Shards of Glass

Bestseller Sagara spins off from her Chronicles of Elantra series with this elaborate, magic-filled tale of a boy and his unusual best friend working to save the students of a sentient magical university building. Robin has been trapped within the Academia since the school disappeared into another realm centuries ago. His best friend, Raven, who was left behind, has spent all that time looking for him. Raised on the streets, scrappy Raven has a knack for finding things and has saved Robin’s neck countless times, but without him, she’s been lost. Following the events of Cast in Conflict, the school has returned to Elantra, and Raven and Robin finally reunite. Then students at the Academia start turning up murdered and Raven realizes the building must have blind spots that it cannot see to protect. Meanwhile, Robin learns more about his own hazy past and his special relationship with Raven, uncovering a complex and powerful family history. Sagara’s worldbuilding is as dense as ever, making this best suited for established series fans. For those readers, learning more about the Academia will be a treat. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (Nov.)