The Cursed

Bestseller Day’s League of the Black Swan series kickoff is fun and imaginatively humorous but uneven. In the Borderlands, a city of magic “behind, beneath, and between the streets of Manhattan,” Rio Jones witnesses the kidnapping of a child and is subsequently targeted by supernatural thugs called Grendels. With the assistance of wizard Luke Oliver, the immortal cursed bastard son of Lucrezia Borgia and a famed hottie, Rio rescues the child but abruptly loses her job and home. Inexplicably, her solution is to join Luke in founding an investigative firm. As the rambling plot veers from crisis to crisis—battling a giant duck, rescuing a puppy—pop-culture references keep things light. As Rio’s 25th birthday nears, a diverse cast of demons, fae, and goblins take interest in her destiny and heritage while affirming her Mary Sue tendencies. Paranormal romance fans seeking lighter nonvampire, nonshifter fare will enjoy this promising new series. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (May)