bookshelf

THE SEAT OF MAGIC

Name: THE SEAT OF MAGIC
Author: J. Kathleen Cheney
ISBN: 978-0-451-41776-3

by J. Kathleen Cheney ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014

Intriguing and fun, the mystery unfolds like a socially conscious tour through a cabinet of curiosities.

bookshelf

Cheney follows her debut (The Golden City, 2013) with a killer sequel filled with magical sea people, both living and dead.

Police consultant Duilio Ferreira is not surprised when his brother comes to him for help finding a missing girl instead of going straight to the police. In the Golden City, a richly drawn version of 1900s Lisbon in which the reigning prince has banished magical creatures, nonhumans have to keep a low profile. Like the brothers, the girl is a selkie: a seal person with an alluring scent and irresistible charm. When she turns up dead, Duilio and his police officer cousin, Joaquim, deduce that her killer has skinned her alive to harness the magical qualities of her pelt—and she’s not his only victim. It’s a clever spin on the police procedural trope of a predator who targets illegal immigrants, prostitutes or other women society neglects. And as the medical examiners get a good look at the unusual bodies that crop up, so do the readers through Cheney’s detailed descriptions of scales and tails in varying stages of decay. A medical journal called The Seat of Magic may shed light on the killer’s motive if Duilio and his crew can track him down without drawing attention to themselves, and an underground network of sympathizers who leak information to Duilio at great personal risk help underscore the growing unrest within the city that may be explored in future books. Meanwhile, the private detective turns up the heat with Oriana Paredes, the former spy for the sereia (or siren people), who's masquerading as a handmaiden after being left for dead. Though she hates hiding her gills beneath a high collar, Oriana hopes to make Duilio her mate. Oriana is no wallflower: Sereia women court the men, not the other way around. Readers may want to bookmark the page where she shows Duilio her dorsal stripe.

Intriguing and fun, the mystery unfolds like a socially conscious tour through a cabinet of curiosities.

Pub Date: July 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-451-41776-3

Page Count: 352

Publisher: ROC/Penguin

Review Posted Online: June 18, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014

Categories:

FANTASY

bookshelf

THE KEEP OF FIRE

VOL. II OF THE LAST RUNE

by Mark Anthony ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 7, 1999

bookshelf

THE KEEP OF FIREVol. II of The Last RuneAnthony, Mark

Pub Date: Dec. 7, 1999

ISBN: 0-553-37956-9

Page Count: 480

Publisher: Spectra/Bantam

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999

Categories:

FANTASY

- BOOK REVIEW
LIT
by Mark Anthony

- BOOK REVIEW
THE DARK REMAINS
by Mark Anthony

- BOOK REVIEW
BEYOND THE PALE
by Mark Anthony

bookshelf

PAST IMPERATIVE

VOL. I OF THE GREAT GAME

by Dave Duncan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1995

bookshelf

First installment of a projected fantasy trilogy from the author of the splendid The Cursed (p. 350), etc. In 1914, just as WW I breaks out in Europe, young English gentleman Edward Exeter awakens in a hospital ward with a smashed leg and only scattered memories, and under police guard as a murder suspect. Then an insane female assassin materializes at his bedside, intent on finishing him off. He is rescued by the mysterious Mr. Oldcastle and conveyed to Stonehenge, a ``node'' of ``virtuality'' where it's possible to cross into other realitiesor so the disbelieving Edward is forced to accept after Mr. Oldcastle magically heals his leg. Meanwhile, in an adjacent reality known as Nextdoor, 12-year- old Eleal Singer learns of a prophecy, the Filoby Testament, which details her involvement with a certain D'ward Kisster, the Liberator. In Nextdoor, it seems, the godsthose who've crossed from other realities become immortal and charged with magic ``mana''easily grow bored and are disposed to play one-upmanship games. On both worlds, the Service (good guys) opposes the Chamber (bad guys). When Edward arrives, he finds that the god Tion is determined to make Edward into a god himself. But Edward, rejecting Tion and his crazy games, must betray poor Eleal in order to return to England. Duncan has a wonderful knack of conjuring up wacky scenarios and making them believable and fascinating; his characters are perky and distinctive, and his narratives strike an ideal balance between whimsy and gravity. Another winnerkeep all eyestalks extended for Round Two.