Principles of Angels

Fenn sets her romance-heavy but passionless debut in a vast and ancient aerial city that inexplicably evokes very little sense of wonder. Nual is a sanctioned killer in Khesh City, where the very rich live Topside and the criminal classes lurk in the low-gravity Undertow. The reclusive and mysterious Nual is stalked by two reluctant hunters: Taro, a prostitute desperate for safety and forgiveness after he inadvertently aids in his aunt’s murder, and singer Elarn Reem, an unwilling cat’s paw for the mysterious Sidhe. Once the rulers of humanity, the Sidhe have a special and malevolent interest in Khesh City, whose founding was tied to their fall. The stronger parts of the story are undermined by a vague, clichéd setting and a false-ringing romance, giving the reader little reason to care about the characters or their woes. (Jan.)