January 1, 2017
Baronet Tris Vishal travels across the land, using his power over disturbed spirits to send them to rest. Working alone has never been an issue; the closer people are around him, the more death he has to deal with. Then he meets a young Mondyalitko woman named Mari Kaleja who saves his life. Mari has been on her own for many years, searching for "the Dead's Man," the one responsible for the death of her family. Now she travels with Tris to confirm her suspicion, seeking her revenge. However, the danger they find comes not from the spirits but from those still occupying the living world. VERDICT Set in the same universe as the "Noble Dead" saga, this dark fantasy features fresh protagonists whose struggle with their pasts only highlight the bleak landscape of their present.--KC
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 1, 2016
In the first book in a new series, the Hendees expand on the intriguing fantasy world of their Noble Dead Saga as hunters Tris and Mari join their separate quests for peace and vengeance. Tris leads an oddly sheltered life, hunting unsettled spirits while interacting with vast discomfort with the normal people who hire him to settle their ghostly difficulties. Mari, while fluent in various languages and social norms, is constantly on edge from her years of thievery while hunting the creature responsible for her family's deaths. In a world where most people fear the night, Mari and Tris are comfortable in it due to their unique gifts. Despite their reservations, these protagonists work surprisingly well together yet leave much to discover about themselves and each other in subsequent books. Readers who wonder what else there is to fear in the nightThe Dead Seekers introduces only ghosts and shape-shifterswould do well to read the preceding series, starting with Dhampir (2003).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)