Actually, one of the elements I like about Paternus is the characters aren't particularly "good" even among the good guys. The book takes note values have changed over thousands of years and the Firstborn actually predate humanity, being intelligent beings which assumed forms based on animals or even thought. The implications are most of them have killed thousands of people or been involved in some really messed up stuff but are still on our side simply because they don't want to see humanity exterminated. One of the best moments in Wrath of the Gods is Peter, who is God for all intents and purpose, admitting to all the seriously messed up stuff he got around to in the years before humanity.
One of my complaints about the original novel was teenage characters Fi and Zeke were somewhat underwritten compared to the many powerful gods running away. Which, I admit, is a bit like complaining the Transformers movies don't have enough Spike in them. However, I actually like Fi and Zeke so I wanted to get their perspectives on the gods around them. Thankfully, they have an increased role here with both of them developing supernatural powers that prevent them from becoming the load.
Much of the second book helps expand the world building as we find out how things like clairvoyance work (bearing some similarity to real life theories about how consciousness relates to quantum mechanics--so kudos there) as well as things like the existence of vampires or werewolves. A couple of chapters are devoted to the Knights Templar as we discover how they were corrupted by Baphomut, almost destroyed by a conspiracy of Firstborn, then ended up being rescued by Elizabeth the First.
The sheer breadth of Dyrk Ashton's mythology knowledge is a big part of Paternus' appeal as he weaves together traditional myths like King Arthur (yet Lancelot is apparently real in this version), conspiracy theories, ancient demons, other worlds, temporal consciousness physics, gods, and more. The more you know about them, the more you'll enjoy the work. Indeed, my only complaint about the book is the cosmic battle between good and evil still hasn't quite begun despite two books into the trilogy. Defeating not just the Devil but the god the Devil prays to is going to be a bit of a handful.
In conclusion, this is a great book and I enjoyed it even more than the original. You won't regret picking it up. I mean, how many books do you know where Horus gets in an aerial dogfight while Merlin, Galahad, and two teenagers hang on for deer life?
9.5/10
