Poor Jeremiah Hunt. When we met him in Eyes to See, he'd lost his daughter, his sight, and by the end was on the run and wanted by the FBI as a serial killer. How can things get worse? Never fear, Joseph Nassise has more trouble in store for our intrepid urban fantasy hero.
The first book in the Jeremiah Hunt Chronicles was an engrossing, fast read. King of the Dead follows up with a solid uppercut to keep the excitement going.
When Hunt's friend Denise starts getting horrific visions of New Orleans burning, she knows she must go even though it terrifies her. But when she, Hunt, and their berserker friend Dmitri arrive in the bayou, things are wrong and getting worse by the moment. A mysterious illness is striking those gifted with magic in the city. Will our trio of heroes be next?
Nassise's world is full of myth, mysticism, and mystery, but is darker in some ways than Jim Butcher's world for The Dresden Files or Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series. In Hunt's world, the dead sometimes have more sway over the living than we'd like to admit and those skilled in the mystic arts don't have all the answers. But like those other successful series, Nassise has imbued his world with an internal consistency he's revealing a little at a time.
Though I loved the second book, I felt that Detective Stanton in Eyes to See as a bit of an antagonist was more likeable and less predictable than FBI agent Robertson in King of the Dead. I kept hoping there would be some quality to set him apart from the stereotypical bulldog agent character, but it never achieved critical mass for me.
Even so, I am excited to see what else is in store for Jeremiah Hunt and the gang. I have to wonder what will be behind curtain number three...
For more about Joseph Nassise and his books, check out his homepage at JosephNassise.com. (And check here for my review of Eyes to See.)
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