David

Having already enjoyed the first 3 books in this series in rapid succession, I was eager to start this one. There was a lot I liked, but some elements of the plot (particularly in the 2nd half of the book) disappointed me.

On the plus side, the personalities of the major characters are developed even further as they face challenging new situations. The growth (in one character's case, literal) seems consistent with what we already know of them. Rachel continues to push the envelope as she begins to explore new types of magic. She exclusively used nature based earth charms in the first book of the series, but as she continues to tally up demon marks and increasingly rely on other forms of magic, you may wonder whether this "white witch" is gradually becoming a gray one.

The relationships between the characters are interesting to follow throughout the entire book, but the major plotline from the 2nd half of the book didn't work well for me. I felt that the plan developed by Rachel and company didn't seem well thought out, considering its complexity. Their scheme seemed full of holes and likely trouble spots, and I expected they could have arranged a solution that involved less risk and effort on their part.

The narrator from the previous three books returns again, and she continues to do outstanding work. As the number of recurring characters in the series continues to increase, she does a great job of giving each of them a distinctive voice and attitude.

If you've enjoyed the previous entries in this series, I suspect you will also enjoy this one (as I did). If you're new to the series, I'd strongly recommend starting with the first book, Dead Witch Walking. The author does a decent job of recapping key details from earlier books as needed, but understanding the characters, the world they live in, and the details of the magic they use may still be a challenge.