Equinox

This spellbinding fantasy from Towsey (the Walkin’ trilogy) operates on a fascinating conceit: a world where human bodies are shared by two beings, one diurnal and one nocturnal. Night-born Special Inspector Christophor Morden, brother to day-born musician Alexsander, is summoned by the king of Reikova to investigate what drove state prisoners Jan and Gregory Harsson to abruptly tear out their eyes. When Christophor confirms the king’s suspicions of witchcraft, the king sends Christophor—and Alexsander by extension—to the Harsson brothers’ faraway homeland of Drekenford to hunt down the witch responsible before news of this sorcery ignites a war. The intrigue steadily amps up in small-town Drekenford as Christophor and Alexsander’s contrasting day-and-night lifestyles dictate the course of the investigation. As Christophor inches closer to catching his witch, naive Alexsander intervenes, leading to a clever plot twist readers won’t see coming. The character dynamics are fascinating to tease out, especially as readers come to understand how these people navigate their strange everyday lives. This innovative work is sure to please. Agent: Sam Copeland, RCW Literary. (Aug.)