Book Review: The Dead (The Thaumaturge #1) by Cal Matthews

Blurb:

“She’s dead,” I said to him harshly, and he made a tiny, breathless noise. The old man put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, and the girl gave another sob, her face crumpling like a tissue.

“But I can fix it,” I said, and smiled. 

Ebron White has plenty of skeletons in his closet. Being gay in a remote ranching town is no picnic, but that’s nothing compared to Ebron’s biggest secret: he has the power to raise the dead. His life is complicated but so far he’s managing. He’s got a respectable business, an undead (though unreliable) boyfriend and most folks in his little rural community are willing to live and let live. 

But a coven of witches showing up in town can only mean trouble. They’re entirely too interested in him and as the bodies pile up, Ebron is starting to realize that the dead are the least of his worries. It’s the live ones he has to survive.

Todd's rating:

Wow, this book was all kinds of entertaining.

At nearly 30, Ebron lives in very rural Montana, runs his herb shop, brews tea and, oh yeah, occasionally brings the dead back to life.

At 17 Ebron met Leo, a vampire, and they have been kinda sorta friends with benefits ever since. I swear, Leo made me SO MAD at times, seeing how Ebron was in love with him, and Leo seeming not to care at all.

I was still hopelessly, agonizingly in love with him and he still didn't care. I was pushing thirty now, still living in a dirt bag trailer hoping for a pity fuck whenever he showed up, which, let's be honest, was less and less often. One of these days, it was going to be the last time. One of these times, he would walk out the door and never came back. I wondered how many months and years I would go, waiting for him. How long I would keep hoping, alone with no one to touch?

This story was most decidedly not predominantly a romance, at least not as far as my definition was concerned. But towards the end, both men did open up a bit in regards to their feelings, and some of the circumstances that were keeping them apart, which I enjoyed.


Honestly, I'm hoping the next book in the series takes their relationship to another level. Something more permanent and fulfilling for them both.

What can I say? Romance is my thing. ;- )

In this book, however, it was all about the intrigue surrounding a coven of witches who are killing locals in order to complete a very complex spell. One where Ebron's ability to resurrect the dead played a central role.

This book kept me engaged from beginning to end, with my only niggle being that the concluding "final showdown" scene felt a bit rushed.

Okay, sorry, second niggle. Everyone in this story was all, "NO, we can't involve the police!" Uhh, people are getting murdered. Why not? Ebron had already helped the local sheriff with a death in the past. His secret was out of the bag. So again, why not???

One thing I should note is that, although Ebron and Leo were not officially 'together', and Leo had told Ebron for a decade to find someone to be with, Ebron did have sex with someone else on-page. It sort of bugged me, but I did understand. Anyway, I thought it worth mentioning as a potential trigger.

The level of steam was moderate and the melodrama was kept to a minimum, so if you're looking for an occult-adjacent story with lots of intrigue and a bit of betrayal, I really loved this story and would highly recommend it.

4.5 stars.

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