This book has certainly shown that Mr Butcher is improving his craft.  Butcher still has a few too many inappropriate adjectives and adverbs that are a bit hyperbolic; but a lot less.  This reader also feels increasingly irritated with Grimsby's continued self-flagellation. He really needs to stop feeling sorry for himself.  But, I continue to enjoy this series; may it go on for much longer.

In the last book, Grimsby managed to save his coworker, Rayne, but not as she would have had it.  As a baby, she was prey to a magical ritual that bound her to a nasty little witch.  For most of her life, she was completely unaware of another living inside her mind as she was usually in control of her mind and body. But in the last story, the witch, Janice, decided that it was time to enact another ritual that would give her control over Rayne.  Rayne helps her, completely unaware that Janice exists only in her head; making her actions very suspect to the Department.  Grimsby was unable to stop the ritual but was able to, at least, keep Janice from taking over; leaving Rayne sharing her mind but and now aware of it.  The Department, while sympathetic to Rayne's innocence, cannot allow her freedom.  She is imprisoned and Grimsby swears he will do all he can to free her from Janice.

As this story opens, Grimsby gets a secret message from Rayne asking him to meet someone who might be able to help her.  Unable to say no to her, and against his better judgement, he does meet the man, Keen, who offers Grimsby a place on a team that is planning a trip into the Elsewhere; for a raid on an old Coven site. There are a number of magical items still hidden there that the witches had no chance to recover before being killed.  Keen needs something there but he is sure there is an object there that will allow Grimsby to save Rayne.  Keen is Rayne's uncle and although Grimsby has reservations about the rest of the team, he's sure that Keen has Rayne's best interest at heart.

Mayflower, The Huntsman, is on his own secret mission; something that is Huntsman business and unlikely to impact Grimsby.  Grimsby decides his mission is unlikely to impact Mayflower, so neither of them share with the other.  Unknown to Grimsby, and the gentle reader, Mayflower is not really THE Huntsman but rather A huntsman.  Due to some backstory about his family relationships, he is somewhat ostracized from Huntsman society and confined to Boston.  On the other hand, the agreement in the family is supposed to keep all other Huntsmen out of Boston.  And yet, here are two of them in the Mayflower's city.  Brass comes to the funeral of an old friend and asks Mayflower to help him find his brother, Cadence.  Mayflower reluctantly agrees, if only to help Cadence who may be in something over his head, and get both of them the hell out of Boston.

Neither of the separate missions goes as well as each of them expected. And, yes, they are connected so it was, of course, inevitable that Grimsby and Mayflower would end up working together; and saving each other.  The big questions were, obviously, if Grimsby could find the magical object and if it would give him the means to kill Janice and save Rayne; and, if Mayflower would be able to help his fellow huntsmen and secure his city.

The first question is the most important one to the story; but it's not a strong plotline. Mayflower's story seems to be there only to provide more backstory about Huntsmen and give him a reason to work with Grimsby.  The author does provide a substantial conflict and danger; so, points for that.  This series is rather urban fantasy-light but that's not necessarily bad; sometimes you don't need to read something too complex.  ~~ Catherine Book

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