Unseen

Caine's third Outcast Season novel (after Unknown) finds the djinn Cassiel well adapted to the mortal body she's been exiled to. The same cannot be said for Ibby, the six-year-old girl whose awesome paranormal powers literally start the book off with a bang. Newly turned over to a school where the benevolent Wardens teach gifted children to harness their supernatural endowments, Ibby, whose talents were boosted prematurely by evil Djinn Pearl, is going through life-threatening physical withdrawal from the Djinn. Hoping to save Ibby, Cassiel takes to the road to infiltrate and neutralize Pearl's organization—a gambit fraught with danger for her human form. Periodic dustups with FBI agents, passionate moments with Warden love interest Luis Rocha, and a surprising twist of events at Ibby's school combine with Cassiel's insightful reflections on mortality and human nature to keep this fascinating fantasy saga moving briskly forward to its apocalypse-promising next installment. (Feb.)