The first book in this series set up an interesting twist on the usual style of urban fantasy magic, and this sequel did a nice job of deepening that mythos without also falling prey to the mistake of ramping up the power levels. It's also refreshing to see a modern fantasy series that doesn't revolve around romance, although that did form an important aspect of this book.

All in all, I regret taking so long to get around to this book, but at least that means I've got two sequels waiting for me... ( )

I really loved #1 - I don't know what took me so long to get around to book #2. I love Mason's character & all his quirks. The personality he gives Lou is great as well - they make quite the pair. Enough reference was made to book one & the returning characters to freshen up my memory. It's a great story - so sad to see the unhappy 1-star ratings. I will be diving into 3 shortly. ( )

This second book of a series went very fast for me, and was more complex than the first. All the returning characters became more whole, and both the humor and horror were upped a notch. I like that minor storylines from the first book carried over into the second and gained more importance. Several new characters were introduced whom I hope show up later in the series (e.g, the leathery gargoyle and Timothy), and one character dies too early a death for me -- he would have been an interesting competitor for Mason's love life. Lou, entertainingly, acts just like a dog (sort of) who is an equal partner with Mason in keeping them both alive in their magical world. Again I knew "whodunit" before the halfway point in the book, but it didn't diminish the fun read. Now I'm on #3. ( )

This series is a wonderful urban fantasy--who can resist a magic practioner that just wants to be left alone, a dog that isn't quite a dog and mysterious deaths of magic practioners in San Francisco?

If you like the Dresden Files, Ilona Andrews, or any urban fantasy, this series is highly recommended. If you just enjoy a good mystery, this series is highly recommended. It's one of my all-time favorites! ( )

This time around someone is destroying the minds of practitioners. Victor and Eli call Mason and others in to help in the investigation. This time around Levitt explores the origins and nature of the Ifrits as a side story to the mystery. He also brings to light the feelings between practitioners with Ifrits and those without.

Mason himself is a likeable enough character. He is very laid back and not really interested in his magical talent. He'd much rather be playing music than chasing down villains.

I had the villain pegged the minute the character was introduced, but Levitt kept me intrigued to find out the why until the end. Unfortunately, he took the easy way out with the villain at the end.

All in all it's an enjoyable read. I did find some glaring typos that threw me out of the story, but they were less than some authors' books. I will most likely be continuing with the series. ( )