Winter of the Gods

In this stellar sequel to 2016’s The Immortals, former Olympian goddess Artemis, now living in New York City as Selene DiSilva, is drawn into another murder investigation. This one involves members of her own family, who are being systematically hunted and sacrificed as part of a mysterious cult’s deadly agenda. Selene and her boyfriend, mortal classicist Theo Schultz, have to rally her estranged siblings, including Apollo and Hephaestus, before they all fall prey to a group capable of using the weapons of the gods. Brodsky’s approach to urban fantasy is intelligent, versatile, and esoteric; she draws on mythology, religion, and archeoastronomy to construct a believably complex framework for the much-diminished gods and their world, where contradictory stories somehow fit together. New York City stands out as a character in its own right, its landmarks and quirks strengthening the narrative that twists and turns through public and private spaces. This is a satisfying adventure that remains true to the spirit of the original myths while granting them several millennia of weight, consequence, and even regret. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners. (Feb.)