A Sleight of Shadows

March 15, 2023
A darkly glamorous tale about the price of magic--and who has to pay. In this sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians (2017), the House of Shadows is rebuilding itself. Sydney sacrificed her magic to destroy it in the last Turning, but it's coming back. And what's worse, there are some in the Unseen World who want it back--some who believe the world was better when magic was easier, even if it meant anonymous magicians had to suffer and die in the House of Shadows to pay the price. Meanwhile, Laurent Beauchamps, who won the right to establish a new magical House in the last Turning, is reaching out to outsider magicians like Mia Rodriguez, who can sometimes make things move with her mind and who's desperate to know if she can do more. Now Sydney and her allies will have to fight to destroy Shadows once and for all--while magicians from powerful old Houses work to reestablish the spell that allows the blood and pain of a few sacrifices to pay the price of magic for everyone. Like An Unkindness of Magicians, this novel is fast-paced, slick, and cinematic, packed full of dramatic imagery: Chunks of ruined house move on their own with an "echoing scrape of rock over bone," whispering trees of bone rise from the soil of Central Park, a woman pulls a sticky thread of magic out of her own shadow. The characters would feel more alive if they ever slowed down enough to have nonportentous thoughts, but the race-against-time, good-against-elite-evil elements are strong enough to keep the story moving and keep readers engaged. This sequel offers more of the first book's strengths: dark, desperate magic in a glittering world of wealth and power.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2023
Howard’s immersive second Unseen World dark fantasy picks up right where An Unkindness of Magicians left off. The Unseen World is reeling from the events of the Turning, a competition which upended the hierarchy of magical houses and, thanks to the machinations of heroine Sydney, resulted in the complete dissolution of the corrupt House of Shadows. Unfortunately, Sydney’s destruction of Shadows left her powerless—and earned her some powerful enemies. With the balance of magic thrown out of whack, the other Houses start falling apart. Dahlia, head of House Morgan, sets out to save the Unseen World by rebuilding the House of Shadows—no matter who she has to sacrifice to do so. To stop Dahlia, Sydney must ally with new friends and find a way forward without magic of her own. Howard’s worldbuilding is as grim and complex as ever, and it’s easy to root for her resilient heroine in the face of impossible odds. This thrilling outing will keep readers guessing in all the right ways. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writer’s House.

April 14, 2023
Howard's compelling sequel picks up soon after the dramatic conclusion to An Unkindness of Magicians (2017), when magician Sydney destroyed the twisted House of Shadows, thus cutting off the Unseen World's elite from their stolen magic. Spells are no longer easy to cast. Sydney, left almost powerless after sacrificing her magic, is determined to rekindle it, if only to keep the rest of the Unseen World in check. Yet so far, she's seen no improvement in her daily practice. When the House of Shadows begins rebuilding itself seemingly on its own, Sydney knows it's only a matter of time before the various Houses seek a return to the status quo. To stop it, she may have to unmake the entire Unseen World. This installment's magical warfare contains more investigation and subterfuge than direct attacks, yet the stakes are even higher, with a real sense of danger for Sydney and her allies. Themes of the ethical use of power, the price of happiness, and the danger of doing nothing give this suspenseful urban fantasy some real-world depth.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 21, 2023

Readers will be thrilled to return to the Unseen World in this sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians. In this series, Howard has created a world full of magic that runs parallel, but unseen, to the mundane world of those without any magical ability. Having sacrificed her magic to destroy the House of Shadows, Sydney is struggling to live her new mundane life, but many of those who can still wield magic are not happy that their power now comes with physical consequences since there are no longer people to bear those consequences for them. As the House of Shadows begins to remake itself and another magician decides to help it along, Sydney needs to figure out how to permanently change the Unseen World--and get her magic back. As another magical battle brews, the story interrogates those in positions of power who use and abuse others and those who know about the abuse but don't have the will or courage to try to change it. VERDICT Howard offers another riveting foray into this magical world. Recommend to fans of Naomi Novik's "Scholomance" series.--Melissa DeWild

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