Erzulie's nephew the Plague Lord Shakpana brings on the pandemic and flourishes. the Houses of Mysteries and Secrets, along with Erzulie's House of Whispers, stir up signs and portents. The Corinthian appears to make mischief. then Ananse the Spider comes determined to web the world at the heart of a story. an unusually good description of the effects of the pandemic. and it includes a build that sets up a very effective momentum on its way to the ending of volume 2. ( )