Black Pearl Dreaming

In Lincoln’s action-packed second Portland Hafu novel (after Dream Eater), sarcastic teen Koi Pierce and her father travel to Japan to find a cure for his dream-fog and are caught between the two leading factions in supernatural politics, the Council and the Eight Span Mirror. Dream-eating baku such as Koi and her father are almost extinct, and both factions are determined to control the baku’s ability as they clash over the future of the powerful Black Pearl. Lincoln’s world features fascinating beings from Japanese mythology, but the lack of exposition makes the setting and mythos confusing at times. Koi’s wry insights are entertaining as she uncovers the truth about why her father left Japan and struggles with the realization that her crush, Ken, might not be as trustworthy as she thought. The remainder of the cast are plain by comparison. This is a fun urban fantasy with a superb, authentically teenage heroine whose adventures are best appreciated by readers who start with book one. (Oct.)