SPIRITS THAT WALK IN SHADOW

Upon arriving at college, Jaimie meets her roommate Kim, a severely depressed, synesthetic woman. Jamie’s unraveling of Kim’s problems (with the help of family members and their godlike “powers and presences”) drives the plot of this engrossing dark fantasy. Told by Kim and Jaimie in first person alternating chapters, the story is tight and exciting, with lots of suspense and misdirection. Exceptional world-building, the integration of fantasy elements with details of daily collegiate life and an evocative, and believable local geography contribute to the allure. Although it works as a stand-alone volume, readers who have previous knowledge of the hidden society and other fantasy tropes from Threads That Bind the Bones (o.p.) will definitely have a head start following the ins-and-outs of the complicated fantasy components. There will be a substantial adult audience for this companion volume; but the combination of romance, mysterious vampirism and college students solving problems on their own will appeal even more strongly to teens. (Fantasy. 13+)