In Skinwalker we were introduced to Jane/Beast/and the various things that go bump in the New Orleans night.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, it’s time to turn things up. Dig into the history of Vampires in this world…

I was among the first hundred who followed the Sons of Darkness, turned by one who was among the first ten of the Cursed.

It’s an interesting take. I haven’t actually read that many books that really get into the origin of vampires (which now that I write it… is a little surprising). A bit less this time around digging into Jane’s history, but I’m willing to wait for that (and there is some).

And Jane/Beast still get to be badasses, which is sort of the point of the thing.

We will take back kits. We will kill predator who took them. Jane and Beast, together, will rend them. Bone from flesh, blood from veins. We will kill. Will retake kits. This I swear on my own kits.

I also really like the increased introduction to Molly and the witchy end of the world. Especially Angie Baby–young witch with power. That’ll be fun.

Overall, a solid sequel. Better (in my opinion) than the first. I’m looking forward to where it goes from here. Onward!

Side note:

A vampire, François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture, turned some of the discontent maroons and helped plot one of the major uprisings. He and his allies led a revolt under the Spanish flag that toppled the French colony. It was violent and brutal, with carnage on both sides. Some of the white landowners escaped to the U.S.; many more died, along with over ten thousand slaves. Three of the surviving vampire clans, including some who practiced blood magic, came to Louisiana in 1791, upsetting the political scene here.

It’s always fun to see books that take alternate history in different directions. Take and compare A Radical Act of Free Magic. Both have Toussaint and the rebellion of Haiti. Heck, both have vampires. But both go radically different directions.