Amazing!! The ending was a little too... easy? But it was a good read nonetheless
( )

The second Trixa book gives some more background info on other things in this world and I really liked that. Trixa isn't all powerful but she uses info from living such a long time to her advantage. Yes she uses guns and violence to fix situations she also uses smarts and info she has learned to trick others into getting what she wants. I really can't wait for the next one. ( )

I was undecided about this series after reading book one, though I love the author's Cal Leandros series. I decided to give Grimrose Path a try hoping it would improve. Sadly, it didn't. This series is lacking the very thing that makes the Cal series so good - great character development. I don't like Trixa. At first I thought it was because she's constantly tooting her own horn about how awesome she is, or how smart she is, how unusual, blah blah. She reminds me of Robin Goodfellow constantly boasting of his sexual prowess; only, that works for him because he's a secondary character providing comic relief in a dark storyline. Trixa is the protagonist, and her boasting becomes boring after a few chapters. I began skimming a lot of that. But, I realized after finishing that my real issue with her is that she is one dimensional - a one note character. Moreover, so is everyone else. Leo, Zeke, Griffin - all one dimensional.

Though the characters are very weak, I still kept reading because Thurman is a good writer. The world building is excellent. Heaven and Hell are engaged in a not always cold war, but there are many other heavens and hells. Demons, angels, tricksters, vampires - this world, the same as Cal's, has them all and makes them fit with a clever mythology. Ishiah even makes a cameo in the story. The plot was interesting, requiring a clever resolution (fitting for a trickster) rather than an outright battle. But, the book is often bogged down by Trixa's near-constant internal monologue - most of which concerns how wonderful she is. Her devious nature does make for some great moments, such as when she dupes Hell out of thousands of souls, but it just wasn't enough. I'm not sure I'll read another book in this series. But, I would be very excited to see a crossover novel with Cal. Trixa isn't strong enough to carry a novel, but she'd make a great recurring character. ( )