Since slaying her best friend (Devil’s Kiss, 2009), Billi SanGreal has been frozen in grief, relieved only by her grim dedication to the Templars, a secret order sworn to defend humanity from supernatural enemies. Currently, these enemies are werewolves targeting a young psychic as a sacrifice to their goddess, Baba Yaga. The quest to rescue this Spring Child and avert global apocalypse sends the Templars to Russia, where ancient myths mix uncomfortably with modern oligarchs and where Billi must confront her inner Beast and (even more terrifying) a possible new romance. The grisly violence (lovingly depicted) and staggering body count (mostly offpage) keep this sequel firmly in the horror genre. The evocative contrast established in the previous title between the Templars’ glorious past and squalid present suffers when the action shifts from London backstreets to Muscovite palaces and primeval forest. Still, Billi remains a compelling heroine—strong, conflicted, yearning for tenderness—and the copious allusions to Slavic legends add exotic savor. The final confrontation with Baba Yaga falls a bit flat, but the bittersweet conclusion is ripe with potential repercussions that will keep readers hooked. (Horror. 12 & up)
