Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Succession gets the dark fantasy treatment in this riveting standalone from bestseller Blake (The Atlas Six). Thayer Wren, longtime CEO of Wrenfare Magitech, has died, and his three children vie for control of his magically backed empire. Each also deals with their own individual struggles. Meredith, the oldest and the owner of her own "magitech" company, fears being exposed by her journalist boyfriend for committing corporate fraud. Middle child Arthur, a congressman, is on the brink of divorce and faces public mockery for his floundering political career. Finally, there's Eilidh, the magnate's youngest but most beloved daughter, who's devastated after her promising ballet career is cut short by an injury. Before their father's spirit can rest, the three must settle their differences. Blake keeps the vaguely delineated magic in the backseat, there to provide atmosphere, not to move the plot along. Instead, the focus is on the siblings' complex relationships with their deceased father, their friends, their partners, and society. Though hardcore fantasy readers may be disappointed, it's just the kind of deliciously toxic interpersonal miasma that Blake's fans have come to expect. Agent: Amelia Appel, Triada US. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Thayer Wren, the father of modern technology and founder of Wrenfare Magitech, is dead and could be succeeded by any of his three children. The eldest, Meredith, has her own biotech company and has created an app that can end mental illness. She also has a journalist ex-boyfriend who could expose her as a fraud, and her own powers of manipulation don't work on him. Arthur is the second-youngest congressman in history, trying to fight for good. However, his hedonistic ways and his tendency to damage things with electrokinetic powers may cost him his marriage and his chances of reelection. The youngest, Eilidh, has served as a marketing assistant at Wrenfare for the last five years, after a traumatic injury ended her ballet career. She can literally change lives but only at a disastrous cost. All three need to find their worth in their late father's eyes, and each would tear down their siblings to do it. VERDICT Blake's (The Atlas Complex) command of morally gray characters and grim humor creates a dramatic, Succession-esque novel about a powerful, dysfunctional family.--Kristi Chadwick
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
