A twisty, genre-blending story that starts with a bang and never slows down.
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.Pub Date: Dec. 19, 2021
ISBN: 979-8-78745-744-5
Page Count: 381
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.
A woman accused of shooting her husband six times in the face refuses to speak.
"Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer." Michaelides' debut is narrated in the voice of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a job at the institution where Alicia is incarcerated because he's fascinated with her case and believes he will be able to get her to talk. The narration of the increasingly unrealistic events that follow is interwoven with excerpts from Alicia's diary. Ah, yes, the old interwoven diary trick. When you read Alicia's diary you'll conclude the woman could well have been a novelist instead of a painter because it contains page after page of detailed dialogue, scenes, and conversations quite unlike those in any journal you've ever seen. " 'What's the matter?' 'I can't talk about it on the phone, I need to see you.' 'It's just—I'm not sure I can make it up to Cambridge at the minute.' 'I'll come to you. This afternoon. Okay?' Something in Paul's voice made me agree without thinking about it. He sounded desperate. 'Okay. Are you sure you can't tell me about it now?' 'I'll see you later.' Paul hung up." Wouldn't all this appear in a diary as "Paul wouldn't tell me what was wrong"? An even more improbable entry is the one that pins the tail on the killer. While much of the book is clumsy, contrived, and silly, it is while reading passages of the diary that one may actually find oneself laughing out loud.
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-30169-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A standout in the series.
The sixth adventure of Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon explores the mysteries of human consciousness, the demonic projects of the CIA, and the city of Prague.
“Ladies and gentlemen...we are about to experience a sea change in our understanding of how the brain works, the nature of consciousness, and in fact…the very nature of reality itself.” But first—Langdon’s in love! Brown’s devoted readers first met brilliant noetic scientist Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol (2009); she’s back as a serious girlfriend, engaging the committed bachelor in a way not seen before. The book opens with the pair in a luxurious suite at the Four Seasons in Prague. It’s the night after Katherine has delivered the lecture quoted above, setting the theme for the novel, which features a plethora of real-life cases and anomalies that seem to support the notion that human consciousness is not localized inside the human skull. Brown’s talent for assembling research is also evident in this novel’s alter ego as a guidebook to Prague, whose history and attractions are described in great and glowing detail. Whether you appreciate or skim past the innumerable info dumps on these and other topics (Jewish folklore fans—the Golem is in the house!), it goes without saying that concision is not a goal in the Dan Brown editing process. Speaking of editing, the nearly 700-page book is dedicated to Brown’s editor, who seems to appear as a character—to put it in the italicized form used for Brownian insight, Jason Kaufman must be Jonas Faukman! A major subplot involves the theft of Katherine’s manuscript from the secure servers of Penguin Random House; the delightful Faukman continues to spout witty wisecracks even when blindfolded and hogtied. There’s no shortage of action, derring-do, explosions, high-tech torture machines, attempted and successful murders, and opportunities for split-second, last-minute escapes; good thing Langdon, this aging symbology wonk, never misses swimming his morning laps. Readers who are not already dyed-in-the-wool Langdonites may find themselves echoing the prof’s own conclusion regarding the credibility of all this paranormal hoo-ha: At some point, skepticism itself becomes irrational.
A standout in the series.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780385546898
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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