When I first read Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville novels, I was impressed by her fresh take on the werewolf novel. Her characterizations and plots were skillfully executed. Every novel was an excellent read.

So when I had an opportunity to read her new post-apocalyptic mystery novel, I was thrilled and excited. Then it took me months to finish the novel. First, I blamed myself. I am a reader, who must be in the right mood for a book. But it wasn’t me. It is the book. This is one dull, plodding story. The story is larded with flashbacks to the heroine’s first romance and her trek across the country with musician lover. I have no issues with flashbacks. I have no issues with

The story is larded with flashbacks to the heroine’s first romance and her trek across the country with musician lover. I have no issues with flashbacks. I have no issues with a backstory. I have read and enjoyed books that chapters to get to the main characters. But the flashbacks in this story served no purpose. They just dragged an already slow pace.

The heroine, who is investigator and judge in the agrarian, post industrial world of the novel, is pedantic and judgmental. When the mystery of an outsider’s death is finally revealed, there is no surprise. The mystery was very predictable.

This novel does not work on so many levels. There is nothing unique about the post-apocalyptic world created. The main characters are not particularly interesting.  There is no real mystery. Vaughn is busy writing the sequel to Bannerless. Sadly I won’t be reading it.