The Collector (Dante Walker, #1)

by Victoria Scott

[lizarodz]

Find my original review and more about the book here: Reading with ABC

Dante stole my heart from the very first page! The Collector is an amazing debut by author Victoria Scott.

For reasons that are too spoilery (yes, I know it's not a word!), Dante lands downstairs when he dies, and in order to be able to walk on Earth, he chooses to become a Collector. There are some intricacies and politics tied to exactly how it works, but it works fine for Dante. I mean, he is handsome, confident, and loves the perks that come with the job. The problem is that he is sent to collect a special soul, namely Charlie.

At the beginning of the story Dante is all those things I said above, plus selfish, angry and cocky. You might think that these adjectives are negative, but somehow Ms. Scott created a character that is full of depth and is so ‘bad’ that it becomes endearing. In contrast, Charlie is Dante’s complete opposite. She is not outwardly beautiful, but her soul is pure and bright and so is her personality. Dante feels an inexplicable pull and attraction towards her, but he has a work to do and he is use to look out for himself. The transformation and the conflict that overtakes Dante is as fun to read as the rest of this story, and it’s gradual as well.

Other characters in the book are well fleshed out and add to the story. Annabelle and Blue are Charlie’s best friends and they form a tight circle of support and protection around her. Max is Dante’s best friend and also a fellow collector, he is also cocky and self-assured, but a loyal friend. Valery (Red) is a bit confusing to me, but can’t add anything else, least I spoil the book for you ;)

The plot is well thought out and it has a few twists and turns. Not everything is explained in this installment and, to be honest, there are a lot of unanswered question at the conclusion of the book. The writing is a gem. The story is told in first person, from Dante’s point of view and his thoughts are a thing of beauty. I also appreciate that, although the story lasted about two weeks, the romance piece didn’t feel like insta-love.

If you like ‘bad boys’, paranormal stories, demons and angels and a great romance, The Collector is the book for you.