Enjoyable continuation of this series. ( )

econd book in the Alex Verus urban fantasy series with the unaligned diviner trying to keep a low profile after events from the first book. This proves somewhat impossible though when he finds out someone may have resurrected an old ritual that drains the magical energy from creatures to increase the power of the enactor with a side effect of leaving the creature dead. Seeing as he has friends that may be in trouble Alex joins the investigation to find who is behind this forbidden act. Can he find the person(s) responsible without putting his friends in danger and why are the signs pointing towards some old acquaintances being responsible?

A decent continuation of the series with recurring characters who are developing nicely. As is the setting and magic system which provides enough distance from the normal flash/bang type of wizard who just throws fireballs around. Not that this book is bereft of the action scenes and there should be enough to satisfy regular devotee’s of the genre. ( )

Not as inventive as the first It's a tricky balance between continuously leveling Alex and facing ever more ridiculous foes and becoming repetitive. ( )

I like Alex Verus. He has cool powers, a smart mouth and nifty magical doodads. Plus-this book has a dragon! Dragon!!

I was frustrated for a while by all the horrible choices everyone was making, but he didn't draw any of that out for too long, and I was totally sucked in for the last 200 pages or so.

The only reason I give this 4 stars instead of 5 is that he stops to explain the world a little more often than I like. But it's a neat world, and this is one of the better urban fantasy series I've read. ( )

Dear review diary,

I'm only just past halfway after 47 days, because I keep getting annoyed by the plot; I have a competency kink, and the MC is failing to notice something over and over, and grrr. In order not to stop, I wander off to other books for awhile. When I started this, I was pretty sure it would be the last in the series I'd read, and, two chapters from the end, I'm sure it's true.

*
Done at 96% (the rest is an excerpt of next book). I'm stopping because, while I usually enjoy first person, this MC narrates as if he's creating an instructional video for future mages, and for me that removes any tension re: Alex's safety. It's distancing, when first person is meant to feel like you're right there experiencing what the MC does. This is not uncommon in fantasies, and less a mistake than when it's done in, say, a romance, but it's become tedious for me, so I'm out.

It earned its four stars. It was just not a good fit for me. If you're looking for a nice chewy fantasy series that's well-plotted this far in, with a satisfying ending in each book so far, try this one. Good characters, good agency, mistakes are made, mysteries continue, etc. ( )