Gold Throne in Shadow

The second book of Planck’s World of Prime series (after Sword of the Bright Lady) is a new (and less slyly clever) take on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and finds fish out of water Christopher gaining influence—and enemies—in a medieval world where magic literally costs lives. Death and magical regeneration have given Christopher “allies, an army, and bags of money” as well as a higher magical rank, just what he needs to help fulfill the bargain he cut with war god Marcius in the series opener. Christopher wants to give the world “a good shaking up,” threatening the magic-wielding nobility by giving commoners guns, Franklin stoves, and any other improvement he can recreate in the medieval setting. Hoping to keep this charismatic troublemaker at arm’s length—and far from the local peasantry—King Treywan sends Christopher’s regiment to a remote border town in the south to fight monsters and win over the locals. Planck’s lively characters and solid worldbuilding keep the story moving. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency. (Oct.)