Black Blood (edit title)

• Rated 4 stars

“In _Bone Song_, we were introduced to a world where it was always night and wraiths served as elevators and to animate cars and the primary energy source of the city of Tristopolis was derived from the bones of the dead. Donal Riordan used to be an ordinary human police lieutenant until he's shot and his human life is ended at the end of the book. Now he's a zombie, kept alive by the black, artificial heart of his love, Laura, whose zombie life was ended by a bullet to the head at the same time he was shot, in the first book.

Donal now 'lives' to wreak revenge against those responsible for Laura's death, chasing down members of the Black Circle, powerful intriguers and sorcerers who are involved in various conspiracies aimed at toppling governments and gaining power. They may be behind the sudden growth of the Unity Party that is threatening to strip away all rights from zombies and others no longer quite human.

This is full of action and suspense against a background of gothic horror and dark urban fantasy. Readers should probably start with the first book, since this is a sequel that starts when the first book ends and many of the characters return. The plot is fast-paced and intricate. The characters are interesting. But above all, it's the bizarre inventiveness of this world of darkness that is part futuristic dystopia and part dark fantasy and horror where the tech is something out of nightmares that supplies a large part of the fun.”