Customer Reviews
READ IT!! - By: S.C.M.H, 25 Sep 2008 
I have read all the other series of darren shan, & when i boought this book (i knew it was for older readers) i didn't know what to expect. what i got was a total surprise. It was totally different- deffinatly for a older audience, but it brought me into a whole new world of darren shan. it was a capitivating story that had good chrracters & a good plot, & keept me turning the page, & happily gaging at some parts. having met Darren Shan himself i know a little of what is to come next & it only makes it more antagonising to have to wait. this was a grat start & im sure it's going to get a lot better!!!! a realy good read.....
Very good fantasy, but not perfect - By: Christopher M. Hyland, 06 Sep 2008 
Feeling a bit gentlein my reading choices of late, I needed a gritty, dark, urban fantasy to set me back on the straight & narrow...
Procession of the Dead is all of those things. Nearly. D.B. Shan is, of course, the nom de plume of Darren Shan, the hugely successful author of a Young Adult vampire series of the same name. A series I rather enjoyed, I might add! Moving on from that series, & the later Demonata series, Procession of the Dead is Shan's first adult work. And does it show?
That's a very difficult question. This edition being a supposed "directors cut" it certainly moves away from whatever YA elements I was anticipating, & was written well, funnyin places, & a captivating read. Procession of the Dead is also a suitably moribund title, & Shan doesn't shy away from killing (lots & lots) of people. The cover, however, does do nothing to dispel ideas that this is aimed at a younger audience, which is a shame.
Procession is very gritty & dark, & although I was slightly disappointed by how late the magic came into the novel -- it had up until that point just been a well-written crime novel --, when it did come, it was surprisingly creepy, & utilised ideas that aren't that commonly used. I particularly enjoyed the links with the Incan people -- each chapter (and some characters) are named after a monthin the Incan calendar -- but I would have liked a stronger explanation of why certain things happened.
Capac Raimi (Junein the Incan calendar, I believe), the wannabe gangster suddenly employed by The Cardinal -- the most powerful manin the city, with infinite resources, loyalty ... & strange, almost life-like puppets with beating hearts... --, was the main protagonist & we saw everything from his (first-person) point of view. While it was a fun ride with him, & he was a very interesting character, I found some of the things he did at the end of the book a little unexpected. A character of more interest to me, Paucar Waimi -- the probably psychopathic murderer -- was quite entertainingin a disturbing way.
This is a good book, & the characterisation was one of the best bits. Sadly, though, there seemed to be a sudden changein many characters attitudes towards the end of the book, but on the whole, I was surprised by just how good this was. I'll be there for the other two booksin the trilogy, though this book was fairly self-contained. There is also a rather cool thought at the end on what it's like to be immortal & un-killable ... while having hold of some weapons of mass destruction...
phenominal! - By: Purdeys, 02 Sep 2008 this book is amazing! passionate... fast paced! i started reading at 3am planning to stop within 30 minutes but i got hooked & i finishedin one sitting! i read his demonata saga... & his vampire saga loved them both... i cant wait till the next bookin the trilogy is released!
scott jones - By: Scott Jones, 29 Jun 2008 What another superb book from darren shan i would definately reccommend this book to anyone, i purchased this book purely on reputation & found myself yet again immersedin another shan book,it just goes from one twist to the next & you never know what's around the corner,simply pure brilliance.
Another great book by Shan - By: Ste, 06 May 2008 Not much needs to be said. As usual, Shan delivers a fast-paced 1st person tale that delves into the supernatural. Capac is a great lead character & meets a load of other interesting guys & gals along the way. Or does he? That's the hook. The story is full of mystery - people popping up here, vanishing there - & keeps you reading. The chapters are fairly long, so if you are used to his 6-10 page chapters from the Saga & the Demonata, be prepared for 20-30 pages per chapterin this. Allin all, though, a great book to set up the trilogy.
