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Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Lilith Saintcrow (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 239 ratings
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When the Devil needs a rogue demon killed, who does he call?

The Player: Necromance-for-hire Dante Valentine is choosy about her jobs. Hot tempered and with nerves of steel, she can raise the dead like nobody's business. But one rainy Monday morning, everything goes straight to hell.

The Score: The Devil hires Dante to eliminate a rogue demon: Vardimal Santino. In return, he will let her live. It's an offer she can't refuse.

The Catch: How do you kill something that can't die?
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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Dante Valentine
  2. Print length
    417 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Orbit
  6. Publication date
    September 1, 2007
  7. File size
    859 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tough-as-nails necromancer Dante Valentine has a problem: the devil wants her to catch a rogue demon and, for the duration of the task, she must be accompanied by a demon assassin named Japhrimel. If she refuses, she dies; if she accepts, she'll likely die in the process. Dante decides to take her chances with the latter, but her hunt doesn't get into full swing until the book's final third. Instead, she pauses to take a ride on a "slicboard" (a skateboard that glides on air), to wrestle cryptic information from an assortment of nonhuman and magical people and to argue with everyone from Japhrimel to her fellow necromancer friend, Gabe. Though Dante is as prickly as a wet cat and frustratingly adamant about maintaining her loner status, she's a brave, charismatic protagonist with a smart mouth and a suicidal streak. What's not to love? Fans of Laurel K. Hamilton should warm to Saintcrow's dark, evocative debut, though the story's weak relationship thread may disappoint aficionados of the paranormal romance veterans Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Combines dark urban fantasy with a splash of cyberpunk, a pinch of paranormal romance. . -- ---Jacqueline Carey, author of Kushiel s Avatar

"I have to say this book just blew me away. I ate it up! I loved, loved, LOVED the book." -- ---Gena Showalter, author of Awaken Me Darkly

"Working for the Devil works for me! This is one great read." -- ---Susan Sizemore, author of I Burn For You

"Pure fantasy and fun. . . a fantastic escape. I enjoyed it tremendously." -- --- Heather Graham, New York Times Bestselling author

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000UWAEY0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit (September 1, 2007)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 859 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 417 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 239 ratings

About the author

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Lilith Saintcrow

Lilith Saintcrow

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Lilith Saintcrow lives in Vancouver, Washington, with a library for wayward texts.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
239 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Detra Fitch
5.0 out of 5 stars The best yet!
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2006
Verified Purchase
Necromance-for-hire Dante "Danny" Valentine is hot tempered, but has nerves of steel. She is THE best in the area and possibly in the world. Danny's Monday morning starts off worse than anyone could imagine.

Lucifer, the Prince of Hades, sends his most trusted assassin, Japhrimel "Jaf", to collect Danny and escort her to his presence. The Devil hires Danny to eliminate a renegade demon, Vardimal Santino. Against her wishes, Lucifer grants her a familiar, Jaf, and burns the demon mark upon her shoulder. Danny is to kill Santino and Jaf is to take the "Egg" that Santino had stolen back to Lucifer.

Santino is the serial killer who murdered Doreen, one of Danny's rare friends. Danny would hunt the demon down with pleasure, but wants nothing to do with Lucifer or Jaf. Too bad. She does not have a choice. Danny goes to Gabriele "Gabe", a cop and fellow Necromance (another rare friend), for a little help. The good news: Gabe gives the help. The bad news: Gabe and Eddie are going with her on the hunt.

The group heads out for Nuevo Rio, where Santino currently hides. That is when Danny comes across a Shaman, her ex-lover, Jace. The man had walked out of her life years ago with no warning or explanation. Yet he clearly expects Danny to forgive and forget. NOT! Yet Jace's help is vital. But how can they possibly destroy a demon that cannot be killed by any human or demon? And just what is Jaf not telling them?

***** I have not read all the Dante Valentine novels, but of the stories I have, this one is easily the best yet! This story not only clears up a few things from Danny's past, but also sets up the path for the next adventure. Author Lilith Saintcrow manages to connect her readers with the main character, Danny. THAT is hard to do since no one has Danny's dark occupation. The author also makes Danny's character believable by adding in little things, such as a side job in addition to the plot. One thing is for sure, Lilith Saintcrow is one of today's best writers! Highly recommended series. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
24 people found this helpful
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Jenifer G.
4.0 out of 5 stars Dante Valentine
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2020
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This story follows Dante Valentine a necromancer, she has an unexpected guess who tells her the Prince of Darkness a.k.a the Devil wishes to hire her for a job... The story is full of fast pace excitement, a few heart breaks and a couple of funny moments where you'll L.ol. for sure. The only reason why I gave this story four stars is because I love Jill Kismet's story a lot better than Dante's. But overall this is really a good read and the narrator for audible has a pleasant voice.
2 people found this helpful
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readerrocker
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely kickass!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2006
Verified Purchase
I read EVERYTHING in the paranormal genre. Romance. Cops n' robbers. Detective. Past. Present. Future. Erotic. You name it. If it's got anything paranormal about it, i'm game to shell out my money to read it.

So, with that as a disclaimer, when i say this book is ABSOLUTELY KICKASS!!!!! please know that i'm so wildly enthusiastic that i can barely restrain myself from calling everyone i know to implore them to read this book *right now*. (And hoo boy, do i know some world-class readers.)

Danny Valentine is the best heroine to come along since waaaaaaaay back in the beginning when Anita Blake took us all by storm (and before she became a sexpot cartoon character). As a necromance (along with an assortment of less-strong talents), Danny's strong, she's capable and she's incredibly talented. She's sometimes enormously wrong, too, and that just makes her all the more attractive.

She's got a few good, close friends, a mortgage, and some terrible memories that haunt and burn her. But she continues on, keeps going, even if she cries herself to sleep on occasion, just like you and i do when times are hard. In this book, in her life, huge amounts of pain and loss are balanced by moments of joy and tenderness. Iron-hard self-discipline in terms of honor and duty beat the hell out of her own wants and needs on a daily basis. And still she's human. Still she's like me. Still she'll have happiness and contentment in her life sometime, somewhere, because Danny Valentine is one of the good guys, and because 'what goes around comes around' and because she has such a painful past, and because, well, because it's damn well owed to her at some point. I'll be reading until that point arrives, too.

Oh, yes! And the issue of sexuality in general and bisexuality in particular is handled so adeptly and adroitly, in such a casual manner, and is so essential to the plot and to who Danny Valentine *IS*, that i gotta toss in a giant cheer for the way this particular author worked it out.

I started reading this book this morning. It's late afternoon now and i'm done. The next book is at my elbow and dinner's gonna have to be Chinese take-out from the place down the street.
3 people found this helpful
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G. Robinson
3.0 out of 5 stars Very good paranormal adventure
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2007
Verified Purchase
There is one thing that I find quite annoying about this book. Its not the authors fault as the Christian Theologians had messed up the titles and classification of the various critters in hell by the mid 1600s and Milton and the romantics made it worse. Among other things Lucifer means light bearer or more appropriately one who enlightens (in the Eastern sense). Lucifer was a title applied to Christ (maqybe Milton was taking a snide aside at the church).

On with the review.

The author has created an interesting world with some futuristic touches and has done a good job of it. (As a physicist I have trouble swallowing anti gravity [as gravity is a curvature of space/time caused by concentrations of mass] but hey its a fantasy).

The characters are well drawn but only two are really compelling. The plot is pretty linear with a little humor as the villains hide out. With a better plot I would have rated it considerably higher. But its still a real good read.
One person found this helpful
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Eille
4.0 out of 5 stars fun and original
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2010
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I really enjoyed this book, Dante Valentine is a fun and appealing heroine, a mix of wry humor and toughness. The plot--a necromance called in to work for the Devil--is a really unique and interesting idea. That said, the pacing felt a bit off to me, with too many repetative fights and the romance angle could have been developed more. But I really did enjoy it, still a great addition to any urban fantasy/paranormal collection.
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Top reviews from other countries

Cmpsuess
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in Australia on December 11, 2015
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Was ok but didnt really grab me.
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Catrin
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely bloody brilliant!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2006
Verified Purchase
This is an incredible book. let me start by saying that I am already a fan - I have read the three 'Watcher' books and Saintcrow's otehr two books. I was looking forward to this one, and, not only did she not disappoint me, she exceeded my expections dramatically.

This book is awesome. The almost-didn't-see-it-coming love story and the unexpectedly striking ending left me positively gagging for more. And the sequel will be - arrrghh!! - How long??

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!! The best I have read in a while and I read ALOT!!
10 people found this helpful
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catherine
5.0 out of 5 stars A must Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2016
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Wonderful story with plenty of twists and turns. Cant wait to read the second one
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Bean
3.0 out of 5 stars Are we supposed to like Dante Valentine?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2008
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Firstly, I would like to make it clear that I enjoyed "Working for the Devil" enormously. Necromancy AND plasma rifles;what more could you ask for? The pace is relentless and it was basically a 2 sitting book; it would have been 1 but other people sometimes expect me to do stuff. Many aspects of the world Saintcrow has created are genuinely original and she succeeds in evoking a thoroughly threatening atmosphere. Tierce Japhrimel is also the coolest sidekick ever. However, if you are looking for writing of, say, Jim Butcher's standard you will be disappointed. A lot of information about the environment is handed out in ham-fisted info-dumps. Character development is pretty much restricted to Dante, although, given how monumentally self-centred the protaganist is, this might be a deliberate device to illustrate her world-view. The ending is rushed and has something of a deus ex machina quality to it with previous impossible things turning out to be straightforward after all. Finally, the actual words could have done with some aggressive line-editing. Most of the technical faults are really evidence of how little respect the publisher has for the readership of this kind of urban fantasy and could have been easily fixed.

More interesting is Dante Valentine herself. It has been noted by other reviewers that she is an extraordinarily self-pitying whiner and I won't go into this except to agree. What no-one else seems to have commented on is that she appears to be a psychopath. While she endlessly complains about the bad things that happen to her, she never seems to consider the morality of her own actions for a second. The only ethics she seems to recognise are the concept of a contract and the idea of blood-vengeance. She reminds me of "Angel Eyes" in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." I've nothing against anti-heros, I grew up on Elric, but Dante's apparently total lack of self-knowledge is a missed opportunity. Perhaps this will be addressed in later books.
One person found this helpful
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I Heart Books
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
Loved it. Dark, sassy, funny heroine. Fascinating love interest. Lots of action. Great urban fantasy.
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