The Order of Eternal Sleep

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

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.

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:)

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!