Witchling

September 4, 2006
The first in an engrossing new series about conflict in the magic modern world—as told by the half-human, half-Faerie D'Artigo sisters—the latest from Galenorn (One Hex of a Wedding
) is a whimsical reminder of fantasy's importance in everyday life. Narrator Camille is a good witch with unpredictable powers who runs a Seattle bookstore while working as an Otherworld Intelligence operative, sent Earthside to keep an eye on things. When an operative from the Wayfaerer, a human/Faerie hangout, is killed, Camille springs into action with her sisters Delilah, a werecat, and Menolly, a freshly minted vampire. Tracing the murder back to evil demon leader Shadow Wing, the sisters find evidence of a far-reaching plot, but the Otherworld Intelligence Agency offers no help, stifled by bureaucratic red tape and a nasty Otherworld battle. Galenorn's gallery of rogues is an imaginative delight, each species and personality carefully crafted. Though the plot can drag, effusive characters and pretty writing ("I whispered, and the stars heard me from behind their cloud cover and answered") will lead readers through to the much-anticipated final battle.

September 15, 2006
Half human, half faerie, Camille and her two sisters act as Earthside operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency, a gig they feel is more a way of keeping them at a distance than any promotion. With the Faerie court in disarray and a new demon lord in the Subterranean Realms making a power play to rule the known worlds, the sisters find their shaky magic and their allies the only line of defense. An emerging voice in chick-lit fantasy and mystery, Galenorn, who also writes as India Ink, branches off into romantic territory in the first of her Sisters of the Moon series. Romance readers looking for romance balanced with other elements may be a bit disappointed that the love story ranks a distant second here. However, those who enjoy Kim Harrison or Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series will feel right at home. Well-crafted fantasy abounds here, along with great character chemistry and an old-fashioned gumshoe--detective feel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)