Soulkeeper

Dalglish (Shadowdance) delivers all the swords, sorcery, and monsters his fans will expect in this series opener, which introduces a world worshipful of the Three Sisters and governed by the Keeping Church. Soulkeeper Devin Eveson has never questioned his duties to the church, until he sees a mysterious black water wash over the earth, leaving destruction in its wake. Creatures that the church’s teachings said were fable—including zombies, spider-wolves, and a vengeful artist of destruction known as Janus—awaken from centuries of sleep, angry that humankind has forgotten them and their creators, the five dragons. The story is slow to start as Devin journeys through the ravaged land alone, but it picks up steam as Devin accumulates companions, among them his eccentric and suddenly magical brother-in-law, his devout sister, a talkative faery, and the inevitable fierce-but-vulnerable dagger-wielding love interest. Together they uncover ways in which scripture they’ve accepted as fact is false and attempt to survive their new reality. Dalglish manages to combine familiar elements in exciting ways in a slightly overlong fantasy epic that’s sure to keep readers turning pages. Agent: Michael Carr, Veritas Literary. (Mar.)