Part of the Night Wars series. This is a short story focusing on the Night Shift magician Howl. He's suffering from having lost his partner during the events of [b:The Night Shift|15895801|The Night Shift|Missouri Dalton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355056499s/15895801.jpg|19212461]. It's going on two years since those tragic times and Howl is drifting. He's forced to temporarily partner up with a relatively new inspector on the shift, Valentine Reyes. There's a nice amount of animosity between them that gives us some quippy back and forth banter. I liked learning more about Howl, who was very much a mystery in the previous books. This is a snapshot and not a standalone. Reading this without reading the other Night Wars books would lead to some confusion I think, both with characters and storylines. Being a Night Wars fan, I love that it advances the story quite a bit from the last book. We have jump in time so it sits close to [b:Fiends in Low Places|12653547|Fiends in Low Places|Missouri Dalton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316311447s/12653547.jpg|17767326] in regards to the timeline, if I'm reading it right. Another piece of the puzzle in the world-building of the Night Wars series. This is a wonderful PNR series and I recommend you check out the series starting with [b:The Hanged Man's Ghost|13448490|The Hanged Man's Ghost|Missouri Dalton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328108259s/13448490.jpg|18968245].