This book started out with so much potential! I love well done urban fantasy, and I liked the concept of seeking the "Unholy" Grail. I thought that was a nice twist. But then when I immediately figured out that Jude was Judas (like, within 2 pages of his introduction), I started to get worried. Turns out, I had good reason to. This book is a mess!

The plot hinges around a MacGuffin. The minor characters seem to only be there for shock value, and the main characters are one-dimensional at best, and repulsive at worst. The writing is cliche and repetitive. (Green mentions the angels have come to Nightside at least a dozen times, which is 11 more times than necessary.) And the overwhelming amount of gore and violence feels gratuitous throughout.

The book's only saving grace is its relative brevity. At 234 pages for the paperback edition, I flew through it in a couple of days; and not a moment too soon!