April 26, 2021
Malan (The Mirror Prince series) transports readers to an exciting world of high-stakes magic in this epic fantasy series launch. Fenra Lowens, a magic Practitioner adept at healing, hasn’t returned to the City since she graduated from the White Court, preferring to work in the outer Modes. The story kicks into gear when her patient, Arlyn Albainil, receives a letter summoning him to the City to execute the will of his cousin, Xandra, a Practitioner himself, who is missing and presumed dead. Arlyn is suspicious, knowing Xandra’s vault holds a dangerous artifact called a Godstone and fearing the White Court plans to use him to access to it. Fenra soon realizes that there is no missing cousin: Xandra and Arlyn are one and the same. The Godstone almost destroyed the world once and shutting it away drained Arlyn of his powers, so he’ll need Fenra’s help to keep it—and the world—safe. Malan’s elaborate worldbuilding and nuanced characters help keep the pages turning on the way to the slow-building climax. The unexpected plot twists and a subtle hint of romance will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary Agency.
June 1, 2021
Only a cabinetmaker and a healer can prevent total destruction. Luckily, neither is who they say they are. When Arlyn gets the letter asking him to come help open his late cousin's vault, he knows something is wrong. For one thing, Arlyn doesn't believe Xandra is dead. And even if he were, he'd never want his vault opened because there's something dangerous inside. So Arlyn must go to the City and secure the vault. His friend Fenra, a healer, will go with him--and try to uncover what Arlyn isn't telling her about this artifact he claims is powerful enough to un-Make the world. Not to mention how he knows so much about practitioners when most mundanes know, and notice, next to nothing about their magic. Both Arlyn and Fenra have plenty of secrets, and as they travel toward this confrontation, we gradually learn who they really are and what's truly at stake. Malan doles out the details of this fascinating world sparingly, keeping the reader engaged in the many mysteries, including why and how the level of technology seems to change as the travelers move through different Modes along the Road. Well-drawn characters and a quest that's eventually revealed to be as epic as they come add depth to the story, but the standout here is this strange, highly original world. Exposition is so minimal that it does take a while to really understand what's at stake, but the unusual worldbuilding and air of mystery are enough to draw the reader in. An original, enigmatic fantasy about reluctant heroes drawn into a quest to save the world.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
July 30, 2021
Seasoned fantasy author Malan (The Sleeping God, 2007) returns with an epic fantasy adventure. Arlyn Albainil, a disgraced ex-practitioner, is summoned to the City to execute the will of a distant cousin. He requests help from Fenra Lowens, a working practitioner and his friend. Fenra and Arlyn live in the Outer Modes, removed from the chaotic City, where Fenra can use her healing magic without political noise. She reluctantly agrees to accompany Arlyn and quickly discovers there is no cousin, and in fact, Arlyn is not who he seems. The court wants access to his vault, which houses the Godstone, an artifact that almost destroyed the world before Arlyn locked it up. The journey is one of personal growth for all characters, including Elvanyn, Arlyn's long lost friend who joins them. Malan does a masterful job revealing the plot's twists along the way, keeping readers guessing as if it were a mystery novel. The points of view shifting can be hard to follow at times, but it allows the story to be told from all sides.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.