2014 modern fantasy, second in the series. Jade Crow is training to
fight against the big nasty magician, but her father calls for help.
You really shouldn't go home again.
No need for much worldbuilding in this one since the first book
did it, but we do get more of Jade's background in a shapeshifter
community that ends up looking rather more like a cult. Well, when
people are living for hundreds of years, they can get pretty set in
their ways.
As it must be at this length, this is a pretty straightforward story:
someone's killing the shapeshifters, Jade goes and finds out who and
why, and deals with it. There's just room for a couple of twists,
which do their job of showing who Jade is as a person as well as
providing adventure.
What I assumed was meant to be the regular cast for the series, Jade's
gaming friends at home, are largely absent here, and they're missed.
Instead we get lots of family angst. Jade's boyfriend (and
super-powerful Justice) Alek is here, but she doesn't trust him with
anything, and it's impossible to tell whether that's actually harming
the relationship or not.
If this had been the first book I'd read I wouldn't have bothered with
more; it's competently written for the most part, but doesn't engage.
I'll probably give the next one a go when I'm in a mood for something
very light. Followed by Pack of Lies.
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