While not so complexly plotted as to repel new readers, this grim middle volume (after 2006's Scar Night
) also does little to attract them. Most strikingly, the novel lacks a protagonist. Virtually every character is a pawn in the ongoing war between a dysfunctional family of desperate gods and King Menoa, the mad ruler of the Mesmerists. Rogue assassin Rachel Hael mostly disappears halfway through; the skyship-towing giant John Anchor is purely a tour guide; and angel Dill only reacts to abrupt shifts in reality. Death is relative, with characters translating unpredictably among Hell, the mortal realm and a bizarre reality called the Maze. Sex and romance are virtually absent, but stylized gore is everywhere, perhaps reflecting Campbell's background in video-game design. Despite the vivid descriptions and genuinely unusual setting, readers who make it through to the cliffhanger ending of this installment may well not care enough to seek out the forthcoming concluding volume. (May)
