kblincoln's review
4.0
Ray Lilly is picked up from his blue collar job by Catherine, an investigator for the Twenty Palaces Society, a ruthless group of humans who will stop at nothing to keep other people from using magic.
Ray is a Wooden Man, a magically protected servant of a sorceror who, after the first book, Child of Fire, was sure he was going to end up in jail due to the crimes he had to commit in the name of "protection."
But the Twenty Palaces society is not done with him yet. Catherine takes him to the small town of Washaway, where Ray will have to decide how far he is willing to go, and who he is willing to kill, in order to both stay "in the know" about magic in our world, as well as protect others from a horrible, alien predator.
I'm not an action-oriented reader. I like relationships, and plots revealing themselves slowly.
However, the breathless pace with which Ray finds himself drawn into the action (you keep thinking things will get better, or that a sorceror will arrive and clean everything up, but it never quite reaches that point) and held spellbound as Ray makes decision after decision about death and pain and what he's willing to bear.
Excellent read. The only dissatisfaction I have is that I wanted more development between Ray and Catherine (and that is brought to a screeching halt partway through the book due to something I can't say without spoilerage) or Ray and Annalise (she comes in way too late for very much there) to set the backdrop for his moral quandaries.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Chips and salsa, for the way that you start eating them, and then look up a moment later and realize you've eaten the whole bag and your mouth is smarting from the spicy salsa.
Ray is a Wooden Man, a magically protected servant of a sorceror who, after the first book, Child of Fire, was sure he was going to end up in jail due to the crimes he had to commit in the name of "protection."
But the Twenty Palaces society is not done with him yet. Catherine takes him to the small town of Washaway, where Ray will have to decide how far he is willing to go, and who he is willing to kill, in order to both stay "in the know" about magic in our world, as well as protect others from a horrible, alien predator.
I'm not an action-oriented reader. I like relationships, and plots revealing themselves slowly.
However, the breathless pace with which Ray finds himself drawn into the action (you keep thinking things will get better, or that a sorceror will arrive and clean everything up, but it never quite reaches that point) and held spellbound as Ray makes decision after decision about death and pain and what he's willing to bear.
Excellent read. The only dissatisfaction I have is that I wanted more development between Ray and Catherine (and that is brought to a screeching halt partway through the book due to something I can't say without spoilerage) or Ray and Annalise (she comes in way too late for very much there) to set the backdrop for his moral quandaries.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Chips and salsa, for the way that you start eating them, and then look up a moment later and realize you've eaten the whole bag and your mouth is smarting from the spicy salsa.
sling's review
2.0
I really liked the first book in the series; feeling that it had a lot of potential. The second one picks up a little while after, when the aftermath of the first had died down but not disappeared altogether.
The beginning was strong: new mission, new partner, a bit of rescue from the humdrum. Unfortunately the premise is similar despite the attempt to change it up. Instead of knowing a predator is loose in a small town, this time Ray and Catherine are just in the area to investigate. Of course that doesn't last long as the predator gets free and starts wreaking havoc.
It seemed to me while reading, that there was a lot of running from place to place, just missing the predator, and not that much story. There were tantalizing hints of the different orders within the Twenty Palace Society, rogues, and flashes of curious backstory. Because of this, the book seemed a bit thin.
Ray Lilly is still a great protagonist, with character growth, internal conflicts and difficult choices to make. You get a real sense of him trying to best he can and the author does a great job of showing not telling. I would just like to see him in more interesting circumstances.
The beginning was strong: new mission, new partner, a bit of rescue from the humdrum. Unfortunately the premise is similar despite the attempt to change it up. Instead of knowing a predator is loose in a small town, this time Ray and Catherine are just in the area to investigate. Of course that doesn't last long as the predator gets free and starts wreaking havoc.
It seemed to me while reading, that there was a lot of running from place to place, just missing the predator, and not that much story. There were tantalizing hints of the different orders within the Twenty Palace Society, rogues, and flashes of curious backstory. Because of this, the book seemed a bit thin.
Ray Lilly is still a great protagonist, with character growth, internal conflicts and difficult choices to make. You get a real sense of him trying to best he can and the author does a great job of showing not telling. I would just like to see him in more interesting circumstances.
wildflowerz76's review
3.0
I think I found the first of this series through Felicia Day's Goodreads. I liked the first one pretty well, so I picked up the next two at some point. I'm not sure what it was, but I didn't like this one as well. I think it might have been the non-stop action. I've never been a fan of that part when there's not a lot of meaningful interaction between characters. Also, the vast number of players in this one was confusing as hell. The nicknames helped a lot, but even if you took those out, there were still a LOT of named people and I had a hard time remembering them all. I still liked it well enough and will definitely read the next one at some point.
drey72's review
4.0
Ray Lilly has (luckily? surprisingly?) survived the events at Hammer Bay in Child of Fire and is working the late shift at a supermarket when someone shows up from the society to bring him along on a job. A little one, but a job nonetheless...
Then he finds out that Catherine's not a peer, she's an investigator, sent to check out an auction. And when things get hairy--there was a predator being auctioned, and it's now loose--Ray can only really depend on himself, while trying to keep Catherine and the residents of Washaway safe. Difficult to do when all he has is his ghost knife, and the local law enforcement breathing down his back because he can't tell them anything.
Harry Connolly keeps you on your toes from the first page until the very last word as you ride shotgun with Ray in this rough-and-tumble read. Check it out if this is how you hang (but read Child of Fire first).
Then he finds out that Catherine's not a peer, she's an investigator, sent to check out an auction. And when things get hairy--there was a predator being auctioned, and it's now loose--Ray can only really depend on himself, while trying to keep Catherine and the residents of Washaway safe. Difficult to do when all he has is his ghost knife, and the local law enforcement breathing down his back because he can't tell them anything.
Harry Connolly keeps you on your toes from the first page until the very last word as you ride shotgun with Ray in this rough-and-tumble read. Check it out if this is how you hang (but read Child of Fire first).
mspris's review
4.0
This is a strong series and very entertaining, I enjoyed this book the most of the series so far!
ardaiel's review
4.0
I love this series and I'm only two books in. We meet up with Ray Lilly several months after Child of Fire. He's working at a grocery store and trying to forget about the events in Hammer Bay when an investigator with the Twenty Palaces Society shows up. A group is auctioning off a predator, and they're being sent in to gather information.
On the one hand I'm disappointed by the fact that we see less of Annalise in this book, as I find the interaction between she and Ray a lot of fun. On the other hand, we get to see Ray flounder about on his own without any magical backup, making his own mistakes and coming into his own. I'm also pretty intrigued by the insinuations that Ray is something more than your average Wooden Man. It's a bit obvious, or he wouldn't be our main character, but hints are definitely being dropped that Ray might be something special, or have more of a future in the Twenty Palaces Society than as low tier cannon fodder. It's a great hook and I'll definitely be coming back for more.
On the one hand I'm disappointed by the fact that we see less of Annalise in this book, as I find the interaction between she and Ray a lot of fun. On the other hand, we get to see Ray flounder about on his own without any magical backup, making his own mistakes and coming into his own. I'm also pretty intrigued by the insinuations that Ray is something more than your average Wooden Man. It's a bit obvious, or he wouldn't be our main character, but hints are definitely being dropped that Ray might be something special, or have more of a future in the Twenty Palaces Society than as low tier cannon fodder. It's a great hook and I'll definitely be coming back for more.
jelveby's review
2.0
I liked the first book, I did. But this one just felt... thin.
I feel like the second book in a series needs to build on the first one, but we basically just get more of the same. We don't even get to see the relationship between Ray and his new boss, Annalise, evolve since for some reason he's now partnered with someone new.
This book was a huge letdown for me and I'm not sure I'll pick up the next book at all.
I feel like the second book in a series needs to build on the first one, but we basically just get more of the same. We don't even get to see the relationship between Ray and his new boss, Annalise, evolve since for some reason he's now partnered with someone new.
This book was a huge letdown for me and I'm not sure I'll pick up the next book at all.
imitira's review
3.0
More of the same, though with rather less character development and more running around the map collecting clues and hurting people. The action kept it interesting, but it does feel like the author didn't have a lot of ideas on what to do with this story. I'll probably wind up reading the sequel anyway, but I don't recommend anyone else does.
chris_nz's review
5.0
Surprised so many people apparently did not like this. I freakin loved it! I have not read the negative reviews, but going on what the author wrote on his blog, I apparently am in the minority. I loved the ghost knife action, and I am glad there is mystery surrounding the society. I also loved how the author sets these books up so the main characters don't like each other, I think it works well. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in the series