Wow. I liked the first book in the series. I loved the second.

Right from go, we've had great action scenes directly in the service of both story and character development. I can't tell you or anyone how much I love it when great action actually and truly does service to the story.

In this case, we have yet ANOTHER manuscript that needs to be procured, and as a reader I'm wondering how it's going to be twisted in comparison to the surprises we had in the previous book, but soon enough I'm satisfied that such preparations weren't needed, nor did we need to introduce a full cast of characters. Instead, we are lovingly plopped right into an adventure with people we already love and who have (mostly) worked out their differences, and a few who have either moved on or have been the subject of some rather major changes in the previous tome.

What I wasn't prepared for, and what I was thoroughly amused by, was the never-ending dance of fighting and bad decisions masquerading as the perfectly plausible. We had so many reversals and amusing enemies in the first half of the novel, all of which included planes, trains, and automobiles, all of which was lovingly visual and visceral, that I swore that I was watching one of the best heavy-action heist movies... ever. I mean, I don't think I'll ever forget the Elf or the Hunter. Even Veiled Lightning was pretty damn amazing, and the end of the train-scene was pretty epic, including the funny-as-hell reversal.

I really wasn't prepared for the whole book turning into a fantasy scene of the Gambler, either, with high stakes poker getting only higher when all the current gods and the old gods started staking claims. Oh, and we can't forget mutually assured and instant destruction of the Empire and the Republic.

I was enthralled by the story and was tempted to stay up all night to read it, but damn it, life kept intruding on my enjoyment of this great book!

The final surprises, (and yes, there are multiple surprises,) have solidified my adoration of this author. It has graduated from mind-candy (even though it's a fast and easy read,) into an awe-inspiring tour of goodness. I can't recommend this enough!
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A museum heist, a fight on a moving train, an army of undead, betrayal, sword fights, and a 'poker' tournament that holds the balance of nations. The stakes have been raised for the gang, along with the action. The book flies by since it is pretty much 75% is action or fun conversations.

I continue to recommend this series and will continue on to the last book.

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Det var inte en helt god idé att vänta så länge med att läsa The prophecy con, Patrik Weekes uppföljare till The palace job. Denna andra del i serien om tre gör ett rimligt jobb med att introducera våra hjältar igen, men det är också flera partier som bygger på saker som minnet verkar ha rensat ut. Nästa del ligger och väntar, så det problemet lär tack och lov vara mindre när jag skall avsluta serien.

Förra gången var det till synes fråga om en stor stöt mot ett inbrottssäkert hus. Den här gången gäller det att få tag på en alvisk bok som förvaras på museum. Inte heller denna gång går det lika enkelt som förväntat, och snart hamnar vi även i ett tågrån, i ett brinnande bibliotek och på flygande kasino. Klassiska marker för charmerande, välmenande tjuvar, men här förflyttade till en värld med dvärgar, gudar och demoner och en grupp skapare som sedan länge dragit sig undan.

Loch är fortfarande skrämmande kompetent, hennes vänner likaså, och de har börjat bygga upp en rutin mellan sig. Lägg därtill några hänsynslösa skurkar, förräderi, kärlek, en grupp magikerjägare som går utanför lagen, olikartade men personliga problem, och just ja, en enhörning, en talande stridshammare, och en imperiell prinsessa, så blir det ordentligt med fart (nästan för mycket; nästan varenda kapitel tycks placera åtminstone någon av våra hjältar i en actionsekvens). Det är roande, och när slutet väl kommer kan man se fram emot ett tydligt förberett uppdrag i del tre. ( )

4 and 1/2 stars

The last time we saw our band of heroic scoundrels they had narrowly avoided a disaster that would have plunged their world into war, and now - just a few months after those fateful events - they seem to be headed toward a worse one. And by 'worse' I mean an even more breathless, avalanche-like sequence of events, because while The Palace Job focused on a difficult, dangerous heist, here we can enjoy a whole series of them, all linked by the need to beat the group's antagonist at his own game, a game that keeps changing its rules. But let's proceed with order…

Read the full review at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG ( )

In order for Loch to prevent a war she has to steal a book. A book she recently gave away. But that's no problem. The problem is that the meeting to tell her about this book acquisition is actually a trap. It starts with a fight in a sacred temple and a stolen sword and just rolls (and flies) onward from there.

The team is a family now, and they know it. They're used to each other's quirks and can almost always anticipate each other's next move. I can't, but they can.

This is a great follow-up to The Palace Job. The action is non-stop and the twists come fast. There were some wonderful serious moments, some that were dealt with during this book and others that laid the foundation for future stories. ( )