The Darkness Before Them

After setting up the pieces for a familiar fantasy caper, Ward (the Legacy trilogy) neatly reassembles this story into a thoughtful examination of the limits of duty and loyalty. Katija Arvish, rescued from the gutter by the effortlessly elegant thief Azra, uses the unique, magical tattoos crafted by her artist father to quiet the ifrits (soul fragments) that guard treasures and power weapons in the kingdom of Khalad. Now she aims to rob “the highest of high temples,” hoping the score will erase the debt the temple holds on her father’s estate, freeing her too. When the heist goes wrong, she’s sentenced to a public execution in the capital, Zariqaz, but is fortuitously rescued from a prison airship by rebels. This coincidence and others begin to unravel a larger political plot, exposing Khalad’s noble families as even more dangerous than their mobster confederates. Caught up in schemes, even the more powerful nobles and their faithful aides find that they can be sacrificed to keep the real players in charge of the game. Ward’s realistic street politics don’t offer simple good-vs.-bad choices, but readers will enjoy watching Katija and her allies struggle to plant their feet firmly on trusty ground in the moral quagmire. It’s a promising series launch. Agent: John Jarrold, John Jarrold Literary (Nov.)