Thaniel, a noted wych-hunter, is extremely busy as the wych-kin work to take over London and the Fraternity emerge as a sinister threat to the future of humanity. Alaizabel turns up confused as it turns out she has become possessed partially by Thatch. As the mystery unfolds, Thaniel and Alaizabel along with several others set out to bring down the Fraternity and try to survive all manners of danger, supernatural and otherwise along the way. ( )

Fascinating! The deep dark secret in the end, the horrible monsters that roam in the night and don't forget the end of the world scenario at the end of the book! First and possibly true love with someone who was possessed by an evil spirit, a legend of a father that you may never live up too. All of these make this a wonderfully entertaining book that will keep you up for hours to finish. Be careful, for if you are afraid of monsters then the creatures in this book may push you over the edge. I recommend this to people who love the strange and are brave enough to face impending doom, a serial killer, and cultists who wish to bring about the end of the world. ( )

Supernatural "wych-kin" are taking over part of the city while a wych-hunter named Thaniel finds the beautiful (or course, otherwise why would he bother) Alaizabel Cray who has been possessed by an "old wych" named Thatch. Alaizabel becomes very important in helping the wych-hunters in their attempt to stop a cult from opening up the gate to allow demons to take over the world.

The most compelling part of the book was the last 20 pages. I had to force myself to read the first half of the book. I thought it was a snore. ( )

Gothic and original thriller about a 17 year old wych-hunter and the girl he loves (who just happens to be posessed). Fast paced and a bit gruesome. Good for mid teens and up. ( )

Plot: An alternate universe apocalypse plot with some twists on it to keep it interesting. Well-chosen side plots that help the story along. Good pacing for most of the book, although towards the end the story feels weighted down with too many scenes. A rather anticlimatic ending is the result.

Characters: These are the weak point of the book. Characterization is started, and started well, but it feels as if Wooding abandoned the work somewhere in the middle of the story. The omniscient point of view doesn't help much with it either.

Style: Great setup, with wonderful atmosphere. The descriptions are done beautifully and the writing style too is interestingly done. It all tapers off a bit in the second half, when less attention is paid to maintaining the mood.

Plus: Good story, well-done gothic setting.

Minus: The spelling of some names and terms (presumably to underline the alternate universe issue). The drop in quality in the second half.

Summary: Good story, but not perfect. It's written for a teenage audience and it shows. ( )