I loved Fred in the Angel TV show, and her death was one of the show's great tragedies. The writers were also pretty clear: Fred was gone, forever. So, though I was happy to see Fred returned at the end of the last volume, I was not happy with the plot twist, because it reversed such a major and moving event in the TV show -- and we already saw the idea played with in Angel: After the Fall. Sure, the writers have a good enough explanation here for how it could happen ... but I find it a misstep. 
 With that said, this is Gischler's best volume to date. He finally rises out of mediocrity to offer up an increasingly interesting story. It helps that Angel and Faith are almost united again, at least operating out of the same city, and occasionally encountering each other. 
 So, this is overall a good volume, despite my deep reservations about the plot.