Now this was a pleasant surprise. I'd read the author's 'The Shadow of His Wings' years ago, but couldn't remember what I'd thought of it, and I frankly wasn't expecting much from this book. However, here we have the anti-hero protagonist's believable transformation from street tough/con-man ('fister') to genuine hero, a delightful heroine with a social conscience who's seizing control of her life (and her sexuality, yay!), an interesting and well-characterised array of allies and enemies, a corrupt city (its grunginess practically oozes off the pages), solid work with world-building beyond that, some nastily realistic violence (which the narrative doesn't over-dwell on), and a creepy cult that steals souls and provides the central motivation for the hero's transformation. Good stuff, and I would have liked to have read more in this world. ( )