Plots thicken, characters deepen and snark is bantered with witty abandon in this dark fantasy sequel to The Demon’s Lexicon (2009). Mae hoped that her life could return to normal after her brother was rescued from murderous magicians. But the catastrophic aftermath has only increased the Obsidian Circle’s interest in Jamie, and Mae herself can’t forget the allure of the Goblin Market or the blood on her hands—and anything connected with the Ryves brothers is about as far from “normal” as possible. While the plot suffers from middle-book syndrome—too occupied with repercussions and setup to provide a satisfying independent story line—the prose sparkles with clever humor, arresting metaphors and more than a hint of sexy romance. Mae’s viewpoint provides welcome insight into her enigmatic personality, revealing her passions, insecurities and reluctant fascination with magic. But the compelling characters of Alan (compassionate, manipulative, devoted and deceitful) and Nick (vicious, baffled, powerful and vulnerable) still dominate. Above all remains the painful depth and invincible beauty of family love, however that family is cobbled together. Not to be missed. (Fantasy. YA)
