James Crowley is used to travelling alone, but this time he finds himself on the way to Crescent City with a few companions. Rosa, Bram Stoker, Irish, and Harker all return from the first book, and their presence certainly makes things complicated for Crowley. He is being sent to Crescent City by the White Throne to deal with the "Betrayer", and that's not exactly information he can share with his travelling companions. Two of which, Bram and Rosa, happen to be very interested in the supernatural, and that lends itself to some uncomfortable conversations on the road. As they get closer to town the situation starts to spiral out of control as one of them is mortally wounded. They must seek immediate medical attention in town only to find that Crescent City has been overrun by supernatural beings and they are entering a powder keg of a situation. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, typical Crowley.

James Crowley was your typical outlaw until his life was ended in a hail of gunfire; however, his well-earned trip to hell was unexpectedly interrupted by the White Throne. He now serves them as a Black Badge, also known as a Hand of God, hunting down demonic entities in the old American West. His task this time is to visit a small town known as Dead Acre, a place where outsiders are never welcome. He doesn't exactly know why he is sent to the ass end of nowhere, but upon arrival he quickly discovers that the local cobbler is missing and a number of graves outside the dilapidated church have been desecrated. Certainly a suspicious situation, which is only made worse by the less than warm welcome he receives at the only saloon in town. Of course Crowley is not easily intimidated, so he starts investigating following the clues and eventually discovers that a few of the locals are nto what they seem to be. A number of dark entities have indeed made Dead Acre their home, so Crowley is definitely the right man for the job.

James Crowley is a former outlaw who didn't always make the best choices in life, but he has no regrets about the choice that ended it. Crowley was as rough as they come, but he did have his limits. That turned out not to be a good fit with the leader of his gang, who eventually ended him for standing up to prevent the rape of a captured woman. Perhaps it was that final act of redemption that caused the White Throne to interrupt his journey to hell and select him to serve as a Black Badge, but he doesn't really know that. In fact, he doesn't really know much. His handler, Shar, sends him to deal with the darker evils that roam the American West: nephalem, werewolves, shapeshifters, and yetis, just to name a few. That makes him part bounty hunter, and part supernatural sheriff, but he has no earthly authority, so he is constantly trying to figure out how to take care of his quarry without revealing to everyone else that he himself is undead.

Whitney Firestone is the greatest thief in all of the Glass Kingdom, at least in his own mind, and he will never hesitate to brag about his accomplishments. This is especially true when there is a crowd to be had, and copious amounts of alcohol don't hurt either. Most people dismiss his tales out of hand, but that only encourages him to make his accomplishments even more grand. So much so that in a moment of boasting to an unreceptive audience he vows to steal the glass crown off the king's head to prove his abilities. This promise sets up a series of events that result in this mischievous thief needing to go on a quest with Torsten, the Wearer of White. Torsten is a holy knight who has dedicated his entire life to the Glass Kingdom, and he has no tolerance for those who break the law. This trope pairing contributed to my inability to get into the first half of the book, but fortunately the excellent world building and overarching story eventually won me over.