

An excellent follow up to Puzzle House, this second installment ramps up the action as Henry must make his way across a god-and-demon filled post-apocalyptic Los Angeles to get to his wife and exact revenge on those responsible for the carnage in the first book. As soon as I finished that one I had to head straight back in, and I’m so glad I didn’t wait. And yes, you have to read the first one to truly understand what’s happening in this one.
Ralston amps up the momentum as well as the stakes as Henry discovers that Puzzle House was just the beginning. He’s involved in a sweeping coup as ancient gods appear all over the city along with demonic creatures, and the decay of humanity and morality is fast-tracked in the chaos. What transpired in Puzzle House was just the beginning and now he’s after the evil corporate entity who are running the show.
The action moves along at a brisk pace but this book spends more time on characterization – and I appreciated that as I really like Henry Hall – he’s done some bad sh*t but he’s a good guy and that dichotomy plays out well in this new hellscape. Henry hooks up with some new associates who I also love (the Major is my unsung hero now and reminds me a bit of the Russell Casse character in Independence Day but better. And I fear for his future.) There’s humour and humanity in our core cast. And to paraphrase Ivy: Duncan, did you really write a book series from a cosmic sixty-nine joke? 😏
Fair warning – although there’s some shocking scenes at the start of this novel, and really no one is immune from the havoc and bloodshed – it’s not extreme horror. It’s effective at conveying the swift decay of morality without being sensationalist.
Another heads up: this one ends on another cliffhanger, much like the first. The natural separation of the novels serves the evolving plot as the stakes get bigger and deadlier and much more personal for our dogged heroes.
The next book can’t come fast enough!
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
An excellent follow up to Puzzle House, this second installment ramps up the action as Henry must make his way across a god-and-demon filled post-apocalyptic Los Angeles to get to his wife and exact revenge on those responsible for the carnage in the first book. As soon as I finished that one I had to head straight back in, and I’m so glad I didn’t wait. And yes, you have to read the first one to truly understand what’s happening in this one.
Ralston amps up the momentum as well as the stakes as Henry discovers that Puzzle House was just the beginning. He’s involved in a sweeping coup as ancient gods appear all over the city along with demonic creatures, and the decay of humanity and morality is fast-tracked in the chaos. What transpired in Puzzle House was just the beginning and now he’s after the evil corporate entity who are running the show.
The action moves along at a brisk pace but this book spends more time on characterization – and I appreciated that as I really like Henry Hall – he’s done some bad sh*t but he’s a good guy and that dichotomy plays out well in this new hellscape. Henry hooks up with some new associates who I also love (the Major is my unsung hero now and reminds me a bit of the Russell Casse character in Independence Day but better. And I fear for his future.) There’s humour and humanity in our core cast. And to paraphrase Ivy: Duncan, did you really write a book series from a cosmic sixty-nine joke? 😏
Fair warning – although there’s some shocking scenes at the start of this novel, and really no one is immune from the havoc and bloodshed – it’s not extreme horror. It’s effective at conveying the swift decay of morality without being sensationalist.
Another heads up: this one ends on another cliffhanger, much like the first. The natural separation of the novels serves the evolving plot as the stakes get bigger and deadlier and much more personal for our dogged heroes.
The next book can’t come fast enough!
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.