Cloudbound

In the turbulent sequel to her much-lauded debut, Updraft, Wilde returns to the city of living bone with a less satisfying story. The communities of the Towers are in chaos, and the enormous bone Spire at the center of the city is dying. Nat is a young councillor wading into the political quagmire and struggling to do what is right, even when the choices aren’t clear. When he springs a trap set for his friend Kirit, he discovers a deadly conspiracy that calls into question nearly everything and everyone he thought he could trust. As Nat assembles his band of marginalized and outcast fliers to save the city, they learn mysteries long lost and do battle against the black-winged guards employed by the corrupt city leaders. Though some of the secondary cast and their motivations are flat and unrealized, the mystery and imaginative worldbuilding are enough to keep fans of the first book reading on. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (Sept.)