Revenge and the Wild

Debut author Modesto’s fantasy-western brims with intense action and intriguing characters, which include leprechauns, brownies, and werewolves. Seventeen-year-old Westie has been on a revenge mission ever since cannibals killed her family. Aided her adoptive father’s assistant, Alistair, who also lost his family to cannibals, and her friend Bena Water-Dancer— a member of the Wintu people, who magically protect Rogue City from invading beasts—Westie discovers that the Wintu’s magic is fading and that her family’s killers may have just arrived in town. The newcomers appear to be innocent and trustworthy, but after a good friend is killed, Westie—battling alcoholism and her split desire for Alistair and a vampire, Costin—must find a way to prove that the supposedly normal Fairfields are actually ruthless killers. Modesto further flavors the novel with steampunk elements, including Westie’s own mechanical arm, though the decision to cast the Wintu as magic-wielders feels like an embrace of “magical native” stereotypes, even within the book’s fantasy setup. While the final showdown and conclusion are formulaic, Modesto’s genre-bending novel offers full-bodied romance and electrifying twists. Ages 14–up. Agent: John M. Cusick, Folio Literary Management. (Feb.)