Lire, powerful Seattle psychic and clairvoyant could
really use some down time after narrowly surviving a traumatic and near-death
experience – especially since she now has 3 new psychic powers to try to
assimilate even while she’s frightened of some of the new things she can do.
But there are ongoing effects – the demon Paimon still
has forged a link with Lire and is driving her to act to save the world; if she
can actually trust a word he says. Invisius is still trying to snare Lire in
its own secret machinations…
And then the sidhe appear.
This book seems to be moving in a very different
direction, while still using the wonderfully rich world and excellent
characters we had in the last book (I loved them so very much).
In
the last book the focus was on a demonically manipulated serial killer and,
lurking behind him, the sneaky and manipulative Invisius organisation with its
mind readers, diviners and the ability to control people’s thoughts. It was a
dire threat to face, but Lire had friends and allies and we were all set up to
face it
This book takes a sharp turn – and a much broader focus.
This brings in the fae and the demons in a much larger extent and we have some
wonderful expansions of the world building with both creatures being referenced
and developed including an excellent and original reason for why both species
actually want to reach Earth (I think this is especially important because so
much of the genre works by relying on past assumptions of genre staples. Demons
want to invade this world? Why? Because it’s what demons do, right?). It
upgrades the epicness of the series and puts things in a far more important
context. This is no longer just Lire’s story, but a story on which the world
rests.
But Lire is still front and centre of it – her story is
still central. We still have Lire getting though her life, excellently handling
her psychic abilities that have now grown so greatly and her own self-doubts
and worries about that. There’s the added pressure of her normal life being
almost unsupportable through all this pressure – even well meaning pressure –
and her growing frustration with the very nature of prophecy. Various beings
have decided she is the Chosen One to save them all and she has not the time,
patience or confidence for such pronouncements. Especially since prophecy is
being used as a stick to goad her or a justification for other’s meddling. No
matter what the prophecies say, this is Lire’s life and she has no wish to
throw it away or twist it irreparably because “it is written”.
It’s still about her which is excellent – because Lire is
an awesome character.
One thing the new, epic and fascinating plot lines have
done though is brush the old plot lines aside a little… clumsily. I felt that
we kind of raced to the new paradigm and the old one was hastily put to bed and
banished into the background.
I do find Lire to be annoyingly nice at times. In
particular she’s almost supernaturally forgiving and understanding. Especially towards
Danny and Kieran. Yes both of them have been put in awkward situations like
Lire, but the situations they’ve been put in have caused them to directly affect
Lire’s life. Danny has invaded the minds of people round her, changed their
lives, rearranged her neighbours, her work and regularly kept secrets from her.
Kieran was sent to seduce her (which is a very very broad definition of what he
was expected to do) and fought with her while Maeve did her thing with Vince.
Sure they are in terrible circumstances and are acting with the very best of
intentions but I think Lire is being something of a saint to be as forgiving
and understanding as she is. I would definitely have stabbed a few people with the
silverware over dinner by now.
