Tin Swift

Monk's enthralling second Age of Steam American steampunk adventure (after Dead Iron) brings back Cedar Hunt, a werewolf who can sense the Strange, creatures of magic and machine that seek to harm the mortal world. A bargain, and the nature of his curse, have committed Cedar to seeking out the pieces of a Strange weapon, the Holder, any portion of which can wreak destruction. Accompanied by Mae Lindson, a witch losing her grasp on sanity, and gifted mechanic Rose Small, whose tie to the Holder threatens her life, Cedar is joined by airship captain Hink, who seeks the Holder for his own ends. Monk expands her world into the sky, where air pirates and risk-seekers harvest a magical substance called glim, while grounding its history with tales of the recent war. Action and romance combine with a deft precision that will keep readers turning pages%E2%80%94and anxiously awaiting the next volume. Agent: Miriam Kriss, the Irene Goodman Agency. (July)