Malice of Crows

Bowen doesn’t waste any time getting back into the thick of things in her exciting third adventure (after 2016’s Conspiracy of Ravens) to feature the indomitable Ranger Rhett Walker. Rhett is anxious to find and kill the necromancer Bernard Trevisan, who is inhabiting the body of a little girl named Meimei. He’s hoping for help from his captain, but, after tragedy strikes, he and his posse must defeat Trevisan on their own. Rowdy monster mayhem makes for a fast pace, and the gang faces down a horde of poisonous spiders and a vicious catlike creature, among others. But not all monsters are bad; they meet a gorgon that may hold the key to Trevisan’s demise, and Rhett himself and many of his crew are more than human. Rhett has spent three books coming to terms with being transgender and still struggles with his identity, but with the help of his diverse friends, he realizes that there’s a whole lot to love about himself. Bowen’s imaginative mix of wild West hijinks and supernatural frights leads to a fittingly dramatic finale. New readers can easily jump right in, and returning fans will keep cheering for Rhett and his buddies. Agent: Kate McKean, Morhaim Literary. (Oct.)