This prequel mission to the Chronicles of Skulduggery trilogy definitely measures up to the previous ones. A living, breathing city district full of the typical squalor, drunkenness and crime that we've reveled in before. This time we get to see what life is like on the east side of Brooksdale, as we start in our same apartment as in CoS 2: A Precarious Position. This time we get to explore east and south of our apartment as opposed to west and north in CoS 2. It gives a lovely sense of continuity walking past the place where we witnessed a horrific mugging murder in CoS 2 (which technically hasn't happened yet). As is typical of Brooksdale there are many twisting, dark and partially overbuilt alleys to explore as well as some rooftop and wall climbing. The layout of the streets and explorable areas truly is atmospheric and engaging. It does need to be, since the manor we are to break in to has a "look but don't touch" policy for story reasons. It is a fairly quick (but challenging) in-and-out job that can be done early on, but the mission really begins when you start exploring all the other wonderful locations available in this relatively small district. From demon-worshiping sewer cults to being transported to a certain fantasy world, to a man who is obsessed with the famous thieves of Bridgeport, this mission has it all! Of course the mystical gardens and green spaces Bienie creates also deserve a special mention. It's quite impressive the amount of detail that can be fit into a small area in this mission!
In conclusion, unless you are allergic to city missions, you need to give this a go! Don't be afraid to wander a bit, as in other CoS missions the true delight is in the discovery of interesting places and stories you did not expect to run into!