The Seat of Magic

May 26, 2014
The mesmerizing sequel to The Golden City shows the deepening relationship
between two non-humans living clandestinely in an alternate early-1900s Portugal. Though mer-folk such as beautiful sereia Oriana Paredes and half-selkie Duilio Ferreira are officially banned from the mainland, they choose to live there and use their superhuman abilities to
protect their friends. The two are brought together by their mutual attraction and the discovery that someone is butchering sea-folk to steal their supernatural powers, part of a plot to gain control of the throne. Despite a somewhat rambling plot, Cheney assembles the necessary
details to build convincing scenes of unpleasant things happening to the believable, fallible, mostly sympathetic characters. Oriana and Duilio’s efforts to stop the grotesque mutilations turn out to be less interesting than their attempts to figure out what future they have together.

July 1, 2014
Cheney follows her debut (The Golden City, 2013) with a killer sequel filled with magical sea people, both living and dead.Police consultant Duilio Ferreira is not surprised when his brother comes to him for help finding a missing girl instead of going straight to the police. In the Golden City, a richly drawn version of 1900s Lisbon in which the reigning prince has banished magical creatures, nonhumans have to keep a low profile. Like the brothers, the girl is a selkie: a seal person with an alluring scent and irresistible charm. When she turns up dead, Duilio and his police officer cousin, Joaquim, deduce that her killer has skinned her alive to harness the magical qualities of her pelt-and she's not his only victim. It's a clever spin on the police procedural trope of a predator who targets illegal immigrants, prostitutes or other women society neglects. And as the medical examiners get a good look at the unusual bodies that crop up, so do the readers through Cheney's detailed descriptions of scales and tails in varying stages of decay. A medical journal called The Seat of Magic may shed light on the killer's motive if Duilio and his crew can track him down without drawing attention to themselves, and an underground network of sympathizers who leak information to Duilio at great personal risk help underscore the growing unrest within the city that may be explored in future books. Meanwhile, the private detective turns up the heat with Oriana Paredes, the former spy for the sereia (or siren people), who's masquerading as a handmaiden after being left for dead. Though she hates hiding her gills beneath a high collar, Oriana hopes to make Duilio her mate. Oriana is no wallflower: Sereia women court the men, not the other way around. Readers may want to bookmark the page where she shows Duilio her dorsal stripe.Intriguing and fun, the mystery unfolds like a socially conscious tour through a cabinet of curiosities.

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July 1, 2014

Nonhumans are not welcome in the Princedom of northern Portugal at the turn of the last century, which means that Duilio Ferreira and his family must tread carefully, despite their immense wealth. Duilio's mother is a selkie, but he has instead inherited his father's ability as a seer, which he uses to assist the police. When magical creatures are being murdered in the Golden City, Duilio is uniquely placed to investigate. VERDICT In addition to the wonderfully painted picture of an alternate-history Portugal in 1902, this title has an added benefit of highlighting a growing romance between Duilio and the siren Oriana (heroine of the series debut The Golden City) and a compelling mystery that draws Duilio into royal politics.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
This is a continuation of the story of Oriana Paredes, a siren who has been passing herself off as human in the Golden City of Northern Portugal. New readers will be drawn into the ornately described Victorian-type world of an alternate history. Gas lamps, formal society, sirens, selkies, witches, sorcerers, and court intrigues all coalesce into a thrilling read. There are spies everywhere, but it is unclear who some of them are working for and what they hope to accomplish. In a city where magical beings have been banned because of a prophecy, there are a surprising number of them working in there, some even at the highest levels of government. Set against this backdrop is the unfolding courtship of Oriana and Duilio Ferreira, a member of the aristocracy. Duilio has his own secrets to keep from the ruling prince. Those who enjoy alternate history, Edwardian- or Victorian-era historical fiction with a touch of magic and mythology, will be delighted with this story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)