Paris is run by the Houses, which are mostly run by the Fallen - that's right, angels that did something bad enough to earn the righteous anger of God. In this case, they are literally fallen: one of the main characters is introduced by hitting the ground at high, bone-pulverizing speed.

The world is an interesting blend of religion and fantasy; there's magic, and the Fallen are just a bit better, more innately capable than mere mortals. De Bodard adds eastern philosophies to the mix, bringing their own kind of magic to Paris.

The book starts at fast pace and introduces the main characters and the basic tenets of the world efficiently. In place of our WWI this world had their on Great War, a huge and devastating war between Houses. Most of the story involves House Silver spires, the first and greatest House which, at this time, seems to be on steep decline.

The setup is interesting and the story is gripping. It introduces us to Philippe, Isabella, Madeleine and others, turns a post-apocalyptic world of magic wasteland into a murder mystery. It reaches a high point, a perfect place to wrap things up, and then... it continues.

After such a strong start, it's really hard to keep the tension up. In this case, the story becomes more convoluted, the characters more mysterious, and because of that, more distant. A wonderful story slowly tapers off and transforms from gripping to mildly interesting.

Even though this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, there's also an obvious route to continue the story. Despite being a bit disappointed about the ending of the book, I definitely plan on reading the sequel when it comes out.