The monstrous citadel

An influx of monsters causes chaos in the action-packed second fantasy in Bolender's Chronicles of Amicae (after City of Broken Magic). The truth is out about the infestations of ravenous monstrosities that spawn from broken amulets in the city of Amicae, and the public is panicking. Since the Sinclair Sweeper department, responsible for fighting the infestations, is down to just Laura Cramer and Okane Sinclair following a scandal, the City Council brings in Juliana MacDanel and her brother, Lester, Sweepers from Puer, to join the team. Unsure whether to trust the inquisitive newcomers, Laura and Okane decide to keep secret the manufacture of Sinclair kin, the magical weapon their former boss invented. Fighting infestations with Puer's less powerful equipment while caught between the agendas of rival mobs vying to control the city, Laura and Okane must fend off the MacDanels' prying as the tension builds toward a thrilling climax. The complex magic system will prove difficult to parse for new readers, but series fans will be glad to be back in Amicae. Intricately crafted and exhilarating, this is a worthy continuation of the series with a denouement that promises more danger to come. Agent: Peter Rubie, FinePrint Literary Management. (Nov.)