"The Thirteenth Pillar"

Review - "The Thirteenth Pillar" by J.L. O'Faolain

Fantastic sequel to "The Thirteenth Child"

Highly Recommended

Tuulois MacColewyn, or Mack as he is knows to most humans, is a sidhe warrior.  Almost 400 years old.  Exiled to the mundane world by King Oberon, formerly one of Queen Titania's guard wolves, he has lived in New York since the 1920s, working first for a mob boss, then more recently as a consultant to the NYPD. 

Cole's work never seems to be done these days.  After the events of "The Thirteenth Child", he has a new place to live, a new job - as a member of Section Thirteen, a secret unit investigating crimes involving fey and other supernatural beings. and a new relationship.  With his boss, Inspector Joss Vallimun.  Over worked, underpaid, stressed out and loaded down with crimes that never seem to stop, Cole is tasked with working with his former friend, and lover, James Corhagen.

A series of child murders has everyone's nerves on edge, and the Section Thirteen team tirelessly working to stop whoever is responsible.  Then, a teacher for a local private school is murdered, and Cole is summoned to the scene of the crime at the behest of higher ups.  What at first looks like just another murder leads Cole to discover that his fellow fey are in great danger.  When Joss is injured in the line of duty, will Cole lose yet another human close to him? 

This is a terrific, action packed and worthy follow up to "The Thirteenth Child".  Cole is a fascinating, complex character, and pairing him with Joss is a great idea.  The chemistry between the two, and the developing relationship, adds a new dimension only hinted at in the last book.  For Cole is a touchingly tender man for all of his warrior ways, and to see him fall in love is...just so nice. 

As in the previous book, the fusion of action, suspense, fantasy and romance works so well.  The mythology just gets better and better, and the texture of the stories is amazingly vibrant.  I am so impressed with the humor and pathos that J.L. O'Faolain weaves so deftly into this story.  The horror of the child murders is juxtaposed against the over the top reality of who is committing the killings, and why.  So very John Woo - the sacred and the profane, the ugly and the beauty.

This is a fantastic series, and I am looking forward eagerly to the next installment.  Read "The Thirteenth Child" first, the savor this as a brilliant second course.  There are so many possibilities moving forward, and damn it, what IS the deal with James' wife???

Tom