A very short read if anyone is looking for a creepy tale to bridge the gap between two books. I don’t think you necessarily have to have read book 1, although it would be helpful regarding the special pronouns that are used in Gallacia. There is no specific explanation in this book regarding that, so it might be confusing when you come across it for the very first time. Kingfisher never disappoints, I love the sense of humor and the down to earth way of telling a story. The characters are no heroes with special powers, they are only human and it shows. They deal with creepy things just like I would and react in a way that is easy to understand and feels natural. Featured in this story is a surprising death, a weird illness and a folk tale fueling nightmares and superstition - or ist it really just a tale? Is everything that is happening just a weitd coincidence? Kingfisher leaves that to the reader.