Review by Booklist Review
In Arnold's follow up to The Last Smile in Sunder City (2020), Fetch Phillips returns as a Man for Hire, desperately searching for any remnant of magic in the world. Magic existed until the Coda destroyed it and wreaked havoc on every magical creature that survived, pitting them against humanity. Six years later, Sunder City is recovering, with the Niles Corporation creating new jobs and giving many hope. But when the corporation's owner is brutally murdered, the police summon Fetch to determine if magic was involved in the man's grisly death. The resulting investigation takes many turns through the world outside of the city, forcing Fetch to reconcile his past with old friends and reluctantly acquire new ones. Fetch grows tremendously as a character; events don't allow him to wallow in self pity for long. As in the book's predecessor, the supporting cast provides much entertainment, and often their stories are as compelling as the main plot. Fans of Arnold's first novel will want to pick this up to continue the story of Fetch--and of Sunder City as well.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Humans killed the magic of Sunder City six years ago, and the fire and warmth along with it. Far-from-perfect-human Fetch Phillips is a private investigator who only works for nonhumans since they're the ones who really need him. Fetch led the human army to the Opus where they destroyed the magic. Elves lost their youth, warlocks no longer cast spells, and faeries dried up into statues. Through his detective work, he now tries to atone for his role in their loss. When an unusual death occurs, the police enlist Fetch's help to find the murderer. And not just any killer--one who used a magical fireball as a murder weapon. Does that mean there's still magic left in the world? He doesn't know, but he'll risk his life to find out. Fetch follows clues through the world of wizards, ogres, faeries, dwarves, vampires, and werecats, always hoping to find the mystical spark that will return enchantment to a dark and dingy world. VERDICT Arnold's (The Last Smile in Sunder City) universe has everything, including the angst of being human. The perfect story for adult fantasy fans--a tough PI and a murder mystery wrapped around the mysticism of Hogwarts, sprinkled with faerie dust.--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX
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