Eight Rivers of Shadow

In 13 Days of Midnight (rev. 9/15) sixteen-year-old Luke Manchett battled a Host of eight mutinous spirits inherited from his necromancer father. Just as Luke begins to believe things are back to normal, "exchange student" Ash reveals herself to be the daughter of a rival necromancer who was murdered by a demon on Dr. Manchett's command. Ash's twin Ilana has been comatose since the attack, so Luke and his seer girlfriend Elza reluctantly agree to assist in a ritual to return Ilana's spirit to her body. But Ash hasn't been honest about the ritual's true cost, and in its aftermath Luke must travel to the land of the dead with a dangerous spirit guide and his faithful wolfhound/familiar. The previous volume riffed on the Faustian bargain; here Hunt seamlessly incorporates elements of Greek mythology to deepen his world-building. (An author's note clarifies a few artistic liberties taken.) Despite Luke's previous ordeal, he begins this book with naiveté and even optimism, but his experiences -- coupled with the insights of the dead and the desperate living -- show him some harsh truths about life and himself. Even when Luke is making decisions that are questionable (which he usually admits: "It's the stupidest plan I've ever made, but I don't see another option") or downright disastrous, his good-heartedness and self-deprecating humor will keep readers rooting for him. katie bircher

Just as Luke (13 Days of Midnight) begins to believe things are back to normal, "exchange student" Ash reveals herself to be the daughter of a rival necromancer who was murdered by a demon on Luke's father's command. The previous volume riffed on the Faustian bargain; here Hunt seamlessly incorporates elements of Greek mythology to deepen his world-building.