The First Book of the Cataclysm, The Blood Debt, was one of the best books I read last year, and I'd been looking forward to reading the Second Book. I was startled to find that it was, in many respects, completely different from the first book, though excellent in its own right. While I miss the nightmarish landscapes and the urgency of the first book, I came to really appreciate the world that the author has built for the sequel. This is a world that he's obviously told stories in before, and happily, that backstory was woven deftly into this book so, once I got over the startlement, it didn't take me too long to find my feet in this new universe. I really enjoyed the three main characters, Shilly, Sal and Skender, and the host of secondary characters, as they were all well-realised. I particularly appreciated their diversity, and how the book was so beautifully infused with the Australian landscape. I also liked the imaginative flashes (e.g. the man'kin, the living statuary who can see past, present and future simultaneously), and certainly the story became increasingly gripping. Good stuff, and I want to keep on with this series, and find Williams' earlier books too. ( )