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gregyski's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booksyarntea's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hardlyworking's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Eric Carters’s second adventure in this dark, moody urban fantasy series elevates the stakes, potential plot, and danger. And this is when it shines its brightest.
In this second volume, Eric Carter must dead with the pact he made with a death goddess, the return/not-return of his murdered friend, and a particularly nasty shapeshifter.
I still struggled a little to connect with Eric. I understood his anger at certain points and definitely appreciate his tenacity in a fight, though I didn’t quite love the way he treated his friends/the people who wanted to help him. Especially when some of those new characters are pretty interesting and fun.
There were some good twists throughout the book, especially at the end. The action scenes ensured that everything moved in a quick pace, and I was very excited to see inventive world building alongside the more standard of Eric’s tricks.
The said, the plot still left me feeling a little grim. Now I know that’s the tone of the novel and the series, but I think I just wasn’t in the mood for how dark and hopeless everything seemed.
While I did find the book to be perfect for fans of dark urban fantasy, its tone may not be for everyone. I do recommend it if you like powerful, smart-mouthed characters who can handle their own against some very powerful creatures, and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
In this second volume, Eric Carter must dead with the pact he made with a death goddess, the return/not-return of his murdered friend, and a particularly nasty shapeshifter.
I still struggled a little to connect with Eric. I understood his anger at certain points and definitely appreciate his tenacity in a fight, though I didn’t quite love the way he treated his friends/the people who wanted to help him. Especially when some of those new characters are pretty interesting and fun.
There were some good twists throughout the book, especially at the end. The action scenes ensured that everything moved in a quick pace, and I was very excited to see inventive world building alongside the more standard of Eric’s tricks.
The said, the plot still left me feeling a little grim. Now I know that’s the tone of the novel and the series, but I think I just wasn’t in the mood for how dark and hopeless everything seemed.
While I did find the book to be perfect for fans of dark urban fantasy, its tone may not be for everyone. I do recommend it if you like powerful, smart-mouthed characters who can handle their own against some very powerful creatures, and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
bethwodzinski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cwebb's review against another edition
2.0
did not finish. As with the first book, there is exactly 0% humor in it.
missrmaxwell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
nelljustice's review against another edition
5.0
To say I enjoyed this graphic audio book would be an understatement. I finally tried this kind of audio book. This is really a performance more than a narration. I normally enjoy a good narrator with the voice changes and inflections, but this graphic audio really ramps up the experience. Instead of listening to one person, there are a bunch of narrators speaking individual Nervous_Nellie_100parts. It's an incredible experience and a very nice change of pace.
Okay, on to the book. I have been a Stephen Blackmoore fan since day one. Eric Carter, like most of the characters that I fall for, is more than he seems. He's made a bargain with Sante Muerte and wants to get out of it. I can't blame him since she has orchestrated a lot of Eric's heartache. I still am not sure what she wants, Eric is not sure what she wants but rest assured it can't be a romantic relationship with Eric. She is one scheming bruja.
There is a lot of violence, quite a little blood shed, plenty of "f" bombs and a lot of twists and turns. There is no sex but there is no time for that. Eric can't even take time out to sleep let alone...you know...that!
Okay, on to the book. I have been a Stephen Blackmoore fan since day one. Eric Carter, like most of the characters that I fall for, is more than he seems. He's made a bargain with Sante Muerte and wants to get out of it. I can't blame him since she has orchestrated a lot of Eric's heartache. I still am not sure what she wants, Eric is not sure what she wants but rest assured it can't be a romantic relationship with Eric. She is one scheming bruja.
There is a lot of violence, quite a little blood shed, plenty of "f" bombs and a lot of twists and turns. There is no sex but there is no time for that. Eric can't even take time out to sleep let alone...you know...that!
rovingsoul's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
marklpotter's review against another edition
3.0
Blackmoore can squeeze more in about two hundred pages than a lot of authors can in twice that amount. This story is brutal and unforgiving. Eric Carter is back, married to a goddess of death, and caught up in the political madness of Mitclan and he's not happy.
The length is why this one gets three stars. Blackmoore's writing is good and the story interesting but I really think more time needed to be spent on Mitclan and its denizens. I also felt like the pacing was a bit off on the Mitclan-related affliction that's driving Eric. I don’t doubt that the next book in the series will be good but I have the distinct feeling that when I'm done reading it, if it's the same length as this one, that I'll decide it should have been a single book.
The cliffhanger felt like a forced stopping point rather than a good cliffhanger because the story didn't have any resolution. I have seen a number of books like that lately and it's a trend with which I am not impressed.
Eric Carter doesn't become any more sympathetic in this volume and that's a good thing. He is broken in so many ways and it makes him interesting to read about. Don't let my whining about the length or the ending disuade you from this series it's a decent read and if you like dark urban fantasy, sans romance, with broken heroes then there's no reason not to read this one.
The length is why this one gets three stars. Blackmoore's writing is good and the story interesting but I really think more time needed to be spent on Mitclan and its denizens. I also felt like the pacing was a bit off on the Mitclan-related affliction that's driving Eric. I don’t doubt that the next book in the series will be good but I have the distinct feeling that when I'm done reading it, if it's the same length as this one, that I'll decide it should have been a single book.
The cliffhanger felt like a forced stopping point rather than a good cliffhanger because the story didn't have any resolution. I have seen a number of books like that lately and it's a trend with which I am not impressed.
Eric Carter doesn't become any more sympathetic in this volume and that's a good thing. He is broken in so many ways and it makes him interesting to read about. Don't let my whining about the length or the ending disuade you from this series it's a decent read and if you like dark urban fantasy, sans romance, with broken heroes then there's no reason not to read this one.