As usual, I attempt to really draw out my reading of a Repairman Jack book (for the sake enjoyment), and, as usual, I get hooked into the book and finish within a day or two.
My thoughts:
- Darryl. When he was introduced in Bloodlines, I saw him as this seedy character who was barely above a hobo. Then, in By the Sword, he started to get fleshed out a bit more as a really cool guy who you had to be careful with. But here? I actually felt like he was one of the better characters in the story. When he became Fhinntmanchca Darryl, my jaw hit the floor.
- Weezy. Often, I try not to get attached to new characters in Jack's life (and especially characters from his past) because a spear has no branches. But Weezy surviving and being a damn good asset to conquering the Compendium was great. I would really love a book about the First Age with Glaeken and Rasalom. "Demonsong" was a fun read, but I want to know the genesis of Rasalom into whatever he is.
- My only major criticism: Not enough Abe! I think Jack went see him one time in the entire novel, and while it was vintage Abe, there was this foreboding/foreshadowing in the conversation between the two. Abe remains one of my favorite characters in the series, so any chance interaction with Jack is just great for me.
All in all, it was a great book, and while that open-ended feeling that FPW warned about in the intro wasn't a great feeling (How could you leave us with a cliffhanger like that? Count down until book 14 begins), but I think the flow that By the Sword established is continuing, and the books are building to a good conclusion.