Detox in Letters

Low’s engrossing second fantasy (after Vanity in Dust) returns to the socially stratified Realm, where magic is produced in refineries and the highborn stumble through a world of illusory meals, blank books, and parties. High society, deprived of the amnesia-inducing dust, is finally remembering its true history and power, and Prince Vaun, the youngest child of the remote, totalitarian queen, must navigate multiple loyalties and treasons as people he loves launch plots to overthrow the crown. However, his tangle of obligations, familial relations, and tender love affairs may undo the revolution before it begins. Despite pacing issues—an over-abrupt ending, a few too many duels and fêtes—this lush fantasy stays ferociously readable while offering a world that’s easy to love: unhappy people waking up to realize there’s more to life, and greeting it with curious wonder. This belle epoque–flavored series will appeal to readers who like their fantasy politics splashed with hope. (Sept.)