry and even though he's cute and one of the better characters, I can't take the ruining of his intellect.
3. Ugh, super super super corny lame puns. "It went from bad to verse" the girl thinks when Dante starts spouting poetry.
4. The writing is poor. I applaud the idea behind the story, but the actual book needs several more rewrites and editing.
What I did like....
The premise is good, the underworld she creates is interesting. Dante is cute, if I can pretend he's not really a 13th century Italian poet.
Girl (who's name I can't even remember)is accidentally reaped because she's inanely stupid. Her reaper is an Italian stud named Dante - yes, the Dante who wrote The Divine Comedy.
My problem with this book is.....
1. Girl is emotionally bipolar, screaming and hitting people one moment, then mushy the next. There's no consistency to her character. I really want to medicate her. She's also so dumb and worthless. Even people in the book tell her this. hah.
2. Dante - HOW CAN YOU MAKE DANTE ALIGHIERI A BAD CORNY POET??!!!!???? It's blasphemy what she does to Dante. BLASPHEMY! He spouts really bad poetry and even though he's cute and one of the better characters, I can't take the ruining of his intellect.
3. Ugh, super super super corny lame puns. "It went from bad to verse" the girl thinks when Dante starts spouting poetry.
4. The writing is poor. I applaud the idea behind the story, but the actual book needs several more rewrites and editing.
What I did like....
The premise is good, the underworld she creates is interesting. Dante is cute, if I can pretend he's not really a 13th century Italian poet.
October 14, 2013
In all honesty, I did not know what to expect when I decided to read Gina X. Grant's The Reluctant Reaper. Okay - so the cover reminded me of Christopher Moore's books and I hoped I'd be in for a treat. Immediately, the chapter titles had my attention such as Supplies Attack, To Gnome Me is to Love Me and Live Wrong and Prosper. Added to my instant enjoyment was the pairing of the two settings - Toronto and Hell. Perfect.
The Reluctant Reaper is the story of Kirsty D'Arc who is reaped accidently in a men's washroom while trying to save her boss from being killed. Her adventure takes place as she accompanies her handsome and sexy reaper, Dante, into Hell to find out if the deed can be undone. Kirsty finds out that she is distantly related to someone called Joan who has a penchant for burnt food. Dante is The Inferno's Dante who much prefers living in Hell than topside.
As I read the book I wondered if Ms. Grant wrote the story to all of the puns she could think of, or did she masterfully insert every and any pun to her story to make it thoroughly entertaining. Yes the puns are sometimes corny and groan-worthy, but for the most part they are witty, smart-assed and almost genius. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and look forward to reading the second book, The Reluctant Reaper - Scythe Does Matter.
The Reluctant Reaper is the story of Kirsty D'Arc who is reaped accidently in a men's washroom while trying to save her boss from being killed. Her adventure takes place as she accompanies her handsome and sexy reaper, Dante, into Hell to find out if the deed can be undone. Kirsty finds out that she is distantly related to someone called Joan who has a penchant for burnt food. Dante is The Inferno's Dante who much prefers living in Hell than topside.
As I read the book I wondered if Ms. Grant wrote the story to all of the puns she could think of, or did she masterfully insert every and any pun to her story to make it thoroughly entertaining. Yes the puns are sometimes corny and groan-worthy, but for the most part they are witty, smart-assed and almost genius. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and look forward to reading the second book, The Reluctant Reaper - Scythe Does Matter.
August 17, 2013
Looking for a little zany adventure into hell? Me neither but as far a story goes this is a quirky little book that may entertain you. I call these “waiting room books.” No thought process no plot-lines to keep up with. Just frivolity and a quick read.
Kristy a very naïve girl finds herself traveling into hell with the grim reaper. Ultimately she wants to get back to her life as she is somewhere in a coma. Kristy untimely death/coma was an accident and she needs to figure out how to fix it. Along the way we meet a host of characters.
I chuckled a few times but sadly not enough. Some of the one liners had me rolling my eyes. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a horrible book. I do see great potential in this series. I just won’t be along for the ride.
2.5 Stars (KT Book review rating of between I was OK and I liked it) Not bad really. So if you need a no brainer while waiting in line give it a go.
T~
*Given via Netgalley/Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review
www.ktbookreview.blogspot.com
Kristy a very naïve girl finds herself traveling into hell with the grim reaper. Ultimately she wants to get back to her life as she is somewhere in a coma. Kristy untimely death/coma was an accident and she needs to figure out how to fix it. Along the way we meet a host of characters.
I chuckled a few times but sadly not enough. Some of the one liners had me rolling my eyes. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a horrible book. I do see great potential in this series. I just won’t be along for the ride.
2.5 Stars (KT Book review rating of between I was OK and I liked it) Not bad really. So if you need a no brainer while waiting in line give it a go.
T~
*Given via Netgalley/Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review
www.ktbookreview.blogspot.com
July 14, 2013
I copied this from my amazon review:
The book clocks in at about 227 pages, which would usually take me about a week to finish. I'm a slow reader, I've got toddlers in the house, and being mildly dyslexic makes casual reading something that requires a lot of attention.
I finished this book in less than a day.
I was hooked from the first page. Kirsty is a relatable, real character that I was rooting for all the way. The story moves along at a nice clip with humor and puns peppered throughout. It does have puns but they aren't over-done. There are times when the main character drags a bit in pity, but then she did die, so that's understandable.
There is a pleasant wit displayed among the wordplay and I look forward to the next in the series. At $2.99 it's a steal.
The book clocks in at about 227 pages, which would usually take me about a week to finish. I'm a slow reader, I've got toddlers in the house, and being mildly dyslexic makes casual reading something that requires a lot of attention.
I finished this book in less than a day.
I was hooked from the first page. Kirsty is a relatable, real character that I was rooting for all the way. The story moves along at a nice clip with humor and puns peppered throughout. It does have puns but they aren't over-done. There are times when the main character drags a bit in pity, but then she did die, so that's understandable.
There is a pleasant wit displayed among the wordplay and I look forward to the next in the series. At $2.99 it's a steal.
March 7, 2014
I really liked this book. The premise is interesting, we all go to hell to get recycled unless you're really bad you go to Heller. The fact that Kirsty gets none of Dante's terrible poetry is well, like poetry. I'm a big supernatural fan so this kinda played right into that fandom. Totally a Canadian book too. Heaven and Hell play interfaith hockey league on Tuesday night to settle their differences. Hilarious!
September 12, 2013
I was able to read this first book for free on xoxoafterdark.com and I am so glad I did! I loved this! Dante as a grim reaper! And oh my, I never thought of him as hot! The 80's and 90's references really brought back memories too. As soon as I finished, I went straight to B&N and bought the next book.
May 17, 2013
I liked the premise of this book but I was disappointed to find the ending was , look for book 2. Didn't realize it was a series. Kristy mets the grim reaper before her time and goes to hell till her appeal can be heard.
August 23, 2015
I enjoyed the first installment of Kristys new life. She just turned 25, thinks she is were she should be. Then the big "D" happens. Yup~ death, well, sort of. I like the characters, the story line, snark and humor. I cant wait to read the next in this series!
April 26, 2013
Super punny! I really enjoy this take on hell. Can't wait to meet Lucy and see what kind of job Kirsty ends up doing. Plus, Dante writing the Inferno to be a joke? Fantastic!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 16, 2013Made it through about 20% before DNF'ing. The characters seemed really flat and I found myself forgetting what I was reading when away from my Kindle. *shrugs* It just wasn't for me.
August 15, 2019
Reaping the Reluctant
Loved the play on words through out the story.So funny and entertaining.Author has a witty way with spinning a story.Love it and look forward to the next book.
Loved the play on words through out the story.So funny and entertaining.Author has a witty way with spinning a story.Love it and look forward to the next book.
May 13, 2019
2.5 stars - Started strong, got lost in the middle, rushed over the good stuff and ended on a soft cliffhanger - pretty MEH
This is the first book in the The Reluctant Reaper series by Gina X. Grant and ends on a soft cliffhanger without fully resolving the protagonist's main issues.
Plot synopsis
Kirsty has been going through the motions, her job is the most important thing in her life and she really likes her boss Conrad, father to her best friend Shannon. It turns out Conrad is not as nice as she had come to believe, in fact he's down right despicable as he's tricked Kirsty into sacrificing her soul to hell for 25 years because his own contract with hell has come due. Through unforeseen circumstances Kirsty's soul is accidentally reaped by Dante, the gorgeous poet reaper sent to collect Conrad's soul.
Kirsty must navigate Hell, (which is not exactly the way she expected it to be) while waiting for her appeal case for 'mistaken reaping' to be heard, which could be anywhere from six months to two years, because time moves differently in Hell. In the meantime she's dealing with an unexpected attraction to the reaper Dante and making friends. Suddenly, staying in Hell isn't quite as unappealing as it once seemed to Kirsty.
Problems with pacing
The book started out fairly strong - the first fifteen to twenty percent is pretty good. Unfortunately, an interesting start gets bogged down in surface level emotional quagmire, very little seems to happen for several chapters and it's not until the last twenty percent of the story that anything of note to the novel's plot really seems to happen. Things happen in the middle of the book that seem to have no reason whatsoever, I can only assume they will be important in future novels of the series.
Badly explored love interest
The first two thirds of the novel spends a lot of time exploring the building sexual tension between Kirsty and Dante and when they finally get together it's very 'Wham Bam Thank You Mam' and the emotions between them and their unusual circumstances are barely looked at. Added to that the final few chapters barely reference the relationship between them until the eleventh hour. It all felt incredibly rushed and neglected.
Final thoughts
An interesting premise that goes nowhere, characters you never really click with and a plot that’s never fully explored, except as ‘read-on bait’ for the rest of the series. Suffice it to say, I won’t be reading on, because I just don’t care enough about the world and characters to want to know more.
This is the first book in the The Reluctant Reaper series by Gina X. Grant and ends on a soft cliffhanger without fully resolving the protagonist's main issues.
Plot synopsis
Kirsty has been going through the motions, her job is the most important thing in her life and she really likes her boss Conrad, father to her best friend Shannon. It turns out Conrad is not as nice as she had come to believe, in fact he's down right despicable as he's tricked Kirsty into sacrificing her soul to hell for 25 years because his own contract with hell has come due. Through unforeseen circumstances Kirsty's soul is accidentally reaped by Dante, the gorgeous poet reaper sent to collect Conrad's soul.
Kirsty must navigate Hell, (which is not exactly the way she expected it to be) while waiting for her appeal case for 'mistaken reaping' to be heard, which could be anywhere from six months to two years, because time moves differently in Hell. In the meantime she's dealing with an unexpected attraction to the reaper Dante and making friends. Suddenly, staying in Hell isn't quite as unappealing as it once seemed to Kirsty.
Problems with pacing
The book started out fairly strong - the first fifteen to twenty percent is pretty good. Unfortunately, an interesting start gets bogged down in surface level emotional quagmire, very little seems to happen for several chapters and it's not until the last twenty percent of the story that anything of note to the novel's plot really seems to happen. Things happen in the middle of the book that seem to have no reason whatsoever, I can only assume they will be important in future novels of the series.
Badly explored love interest
The first two thirds of the novel spends a lot of time exploring the building sexual tension between Kirsty and Dante and when they finally get together it's very 'Wham Bam Thank You Mam' and the emotions between them and their unusual circumstances are barely looked at. Added to that the final few chapters barely reference the relationship between them until the eleventh hour. It all felt incredibly rushed and neglected.
Final thoughts
An interesting premise that goes nowhere, characters you never really click with and a plot that’s never fully explored, except as ‘read-on bait’ for the rest of the series. Suffice it to say, I won’t be reading on, because I just don’t care enough about the world and characters to want to know more.
February 12, 2014
This review was originally posted at: http://francesandlynne.wordpress.com/...
“Dead or alive or somewhere in between, I could still kick a guy in the brimstones. Dante dropped to the ground, clutching what was probably his crotch under that stupid Snuggie he’d no doubt bought from a late-night infomercial.”
Kirsty, The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X. Grant
Thanks to Netgalley, I was able to read The Reluctant Reaper as an advance reader copy. The Reluctant Reaper begins with Kirsty d’Arc diving in front of a reaper’s scythe to protect her boss, Conrad. Kirsty might not have been so quick to protect Conrad if she’d realised that he’d being trying (and failing) to exchange her soul for his own. Lucky for Conrad, Kirsty’s act of heroism gets him off the hook. Kirsty is taken to Hell, which doesn’t exactly fit with the traditional image of Hell. Once there, Kirsty goes about gathering evidence for an appeal against her old boss so that she can return to her comatose body lying in the Hospital. The problem is that Kirsty starts to like Hell and the people who are there, particularly Dante, the reaper who accidentally reaped her instead of Conrad. Will Kirsty stay in Hell? Or, is her drive for revenge to strong?
The world-building in The Reluctant Reaper was well done. I found it interesting that people in hell essentially wait in line for years and years to appeal against the decision to reap their soul. Most appeals fail and the people then have to earn points by working in order to be reincarnated. Although this is not the traditional idea of Hell (i.e., a pit of fire and an afterlife of torture), but waiting in line is really frustrating so I guess it’s a more modern idea of torture.
I also like how time worked differently in Hell. Time might move fast and a month may slip by in what seems like a day, or the days can drag on far longer than usual. Time also works differently for each person, for example, a month passed by in what seemed like a matter of hours for Kirsty, yet, the month went by slowly for Dante.
Finally, the demons were well done in the sense that they were different. One demon, for example, wore a tight sparkly gown, long nails, make-up, and jewels on his horns etc... He was different and I liked the demon for that. There were also people with the gift of Sight (past/present or future). I wanted more demons though, particularly evil demons. Although, Dante tells Kirsty that some demons will rip the flesh off her bones, there's never any real threat that this will happen. I think this may have helped quicken the pace.
I didn't really gel with the main character, Kirsty. It seemed like the author was trying to create a female character who likes shopping and designer clothes, but who will also stand up for herself. I like this idea in principal but this was clumsily done. Kirsty would complain about her lack of designer clothes too often, or wish for a stiletto to stab a demon-type-thing but comment that the stiletto wouldn't go with her “Hell outfit”. In addition to this, Kirsty kept yelling at Dante one minute (or kicking him in the “brimstones” as in the quote above) and then sobbing uncontrollable the next. In theory, a female character that is fairly tough yet vulnerable should have created a more three-dimensional character. However, the switch back and forth happened too frequently and too closely together, meaning it read more like bi-polar disorder instead.
I also disliked how the author threw in so many puns and references to other books. At the back of the book there is a description of the author that says her sense of humour reads throughout the book. I agree that the puns she came up with are clever, but I found them very distracting and annoying. The puns did not endear me to Kirsty and I often groaned at them. I think a couple scattered throughout the book would have been fine, but there were so many that I might not read the next couple of books in the series as a result.
The chemistry in the book was lacking. Although it was painfully clear that Kirsty had a thing for Dante—because she repeatedly talked about how insanely hot he was—it wasn't clear that Dante had a thing for Kirsty until two-thirds of the way through the book. As a result, the tension was lacking. Then, when Dante and Kirsty do get together, it seems like Dante is much more invested than Kirsty. Kirsty is still insistent on returning to her old life even though she didn't really start living until she was reaped, with the aim of reuniting with Dante when she dies naturally. I think this was meant to be romantic because he'd wait for her. I didn't understand why she wanted to go back if she was in love with Dante. It was clear that if she won her appeal, Dante would be in a huge amount of trouble. Plus, she is mostly responsible for her situation as she jumped in front of Dante's scythe (and blamed him!), although she never acknowledges this properly.
The book ends rather suddenly. I didn't realise the book was a series until that point. I was rather angry at the ending because it felt like nothing was really resolved. I'm guessing that the second book will be fairly similar to the first book as a result. There was nothing in the ending of the book that made me want to read more. Something needed to happen that ended the book on a cliff hanger. Although, technically the book does end on a cliff hanger, it's a cliff hanger that indicates the next book will pretty much repeat the first book in the overall plot points. What the book needed was a cliff hanger that indicates the next book will be different and more exciting.
I think that this book probably needed to be combined with the next book in the series. That would have prevented the inevitable similarity between the books and the author could have spent more time developing the chemistry and tension between Kirsty and Dante. That way, I might actually have been invested in their relationship rather than feeling ambivalent. This would also have meant that some of the slower scenes, which didn’t seem to add to the storyline, could have been removed, or maybe they would make sense in the wider context of books 1 and 2 in The Reaper Series.
Final Verdict: The Reluctant Reaper is okay; not awe inspiring brilliance or excruciating torture.
Frances
“Dead or alive or somewhere in between, I could still kick a guy in the brimstones. Dante dropped to the ground, clutching what was probably his crotch under that stupid Snuggie he’d no doubt bought from a late-night infomercial.”
Kirsty, The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X. Grant
Thanks to Netgalley, I was able to read The Reluctant Reaper as an advance reader copy. The Reluctant Reaper begins with Kirsty d’Arc diving in front of a reaper’s scythe to protect her boss, Conrad. Kirsty might not have been so quick to protect Conrad if she’d realised that he’d being trying (and failing) to exchange her soul for his own. Lucky for Conrad, Kirsty’s act of heroism gets him off the hook. Kirsty is taken to Hell, which doesn’t exactly fit with the traditional image of Hell. Once there, Kirsty goes about gathering evidence for an appeal against her old boss so that she can return to her comatose body lying in the Hospital. The problem is that Kirsty starts to like Hell and the people who are there, particularly Dante, the reaper who accidentally reaped her instead of Conrad. Will Kirsty stay in Hell? Or, is her drive for revenge to strong?
The world-building in The Reluctant Reaper was well done. I found it interesting that people in hell essentially wait in line for years and years to appeal against the decision to reap their soul. Most appeals fail and the people then have to earn points by working in order to be reincarnated. Although this is not the traditional idea of Hell (i.e., a pit of fire and an afterlife of torture), but waiting in line is really frustrating so I guess it’s a more modern idea of torture.
I also like how time worked differently in Hell. Time might move fast and a month may slip by in what seems like a day, or the days can drag on far longer than usual. Time also works differently for each person, for example, a month passed by in what seemed like a matter of hours for Kirsty, yet, the month went by slowly for Dante.
Finally, the demons were well done in the sense that they were different. One demon, for example, wore a tight sparkly gown, long nails, make-up, and jewels on his horns etc... He was different and I liked the demon for that. There were also people with the gift of Sight (past/present or future). I wanted more demons though, particularly evil demons. Although, Dante tells Kirsty that some demons will rip the flesh off her bones, there's never any real threat that this will happen. I think this may have helped quicken the pace.
I didn't really gel with the main character, Kirsty. It seemed like the author was trying to create a female character who likes shopping and designer clothes, but who will also stand up for herself. I like this idea in principal but this was clumsily done. Kirsty would complain about her lack of designer clothes too often, or wish for a stiletto to stab a demon-type-thing but comment that the stiletto wouldn't go with her “Hell outfit”. In addition to this, Kirsty kept yelling at Dante one minute (or kicking him in the “brimstones” as in the quote above) and then sobbing uncontrollable the next. In theory, a female character that is fairly tough yet vulnerable should have created a more three-dimensional character. However, the switch back and forth happened too frequently and too closely together, meaning it read more like bi-polar disorder instead.
I also disliked how the author threw in so many puns and references to other books. At the back of the book there is a description of the author that says her sense of humour reads throughout the book. I agree that the puns she came up with are clever, but I found them very distracting and annoying. The puns did not endear me to Kirsty and I often groaned at them. I think a couple scattered throughout the book would have been fine, but there were so many that I might not read the next couple of books in the series as a result.
The chemistry in the book was lacking. Although it was painfully clear that Kirsty had a thing for Dante—because she repeatedly talked about how insanely hot he was—it wasn't clear that Dante had a thing for Kirsty until two-thirds of the way through the book. As a result, the tension was lacking. Then, when Dante and Kirsty do get together, it seems like Dante is much more invested than Kirsty. Kirsty is still insistent on returning to her old life even though she didn't really start living until she was reaped, with the aim of reuniting with Dante when she dies naturally. I think this was meant to be romantic because he'd wait for her. I didn't understand why she wanted to go back if she was in love with Dante. It was clear that if she won her appeal, Dante would be in a huge amount of trouble. Plus, she is mostly responsible for her situation as she jumped in front of Dante's scythe (and blamed him!), although she never acknowledges this properly.
The book ends rather suddenly. I didn't realise the book was a series until that point. I was rather angry at the ending because it felt like nothing was really resolved. I'm guessing that the second book will be fairly similar to the first book as a result. There was nothing in the ending of the book that made me want to read more. Something needed to happen that ended the book on a cliff hanger. Although, technically the book does end on a cliff hanger, it's a cliff hanger that indicates the next book will pretty much repeat the first book in the overall plot points. What the book needed was a cliff hanger that indicates the next book will be different and more exciting.
I think that this book probably needed to be combined with the next book in the series. That would have prevented the inevitable similarity between the books and the author could have spent more time developing the chemistry and tension between Kirsty and Dante. That way, I might actually have been invested in their relationship rather than feeling ambivalent. This would also have meant that some of the slower scenes, which didn’t seem to add to the storyline, could have been removed, or maybe they would make sense in the wider context of books 1 and 2 in The Reaper Series.
Final Verdict: The Reluctant Reaper is okay; not awe inspiring brilliance or excruciating torture.
Frances
August 1, 2017
Lots of nothing in this book, and it ends with a "to be continued..." finish that doesn't inspire.
March 19, 2021
DNF I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters. The writing didn’t flow well and the main character seemed shallow and whiny.
December 30, 2020
Definitely recommend this book, maybe the writing isn't amazing and the puns did get a bit much sometimes but it's so imaginative that I really enjoyed it!
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