Lustlocked

The Sin du Jour gang of magic-wielding culinary artists is preparing to cater the wedding of the year, and Lena Tarr and Darren Vargas, still reeling from the events of Envy of Angels, have been offered contracts to continue working for the famous executive chef Byron “Bronko” Luck. It’s an offer they can’t afford to resist. The goblin king and queen are planning the wedding of their son and his human fiancé, and nothing less than perfection will do. These “aren’t Lord of the Rings goblins,” as Lena puts it; they’re ethereally beautiful, and the king and queen moonlight in the human world as a rock star and a supermodel, respectively. (Their human aliases aren’t given to the reader, but clues make it obvious exactly who they are.) The lovely bride is worried about impressing her in-laws, and Sin du Jour’s resident witch, Boosha, attempts to help, with disastrous and frequently hilarious results. Also included is a slyly poignant bonus story about how the choicest delicacies—namely gold and jewels, which goblins eagerly consume—are procured for the wedding feast. Magic and humor combine with delicious results in this unusual, wildly fun novella. (Feb.)