Lenni Reviews: "Queen of Dark Things" by C. Robert Cargill



If you recall my review of the first book, I kinda fangirled all over the place. I'll try to control myself this time.

That being said? Holy CRAP, I love this book! I haven't fallen this deep in love with a morally ambiguous character of unknown potential since Cal Leandros! Queen of Dark Things has everything I love about dark urban fantasy; sorcerers, spirits, demons, magic, and STRATEGY! The character having a stratagem that, while not bringing a Lord of the Rings-esque conquering of evil, shows cunning and forethought by both the character and the author.

This book picks up where the first book left off, with Colby Stevens still dealing with the loss of his friend, Ewan. He's a drunken mess, bouncing from drink to drink til his fame comes around to kick him square in the ass. An old friend from the past shows up with world ending trouble in tow leaving Colby no choice but to face down his mistakes and deal with creatures of such darkness, they're even scared of one another.

Colby is shaping up to be one heck of a character. His growth (or lack there of) from the first to the second book is believable and holds frightening implications within the world of this series. As with the first book, the narrative is broken up with excerpts from Dr. Thaddeus Ray and the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum which kept me leaping from chapter to chapter wondering how the heck Colby was going to deal with the entities being described.

While the whole book feels more rushed than the first outing, Dark Things is a completely satisfying continuation. I look forward to seeing Colby reach even further heights. My only complaint is having to wait for the next one.

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