Review: A little less impressive than the first book, still very good
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 14, 2012
The blurb is accurate, so I'm not going to sum the story up. I like this series very much, but I think this installment is a little less impressive than the first book in the series. The not so good things first:In the previous book there isn't a real romance between Spence and Rourke, but I could feel the connection between the two characters, they sizzled when they were together on the page. James and Cale are not so hot together, even if they clearly love each other. Their love was beyond my reach. I think it depends on the kind of love they shared. Spence and Rourke's relationship was much more earthly, while this main couple's is more ethereal, it's more a union of minds than an union of bodies, and that's difficult to convey. Also I think that James is one of the least forthcoming narrators I've ever met, but more about this later.Another thing which was not so easy to follow was the magic and the Keth mythology. I confess I was confused, especially at the beginning. The second part, where the confrontation between our hero and his enemy became more prominent, was more interesting and easier to follow: the magic became real in the world and it wasn't only theory or bad practice. James grows into his powers always by chance, he gets this illuminating moments when it comes to him, and it became a bit frustrating for me as a reader, it seemed a bit too convenient. I liked it more when James used his brain to get out of the occasional mess he gets in.I said before that James is not a forthcoming narrator. This was also engaging and very interesting for me, because I really like to work with the main character to understand what's going on and I like to be surprised by the main character. There is a lot that James doesn't tell the reader and you find out abruptly sooner or later in the book, shedding a different light on what you've learned so far. One thing that comes to my mind is when James thinks of things Cale does with a warmth that reveals something of their relationship and something James feels deep inside. I found myself staring at my kindle in awe. That's why I blame James for not giving me a chance to really get into his relationship with Cale. I get that he's such in deep s--t, with an abuse relationship in the past and a general disquiet that he never really explains. James IS a scared rabbit at the beginning, but it's not easy to understand the reasons why he got into that downward spiral. What I liked though was that he doesn't become a fearless and invincible hero: his weaker and humane core always remains.In the book James and Spence bands together and those are the funniest moments, really brilliant: the zombies, the train come to life, Spence's unquenchable libido, they promise great things for the sequel. I look forward to reading it.