Library Journal
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Psychic Peter Warlock's act as a stage magician is a cover for his use of real magic. That cover is nearly blown when a dark spirit known as a "shadow person" kidnaps his assistant in the middle of a show and drags Peter into the hunt for a demon-possessed serial killer. It's a race against time that pits Peter and his friends, the Friday Night Psychics, against his old enemies, the Order of Astrum, while Peter tries to decide if he can have a long-term relationship with a woman who knows about his powers but isn't part of the supernatural world. If Peter doesn't figure out the serial killer's real agenda, though, he won't have to worry about the long-term of anything. VERDICT Swain's sequel to Dark Magic has all the hallmarks of the middle book in a trilogy. The demon-possessed serial killer is merely a pawn of higher powers, and so is Peter. It's all a test. There had better be another volume, as the book ends on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. Still it's an enjoyable way for readers who liked the first book or who await Jim Butcher's next "Dresden Files" entry.-Marlene Harris, Seattle P.L. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Swain's latest thriller featuring magician and psychic Peter Warlock. Having survived the previous thriller Dark Magic (2012), Warlock would clearly prefer to stick to his magic shows, where he excels. The trouble is that shadow people from the spirit world seem determined to give him grief. Are they evil? They certainly seem so. He gets pulled through a dark mirror into a different place and time, where the devil's deputies mean him only the vilest of fates. Luckily, he has his faithful girlfriend, Liza, to try pulling him back. The plot requires suspension of disbelief, as characters die in one world and un-die in the other. Horrible things happen and then un-happen. One minute, Warlock is in his bedroom, and the next minute, he's on the other side facing Dr. Death on a lonely dirt road. And then he's back again. One minute, a man's head is severed, and the next minute, it's reattached. Though not exactly a superhero, Warlock is reminiscent of Peter Parker of Spiderman fame, with those special powers that are both his blessing and his curse and a girlfriend who tries to ground him in the here and now. This comparison is hardly a criticism, as many readers like to lose themselves in a well-crafted alternate reality. Warlock is a likable and multilayered hero, a good man who must face his dark childhood secrets and his own capacity for evil. He is lucky to have Liza, whose humanity saves him from himself more than once. But Holly, a witch, loves him too. Will she ruin his life? Swain is a master storyteller who fills his scenes with action. The book stands alone quite well, but fans will be glad to know that it carries the virtual promise of a sequel. The battle against evil never ends. A fine read for lovers of escapist fiction.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Now you see it, now you don't: Swain, a magician himself, takes the concept of a psychic conjurer pursued by dark spirits and spins it into pedestrian straw in this supernatural thriller, a sequel to 2012's Dark Magic. Magician Peter Warlock, who was born with an internal demon that he struggles to control, lives in parallel worlds of good and evil. Amorphous "shadow people" shanghai him into the near future, where he pursues "Dr. Death," a serial killer of women who do good deeds. Back in his own time, Peter, supported by nonpsychic girlfriend and stage assistant Liza and FBI agent Garrison, fends off his own destructive impulses, the forces of Satan, and the spells of a lustful young witch. Lame dialogue, flat characterizations, partially undigested lumps of stage magic history, and lapses in credibility (how could a tattoo artist embellish 90% of his own body?) reveal the creaky apparatus behind this ambitious but unconvincing fictional sleight-of-hand. Agent: Robin Rue, Writer's House. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Magician and psychic Peter Warlock has a full plate again (Dark Magic, 2012). He's seen and nearly been killed by a serial killer preparing for his next murder, but Peter doesn't know his name or whereabouts. He knows only that the next victim is named Rachel. Liza, his lover, has only recently learned of his psychic gifts, and she's having difficulty adjusting, especially to the threats from shadow people ghostly beings allied with the killer. Holly, a college-age witch whom Peter once babysat, is madly in love with him, and Peter knows well that the emotions of a witch are not to be trifled with. On top of these difficulties, he's learning dark truths about his own boyhood and the murder of his parents. Swain, who has two successful private-eye series to his credit, has dropped the ball with this one. The narrative and dialogue are leaden, and the characters are as insubstantial as the wispy beings who menace the hero. Still, for devotees of paranormal thrillers, it may still merit a look.--Gaughan, Thomas Copyright 2010 Booklist