Devil's Due: A Dark Crossroads Urban Fantasy

Luther Cross #1

by Percival Constantine

Half-human. Half-demon. All attitude. Luther Cross here. Dangerously handsome, effortlessly stylish half-demon, at your service. As I have inherited certain...abilities with my odd genetics, I’ve put them to use as Chicago’s foremost paranormal investigator. My current case? Well, I have to admit, it feels a little personal. I’m helping a mysterious girl who’s turned up on my doorstep, pregnant through mystic means. I can’t help but think of my own mother…and if I don’t help her, she’ll face the same fate. Turns out, someone is trying to create an army of half-demons. While it might be a pleasant change to hang out with my own kind, I know most half-demons don’t have my sense of morality. If I don’t stop this evil plan, the armistice between Heaven and Hell will be broken and all of the Earth will pay… It will be the beginning of the end.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Magic

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2017

About the author

Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Percival Constantine grew up on a fairly consistent diet of superhero comics, action movies, video games, and TV shows. At the age of ten, he first began writing and has never really stopped.

Percival has been working in publishing since 2005 in various capacities--author, editor, formatter, letterer--and has written books, short stories, comics, and more. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Mass Media from Northeastern Illinois University and a Master of Arts in English and Screenwriting from Southern New Hampshire University.

Currently, Percival lives in southern Japan where he continues to work on new projects and also teaches literature, writing, and film.

You can find him online at PercivalConstantine.com and connect with him on Twitter (@perconstantine) and Facebook (Facebook.com/PercivalConstantine).

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Daaayuuum!! That was devilishly exciting. Saving up my pennies to read more in the series. 😈 😇 😊

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/23/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
Half-human. Half-demon. All attitude.
Luther Cross here. Dangerously handsome, effortlessly stylish half-demon, at your service. As I have inherited certain...abilities with my odd genetics, I’ve put them to use as Chicago’s foremost paranormal investigator.

My current case? Well, I have to admit, it feels a little personal. I’m helping a mysterious girl who’s turned up on my doorstep, pregnant through mystic means. I can’t help but think of my own mother…and if I don’t help her, she’ll face the same fate.

Turns out, someone is trying to create an army of half-demons. While it might be a pleasant change to hang out with my own kind, I know most half-demons don’t have my sense of morality. If I don’t stop this evil plan, the armistice between Heaven and Hell will be broken and all of the Earth will pay… It will be the beginning of the end.

[Anne Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I've read from this author......

and definitely won't be the last . Very well written ,good plot and storyline. Really enjoyed this had a bit of everything magic mayhem intrigue and suspense. Looking forward to the next book would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes KF Breene or Tricia Owens take a chance you won't be sorry.

[It's Me - Yvette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read (well, listened to) from this author. I liked that the main character, a demon (well, he’s half demon, half human), is black (yay!). Didn’t quite know what to expect, but I kinda liked it; liked it enough to want to listen to the next book. Looking forward to it. Now I just have to get it!

[Steve Isenhower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start

A good start to an interesting series. I really like Luther and Celeste. I just hope this storyline isn't a series constant and is resolved in the next book.

[D.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this

[Cryogenic Fire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing beginning

This was a recommendation in another author's newsletter and I thought I'd give it a shot. Rather glad that I did. Great storyline, well paced, interesting lead character, equally interesting support cast (I rather like Azrael myself), all in all a darn good read.

Recommended.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 round up because potential.

This was a fairly stock standard Dresden-esk UF. Paranormal investigator who happens to be a wiz... sorry, cambion. That's half human, half demon. He does magic, rescues damsels in distress, has issues with authority and he has a kickarse woman at his side. And everything is a drama. In Chicago. Also, there was significant 'borrowing' from Supernatural. The angel banishing charm/sigil and the shadow of wings behind an angel. These things are too uniquely Supernatural to be used willy-nilly.

What really bought my appreciation level down was the plot to word ratio. There were far too many words for the amount of story. Too much needless detail. Stuff every reader can just fill in for themselves without having to be told every little motion. For example...

Dakota slid her legs off the mattress and placed her feet on the floor, slowly standing.

Unless there's something significant about the character being able to move her legs (which in this case, there isn't), then this isn't needed. A simple, "Dokota slowly stood", gets the job done just as well. This sort of waffling is on every page and slows the read down. A book of this length should take me two days to get through, not nearly a week.

What did set this a little bit apart was the mix of first and third person. This is a technique I have absolutely no problems with and rather enjoyed its use here.

I do think there is potential here, though. A good edit and bit more attention to originality and this could have been a lot of fun.

[Raymond Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never used to like Urban Fantasy. I always felt it was out of place and forced. Harry Dresden sort of reinforced that belief, I mean a giant spell slinger zipping around Chicago blowing things up? That sort of thing just seemed implausible. But, I slowly gave it a try, and over time the genre grew on me. I really found some interesting series that I grew to love. Now, I seek out Urban Fantasy whenever I can.

I had read Constantine's superhero book Vanguard, and saw that he had an Urban Fantasy series, and I just had to try it out. My go to books are Yancy Lazarus, Sandman Slim, Colin McCool, Prof. Croftt, etc and I have to say that Luthor Cross fits right in with them. Now, I am going to say this, when I looked over the kindle reviews I saw a lot of crap about Luthor being black. One guy complained that he was stereotypical with drug addict relatives, and another complained about how Luthor's race was made irrelevant in the story. Pointing out that basically all Constantine did was make a black character, and then didn't do anything relating to his race after that. I'm going to say that that is utter crap. No one in the Dresden Files comments of Harry's ethnicity, and Sandman Slim only references his angelic side when it comes to race being important. The fact is his race really isn't important, unless you make it important. The only thing that really matters is that he is half demon. You want to talk about that? Please do, but don't complain there aren't enough minority characters when someone actively makes an attempt to create one.

Now, as for the cover, I like it. You see Luthor, you see the magic, and you instantly read it as Urban Fantasy. The golden hues catch your eye, and the glow around his hand is not your typical spell casting effect that you generally see in UF. So, good job. You don't hide who the character is, and you let us know what he can do. Awesome.

As for the story, I have to say that the writing is on point, and the kidnapping is a perfect starting point for us to meet Luthor, although I understand that there are some short stories out there that are in desperate need of being collected. This is where the noir feeling comes into it all. You definately get a Sam Spade type vibe, even a Phillip Marlowe one. Luthor uses his head, in spite of his demonic heritage. I swear, I kept seeing Idris Alba as Luthor in Luthor. My only complaint is the repeated description of Lou's nicotine addiction. I really did get worn out listening to him prep up to smoke. I get that he is partially demonic, and that it plays into the character, but if Percival would just look at the comic book version of John Constantine he'd see a chain smoker, but also note that the act of flaring up is a minor thing. I get the cool cigarette case, and the need to impress that he is a hardened fellow who needs a drag to get by, but it was a little overboard. That is the one negative I could find.

There are a lot of threads that are woven together in this book. Heaven, Hell, other creepy creatures, four girls who need protecting, and Luthor caught in between them all. The book is exciting and dreadful all at once. You get dark moments of danger, and the thrill of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Constantine is an excellent writer, and he knows just which buttons to push to make you want more. You will not want to turn the audio off. When it ends you will want to go straight into the next one without waiting. That is a rare thing, and in Urban Fantasy it is hard to find.

JD Jackson has a deep melodious tone that just resonates in your ears. He really knows how to build up tension. Just listening to Luthor walk down a hallway is intriguing. He adds a lot of class and gravitas to the story. I enjoyed hearing his monsters and maidens, but Luthor was his best. I really can't wait to hear more from him in the future.

This is the first book in a series, and I for one, hope it is a long one. This stands right beside Dresden and Sandman Slim. Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. In fact, getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.

If this review helped, please press the YES below. Thank you immensely!!!

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I read from this author. In one of the descriptions of the book, it was mentioned the author sought inspiration from the TV show Supernatural when writing this series, which pushed me over the edge to reading it. It definitely helped that my Kindle Unlimited subscription allows me to read it free.

This was an incredibly engaging read. The main character, Luther Cross, has a nice mixture of friendliness and attitude. He's a cambion (half demon, half human), which is a recipe for disaster. Nearly all cambion's are killed as a part of an armistice between Heaven and Hell. That said, Luther Cross has some friends in high (or low, not sure) places to get him out of being on the auto-kill list.

While reading, I felt the Supernatural TV show inspiration. Despite the description of how Cross looks, I still pictured Dean Winchester a good chunk of the time. He definitely had Dean's attitude! He also had a few of Sam Winchester's personality traits, too, such the softie side hiding below the surface.

I'm not suggesting he took too much reference/inspiration that the show seemed like a knock off of Supernatural. It definitely didn't feel like Sam or Dean got plunked into the story. There were enough vast differences between Sam/Dean and Luther Cross in looks and personality that Cross stood out uniquely from the Winchesters.

I've already downloaded the second book to my Kindle, if that gives any indication on whether I liked it or not!

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Reads Book #666

Looking at my Good Reads metrics, I saw that I was coming up on a special number of books read, 666 to be precise. This number is not exact, as I'm sure I read past the count a while back, but it's still an achievement since starting to track my reading tastes on the site.

My first would have been Good Omens, but that was already on the read list, so I went hunting for something similar. After a few false starts, this book made it's way to the top of the list, and while it wasn't my first choice, it definitely did not disappoint.

If you want a summary of this book, there are plenty of good ones already posted which convinced me to try the character/author out. The books pacing if quick, too quick on occasions as details are omitted for brevity sake, but these detours do not detract from the overall story. The whole time I was reading this book, I could not help but to make parallel connections between Luther's universe and a certain Chicagoan wizard also in a wintery trench coat, with a hint of a certain British arcane detective.

The story telling is fairly cut and dry, characters introduced have a purpose, and dialogues between them feels natural. All good signs of a decent story teller. Curious to see how this Constantine developed Luther's universe. If you understood some of my references in this review, then you will like this book. I have no issues recommending this to like minded individuals.

[Jeanne Goodrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cambion with a conscious

This would have been a tight, very well written read, but unfortunately, big chunks of the novel were missing. Just as I had settled in to enjoy Luther's developing character, the unfolding plot, the interchange between all the players, I encountered blank, white space that represented about six pages of the novel. This happened again, as Luther, searching an abandoned barn for clues, encountered some trouble, and so did I. Again, blank white screen. Whole scenes were skipped, making me grumpy, as this was a book I was enjoying and I was losing important information about the plot and characters. I gave it four stars, the formatting issues were too big to overlook. But I enjoyed what I could read so much, I will search out more work by Percival Constantine, especially any Luther Cross stories, just to see where this Cambion with a conscious ends up.

[Melanie Denyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kick-ass fantasy for a great series debut

I'm a sucker for a good fantasy novel. Some people take holidays in hot places, I pick up a book and let my mind take me somewhere, with the help of the author.

While some of the books feel a let down, like your view of the bay being obscured by a concrete wall in front of your hotel window, in the best you can see sparkling blue sea, hear the gulls cry and lose yourself following wisps of palest white cloud across the sky. That's what this book is like.

Of course, the hero is a wise-ass, of course he has a beautiful, other-worldly girlfriend. And of course the cast is full of familiar types. But the author has a clear grip on his universe and I've enjoyed every minute of him playing with it as I followed Luther's adventures.

Really looking forward to reading the second in the series for my next fix of Luther Cross's world. It's a good one, and I'd invite you to join me there.

[Book Bae Tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luther Cross is a cambion—a human-demon hybrid—granted special permission to walk the earth. Saying that half-breeds are dangerous would be a gross understatement. As part of an armitice between angels and demons both sides decided to end them all and create no more. But having friends in high (or low) places spared Luther that fate. What makes him so special? His morality... and his charm. Being the only one of his kind, Luther uses his unique abilities and devilish allure as Chicago’s premier paranormal investigator handling matters that extend beyond human reach and comprehension. When a missing girl turns up on his doorstep pregnant by mystical means Luther has no choice but to take the case. It seems someone is trying to create more half-breeds thereby disrupting the delicate truce between Heaven and Hell. Only Luther can find—and stop—them before the war of the ages rages once more.

[Marla Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone has broken the treaty between heaven and hell. They're creating half-human hybrids and its up to Luther Cross, a half-demon hybrid himself, to find the culprit and save the young girls being victimized. This reads like an old-fashioned noir detective novel told mostly from the cynical view of the main character. Although there is plenty of action to keep you reading on, the book could have benefitted by cutting the overlong detailed descriptions of Luther getting in and out of cars and driving. I kept wanting to get out my red pen to slash those paragraphs away. Instead I skimmed past to get to what mattered. Other than that, I thought it was well-written and moved at a good pace. Don't expect a solution at the end or any sense of closure. This is just the opening installment to introduce the characters and set up what is at stake if Luther ultimately fails - Armageddon.

[Janet Denise Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT YOU DECIDE TO BE/DO IS WHAT/WHO U R!

Book 1 gets 5 STARS for being a terrific well written paranormal mystery experience with the main character a half demon-half human, Luther and the Out of this World Case's he investigates, an interesting and refreshing read. So, if you love the unusual this intriguing tale sprinkled with romance and magic, yet it's main course is full of half demons, demons and angels fighting each other or other unusual beings. Finally, almost when you solved this mystery also including magical spells, witches, and vampires there is a plot twist you get hit by, oh my! Get it and read it!
WARNING: 17 &Up. SEXUAL CONTENT: Yes
VIOLENCE: Yes CUSSING: Yes

[Hunter Lambright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic work

I have been a fan of Luther Cross since I first ran into the character in his single stories. This is the first time I've read him in a longer novel and I was not disappointed. This book was willing to go full on into the accords of peace between heaven and hell, and it works to the benefit of the book. I'm glad it looks like there will be plenty more mythology to plunder in the series ahead! This will inevitably draw comparisons to other urban fantasy, but none of the heroes that I've read so far can compare to the slick, cool, collected nature of Luther Cross. I look forward to the next book!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a nice and easy read, it was fairly original but not earth shatteringly so. I will be happy to continue to continue with the rest of this series at a later date.

The main character is Luther Cross a half human, half demon who investigates paranormal problems. In this book an unexplained pregnancy in a woman who turns up at his door. It advances way betyond his normal cases and ends up in a uncovering a whole new problem.

The storyline was good but apart from the main character being a male and not female it doesn't differ too much from other books in this genre. The Pacing is good if a little slow towards the middle.

3 stars, an OK read

[alan l jarbeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank God they kept after you to see this book become a reality.

I love this type of fiction. Especially the subject matter it deals with. Having already become a fan of Richard kadrey. This novel deals with the same type of subject matter. I love the occult,supernatural based novels I have experienced recently as being new to the whole e-book concept and am truly thrilled with the prospect of having so many authors of this type turning out so many excellent novels to choose from. I wish Percival continued success with his books and anticipate there will be many, many more. Best wishes and continued success!

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is hard to review. I liked the storyline. But the writing is...amateur for lack of a better word. It’s really wordy and overly descriptive about inconsequential things, like docking and undocking a cell phone or which characters carried plates to the table and placed them in each specific spot. Which really slows the story down. Also it’s told from 3 different POVs but they all are written the same way. There’s no distinctive voice to the characters. And I’m not sure I really got to know any of them, even the MC.

I’m not saying I’ll never read the next one but I’m definitely in no rush.

[June Swinford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun book. Don't misunderstand when I say that it reminded me of The Dresden afiles. It is NOT like the Dresden Files, the characters are different, the tone is different, the magic is different. What reminded me of Dresden is how it made me feel when I was reading it. It's the feeling you get when you've boarded a roller coaster, it's finally lurched into motion and it's coming to that first rise. It's that feeling of "Holy crap, here we go!"

This book made me feel that same exhilarating dread/joy, and let me tell you, boys and girls, it delivered! An excellent ride, and I can't wait to dig into the next installment!

[Janese Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Characters, Great Start to a Series

I very much enjoyed this book, it was a good story that drew me in, with a cast of diverse characters who straddle the line between good and evil in a way that kept me interested. The protagonist in particular is one I can't wait to learn more about. I think that the ongoing mystery is enough to make readers want the next book without being over the top or obvious. I would recommend this book to all Urban Fantasy fans.

[Derrick Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller!

I have to admit, reading about a man of color half demon half human was intriguing. The author created a solid character that could possibly rival Dresden in the depth and breadth of his creation. Hopefully the series continues to further develop the world around Cross and add further to the lore, backstory and expand the simple capitalist view of that Cross has.

Not a bad start!

[Theresa Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther Cross

What a man! This story kept me reading until my eyes crossed, but I finished it & look forward to more. Good story line. Half human - half demon. Good guy! Need I say more. If your into the supernatural this is for you. Well written. Good plot, more to come. Thank you, I enjoyed this read much more than I anticipated. That's a big plus for me as it's hard to find well written plots & characters so fleshed out you can see them as you read.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I passed this book by at first (OK, I admit I'm sexist when it comes to reading. With few exceptions, I prefer female writers). But for some reason, I went back and downloaded it. I am so glad I did. This book is a total thrill ride. You can't put it down once you start. You HAVE to see what will happen next...and there is always something !! Get it for yourself...you won't be disappointed.

[C.E. Stokes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story was interesting and fast paced, it didn’t really stand about from the many, many other Urban Fantasy’s out there. Luther was okay, snarky-like every other U.F. Lead. Would I read the others? Possibly, if they go on sale. I wasn’t invested in the story enough to drop $4 for the next book.


I also didn’t care for the cliff-hanger type ending. Personally, those drive me nuts.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

One freaky baby.

Angels, demons, a vampire, a witch and a psychic. Not forgetting the half demon main character. Luther is over confident, cocky and out on a mission. Tangling with both sides he needs to help a pregnant woman carrying something that could change everything. The pregnancy itself I found a little creepy. Favourite character was Azrael. Good start into what looks like a good vs evil war.

[Michael Hoyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Well written. The author obviously has a grasp of the mechanics of the choir in order to spin off this universe. Luther's universe is populated with supporting characters that beg for expansion, as does Luther. I look forward to getting to know the protagonist in the upcoming book((s)?).

[Rachel Clayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it!

This book made me miss the Constantine TV series NBC canceled. I am really excited to delve into this world and cannot wait for more! I gave this book 4 stars because I just wanted more in every aspect (character backstory, lore, etc)I cannot wait to find out who is behind everything!

[William Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent beginning

Very low number of characters keep this a very tight story. Almost too tight, as it seems more of a novella than novel in substance. It also lacked a bit in the motivation category. The MC stated his motivation but left out a lot of details that would have supported his character.

I will try the next book. Worth a second effort.