Sacrifices

Schultz continues his outstanding Arcane Underworld urban fantasy/horror series, set in a demon-infested version of present-day L.A., with this lively and gripping third installment, which begins immediately after the horrific carnage that ended Splintered. A band of young thieves—street-smart leader Anna; wizard Genevieve, Anna’s lover; uncontrollably precognitive Karyn; and former soldier Nail—has been ensnared by gangster Enoch Sobell, an ancient magician nearing the end of his demon-extended life. Now Anna and Karyn have demons riding inside them; Karyn’s gives her some control of her visions, but Anna’s is increasingly bloodthirsty. Genevieve has temporarily allied with Sobell, who’s desperate to avoid death and damnation but has joined with Belial, lord of demons, as they all search for a holy relic to fulfill one of Karyn’s prophecies. The tense hunt takes them into an L.A. barrio on the brink of gang warfare, where they encounter a destroying angel that looks and acts like a Lovecraftian horror. Schultz adroitly juggles different viewpoints and settings, and readers will continue to relish his convincing characters, vivid writing, and fresh supernatural imagination. (July)