Meigan's Reviews > Dead Rising

Whenever I got word that Debra Dunbar was writing an entirely new series outside of the Imp world, I knew that whatever it was, it would knock my socks off. Dunbar has a way with words, pardon the pun, and the characters she creates are always multi-dimensional, tough but not infallibly so, and the worlds she creates for these characters to inhabit are subtle, yet just as rich as the characters. Aside from all of the above, the biggest draw for me was the fact that this new series would have a Templar as the main character. Yes, you heard right: a mere human. Albeit a human with some magic, but human nonetheless.

In Dead Rising, readers are introduced to Solaria Angelique Ainsworth, a woman descended from centuries of Templar Knights. Up until this point, all of her family members, past and present, have accepted their fate and taken the Oath and its responsibilities without question. The sole exception being Aria herself. Unable to dedicate herself to knighthood for fear of losing who she is, she relocates to Baltimore in hopes of separating herself from her mother's constant Oath nagging and making a life that's purely her own. Her need to have her own identity is strong, and as such, she's the black sheep of the Ainsworth clan.


Even without taking the Oath, Aria's need to protect and her need to guide the "Pilgrims on the Path" is just as strong as her need to be recognized as a person and not just a Knight. There's quite a lot of internal struggling within Aria, and it will be interesting to see if she ever succumbs to both her family and the small part inside of her that sees the benefits of becoming a true Templar Knight.


Aside from Templars, Dead Rising also centers around vampires. The Knights and the vampires have a very uneasy truce that dates back centuries; a truce that must be navigated with trepidation. Dunbar's vampires, at their cores, are the monsters we expect when we hear "vampire". Although there are a few sexy ones thrown in for good measure (Hello, Dario :) ). Aria finds herself embroiled in vampire politics, much to her dismay, after being approached by said sexy vampire to decode a strange symbol that's been popping up in various places. With a whole lot of reluctance, Aria works side by side with the unpredictable clan in hopes of preventing death and destruction that ties back to a murder dating 40 years ago.


Dead Rising, in my estimation, is Dunbar's most ambitious urban fantasy to date. There aren't many mainstream UF series that center around Templars, and that element is really what made this story stand out for me. It also has the trademark humor and wit that I expect whenever I read anything by Debra, yet the feel and the tone is definitely more mature than her other series. Not that I'm comparing the two, mind you. Apples and oranges. There's a hint of romance, one that's fraught with danger, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how that's going to play out in the future.


Bottom line -- fantastic, fast-paced series starter with murder, magic, vampires, and a whole lot of action. I absolutely recommend Dead Rising and can only hope it's going to be another long-running series. Fingers crossed that it is :)

**Many thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.