SEEKERS OF THE FOX

Following Children of the Fox (2021), Callan’s band of thieves plans a heist to save one of their own.

Lachlan—small even for his 10 years—is mortally wounded. Cal’s only hope is that the Dragon’s Eye (a powerful, less-than-trustworthy magical artifact that bonded with him) will lead them to Lachlan’s salvation. The Eye delivers, but their relief is short-lived, as the primeval magic that saved him leaves a stain on Lachlan’s soul—and will eventually consume him completely. Cal still owes the Eye his assistance in return for its previous help, and it guides them to a storyteller who gives him hope for Lachlan as they learn of long-lost relics, a pair of magical swords—one possessing the power to heal. In subsequent action, the band of thieves navigates through their world’s lost history and mythology on a quest that will take them diving to reach a shipwreck and ends with a major heist. The climax even delights in genre conventions, cutting from the action to flashbacks of the planning and scheming. The text offers frequent reminders of the characters’ wants and the plot’s stakes; the slowdown from the repetitive recapping will frustrate some readers but be helpful for those who need to read the lengthy book in shorter chunks. Overarching mysteries about side characters are added to, and the ending preps for the next installment. Characters default to White.

A fun heist is a reward for expository worldbuilding.