The situation in San Francisco is desperate for Perenelle and Nicholas - they are almost out of time since they don't have the whole codex and can't make their immortality potion. They are desperate to help in any way they can, and throw themselves into harm's way along with Billy the Kid, Machiavelli, Mars, Hel, Odin, Prometheus, The Morrigan, the gigantic spider, and many other Elders and Next Generation.
The frenzy by the Dark Elders to take over earth as we know it is reaching a fever pitch and they are doing anything and everything in their power to make things go their way. Those on the other side are doing everything they can to stop that from happening. The group on Alcatraz is fighting a deadly menagerie of monsters, the group elsewhere is fighting an evil and scheming menagerie of Elders and Dark Elders.
Mars, Odin, and Hel prepared to make their final stand in the corridors of Alcatraz.
"There are just too many of them!" Mars shouted. The Elder was standing in a corridor facing down a host of gray Moss People. Short and stunted, their skin the texture of tree bark, they were covered in thick moss, and although they were armed with only wooden swords and spears, their weapons were deadly. Mars's armor was scratched and torn, and he was bleeding from a score of minor wounds.
Behind and to his left, he heard Odin grunt and knew the one-eyed Elder had sustained another wound. He was facing off with a dozen filthy vetala.
"There is no shame in running away to live and fight another day," Odin grunted in the lost language of Danu Talis.
Behind them, propped against a wall, lay Hel. She had managed to drive back a hairy minotaur with her long metal whip, but not before its horns had opened a deep gash in her side and along her left arm. "Running would be good," she grunted, "if we had somewhere to run to."
Niten and Prometheus were fighting their own battle against Spartoi, crocodile-like monsters animated by Bastet and Quetzacolcoatl.
Prometheus's huge sword smashed into the Drakon warrior, crushing its shield to a twisted ruin. Its spiked club screamed as it ran along the length of the Elder's sword, and Prometheus lashed out with his metal-clad foot, stamping down hard on the creature's bare toes.
The Spartoi hissed, golden eyes bulging in shock, and Prometheus stepped forward, reversed the sword and brought the heavy pommel down hard on its head. It slumped back on top of the others, blocking them. The other creatures clawed at it, dragging it out of the way, allowing another to push through.
"You will pay for that...," the Spartoi began, and then Prometheus's metal-gloved hand shot out, grabbed it by the snout and rapped it over the skull with the pommel of his sword, He flung the lizard back into its companions and all six went sprawling. "This isn't too bad," the Elder laughed. "I'm starting to enjoy myself."
The foggy air curled and suddenly four spears arced out of the night. Prometheus's huge sword flashed and twisted. He managed to chop two of the wickedly barbed spears out of the air, sending their broken halves spinning off into the night.Loyalties are called into question, identities are revealed, and peoples' true characters are revealed - and nothing is as you expect.
The book wraps up decently - I thought there could be at least one more chapter to go into a little more detail about what happened to the characters, but it was good enough. I had several "what the hell" moments when things were revealed or when things happened that I just couldn't believe.
All in all, this was a great book & series. Scott has a talent for describing details and really painting a visual picture. I really could visualize everything and everyone and every place in these books. He did an amazing job of melding the real and the fantasy and creating a compelling, unpredictable saga that any aged reader can enjoy (young adult on up). Two thumbs up from me!
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