Reviewed by: Rabid Reads. 
 This is the third four star review that I am writing for this series, so Elliott James is definitely consistent, but there comes a point when an extra boost is needed to renew fans' interest in seeing the protagonist's story through until the end, and PAX ARCANA has just about reached that fork in the road. I adore John Charming as a character, and the author has my number as far as humour goes; however the plot lines remain somewhat chaotic with secondaries coming and going as they please. 
 The blurb mentions "a long list of magical predators" and that adjective is an apt description because the hero is up against some pretty crazy supes, and the line-up is around the block. I'm talking maeres, chiang-shih... Ok, that's all gobbledygook unless you've experienced FEARLESS for yourself, but needless to say, the Big Bads aren't your everyday vampires, although there is one of those too. The world-building also extends beyond the supporting cast with a few eventful trips to Dreamtime. 
 John and Sig's relationship is finally in a decent spot after opening with obsessive, progressing to non-existent, and now they are somewhere in the middle. I thought that James made great strides towards making their connection a complimentary part of the story as opposed to it overshadowing all of the other elements that go into these novels. The closing scene left me feeling a bit cheated in the romance department which in my opinion is preferable to the alternative, especially in Urban Fantasy. 
 I found that this installment was once again slightly less funny than CHARMING; this is the first time that I've gone with the eBook over the audio, so although I can't say for sure without giving FEARLESS a listen, I strongly suspect that Roger Wayne's narration does make a considerable difference. Nevertheless, the geeky references and jokes continue to entertain, and I really enjoyed the chat logs from the Swords and Wands video game meet-ups. 
 The PAX ARCANA series is holding steady, but sooner or later Elliott James is going to need to pick-up the pace.