Wolf Interval

Keeping the spotlight on fierce young women fighting good fights, this absorbing third episode in Tzavelas's Senyaza contemporary urban fantasy series (following Infinity Key) focuses on Annalise, a nephil who resists her monstrous father's attempts to mold her and keeps three dogs in her shadow. Two days before Halloween, Annalise watches a strange man in Issaquah Commons kill a harmless ghost; subsequently she learns that the Wild Hunt have been released from their prison and want to destroy all disembodied human souls. Annalise risks her abusive father's wrath in order to partner with an impossible sorcerer and a 13-year-old girl to find the Hunt's ancient horn and stop them. It's heartening to see Annalise centered in her own story instead of being an object of pity in someone else's; unfortunately, the pacing and plot sag in the middle of the book as unlikely saviors proliferate, and goalposts shift as frequently and confusingly as the magical landscape. Despite these drawbacks, this is a satisfying standalone novel that explores the lives of endearing characters to good effect. (Oct.)