I’ve picked this book practically at random and without much active memory of what went on in the first part of the series, but the early chapters did a great job drawing me back into this secretive, magical version of London. I think I’ve enjoyed this second installment more, for a variety of reasons, not least of them being that this time I went in knowing what to expect: an urban fantasy novel with romantic queer subplots on the side, not a romance in an urban fantasy setting. But also, I think there’s a much better balance here between action, mystery, and character-focused moments. Also, I’m kind of a sucker for stories about the MC’s dark past catching up to them and for “magic-induced descent into madness” narratives (listen, I’m a lovecraftian horror at heart). So this book definitely delivered.

I enjoyed a slightly deeper dive into the worldbuilding, learning more about latents and their tricks and all the bad ways in which humans handle this. The danger Dom had been in throughout the book because of the failed competency test felt pressing and palpable, the serial killer mystery plot was exciting, and I can’t imagine not picking up the third novel now because damn, that cliffhanger is simply unfair. I need to know what happens next. Will Kempthorne get what he wants this time, and how? How is Dom going to fare where he is? Which things that Kage says and does are true and which are lying lies? Yup, I definitely will be picking up the next one soon.

The love triangle keeps being very, ah, triangular—in the sense that there remains a fair degree of uncertainty on which love interest is supposed to be the “true” one, though I think my money’s on Kempthorne at this point. The chemistry there is just so much stronger, now that the situation between him and Dom has gained more layers, and Dom’s attraction feels more genuine. With Kage, it felt like he was actively talking himself into giving this a chance to be more than sex; with Kempthorne, he was constantly talking himself out of acting on the attraction. The latter’s definitely more promising.

All in all, a fun, tense, fast-paced urban fantasy romp that hits all the classic beats for the genre and makes it very gay.