Taking advantage of wartime chaos, Dr. Miles Singer changed his name and hid from his family to avoid being bound to his sister Grace as a source of magical power. Miles's freedom is in peril; however, when a dying man comes to him for help, how can he refuse to act if others are also in danger and the fate of the realm is at stake? Perhaps an unexpected ally can help. Except that Tristan Hunter is both distractingly attractive and a member of an alien race of magical beings. As if Miles needed more complications in his life! First novelist Polk has created a supernatural realm of magic and privilege set in an alternative Edwardian world in the aftermath of a World War I-like conflict. VERDICT Readers will root for a complex and likable protagonist who struggles against societal pressure to put his family's interest above his own. For fans of V.E. Schwab, Melissa McShane, or Tarun Shanker.—Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.

Polk's stellar debut, set in an alternate early 20th century in an England-like land recovering from a WWI-like war, blends taut mystery, exciting political intrigue, and inventive fantasy. Miles Singer's influential family of mages wants to turn him into a living battery of magic for his sister to draw on. Fearing this fate, he runs away to join the army and make use of his magical healing abilities, although—like all magic-users—he must hide his powers or risk being labeled insane and sent to an asylum. When Tristan Hunter, a handsome, suave gentleman who's actually an angel in disguise, brings a dying stranger to Miles's clinic, the two pair up to uncover the reason for the man's mysterious death. The devastating war has left most young men shell-shocked, and many veterans are inexplicably killing their families. Miles struggles to find a socially acceptable physiological explanation for the veterans' dark auras, while Tristan hopes to understand why no souls from this country have moved on to the afterlife. A sudden reunification with Miles's social-climbing, deceitful sister upends progress on solving the riddles (and on the gently developing romance between Miles and Tristan) as she pulls him back into the secretive and manipulative world of powerful mages. Polk unfolds her mythology naturally, sufficiently explaining the class-based magical system and political machinations without getting bogged down. The final revelations are impossible to see coming and prove that Polk is a writer to watch for fans of clever, surprising period fantasy. Agent: Caitlin McDonald, DMLA. (June)