A fun adventure sequel!
Much like Anya and the Dragon, I enjoyed this story very much, however initially I had trouble reconciling how magic and Judaism is portrayed (since I am Jewish myself). More on that later, first I'd like to just say that I did very much enjoy the adventure, and in many ways found this more fun than the original. The action is more vivid, the build up more mysterious, the humor is a funnier (Ivan truly made me laugh out loud more than once), and overall it is just a fun story with fun characters.<br /><br />Now, the things I had trouble with: Let's just say, in real life the Jewish texts do not have a positive view of occult arts. Someone unfamiliar with Judaism might not be aware of it, but when they go into detail about Jewish customs such as Sukkoth, it feels weird to me. Like, the author is making the reader aware of certain ancient rituals but glossing over a major contradiction in another. But much like religious Christians who complained about holidays mentioned in Harry Potter, at some point you have to just remember it is a work of fantasy and suspend your belief for a fun story. The other thing I had difficulty with is Ivan's implied romantic interest in both girls and boys. It just felt unnecessary and included for reasons beyond the scope of the story. If those two things don't bother you, it is a fun read.