Lady of Magick

Hunter's entertaining second Noctis Magicae installment (after The Midnight Queen) follows mage-in-training and lost princess Sophie Marshall and her husband, Gray, deeper into court and magical intrigues in an alternate Regency-era Britain. When Gray is invited to lecture at the School of Practical Magick in Din Edin, capital of Scotland stand-in Alba, Sophie is excited by the opportunity to study at a school that welcomes female students; in Britain, such learning is thought to damage the "delicate female mind." Their visit is complicated by civil unrest, fed by rumors of a possible famine in Alba and news that Sophie's half-brother, Prince Roland, is to be prince consort to the daughter of Alba's head chieftain, creating a formal alliance between the two nations. When Gray is kidnapped, Sophie%E2%80%94with the help of her sister, Joanna%E2%80%94must call on the unique and powerful bond she and Gray share to try to find him and stop a plot that would change Alba forever. Sophie and Joanna play central roles, which will delight fans of strong women. Hunter's charming world, just a few steps off-center of our own, continues to offer many possibilities for future adventure. (Sept.)