BOOK REVIEW | SAINT DEATH’S HERALD | C.S.E. COONEY

BOOK REVIEW | SAINT DEATH’S HERALD | C.S.E. COONEY

ABOUT THE BOOK

Heartbroken, exiled from her homeland as a traitor, Lanie Stones would rather take refuge in good books and delicate pastries than hunt a deathless abomination, but that is the duty she has chosen.

 The abomination in question happens to be her own great-grandfather, the powerful necromancer Irradiant Stones. Grandpa Rad has escaped from his prison and stolen a body, and is heading to the icy country of Skakhmat where he died, to finish the genocide he started. Fortunately for her, Lanie has her powerful death magic, including the power to sing the restless dead to their eternal slumber; and she has her new family by her side.

 Grandpa Rad may have finally met his match.

REVIEW

Along with Duantri and Stripes, Miscellaneous (known to her friends as Laney) Stones, Necromancer extraordinaire is in pursuit of her undead Grandfather Irradiant Stones, who is hitching a lift in the body of Cracchen Skakhmet. However, when they have their quarry in their grip, Grandpa Rad jumps ship and ends up in the body of a skin changer, the worst possible outcome for Laney and co.

In Saint Death’s Herald, the second book in C.S.E. Cooney’s Saint Death series, Cooney takes the hero of the first book, Saint Death’s Daughter, Lany Stones to the frozen lands of the north. The story propels her and her companions into the lands of the skin changers and up to the world of the Sky Wizards.

Cooney expands on both Laney’s character and the world in general in this second book. Unfortunately, the plot lets the story down a little as it seems to follow the same formula of capture, escape, rinse and repeat. In addition to this, there are several intermissions in the story that seem to break up the story rather than adding solidifying elements.

However, what elevates the book is Cooney’s writing which is both lyrical and poetic and has a beguiling strangeness to it which at times is reminiscent of Mervyn Peake.

Whilst not reaching the heights of the first book, Saint Death’s Herald is an enjoyable story that is full of adventure and dark humour.