In Day’s debut fantasy thriller, an explosion at the SoCal Arcane Exchange entangles a crystal engineer known as “the Maker” in a dangerous mystery.

Sam “Rick” Rickard is capable of manufacturing magical crystals that are more powerful than any seen before. He sells an especially powerful one for $10 million to the SoCal Arcane Exchange with a stern warning to his buyers not to split it, as “bad things will happen” if they do. He plans to use the money to help his recently orphaned nephew, Ben. But just moments after he leaves the SAE representatives, a massive explosion rocks the city, suggesting that his customers didn’t listen to what he told them—and now the authorities, including the FBI and an arcane-certified investigative squad, are after him. In addition, the larger-than-life magic-user Aka’weyo and his ever growing army of foot soldiers want Rick’s crystals for their own purposes. The powerful, charismatic leader has figured out a way to harness the power of crystal magic to control people’s minds with a simple touch; the devastation he could wreak if he obtained Rick’s crystals is unimaginable. Day’s tale is a thrilling mix of police procedural and fantasy adventure; he’s particularly deft at weaving magical touches into an otherwise realistic and familiar world. Such details, from an image of a wand casually sitting on a desk in the opening pages to a bird’s-eye view of Aka’weyo’s astral projections, transform this straightforward story into something that’s far more than the sum of its parts. Perhaps most impressive is that the relationship between Rick and Ben manages to be just as engaging as the countless explosions and battles that occur around them, and Ben later makes a discovery that raises the stakes further. Rick’s attempts to simultaneously save his nephew and the world result in an action-packed adventure with a strong heart.

A twisty, genre-blending story that starts with a bang and never slows down.