The Dark Volume

This is the second novel in the Glass Books Trilogy. It is somewhat darker in tone than the first book, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. The story of the Dark Volume picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book. We find our heroes on an island, once again forced to battle the members of the Cabal.

Themes
The Dark Volume expands on much of the mysticism, eroticism, and "steampunk" of the first novel. The machines are back, meddling with people's minds and feelings, as are the glass books themselves. The titular Dark Volume is one such glass book. The catch is that it contains the consciousness of a dying man. The memories inside the book, therefore, are tainted by death. Getting to the knowledge inside the book--knowledge necessary to complete the Cabal's plans--proves difficult and dangerous. Only one person is capable of containing the memories the book contains, but the knowledge will more than likely kill her....

Setting
The scope of the second book is expanded in regards to location. We leave Harschmort House and see more of the world surrounding the unnamed city where Miss Temple first dated Roger Bascombe only to learn of his dreadful alliances.