Starred review.

Shan’s dystopic thriller, the first in a trilogy already published in the U.K., is an excellent, twisting foray into a world of deceit, murder, and mystery. Capac Raimi arrives in an unnamed city, a place ruled by a man known as the Cardinal, and quickly realizes that he has no memory of his life elsewhere. When the Cardinal kills Capac’s uncle and offers Capac a job based on a dream and Capac’s Incan name, the young man’s life takes a turn for the fantastical. While training to serve the Cardinal, Capac embarks on a strange, gripping search for clues to both the disappearances of his friends and his own past. The dialogue is realistic, the characters and settings are vivid, and the plotting is tight, complemented perfectly by a bleak, desolate tone. Any fan of postapocalyptic fiction will find it absolutely riveting. (published in June)

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/456649-Fiction_Book_Reviews_4_19_2010.php

The name of this book is Procession of the dead and it is part of Darren Shan’s third series, and unlike The Saga Of Darren Shan and The Demonata it’s his first adult series and is most certainly in no way suitable for children. This is the first book in The City Trilogy.
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Darren Shan is the writer of two popular series for children, The Saga of Darren Shan and The Demonata. This is his first adult work, originally published in 1999 under the title Ayuamarca: Procession of the Dead, but has been extensively revised for this ‘director’s cut’ edition. I really enjoyed this book.
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You can listen to an Australian radio review of Procession of the Dead, along with several other book reviews and an interview with Neil Gaiman, by CLICKING HERE. The review of POTD comes right at the start of the show. It’s more of a summary of the book than a full-on review, but is worth a listen.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE title Ayuamarca back in 1999, Procession of the Dead has now been heavily revised by DB Shan for what the publishers describe as the “director’s cut” version, and is the first offering in Shan’s City Trilogy for adult readers. In the intervening eight years the London-born Irishman’s been a busy lad, producing a 12-part children’s saga under his Darren Shan monicker.
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So Darren Shan has moved onto adult aimed books, in fact he’s actually re-releasing The City series he released back in 1999. The expression “Don’t judge a book by its cover” comes to mind here, as when I read the back of the book I was immediately put off by the gangster theme, but after the first few pages I was already hooked. So even if you’re not a fan, give the book a go.

It is definitely a page turner, which I think is due to how you’re made to feel like you’re going on Capac Raimi’s journey with him — from when he arrives in the city for the first time and when he comes face to face with the powerful Cardinal, to the climax of this gripping first in the series of The City. All the characters are different and intriguing, and the narrative pace set by Shan will keep you glued to the page.

reviewed by Owen O’Hagan.

When Capac Raimi arrives in the city, ambitious and determined, he has one goal only: to become a ruthless gangster and gain as much power as possible. Like everyone else in the city, he has heard the stories about The Cardinal – the merciless, all-seeing mastermind who controls his empire of sin from the fifteenth floor of Party Central. Capac knows that if his dreams are to be realised, he will eventually have to cross paths with The Cardinal. He knows that this meeting will change his life – but he has no idea just how irreversible that change will be.
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an existential, minimalist crime fantasy.

[Written in a] literary mode is Procession of the Dead, Darren Shan’s first book for adults. Written in 1999, it has been extensively revised and, although it can stand on its own, it is the first volume of his City Trilogy.
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Darren Shan has for a few years now been a favourite of Tara’s. So when this title, his first book written for adults, became available, I had to read it in order to find out what all the fuss was about.
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Renowned for his very spooky young adult novels, Procession of the Dead is Shan’s first foray into the world of adult horror fiction – and it’s certainly creepy.
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