Wonderful. Gladstone's world building is superb as always, and I very much enjoyed his characters and story. I did think there were a few instances where the story bogged down a bit, but that never lasted more than a few pages. And he has an amazing cast of competent women that work together to achieve a goal. Not something you come across very often in fantasy. Very nicely done! ( )

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series. It is an urban fantasy but it is way out of the box and I love the risks and the writing that Gladstone takes. ( )

This was my second crack at this book. My first run at it I could not seem to get into it. It was very much a slow boil and apparently I was impatient and not willing to wait.

This time around, once I got to the merge of all the story lines, I loved it. Glad I gave it another go. ( )

I'm really enjoying these novels! Life is good. I've got a few contemporary authors who keep 'em coming fresh and regular. ( )

I find the world that Max Gladstone has created extremely fascinating. Its a world of hypercapitalism, but with gods, both living and dead, liches, the undead, and all manner of other fantasy creatures and humans vying for space in this complicated world. This book focuses on one small corner of this world, a place where priests manage idols for clients from all over the world, but something strange is happening here with the idols. They aren't supposed to be actual, living gods, but what happens when one dies? This premise is fascinating, but its the characters who carry the book. Kai is a priest who goes too deep into the mystery to find an easy way out, and Izza is a street kid thief, trying to decide whether to stay or go, but she plays a larger role than she realizes....

I like how these books are standalone stories, but they also have characters who link them together. It makes the world a little more cohesive. This book has appearances of characters from other books, but they don't steal the spotlight from new characters. The way Max Gladstone constructs his stories is superb, every detail is just so. I savor these books when I read them. ( )