I stumbled into this series without knowing that it would have a lot of elements that I like. Especially when it comes to how California, due to everything that has come out since 2020 and currently. I can see how some of the stuff included in this series can relate to that which makes it more scary. I liked how the author doesn’t hold back when it comes to the characters and their different inner struggles. I wish I would have read the first one to get more background but that was a personal fault. I will read the first one and reread this one and hope that it allows me to give it a higher score since I would be more educated on the whole subject. I would love to read more from this author and for them to push their boundaries a little bit more within reason to create that dark detective story they are pushing here.

Enjoyed this one! Often I get nervous going into series because my brain refuses to let me DNF something and I like to complete what I start. Luckily, I ended up likely enjoyed this more than The City. The City was great but straddled that splatterpunk line at times a bit too close for my liking. This book had less of the graphic torture, but still nailed the pacing and action.

There was quite a bit going on, but it was easy to connect with the characters (even if they’ve evolved quite differently ) and the multiple povs didn’t throw me off.

Overall, this was a great read. Plus the story concluded on 4/17 and I, myself, am finishing on 4/17 so it felt like perfect timing.

Definitely recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a strong sequel in the Labyrinth series, it had everything that I was looking for and enjoyed about the genre. The characters worked in the story being told and I was hooked from the first page, it continued the story and so glad I was able to read this. It left me wanting to read more in this series and from S.C. Mendes.

I am sorry to say this did not hit the mark for me. I thought it fell into the same traps as the first in the series. Nothing about the setting or world felt like early 20th century California, it felt like it wanted to be a gritty 1970s pulp detective story and the setting just felt like an incongruous afterthought. The characters were fine in so far as they had complicated inner lives, but it was all pretty much bog-standard. Even worse, the recurring characters from the first novel felt entirely different. Yes, there was a three-year gap in the timeline, but these characters were so wildly different you could have given them different names and not much would have changed. That transformation, whatever happened in those three years to make them who they are when this book opens; that would have been interesting and fun to explore. Instead, they fall into our laps newly and confusingly reformed. The writing felt very abrupt and clunky. The chapters jumped around among a number of different characters, and each chapter was quite short, which did give the book a decent pacing, it lent a feeling of momentum that served the plot. But there was so much that just seemed like it happened for the convenience of plot that it didn’t keep my attention, and all the tension just felt artificial and unearned. Maybe the most frustrating part, though, is that there is no reason this had to be a sequel to The City. This story introduces cults and magic and all these things that were not evenly remotely touched upon in the first story. Yes, in the very end they pull them all together in a way that makes sense, that was fine. But literally nothing in the first story hinted or telegraphed this type of world as a possibility. The stories felt disconnected, like a strained relationship, and the ties that connect them felt tenuous. Lastly, the whole story felt a little QAnon adjacent, what with a mysterious, ancient race of lizard people living in plain sight with plans to take over the world and enslave humanity, using sacrifice and dark powers to accomplish their aims… And that just gave everything a weird veneer that maybe was entirely fabricated from my side but definitely colored the experience.

I don’t mean this review to be so harsh. There is still a relatively compelling mythology created between these two books, even if I don’t feel like it was disclosed in an interesting or coherent way, and there is a lot more that could be explored in the world created. The writing isn’t bad, it is well-paced and certainly carries you along. There are a lot of events that feel too convenient and only half-baked, and those plot hiccups make it feel like the writing is choppy and inconsistent, but with better and more consistent plotting I think the writing would shine through. While the characters aren’t particularly surprising they are interesting, and in fact this story has almost too many characters, we don’t get enough time to get more than a surface-level experience of many of them. That said, the author has no difficulty putting out characters into peril, putting them on both side of dealing out and receiving gratuitous violence, which is a brazen style that fits the genre and mood of the story. Similar to my experience upon finishing the first in this series, I felt like there was a lot of potential that was untapped, in terms of world-building, character, and story. The author clearly has a lot of engaging ideas but the writing doesn’t feel like it explores them as robustly as I would have liked.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Blood Bound Books, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

So I think the reason people were disappointed with this entry is because they were expecting it to be as dark as the first. I didn't have that problem because, while I really enjoyed The City, I also really enjoyed this opportunity to see more of how this cult operates aboveground. There was still the grit and violence I expected, but it's building up to something bigger and I'm eagerly anticipating the third in the series. I hope NetGalley lets me read that one too!
The ending of this seemed hopeless but there was just enough ambiguity that I'm hoping for some fantastic surprises!

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first, but overall I still enjoyed my experience reading it. It felt like there was a LOT of action getting crammed into what felt like a shorter book, which gave me whiplash at some moments. As a result it felt a bit disjointed at times. It was still an easy and enjoyable read despite my nitpicking.

It was great to see the characters from <I>The City</I> return, and they are definitely the stars of the show. McCloud, Ming, and Max are all great!

The ending was great, and that being said, I think it tees up a third novel really well, and I would definitely check that third novel out.

Also, <spoiler>Max BETTER NOT BE DEAD!</spoiler>

Review: This was built for the filler in the series. A waypoint preceding the End. Still, the writing is good but lacks a certain inventiveness that the original had in spades.
Max finally makes an appearance and since he is central to the theme, he makes the story line what it is. This exclusion paints a dreary picture as you get mired in McCloud's procedurals.
The Grand finale' is obvious. What is not, is whether they kill off Max. I swear if you do, I will never read another of your novels. And leave Ming alone too.

Perfectly serviceable pulp. A little hammy at points, maybe a little rough around the edges at points, but fun.

Three years after Max Elliot goes missing, an anonymous tip brings Detectives McCloud and O’Neil to a residential arson on the outskirts of Chinatown. The majority of the house survived, but the six bodies inside were reduced to gnarled heaps of blackened limbs. A hidden door to the basement reveals a strange ritual space. Sealing the room, is the image of a serpent and obelisk, reminiscent of Ming’s scarred palm. On the black altar, they find an unidentifiable language and symbols that lead to more questions. Dark magick. Suppressed news reports. Dirty cops. Besides the nightmares inspired by the crime, something else from the hidden basement is following them. Infecting them. Providing a glimpse to the mental anguish coming to consume us all. Meanwhile, a secret order is poised to complete their greatest ritual yet. The Rites of Eternal Sleep will usher in the long night. And when the Black Sun rises, the surface will never be the same. Under the influence of dark forces, McCloud will need all the help he can get to unravel the many veils of The Order before time runs out. Discover the true plans of the Mara today!

A good fast paced horror book. No doubt I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first book, but nevertheless I had a real good time with this one as I'm sure most other horror fans will too:)