I really wanted to like this more because the prequel, Death's Avatar, was awesome. For some reason, in the three-book box set I have, the author has pasted the entire prequel into Death's Hand in two great big flashback chunks, which just did not work at all. It made the whole thing clunky and messy and I soon got so irritated my attention began waning. Add to this the wussiest love interest I've ever encountered and... sorry. I'm outta here.