This is my first Cherie Priest book. Quite entertaining - liked the different slant in this horror/mystery genre with its mystic Southern Gothic element. The pacing in the first half of the book was a little slow and there were parts which I felt were redundant to the main plot, but the author managed the pacing much better in the second half, introducing more suspense and action. Although the ending turned out more or less as what I expected, there was enough intense animation and stirring moments of fright and horror to keep me glued to the book in the last few chapters. There is one aspect that will ensure my continued attention to this series, where (view spoiler)[ Avery told Eden upon his dying breath to take his curse and live with it. (hide spoiler)].

One extra star as a tribute to the author’s writing – a vivid, energetic prose style which greatly enriched the storytelling. In fact, I enjoyed this book enough to extend my bedtime reading to finish “Four and Twenty Blackbirds” in two days. Exact rating : 3.5/5