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kathydavie's review against another edition
2.0
Third in the Dante Valentine urban fantasy series set in an alternate world. Yup, Lucifer has forced Danny back into his employ.
My Take
Well, Lucifer and Japhrimel. Japh did an end-run on Dante, and she now has to serve the Devil for the next seven years as his Right Hand, read "assassin". But Lucifer also has to protect Danny throughout eternity, and Japh gets his full Demon power back even though he’s Fallen. All that they have to do is find four of the Greater Flight demons who have escaped Hell. Oh, well, if that’s all…
Almost as soon as they both agree to the bargain, everything falls apart. Only, Dante then discovers who one of the demons is, and somehow Dante must find a way out of that bargain.
I think I’m still reading this series due to entropy; I’ve fallen in and can’t stop until I reach the end. I like the concept of Dante and there certainly is no shortage of action. If only there were a shortage of Dante’s brain. Christ, whine, whine, whine! And she’s supposed to be one of the best necromancers in the world? I’m terrified that all the others are so much less because I’m surprised she managed to make it to this point at all. No, I take that back. As long as emotion is not involved Danny seems to function/fight just fine. Get emotion involved and she goes all to pieces. Can’t think. Can’t function. Just seems to stand there and do what Danny does best — whine and short circuit her brain into stupid land.
I can understand her being cautious about Japh. He is a demon after all and demons lie. But if she ever sat down and made a list of the positives and negatives, she’d shut up. Actually, if Dante and Japh would sit down and talk, I suspect things would go much better which would probably screw up the storyline, so what do I know. I suspect Saintcrow modeled Valentine after Anita Blake. Another necromancer with relationship issues. Unfortunately, Saintcrow didn’t think it all the way through. Thank god that Anita at least doesn’t whine.
Devil’s Right Hand is the start of a new major action. I want to say it’s a bridge novel, but it starts the sequence I suspect will be continued in Saint City Sinners, 4.
The Cover and Title
The cover is stark and makes me think of Emma Peel and the Avengers with the title as very clean graffitti.
The title reflects Dante's own title as The Devil's Right Hand.
My Take
Well, Lucifer and Japhrimel. Japh did an end-run on Dante, and she now has to serve the Devil for the next seven years as his Right Hand, read "assassin". But Lucifer also has to protect Danny throughout eternity, and Japh gets his full Demon power back even though he’s Fallen. All that they have to do is find four of the Greater Flight demons who have escaped Hell. Oh, well, if that’s all…
Almost as soon as they both agree to the bargain, everything falls apart. Only, Dante then discovers who one of the demons is, and somehow Dante must find a way out of that bargain.
I think I’m still reading this series due to entropy; I’ve fallen in and can’t stop until I reach the end. I like the concept of Dante and there certainly is no shortage of action. If only there were a shortage of Dante’s brain. Christ, whine, whine, whine! And she’s supposed to be one of the best necromancers in the world? I’m terrified that all the others are so much less because I’m surprised she managed to make it to this point at all. No, I take that back. As long as emotion is not involved Danny seems to function/fight just fine. Get emotion involved and she goes all to pieces. Can’t think. Can’t function. Just seems to stand there and do what Danny does best — whine and short circuit her brain into stupid land.
I can understand her being cautious about Japh. He is a demon after all and demons lie. But if she ever sat down and made a list of the positives and negatives, she’d shut up. Actually, if Dante and Japh would sit down and talk, I suspect things would go much better which would probably screw up the storyline, so what do I know. I suspect Saintcrow modeled Valentine after Anita Blake. Another necromancer with relationship issues. Unfortunately, Saintcrow didn’t think it all the way through. Thank god that Anita at least doesn’t whine.
Devil’s Right Hand is the start of a new major action. I want to say it’s a bridge novel, but it starts the sequence I suspect will be continued in Saint City Sinners, 4.
The Cover and Title
The cover is stark and makes me think of Emma Peel and the Avengers with the title as very clean graffitti.
The title reflects Dante's own title as The Devil's Right Hand.
goobdiddy's review against another edition
3.0
Note: I'm picking this series up again after something like 12 years, so it took a while to get back into the story.
I'm still interested in the world of this series, but I found the MC to be really annoying in this entry. Very repetitive inner dialogue, to the point where it seemed like an attempt to pad the length? I'll read the next one, just because I want to see what happens...
I'm still interested in the world of this series, but I found the MC to be really annoying in this entry. Very repetitive inner dialogue, to the point where it seemed like an attempt to pad the length? I'll read the next one, just because I want to see what happens...
sasha_reads_books's review
2.0
While I certainly enjoyed the first two books in the series, this third one made me set it down for a looooong time. If you try and read this book, I hope you like pointless bickering between the main characters, because that's like half the content. Also, the character's powers seemed kind of overpowered, making her virtually unkillable, which doesn't make for a good protagonist, in my opinion.
mamap's review
2.0
R-rated for language.
Don't like that she keeps getting screwed. And everyone keeps lying.
Don't like that she keeps getting screwed. And everyone keeps lying.
claire_loves_books's review
3.0
I enjoyed this, Danny is still a great character but I am wish I knew a bit more about the world, I'm still confused about what the hegemony actually is! I didn't really mind in the previous two books as much because they were mostly set within one or two cities but with all the travelling in this one it just got confusing.
danidoll91's review
2.0
ok, I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. I loved Dante and her character was well written and so was japh's. unfortunately this book for me was a major backslide. The plot had potential but never actually went anywhere nor did it conclude at the end of the book. It almost read like a prequel novella that was stretched into a full length novel. I really didn't like that. Furthermore, Dante was seriously annoying in this book. She went from kick a## to a serious cry baby in about sixty seconds. She was constantly second guessing and cowing down to Japh, who also unfortunately had a character change to serious jerk. I sincerely hope the next book gets back on track.
siavahda's review
Oh dear.
I flew through the first two books in this series, and enjoyed them, although certain aspects - especially the framing and treatment of the 'transvestite' sexwitch in book two - have definitely not aged well. The casual aside in this book that Jews are basically extinct was incredibly unnecessary - especially since it's already well-established that the 'Religions of Submission' are no more - and wince-inducing. Can't say I like how that was handled at all.
But the romance (which, this is really the first time we're seeing it, since for various reasons the couple haven't had much time together until this book) is unambiguously toxic. And I'm confused, because Dante seemed appropriately aware of and upset about this, but then...it's all okay?
Uh.
I'll probably read at least the next book, because I love the world Saintcrow's created here, but it's definitely dropped low on my priority list.
Also, while the previous two books had clear arcs of their own, Devil's Right Hand feels very much like a Part One - just a set-up for what's coming next. Not quite filler, but it didn't really feel like a complete book on its own.
I flew through the first two books in this series, and enjoyed them, although certain aspects - especially the framing and treatment of the 'transvestite' sexwitch in book two - have definitely not aged well. The casual aside in this book that Jews are basically extinct was incredibly unnecessary - especially since it's already well-established that the 'Religions of Submission' are no more - and wince-inducing. Can't say I like how that was handled at all.
But the romance (which, this is really the first time we're seeing it, since for various reasons the couple haven't had much time together until this book) is unambiguously toxic.
Spoiler
He physically assaulted her. And you could argue a lot of the grabbing and pulling her around against her will is assault as well.Uh.
I'll probably read at least the next book, because I love the world Saintcrow's created here, but it's definitely dropped low on my priority list.
Also, while the previous two books had clear arcs of their own, Devil's Right Hand feels very much like a Part One - just a set-up for what's coming next. Not quite filler, but it didn't really feel like a complete book on its own.
lumberjill314's review
2.0
The main character is always pining after the man that is missing for the moment, and the entire book is her just repeating herself about doubting the guy that happens to be with her for the moment. Also the abusive relationship with Japh. Not a favorite.
maurganne's review
2.0
This book is:
15% "crunching pain" in her left shoulder
10% "unasked-for demon beauty"
45% self loathing but in an "I'm so special" way
20% "I can't love the man who actually treats me well, I have to love the man with anger issues who treats me like a naughty poodle, because reasons"
10% aborted goosebumps (golden demon skin apparently doesn't goosebump, but that doesn't stop it from trying or her from describing it every time it does)
I can't believe I read three of these before I finally walked away from the series.
15% "crunching pain" in her left shoulder
10% "unasked-for demon beauty"
45% self loathing but in an "I'm so special" way
20% "I can't love the man who actually treats me well, I have to love the man with anger issues who treats me like a naughty poodle, because reasons"
10% aborted goosebumps (golden demon skin apparently doesn't goosebump, but that doesn't stop it from trying or her from describing it every time it does)
I can't believe I read three of these before I finally walked away from the series.