Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by Rudy Sanda, Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore is the first audiobook in the Eric Carter series featuring a necromancer. Dark and gritty, Blackmoore will pull you into this intriguing world.

Necromancer is such an ugly word, but it's a title Eric Carter is stuck with.

He sees ghosts, talks to the dead. He’s turned it into a lucrative career putting troublesome spirits to rest, sometimes taking on even more dangerous things. For a fee, of course.

When he left L.A. fifteen years ago he thought he’d never go back. Too many bad memories. Too many people trying to kill him.

But now his sister’s been brutally murdered and Carter wants to find out why.

Was it the gangster looking to settle a score? The ghost of a mage he killed the night he left town? Maybe it’s the patron saint of violent death herself, Santa Muerte, who’s taken an unusually keen interest in him.

Carter’s going to find out who did it and he’s going to make them pay.

As long as they don’t kill him first.

I have had this series on my wishlist forever, so when the opportunity presented itself to review the audiobooks, I dove in.

We meet Eric Carter, a foul-mouthed necromancer who doesn’t have the greatest opinion of humanity. Unlike other UF characters, Eric is a bit of a dark horse and finds himself an outcast of his own creation. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. He reacts first, regrets later. I can’t say I liked him at first, but Blackmoore had me intrigued.

Eric left Los Angeles fifteen years ago after things went sideways with a magic user and gang leader. He has recently learned that his sister has been killed and is determined to find out who’s responsible and get revenge.

Eric returns to find that his best friend and girl are together. To him, it feels like everyone has grown up and that he is still facing down his own demons. We learn he isn’t tapping into his full potential, leaving room for growth both as a person and necromancer.

In this first book, we’ll encounter an Aztec Goddess of Death, ghosts, demons and zombies. It was an engaging tale that left me curious for more. The story starts and ends dark with enough of a hook to have me downloading the next in series.

Blackmoore brought the mythology to life in vivid detail. The story is dark, gory and disturbing. The twist Eric gets himself in and the ending has me excited to see what comes next. Fans of urban fantasy, noir and troubled protagonists will enjoy this one.

Rudy Sanda narrates and did a wonderful job of capturing the characters and tone of the story. The overall story was enhanced by the audio format.

Amazon | Audible

About Stephen Blackmoore

Stephen Blackmoore is the author of the noir / urban fantasy Eric Carter series (DEAD THINGS, BROKEN SOULS, HUNGRY GHOSTS, and FIRE SEASON), about a necromancer in modern-day Los Angeles.

Website | Twitter

About Rudy Sanda

Rudy Sanda is a versatile actor, singer, voice-over artist, and fight choreographer. He has acted all over the United States and England on the stage and screen, including Laguna Playhouse, Ivoryton Playhouse, the Colonial Theatre, and Ocean State Theatre. Rudy holds a BFA in acting from the University of Rhode Island and received further training at the Beverly Hills Playhouse in Los Angeles and RATA in London. He has been described as a powerful, deeply connected presence bursting with charm and enthusiasm.

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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