Dimilioc deals with demons. I find Neumeier’s urban fantasy less appealing than the other worlds she has created but once I started reading, I was reminded that I do care about these characters. This wouldn’t have been so tense if I wasn’t so invested!

Miguel plays a central role, and it’s interesting seeing him discover more about his strengths and his limitations. Especially because those discoveries are about more than his position as the “human” Toland sibling, too -- about more than his expertise in being a human amongst Black Dogs, or more than lacking Alejandro’s and Natividad’s respective fantastical abilities.

I also liked seeing that, even though hierarchy amongst Black Dogs is based on physical strength, it’s not always just about that. An advantage to a series is that you have multiple books to establish these people and their norms, and so you can really appreciate the impact and significance of behaviour that’s some sort of exception.

(A disadvantage to series is that they’re even harder to review without spoilers.)

They were all really at their best when they were taking care of someone else. She had known that already. But it was good to think of it now. That was a good thought to set against all the horrors of the night, and against the fears of the future. ( )