Shadow of the Yew Tree

In Gateley’s urban fantasy, a journalist enters a secret world where the unpredictable magic trapped inside her may prove a threat.

Dr. Ronan Gallagher, part of the Druidic Order, investigates the rubble of a building in British Columbia. The destruction definitely involves the sinister, corpselike Wraiths, who use magic derived from the natural world—Wraiths trap the magic inside themselves, giving them longer lives but also slowly decaying bodies. The Druids eventually find Phoebe Ashburn, a survivor of the devastated building, where she and others were the Wraiths’ unwitting test subjects. Phoebe’s been tracking down Wraiths and swiping their classified documents; she can continue doing that if she joins the Order, which can also help remove the volatile magic that the Wraiths have trapped inside her—or at least slow down whatever it’s doing. (“She tucked her hands into her armpits and sank down to the floor, hugging her ribs and gripping her body tight in an attempt to contain the magic. It wasn’t working.”) In the meantime, missions for the Order sometimes necessitate using that magic. Phoebe and Ronan may also be falling for one another, though after a traumatic year in captivity she understandably has trouble trusting people. Gateley’s novel is a spinoff from the author’s earlier trilogy, in which Ronan is a prominent character. This tale masterfully fuses worldbuilding (the “underground magic”) with a burgeoning romance. Snappy dialogue complements the concise narrative descriptions, making Ronan’s frequent discussions about his ambivalent feelings for Phoebe thoroughly engrossing. The two leads’ relationship takes narrative precedence, as do their individual dilemmas (both, for their own reasons, are saddled with nightmares). Still, there are flashes of action that showcase Phoebe’s formidable magic, as well as mystery—like the strange leafy vine with an alarming food source. The many questions that linger and a smashing cliffhanger are more than enough incentive to keep eyes out for the next installment.

Unforgettable magic-wielding characters headline this brisk romantic story.