A MAGE'S PATH

A mage with erratic, illegal powers endeavors to return long-absent magic to her people in this fourth installment in Cruz’s fantasy series.

In the course of Inez Garza’s adventures, from smuggling magic relics to falling for Crown Prince Zavier, she’s become a powerful mage. She must, however, suppress her already hard-to-control magic, as it’s illegal in Canto, her homeland in the Enchanted Isles. After the king (Zavier’s brother) all but forces Inez out of Canto, she heads to the isle of Faery, where she’s surrounded by those who want the magical abilities she hasn’t exactly admitted to possessing. If Inez can brave the treacherous Moon Isle (“I have heard rumors about monsters who only appear when the moon is full”), she’ll find a spell to release that magic back to the Enchanted Isles’ citizens. (This will also release two magically ensnared individuals—one Inez wants freed, the other not so much.) In the meantime, Inez must remain ever wary to keep herself alive and out of prison. As in previous installments of this series, Cruz masterfully handles the cast, which includes several returning characters. Among the players are someone accusing Inez of murder, another person offering her an incredible role, and still others planning not one, but two separate coups. The series is cohesive; Inez opens this novel contending with a string of new and previously established enemies and fractured relationships, and she’s long been concerned with the return of magic to the Enchanted Isles. This entry also sheds light on certain ongoing mysteries (like Inez’s “murky parentage”) and adds a surprise twist that, while predictable, is a sheer delight. It all culminates in a prolonged final act that wraps up lingering subplots and brings the series to a worthwhile close (while teasing the possibility of a spinoff).

This riveting story teems with magic, intrigue, and a woman’s fearlessness.