King of the Dead

Nassise follows Eyes to See with a thoroughly average supernatural thriller. Jeremiah Hunt is hiding from the FBI, holed up in New Jersey with hedge witch Denise Clearwater and berserker Dmitri Alexandrov. The last thing he wants is to go dashing off in response to one of Denise’s nightmare visions, but New Orleans is on fire and full of comatose magic practitioners, all slowly dying. Nassise has dabbled in writing fiction to be read on smartphones, and that sensibility shows in his penchant for capsule descriptions, bite-sized chapters, and novel monsters shallowly described. The heavy hand of foreshadowing is invoked a bit too often, and while the writing lacks notable flaws, it also lacks notable strengths. Still, the pacing does not fail, and the oddball trio provides a refreshing change from the usual petulant-yet-kickass paranormal heroine. Agent: Joe Monti, Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency. (Dec.)