This one is a spooky TBR must!
Selene is a resurrectionist and made a business of bringing dead people back to life. Set in modern-day America where witches, vampires, necromancers, and resurrectionists have only been “accepted” for about thirty years, the story tackles some interesting debates about morals concerning those practices. Until Selene gets involved in a murder investigation and has to stop a ritual that otherwise would end their world as they know it.

The book follows a wide set of characters, keeping me engaged and creating a fast-paced story. I thought the romance subplot was wholesome! It made the characters feel so human, even though they’re technically not.

It was scary on multiple occasions. The entire time i was reading, I felt a sense of doom looming, creating a really good atmosphere when reading during fall! Not many big plot twists, but the story did not need those. It captured my attention from beginning to end and, even though I saw where the story was going, it still gave me anxiety as to whether or not they would succeed. I am so beyond excited to read the sequel, cuz it promises to be a hell of a ride!

Fascinating premise, mediocre execution. Selene Shade, Resurrectionist for Hire takes place in a world where death doesn't have to mean the end. Selene Shade is one of these necromancers, capable of pulling people back into their bodies to be half-lives, essentially zombies. She's prickly, not good with the living, but the best at her job around. So when a detective comes to her with a series of murders that he thinks she can solve by bringing back the victims, she reluctantly agrees.
My biggest issue is that the writing felt pretty clunky to me. It wasn't great to read, and that hurt the plot. Even as interesting as it seemed, it felt like too much of a chore to read.

This book is so so good omg!!! I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic and the story is so so good.

This book was such a fun ride. I love magic and witchcraft and supernatural, so they had me hooked from the start. It is very much a hybrid novel of dystopian, fantasy, and detective thriller, and I was all for the mash up.

Selene Shade is an introvert by nature she doesn’t like socialising and can often come across as grumpy and in a bad mood. But nonetheless, the more you find out about her, the more you grow to love her.

Then you have Detective Marlow, the handsome Detective placed in charge of this case who has a few secrets of his own, starting with the fact he isn’t human (I will let you find out his true identity in the book) but his hard work and determination to take down the killer shines through and soon enough Selene and Marlow make a wonderful crime fighting duo, working to stop this brutal killer from attacking again.

If you have read my previous reviews, you will know I love multiple POVs, and this book used this tool throughout. However, I did feel that switching POVs in the middle of the chapter was sometimes off-putting and confusing. I personally prefer having the change of POV take place in a new chapter, which could have been done here as the chapters were very long.

But, this didn’t detract from the fact it was a really fun rollercoaster of a ride. The best news is that this ride is not over as this is only the start of the fantasy series.

Some of my favourite scenes were those between Selene and Marlow as the duo are working towards the same outcome.

This book has so much that I could write an essay but I will say is that it has so many different elements and facets to the story that you are bound to find one or two you particularly enjoy, especially if you are a fantasy fan.

From witchcraft to dark magic, from crime thriller to romance and even elements of horror, this book has it all, and I never found myself getting bored as the pacing was perfect and it was a thrilling adventure.

At times, it reminded me of the likes of Ben Aaronovitch as you have that hybrid of magic and detectives, and then they underlying current of supernatural, which made it all the more intriguing and engaging.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 – a whirlwind of a ride from start to finish, highly recommended. Especially for fans of fantasy, and magic in the real world style stories.

Seleme Shade is a fascinating character as is the world that Dalpe built. I enjoyed the premise and the main character’s development, but the pacing and structure was a bit off at times.

Tis is such a thrilling ride filled with dark humor and intriguing supernatural elements. I loved Selene as a protagonist - her sharp wit and cleverness made her incredibly relatable and entertaining. The worldbuilding is immersive, blending the ordinary with the fantastical in a way that keeps you hooked.
However, there were moments where the plot felt a bit predictable, and I wished for more twists to keep the suspense alive.
Despite that, the unique premise and engaging writing style made for a fun read that I found hard to put down!

Selene Shade is a fascinating character and she perfectly lends herself to a book series.

The time period is a near future when people with magical abilities and the dark arts are newly prominent and accepted in society. Witches, vampires, elementals, necromancers and resurrectionists ply their trades and work for the government.

But there is a serial killer on the loose in the city of Goat Hill. And it is obvious to those in the magical community that there is something dark and dangerous happening.

Part murder mystery, part romantasy, with real horror scenes of terror and gore, this read was FUN. Selene and Marlowe are not typical MCs in a love story because no one really finds them attractive besides each other, which is a wonderful departure from typical romantasy tropes. They speak to each other in refreshingly mature ways.

And I just love Selene and all her seriousness, her thoughtfulness, her flaws and her strengths. She is an MC I look forward to meeting again. I solidly entertaining novel.

DNF at 60%

Content Warnings: Gore, Corpses, Undead, Stalking, Serial Killing

There were several things I liked about this book. It's a well-built world and an intriguing one. The place of resurrectionists vs. necromancer vs. undead vs. witches was great, and there was a lot of clear social commentary built in. I liked the characters overall as well, particularly Germaine and Selene. I also was invested in the murder mystery, though not enough to read on to the end. See below or more information on that.

The structure ruined this book for me and prevented me from pushing myself to finish it. Characters and subplots are introduced and then dropped off for a long time to the point that you wonder why they are there... only to come back for a brief moment and then disappear again. Some sections are presented in third-person limited view, and then in first-person narration from Selene Shade, which wouldn't be hard to follow or anything if not for the above mentioned characters and subplots periodically disappearing and reappearing. It made everything feel slow and disorganized and killed any momentum.

I do think this book will appeal to others, despite my issues with it. If it sounds like your vibe, I think it's worth picking up.

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this! It's a dark fantasy with a world that felt unique to me or at least very different from the fantasy I've been reading and I appreciated that. I liked the worldbuilding, I liked the characters, and the conflict at the core of it was compelling.

It delivers on the description; it's a story full of magic, murder, and there's a bit of romance. However, I found the romance to be the least engaging thing about this. Sure, it was nice, but I wasn't kicking my feet or anything.

What kept me interested was the world and the conflict, which are very solid. I think the structure could've been a bit better, though. Once something is revealed, things kind of lost steam or tension for me as the reader and the climax felt a bit rushed and underwhelming. However, considering this is the start of a series, I think that can be forgiven, especially because the world is so interesting.

Overall, it's a good dark fantasy story and a solid start to the series, I will definitely keep my eye on it!

*Was given an ARC by netgalley*

Okay, so I LOVED this book. I thought it was such a refreshing take on the "zombie" horror trope. It felt rich and while the world building wasn't intense, I felt like I understood the magic system really well.

I loved how you were made to feel for Selene, her being the outcast and lonely. I loved her relationship with Marlowe.

My only caveat was that once a certain aspect of the mystery had been revealed, the rest kind of felt predictable. That being said, I was not disappointed with that and there were parts that kept me guessing along the way.

I will be recommending this book to my library for purchase as well as to my friends and colleagues to read once it's published. I think it's a great way to enjoy a horror/urban fantasy without a ton of gore or unnecessary violence.