I found this to be as refreshing and compelling to read as the first book in the series.
The story starts more or less where the last one finished, but now you get to experience the world from Hakimono's point of view following his possession of Tatsumi, which is certainly an interesting perspective, he is also a very engaging character, even if he is a bloodthirsty demon out for revenge.
The existing characters personalities are further refined, with some interesting developments and all the new ones are engaging in their own ways, which given that quite a number are not human, is no mean feat.
This is also a fascinating and educational insight into Japanese mythology as a whole slew of creatures are introduced, combined with a fast-paced story, which gets quite gory in places, with very well described scenes of magic and mayhem, making it a very enjoyable, gripping and exciting read.