Hyacinth always assumed dying would simplify her life. But when her new boss, Archangel Michael, sends her on her first official mission–to retrieve a powerful rock from a collector in Germany–things go downhill fast. For one thing, the Dead keep popping up, expecting her to guide them to the Afterlife. For another, her part-demon nephew Geordi’s powers are starting to leak out, at age seven. … seven. What if Michael finds out about him? Worse, what if Satan does?Then there’s her love life-after-death. Rooming with a dead French cop no one else can see is complicated enough. But when Jason, Geordi’s lying Dioguardi Demon cousin, resurrects himself–so to speak–all Hell breaks loose. Literally. Can Hyacinth get Michael’s rock back before Satan steals its powers and breaks free of his prison? Or will her single-minded pursuit put those she loves–and the rest of the world–in the path of Satan’s fury?
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I am not sure how this author is not more popular. Her writing and stories easily rank right up there with New York Times Bestselling authors I read. Confounding. If y’all aren’t reading this series, you are missing out! This is one of those books that I couldn’t wait to read and was put out whenever Adulting made me put it down. My ONLY complaint is now I have to wait for Book 3 to continue the story, and I don’t know how long that wait might be.
**for the record, I was given an early copy of this book for reviewing purposes. But my review is 100% my own. Additionally, I am neither friend nor family of the author.
She thought dying would make her life simpler but no she has a much more complicated life. She is sent on a mission to find a rock before Satan can get it. She gain a cop only she can see. She also has to protect her half demon nephew. How did her death become so complicated? Can she get the rock before satan? Follow her adventures
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hyacinth Finch wants nothing more than to be left alone, especially when it comes to the Dead, but her boss, Archangel Michael, has other ideas. He needs her help to not only retrieve one of his rocks from a collector in Germany, but he tasks her to be an afterlife sorter. The only problem: Hyacinth has trouble telling who’s alive and who’s dead. Good thing she has her dead French cop friend/lover Eric to help her.
Things go from bad to mega bad when she, her nephew Geordi and Eric meet with the German collector and his overly friendly wife, Rachel. It’s a scene out of a Grimm fairy tale where nothing is as it appears. Strange occurrences take place and the more Hyacinth unravels, the deeper she risks the life of her nephew, Geordi, and even her own undead existence. On top of everything else, Jason, Geordi’s uncle, is back and so is the love triangle. Can Hyacinth get Michael’s rock back in time to avert an apocalypse the world has never seen? More importantly, can she figure out this crazy love triangle she finds herself in?
I’ve been waiting a year for this sequel to the RITA Finalist, Debriefing the Dead, and oh boy, it was worth it. From the first page, I was riveted to the story. Hyacinth gets to experience the darker part of being dead and working for Michael. There’s a definite darker feel to this book and I loved it. Mythology, demon worshipping, demon prejudice and romance all play a part in Waking the Dead. There’s a certain sub-plot that not only rang true historically but scared the crap out of me. I had to continue telling myself it was only a story, not real. Because if it was, damn, I’m heading for the hills.
The romantic elements were the classic trope of a love triangle but with a twist. One’s a demon and the other’s a ghost. While it helps the heroine is dead, I honestly don’t know which one I’m rooting for her to choose. Both have redeeming qualities and both tie Hyacinth to the present but which man is better for her will have to be up to the author, Kerry Blaisdell.
Note: there is a cliff-hanger but I get why the author had to do it. I told her to write faster. Lol!
An intensely dark paranormal romance/urban fantasy which I highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Waking the Dead by Kerry Blaisdell is the second book in The Dead Series. This book continues where book one left off but a stand alone novel. This book is full of interesting characters who include a dead aunt Hyacinth with a demon nephew Geordi, her demon ex-boy friend Jason, a ghost Eric, and angel Michael. The main character Hyacinth is trying to do the job she agreed to do which is to find and collect special shards of rock for Michael before hells denizens can collect these same shards. The only problem is that Michael gave her a side job to do and that “job” keeps interfering with her ability to do anything except look just slightly crazy to the normal living people around her. This book is seriously like a fun house full of adventures, you never know what might happen when you read the next page. I loved the way this book never followed a discernable pattern. Random strange things kept happening to the characters which made me laugh and kept me hooked reading until the very last page. This book is the perfect book for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with paranormal characters and a little romance on the side. Waking the Dead is a non-stop paranormal adventure.
This is book 2 in the Dead series by Kerry Blaisdell and picks up where book 1, Debriefing the Dead, ended. Hyacinth is still working for Michael in sorting dead souls and finding the missing shards of Michael’s staff. There is a diverse group of characters assisting Hyacinth on these missions. But as she zeroes in on one of the shards, Hyacinth ends up in a heap of trouble. With a lot of ingenuity and luck, this book reaches a stunning conclusion.
I am really impressed with this author and their way of weaving words, mythologies, religion, and the dichotomy of death and life in a way that is believable. The first book in this series hooked me, and now this one has me fully invested in this idea of being both dead and alive, and all the complexities that involve being human combined with the aforementioned idea. Now I’m inspired to read more about ancient history and religions. Kudos to the author.
I liked this book a lot, for the same reasons I liked the first book, Debriefing the Dead: it’s a paranormal thriller with some romance that makes sense, some humor, and in spite of demons, archangels and the like, it’s firmly rooted in the real world. How can that be? Unlike many fantasy/paranormal books, all problems are not solved by magic, and the real world intrudes in the form of money (i.e., needing it), child care, necessary documents (ID, passport), and wanting to be a vegetarian while really, really needing meat. Read the first book first.
First of all, I don’t normally enjoy sequels as much as the first book in a series. There’s just something that fizzles out. However, this sequel delivers! The author does a great job at including little reminders along the way of what happened in the first book, in case it’s been a while since you read it. What I most loved was that the characters grow and develop over the course of the book. They’ve come a long way since book 1, and I’m cheering them on as they tackle more adventures and danger—edge of my seat danger! You feel like you’re along for the ride as the characters travel through various exotic locales. This is a book that is SO much fun to read, and it defies genres—it’s part romance, part suspense, part mystery. I love that! Waking the Dead is the perfect sequel to Debriefing the Dead. Pick them both up if you haven’t already and you’ll fall in love with the characters and their adventures.
I admire anyone who can write a good 2nd book of a trilogy. I believe it is most challenging one to write since the world has been created, yet the entire plot line cannot be wrapped up. But Kerry Blaisdell did a fantastic job. If you enjoyed Debriefing the Dead, I think you will enjoy Waking the Dead. It has the same great characters, including Hyacinch. The book is told in 1st person, and It’s her great quirky voice that carries the book. The book is far from serious, but is such a fun, creative read, and made me laugh. It’s helpful to have read book 1, but there are enough reminders in this book that if it’s been awhile, or if you haven’t read book 1, you’ll be able to catch on quickly.