I read this book as part of my February selection for the 2021 Reading Challenge. I preordered this book and was looking forward to it for months. In this twenty eighth installment of the Anita Blake saga, we learn more about the title character, Rafael. I had really high hopes for this book, because Sucker Punch was getting back on the track of mystery solving that did not revolve completely around her nine hundred poly relationships and sex issues, which really grates my nerves after a while. The book opens up with Kane throwing a little baby fit. Can't stand him. Anita briefly meets Micah and Nathaniel in the hallway and swoons over them, annoying, but less than normal when they are spending twelve chapters talking in circles back and forth about whatever relationship issue. I also wish she would stop calling people sweeties. (Insert eye roll.) Rafael has to fight for his crown in this book against Hector. I also hate Hector. He has a real attitude problem. We learn a lot from this book about how the rat kingdom operates and the rules they have for proper governing. I would love to learn more about the other were animal groups, and I hope those will be explored in forthcoming books. I am pleased at the direction the past two books have taken, because I truly miss the days when Anita was using her necromancy and they were fighting enemies and solving mysteries. I am just so over the constant relationship back and forth, and I was relieved this one didn't focus solely on that like so many of the other previous books seemed to. This book has some really important information in it, and I would not suggest skipping it.