Dante Valentine series

The Dante Valentine series is written by Lilith Saintcrow.

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy / Futuristic

Brief Series Description or Overview[]

Necromancer. Bounty hunter. Killer.

✥ Dante Valentine has been all three in her life. But in the beginning, she was a Necromancer for hire. And while she was choosy about her jobs, there were just some she couldn't turn down. Like when the Devil showed up at the door and offered her a deal. Her life - in exchange for the capture and elimination of a renegade demon. But how do you kill something that can't die? ~ Goodreads | The Complete Series

✥ Dante "Danny" Valentine lives in a gritty future world where humans with magic psi powers have finally found some legal protection, if not exactly acceptance. Danny is a Necromance; she can see and communicate with the dead, raise and lay ghosts. And she's a damned good Necromance—maybe one of the best of her generation. Small comfort for the brutal life she's led, maybe, but it's what she's got. And then a demon shows up on her doorstep, come to escort her to an appointment with Lucifer, Prince of Lies and ruler of Hell. Lucifer just needs Danny to do a small job for him ... However brutal Danny's life may have been up to this point, it's guarenteed to get a whole lot worse. ~ Dark Urban Fantasy: Dante Valentine

Lead's Species[]

Necromancer, bounty hunter for hire

Primary Supe[]

Demons, Lucifer, sorcerors

What Sets it Apart[]

Heroine works for he Devil

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

First person narrative told by Dante Valentine, protagonist.

Books in Series[]

Working for the Devil (2006)
Dead Man Rising (2006)
The Devil's Right Hand (2007)
Saint City Sinners (2007)
To Hell and Back (2008)

Other Series by Author onsite[]

World Building[]

Setting[]

Saint City
Hell

Places:

Nuevo Rio
New Prague
Freetown
DMZ Sarajevo
Hellesvront
Czechi
Venizia

Supernatural Elements[]

✥ Supe Elements: Necromance, demon hunter, demons, Devil's Assassin, Lucifer, Egyptian God: Anubis, supe mob, animal telepathy, divination (seer), magic rings, supe drug, evil corporations, demon artefact, shamans, ancient Egyptian gods, golems, tattoos, male witch, vampires, werewolves,

✥ Futuristic SciFy Elements: plasguns, hovercraft (one invisible), datbands, flying slick boards

Glossary:[]

Magi: Sorcerers who summon demons, usually imp class or less to obtain greater knowledge of demons and the afterlife.
A'nankhimel: (demon term) 1. A Fallen demon. 2. A demon who has tied himself to a human mate. Note: As with all demon worlds, there are several layers of meaning to this term, depending on context and pronunciation. The meanings, from most common to least, are as follows: descent from greatest height, chained, shield, a guttering flame, a fallen statue.
Animone: An accredited psion with the ability to telepathically connect with and heal animals, generally employed as veterinarians.
Anubis et'her ka: Egyptianica term, sometimes used as an expletive; loosely translated, "Anubis protect me/us."
Psionics:
Awakening: The exponential increase in psionic and sorcerous ability, academically defined as from just before the fall Republic of Gilead to the culmination of the Parapsychic and Paranormal Species Acts proposed and brokered by alternately vilified and worshipped Senator Adrien Ferrimen. Note: After the culmination of the Parapsychic Act, the Awakening was said to have finished and the proportion of psionics to normals in the human population stabilized, though fluctuations occur in seventy-year cycles to this day.
Ceremonial: 1. An accredited psion whose talent lies in working with traditional sorcery, accumulating Power and "spending" it in controlled bursts. 2. Ceremonial magick, otherwise known as scorcery instead of the more organic witchery. 3.(slang) Any Greater Work of magick.
Clormen-13: (Slang: Chill, ice, rock, smack, dust) Addictive alkaloid drug. Note: Chill is high-profit for the big pharmaceutical companies as well as the Mob, being instantly addictive. There is no cure for Chill addiction.
Necromance: (slang: deadhead) An accredited psion with the ability to bring a soul back from Death to answer questions. Note: Can also in certain instances, heal mortal wounds and keep a soul from escaping into Death.
Ka: 1.(archaic) Soul or mirrorspirit, separate from the ba and the physical soul in Egyptianica. 2. Fate, especially tragic fate that cannot be avoided, destiny. 3.A link between two souls, where each feeds the other's destiny. 4.(technical) Terminus stage for Feeder pathology, an externalized hungry consciousness capable of draining vital energy from a normal human in seconds and a psion in less than two minutes.
Hedaira: (demon term) 1. An endearment. 2. A human woman tied to a Fallen (A'nankhimel) demon. Note: There are several layers of meaning, depending on context and pronunciation. The meanings, from most common to least, are as follows: beloved, companion, vessel, starlight, sweet fruit, small precious trinket, an easily crushed bauble. The most uncommon an complex meaning can be roughly translated as "slave (thing of pleasure) who rules the master."
Demon: 1. Any sentient, alien intelligence, either corporeal or noncorporeal, that interacts with humans. 2. Denizens of Hell, of a type often mistaken for gods or Novo Christer evil spirits, actually a sentient non-human species with technology and psionic and magical ability much exceeding humanity's. 3.(slang) A particularly bad physiological addiction.
Deadhead: 1. Necromance. 2. Normal human without psionic abilities.
Nichtvren: (vampires) (slang: suckhead) Altered human dependent on human blood for nourishment. Note: Older Nichtvren may possibly live off strong emotions, especially those produced by psions. Since they are altered humans, Nichtvren occupy a space between humanity and "other species"; they are defined as members of a Paranormal Species and given citizen's rights under Adrien Ferrimen's groundbreaking legislation after the Awakening.
Werecain: werewolves
Egg: demon artefact—stolen by Vardimal Santino,
Tattoos: on the cheeks to identify psychically gifted folk

Groups & Organizations:[]

World[]

✥ Set in a future where the world is controlled mostly by a single government and/or the Mob. The dominant religions are now based on magic, and magic users are licenced and acknowledged by the government. ~ GR reader | Anita

✥ It's a future after what they call "the Awakening", which is when people accepted people with psychic abilities and began educating them in special school and registering them. ~ ?

✥ Demons have been doing some genetic experiments with humans and that not only is the future of humanity at stake, but so is the guardianship of Hell. If Vardimal isn’t stopped… um… all Hell will break loose. ~ GR reader | Kat Hooper

✥ Set the dark and gritty atmosphere of the futuristic world where fantasy blends with sci-fi and shamans, ancient Egyptian gods, demons, golems and so on are generously interspersed with plasguns, hovercraft (even one that can become invisible), datbands, flying slick boards and the like. It is a world where Christian religion has been discredited (the demons do not form part of the Heaven-Hell dichotomy but are instead alien beings occupying a different dimension who"modified" (and possibly created?) mankind as part of their own genetic experiments) and people with various psychic abilities (psis) are recognised and trained so that their powers can be harnessed for the purposes of society. A 70-day war is mentioned, after which the Parapsychic Act (which seems to regulate and grant citizenship to psis, though its significance beyond that is not entirely clear) was introduced. ~ Goodreads | Gloria Mundi

Protagonist[]

✥ Dante Valentine is a freelance Necromance — clients hire her to communicate with dead people so they can solve murders, settle estate disputes, etc. ~ GR reader | Kat Hooper

✥ This is the story of Dante "Danny" Valentine, a talented necromance and ass-kicking bounty hunter, who is hired (read forced) by the Prince of Hell himself, Lucifer (the Devil is dressed in black jeans and t-shirt, is barefoot, androgynously beautiful and has an "amazing corona of golden hair" but his surroundings are, at least, appropriately resplendent in red velvet, crimson, mahogany and leather bound books) to hunt down and kill a rogue demon, Vardimal know in the human world as Santino, and to retrieve a demon artefact, referred to as the Egg, stolen by him. In order to help her accomplish this task, Danny is assigned a demon familiar, Tierce Japhrimel, the Devil's Assassin and, possibly, oldest child (Lucifer refers to him as "my eldest" at one point). As it turns out, Danny has her own score to settle with Santino who has killed her best friend Doreen several years previously and is, by all accounts, a sadistic serial killer. ~ Goodreads | Gloria Mundi

Sidekick — Japhrimel[]

Name: Japh, Tierce Japhrimel / What: Demon / Sidekick-to: Dante Valentine / About: Devil's Assassin / Book First Seen: Working for the Devil, Dante Valentine series

Characters[]

Characters	What	About
Dante Valentine	Necromancer, Demon hunter	Lucifer taskes her with killing an unkillable demons and returning the "Egg"; gets new half-demon powers;
"Japh", Tierce Japhrimel	Demon, Devil's Assassin	assigned as Dante's demon familiar to help her in her task to capture Vardimal; A fallen demon diminished in power for love of Dante, with whom he has shared his power and made her a'hedaira, formerly the Devil's Assassin and oldest child, resently resurrected
Lucifer	Devil, Prince of Hell
Vardimal, aka Santino	rogue demon	Dante's assignment is to find him, retrieve Egg he stole, forced on her by Lucifer; sadistic serial killer; killed Dante's best friend Doreen several years previously, had been granted immunity by Lucifer and therefore he cannot be killed by demon or man;
Gabe	Dante´s team,	female friend; helped Dante track down rouge demon Vardimal;
Jace	Dante´s team,	Dante’s ex-boyfriend; seems all too willing to help Dante track down rouge demon Vardimal;
Eddie	Dante´s team,	helped Dante track down rouge demon Vardimal;
Doreen	Dante´s deceased friend	Dante´s best friend Doreen five years ago by Vardimal, makes her job a personal vendetta;

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table or Column (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.

Lili Saintcrow — Lilith Saintcrow — Author

Author[]

Lilith Saintcrow

Website: Lilith Saintcrow – glass apples and spilled rubies
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Stemapunk, PNR, Supernatural Thrillers, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy,
Other Pen Names: Lili St. Crow

Bio: Lili Saintcrow was born in New Mexico (which probably explains everything, given the nuclear testing) and spent her childhood bouncing around the world as a military brat. She fell in love with writing in second grade and has done it obsessively ever since. She currently resides in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her children, dogs, cat, and assorted other strays, including a metric ton of books holding her house together.

Full Bio: About Lili – Ragged Feathers

Contributors[]

Cover Artists[]

Artist: Craig White — Cover: Working for the Devil (2006 US, Warner),
Artist: Larry Rostant — Cover: Working for the Devil (2006 UK, Orbit);
Artist: Arcangel — Cover: Dead Man Rising (2006 UK, & 2007 US, Orbit);
Artist: Calvin Chu — Bibliography: Cover: The Devil's Right Hand (2007 US, Orbit)
Artist: Peter Cotton —Bibliography: Cover: The Devil's Right Hand (2007 UK, Orbit)
Artist: Calvin Chu — Cover: To Hell and Back (2008 UK & US Orbit)

~ Full list: Dante Valentine - Series Bibliography (None listed for book #4)

Other Contributors:[]

Audio Book Narrator: Tanya Eby — Source: GR reader
Editor: — Source:

Publishing Information[]

Publisher: Aspect
Author Page:
Bk-1: Mass Market Paperback, 403 pages, Pub. Mar 1st 2006, ISBN-0446616702

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE—Working for the Devil (2006): 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? ~ Goodreads | Working for the Devil

✤ BOOK TWO—Dead Man Rising (2006): As psychics all over the city are being savagely murdered, a piece of the past half-demon bounty hunter Dante Valentine thought she'd buried is stalking the night with a vengeance. Original. ~ Goodreads | Dead Man Rising (Dante Valentine, #2)

✤ BOOK THREE—The Devil's Right Hand (2007): Dante Valentine, Necromancer and bounty hunter, just wants to be left alone. But the Devil has other ideas. The Prince wants Dante. And he wants her now. And Dante and her lover, Japhrimel, have no choice but to answer the Prince's summons. And to fulfill a seemingly simple task: become the Devil's Right Hand, hunt down four demons that have escaped from Hell, and earn His gratitude. It's a shame that nothing is ever easy when it comes to the Devil. Because of course, he doesn't tell Dante the whole truth: there is a rebellion brewing in Hell. And there is a good chance that Lucifer is about to be pushed off the throne. But Dante is getting really tired of being pushed around. And this time, she might be angry enough to take on the Devil himself... ~ Goodreads | The Devil's Right Hand (Dante Valentine, #3) by Lilith Saintcrow — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

✤ BOOK FOUR—Saint City Sinners (2007): Saint City has always been Dante Valentine's home. It's where she grew up, it's where her dead are buried, and it's where she learned to hunt. Now, one call from an old friend will bring her back to investigate a murder too close to home for anyone's comfort. But the one person she trusted has just betrayed her. Sometimes revenge is best served demon-hot… ~ Goodreads | Saint City Sinners (Dante Valentine, #4) by Lilith Saintcrow — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

✤ BOOK FIVE—To Hell and Back (2008): The pulse-pounding finale to Lilith Saintcrow's urban fantasy series featuring Dante Valentine. Dante Valentine has been through Hell. Literally. Her body shattered and her mind not far behind, she's dumped back into her own world to survive--or not--as a pawn in one of Lucifer's endless games. Unfortunately, he's just messed with the wrong Necromance. And this time she's mad enough to do something about it. This time, the Devil will pay. ~ Goodreads | To Hell and Back (Dante Valentine, #5) by Lilith Saintcrow — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

First Sentences[]

Working for the Devil: My working relationship with Lucifer began on a rainy Monday.
Dead Man Rising: The cavernous maw of the warehouse was like the throat of some huge beast, and even though it was large and airy claustrophobia still tore at my throat.
The Devil's Right Hand: "It's for you," Japhrimel said diffidently, his eyes flaring with green fire in angular runic patterns for just a moment before returning to almost-human darkness."
Saint City Sinners:
To Hell and Back: Darkness closed velvet over me, broken only by the flame of a scar burning, burning, against my shoulder.