A Strange Hymn

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. Callie's personality has changed a bit and she seems extra dense, with a lot of repeating questions she's been asked and giving off a very valley girl idiot vibe. For someone that's supposed to have grown up fast due to past traumas and a hard life and then making a career out of being a private investigator, she seems very naive and stupid. Des, who is supposed to be at least 250 years old based on the proceeding novella, could not have fallen for her without the complication of the magic-based ‘soulmate' tie. Nothing bothers me more than when an already cliche female character goes to the next level by losing her mind as soon as she's in a dude's arms.
Once I got past that, however, the continuing plot kept me glued to this book. It takes place directly after the first with little to no time in between. It still has the fanfiction writing quality (and it's even more a wing fic now) and it's very heavy on the Twilight vibes - but as someone who is thoroughly entertained by both, that wasn't a hurdle.
I look forward to the third full-length book and hopefully getting to the conclusion of the Thief of Souls mystery.