The once mighty Ordo Solis – the Order of the Sun – has lost its following. Created to fight a demon who inhabited people and ate the souls of its victims, it no longer wields the power it had. People don’t believe the demon exists anymore. So, the American chapter of the Order now only consists of two members. Yes, two members in the form of Steven and Jeff, who still keep up traditions and faithfully watch the Raptor Gatekeeper each night for one hour in the hopes of clues to catch the demon.
But Jeff is struggling with keeping his commitment to his day job, his Order work, and spending time with his wife and daughter. And Steven feels he needs a holiday. Maybe permanently. They decide to watch one last viewing together, when they notice a person approaching the Gatekeeper. It’s almost like he knows the secret signal, but not quite.
With the Raptors, Unas, and Sanhe cults still out there and waiting for the Soulstealer’s return, there is a huge task awaiting Ordo Solis as the cults have no mercy and will stop at nothing to defend him. Unfortunately, Steven is about to find out the depths they will go to. After teaming up with Adeline from the European chapter, they land up going to different countries and working with different Orders. Orders who have had so little to do over the years that they have forgotten traditions. Most don’t believe the Bane is back and others just don’t know what to do. Steven takes matters into his own hands and, with evidence he has cleverly hidden, he plans to use someone with influence who will present the evidence as valid and back it. Will the government agree with this ruse, or will he and his evidence disappear without a trace?
The Soulstealer is able to siphon millions of souls at a time. But working out where and when he will attack leaves a whole planet to keep an eye on. This ancient evil will take a lot to beat…
This is a very clever “side-story” in that it is written in the same time frame as the first book but from a different character’s perspective so we get to see how the other side felt about what happened and how they dealt with it. The books fit together so well and a side-by-side comparison will remind you of many small details you may have forgotten.
Steven is not your average hero, and the author allows you to feel his frustration and cheer when he defies orders in order to put plans in motion. In book one, you feel empathy for the Soulstealer as you understand the reasons why he is forced to do what he does, yet in book two you can feel the pain that his actions caused. Characters that were only briefly mentioned in book one now have their time to shine as you understand their role in the big picture.
The author has a lovely fluid style of writing and while there were a few small punctuation mistakes, they were not enough to play a major distraction. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, both in the manner of construction and the content, and am keen to see the direction the story will go.
