The Radiant King

In this riveting high fantasy, Dalglish (Level: Unknown) takes on the familiar trope of squabbling supernatural siblings working secretly to steer human history, but stirs in an exciting mix of reincarnation, politics, and body horror. Faron is one of six immortal siblings who have vowed to stay out of mortal affairs. When he completes his most recent reincarnation, however, he comes back to find his brother Eder breaking this promise and encouraging humans to worship him. To stop him, Faron forms an uneasy alliance with his most unpredictable brother, Sabriel, and the pair take up the cause of Princess Isabelle, a human who claims divine approval and exhibits powers that the brothers believed were limited to their family . Tensions ramp up as Eder plots to revive ancient technology and smash the interdimensional barrier that prevents the siblings from directly contacting their creator. Dalglish makes the familial relationship wonderfully multilayered while illustrating the distinct personalities of each sibling. Readers will need a tolerance for gore to get through some of the reincarnation scenes but will be rewarded with a solid saga full of loneliness and longing. It’s an exciting start to the series. Agent: Michael Carr, Veritas Literary. (Mar.)