Splintered

This gritty, intense, and tersely written sequel to Premonitions develops an intriguing premise into an outstanding urban fantasy/horror series. In Schultz's twisted vision of present-day L.A., magic-users make bargains with demons, and each spell eats away at the wielder's soul. Career thief Anna Ruiz's life is centered on her criminal crew: enforcer Nail, her buddy; sorcerer Genevieve, her lover; and precognitive seer Karyn, her best friend, who's currently disabled by an uncontrollable torrent of visions. Their employer, Enoch Sobell, promises money and magical assistance, but all he really cares about is avoiding the end of his demon-extended life. Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to shut him down for various mundane and magical infractions. For a time, Sobell succeeds in getting Anna's crew to do his chores%E2%80%94including kidnapping the leader of a band of cannibalistic wannabe occultists%E2%80%94but by the end of the book Anna realizes that she and her friends have been callously played. Schultz's powerful, vivid writing will give readers the shuddering creeps as reality warps and twists around the sometimes hapless but never despondent antiheroes. The individual and believable motivations of the various characters lead to seemingly insurmountable conflicts even between the closest companions. This violent, unnerving, and convincingly tough installment will leave readers craving the next one. (July)