Longshadow

Atwater concludes her Regency Faerie Tales series (after Ten Thousand Stitches) with a sweet standalone fantasy that combines mystery, magic, and queer romance. Abigail Wilder, the 18-year-old ward of the Lord Sorcier of England, would much rather study magic than attend balls or afternoon teas with her aunt. When the young ladies of London’s high society start dying in their sleep unexpectedly, the Lord Sorcier suspects a dark magician may be the culprit. Eager to prove her magical abilities, Abigail jumps at the chance to investigate. With the help of the ghost of her eight-year-old brother, Hugh, and Mercy, a self-taught magician whose strange appearance and powerful faerie magic are as mysterious as they are enchanting, Abigail digs into the deaths—and along the way, learns that there’s more to Mercy than meets the eye. Abigail and Mercy’s chaste, slow-burning romance is endearing and the supporting cast are a fun and vibrant bunch, including some familiar faces for returning readers. Atwater ties things up perhaps a bit too neatly in an epilogue that jumps far forward in time, but getting there is diverting enough that many won’t mind. This is a delight. (Aug.)