Review: The Ferryman’s Toll (Hourglass Book 2) by Daniel James

Diving even deeper into an elite criminal echelon of New York City, as well as the dubious powers of a shadowy government agency tasked to deal with supernatural threats, The Ferryman’s Toll by Daniel James is a raucous and action-fueled sequel to Hourglass.

Rose Hadfield’s Intensive Scare Unit and the rest of the Hourglass gang once again come to blows with the Cairnwood Society and their devilish ambitions. The creepy cabal isn’t snatching souls from the realms of Erebus this time around, but they are creating a murderous battalion of super-powered assassins, which sets the stage for some epic action sequences with the protagonists in this octane-packed read.

There is also a terrifying serial killer on the loose, ominously named the Hangman, who has already put multiple Hourglass agents six feet under, and may have Rose, Clyde, Kev, and Ace next in his sights. Keeping their eyes open for threats from any direction, this eclectic crew of paranormal investigators is never far from the next enemy-filled basement or grisly crime scene, when they’re not hanging out in an old asylum.

James balances the dense and fast-moving plot with a streamlined amount of exposition, revealing more about each character and their unique abilities, particularly Rose, Kev, and Clyde. He also gives more shape and depth to otherworldly realms, the rulers who inhabit them, and the threads of power that tie the premise of this series together. Everything about the Hourglass operations is fascinating, from the Hell simulators to the magic-machine hybrids; these wildly original arcana details make the story crackle with addictive energy for sci-fi and modern fantasy fans.

On the technical side of things, there are too many proofreading errors to overlook, including plenty of misspelled words, basic grammatical errors, hanging prepositions, awkwardly worded phrases, and too much reliance on idiomatic language. James proves time and again that he can spin visceral and original lines of prose, yet some descriptions feel too cliched or dialed-in. His lens for character description can also be a bit narrow, particularly in regards to female characters, who are often described with common descriptions — “slim” or “attractive,” and not a lot else.

As was the case in the first installment of the Hourglass series, the prose is decidedly blunt, so readers should prepare for “big-swinging-dick attitude,” “douche-drizzles,” and an informality in the writing that may be jarring, or at least geared towards a male-centric audience. That said, the tone is consistent throughout, which makes it easy for a reader to slip into the gritty, smart-aleck vibe, rather than be occasionally shocked by an off-color or callous string of narration. Though some of the narration is overdone, leading readers by the nose to punchlines or explaining all the nuance of a scene, the storytelling is generally organic, funny, and engaging.

Conspiratorial and spooky, James doesn’t hold back on creativity or drama, and while there are some aspects of the writing that feel rushed and unpolished, this second Hourglass novel expands and often improves on its predecessor, for an innovative blend of paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy fiction.