I had no idea how this series could stay interesting without Curran as the Beast Lord. The politics of the pack and all the interactions with their various members has been an integral part of the series to this point. I was worried that somehow Curran would be diminished as a character in some way because of his decision to leave the pack in the last story. But this is Curran, and he is no softie. The writing team of Ilona Andrews has managed to take the story in a whole new direction without changing the tone of the story or weakening any of the characters. Their writing style is so sophisticated in some ways, creating nuanced characters that are so interesting, even after eight books of adventures. An entire group of scary bad guy creatures arise in this book, and they created a tension to the story that kept me breathless at times and unable to put the book down as I read to see how Kate and Curran and their group of loyal friends and followers try to survive. Roland takes a bit of a back seat in this story as the main villain, but he shows up just enough for me to continue to be AMAZED at Ilona Andrews' ability to create such a magnificent villain. He is absolutely fascinating. It is obvious that he is a bad, bad villain who needs to be destroyed. And yet, even though I knew this, dare I say that I was almost touched at times when he and Kate were having a daddy/daughter dinner? He seemed almost genuine in his love and concern for her ... and that is why he is soooooooo scary and the perfect bad guy in this series. His emotions creep me out.

Five stars for this one because of wonderfully written characters with a driving story that never seems stale. I love the relationship of Kate and Curran. I love that their relationship does not weaken them, but instead strengthens them both as individuals. This series is a wonderful example of what the urban fantasy genre should be. Can't wait to see how this plays out in the final two books.