I enjoyed this book much more than Changeless, though not as much as Soulless. It fell somewhere in the middle, though it did retain the characteristic wit and humor that I like about this series. As with the previous book, I’ll only be evaluating things in this review that are particular to this novel, not things across the series as a whole thus far.

Things I Liked

1. Professor Lyall: We didn’t get to know Lyall too well in the previous two books, but this installment really gives him room to shine. I liked seeing how he dealt with problems when Lord Maccon was out of the picture, and I genuinely liked Lyall as a character.

2. Pace: I think this book was better at slowing down and giving each scene/episode room to develop. Thought not always perfect, I appreciated that I wasn’t rushed through a scene.

Things I Didn’t Like

1. Vampire Plot: Much of this book is devoted to action sequences when vampires are trying to kill Alexia. It happens over and over again, and though an explanation is given, I never felt like I was wholly convinced of the urgency or sense of panic the vampires felt towards the unborn child. I was also not clear on the motivations of the potentate, nor did I feel he and the other vampires were heavily involved. They mostly felt like faceless characters that were there to simply stir up trouble.

2. Empty Mystery: Some of the novel felt like it was setting up a mystery about Alexia’s father and Floote’s past, and while we got tidbits that I found exciting, I was disappointed that there wasn’t a more aggressive attempt to uncover their information.

3. Useless Characters: Some characters felt like dead weight. I love Madame Lefoux, and Biffy could be interesting, but I never felt like I understood why they were there. They didn’t develop much, and they didn’t seem to have much purpose other than as pawns.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in steampunk, supernatural fantasy, and supernatural mystery.