The Die of Death – Book Review & Blog Tour*

After reviewing The Devil’s Apprentice at the end of last year, I am thrilled to be part of the blog tour for the next book in Kenneth B Andersen’s series. The last book left me wanting more and I can honestly say that I fully intended to keep reading ‘The Great Devil War’ series after enjoying book one so much. I greatly appreciate the gifted copy of book two to be part of this tour. Did The Die of Death meet my high expectations? Here is my review!

The Die of Death – Book Review

Philip is still a good boy but his adventures in Hell as the Devil’s apprentice have left a lasting impression. He has changed for the better and now even has some new friends outside of the underworlds. However, as things are looking up for him in life, disaster strikes down below. Death’s Die has been stolen and he needs Philip’s help to restore balance once again.

Characters

Philip is back and his character is more developed than in book one. Although he is still a good boy, there are also other layers to his personality. His moral compass being tested in book one has clearly had a large impact on him. It is interesting to see when his inner-devil might come out to play, with or without horns.

I am really happy that Satina is back and plays a large role in the story. As a tempter, she is a really fun character! Instead of having a devil on his shoulder, Philip literally walks around next to one as they try to solve the mystery of the missing Die. In other books there is sometimes a character that tries to convince the protagonist why they shouldn’t cross lines, where as Satina is all for it! Her role is really important as she reminds Philip that even good people are not perfect.

Mortimer, death himself, is a really interesting character that we get to know much better in this book. As one of the few characters that the devils are afraid of Mortimer is pretty cool. He is a scary, often grumpy old man but with other layers to him.

There are many other familiar characters that make an appearance such as Grumblebeard and Ravine. I love all of the different characters as they really help to build the world as well as the story.

World Building

After reading book one I was really excited to explore new areas of the underworld. Kenneth B. Andersen has a flair for world building and there is a lot of flavour in the vivid world that he has created for this series. The Die of Death takes Philip to a lot of new areas both in and outside of Hell. I particularly enjoyed Mortimer’s domain and discovering what it is like inside death’s house…. and basement. The Forest of Fear, where the murderers are kept, is a neat idea especially as it involves Hushers who are my favourite creatures in the series. They are nightmare shadow creatures who induce madness.

Themes

Religion, particularly Christianity, is an obvious theme in the book. Not in a preachy kind of way I hasten to add! I like that other faiths are starting to creep in with mentions of reincarnation.

History is a lesser theme in the novel but we do see a lot of characters from history mentioned such as Hitler.

Family and friends are strong themes in the story and we learn more about Philip’s family, including his father who died before he was born. I really like the friendship theme in this series as one of the fundamental aspects of friendship is trust. When your best friends are from the underworld though that adds another level of complexity.

My Thoughts

Book two definitely met my expectations and I really enjoyed reading it. The characters are brilliant and I am really pleased that the author developed some of my favourites from book one even further. I enjoyed the blossoming romances too. The twisting plot is good, with a few surprises and it was an extremely easy read. I find this series really refreshing as it is very different from other books that I have read. The world building was on point once again and I look forward to exploring the underworlds further in book three. The novel is little bit graphic in parts and does mention animal cruelty so please be aware if you normally look for trigger warnings. I feel that although the story has a middle-grade feel it is a YA novel. If you enjoy stories like Good Omens then I highly recommend you check this series out!

Thank you to Kenneth B. Andersen and The Write Reads for letting me be part of this blog tour!