Impostor Syndrome

Nebula-nominee Baker delivers an emotional knockout punch in the wrenching third Arcadia Project novel (after Phantom Pains). It’s been three months since the collapse of the Project, a group that was responsible for bridging the gap between the fae and the humans for whom they are a vital source of artistic and intellectual inspiration. Now Dame Belinda of the Project’s U.K. office is leading the charge against the splinter groups in New Orleans and Los Angeles. In L.A., series protagonist Millie is tasked with saving the world, something she feels patently ill-prepared for. She has little time and even fewer resources to sway the support of Belinda’s allies and save her own partner, Tjuan. Complicating matters are the intricate and almost alien relationships she has with Claybriar, her fae counterpart, and Caryl, the half-fae former head of the L.A. Project. Millie’s attempts to navigate both the “normal” world and the darkly tangled world of fae politics are hampered by her striking vulnerabilities, which include but aren’t limited to her borderline personality disorder and amputated legs. Baker’s richly detailed worldbuilding intersects with powerful storytelling to keep readers hooked. The tear-jerking conclusion is a fitting wrap-up to the series, but readers will still hope for more Millie stories to come. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (Mar.)