James delivers a thrilling second addition to his Hourglass series, blending elements of horror, action, and dark humor in this menacing story following up on Clyde Williams, a former comic book artist who’s now working as a Level 1 necromancer for Hourglass, a “paranormal peacekeeping agency” fighting supernatural threats, the foremost of which is a new and deadly assassin called The Hangman. “A dark presence of muscle and killing wire,” The Hangman is infamous for taking out Hourglass’s last Madhouse team, and Clyde, now assigned to the newest Madhouse facility in New York, along with his best friend's ghost, Kev, and an experienced team, must hunt him down—or else.The Hangman is just the first in a series of gruesome creations unleashed by the sinister Cairnwood Society, and as Clyde and his team uncover the evil techniques behind these horrors, they must race against time to stop Cairnwood’s destruction. The stakes are incredibly high—Cairnwood isn’t just after Hourglass, they have the entire world in their sights—and James’s immersive world-building brings to life a New York that teems with paranormal threats and shadowy organizations. James expertly balances fast-paced action with moments of character development, giving readers a protagonist they can root for amidst the chaos; Clyde’s journey from a reluctant necromancer to a confident agent is compelling, filled with tension, grim banter, and an ever-present sense of danger.
James’s prose is sharp, capturing both the dire realities of Clyde’s world and the playfulness that helps him survive it, and, though this installment follows events from James’s Hourglass, it can be read as a standalone. Some readers might find the constant action overwhelming, but it suits the book’s all-or-nothing environment, as does Clyde’s metamorphosis from a self-titled pacifist into a paranormal warrior, transforming his life into “a comic-book of sorts”—but with much deadlier consequences.
Takeaway: Gripping read where the supernatural is both a curse and a weapon.
Comparable Titles: Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
