"As a long-time coward, I have been a connoisseur of fear in my time and fear of Gaki was definitely a superior vintage." - My favorite line in Cage of Souls. I'm an increasing fan of Tchaikovsky's books. Of the three I've read, The Tiger and the Wolf, is the only one I didn't definitely enjoy. And that had more to do with my dislike of shapeshifting characters than the writing or the story. Tchaikovsky is a superb writer. This book kind of meanders it's way to its conclusion, but the writing, the world, and the cast of characters carry it through the sometimes murky plot. I'm especially looking forward to reading Children of Ruin (out next week!) and Dogs of War sounds quite interesting. I highly recommend Children of Time.