I found it more difficult to read this second book than the first book of the series; I think it's more my fault than the story, since when I did have time to read in big chunks, I was completely engrossed. But big chunks of time were limited the past few weeks, despite a week at the beach.

The story is just as confusing as before, and growing more so, with different (and more evil) classifications of other-worldly beings popping up left and right. What saves it from being too confusing is that Maxine is learning along with us: she doesn't have all the answers, and she's just as surprised by Avatars, etc, as we are. More than once, she laments the good ol' days and simpler times of only exorcising demons from their human hosts. But, as with all great paranormal stories, she is the most recent in a long line of defenders, whose mystery and complex existence unravels alongside the monster-of-the-week, which is always more than it seems.

Ultimately, it still combines my favorite things about Buffy, the Hollows, and the Fever series, and I'll continue reading about the adventures of Maxine and the boys.