I think the first book was my favorite, with this one a close second. The plotlines were a little more cohesive, and we get some fun new characters here. I'm glad to know there are more coming in the series, though it is developing a running "big bad," which I sometimes begin to resent. You know, in many series, the first couple of books are discrete episodes until the publisher decides the series is worthwhile, then the author turns the series into what he/she originally wanted which is larger and more complex. I like the discrete structure because he books are easy to read and move on without worrying about what's coming next (which is particularly difficult when the books aren't even out yet). On the other hand, the larger framework adds a certain gravitas to the series that you can't get with quicker episodes. But I'm still liking where we're going here.