Gather the Fortunes

Starred review from March 18, 2019
The savory second book in Camp’s Crescent City series (following The City of Lost Fortunes) is that rare, welcome sequel that can be enjoyed just as easily as a standalone story. Renaissance “Renai” Raines has guided souls to the Underworld for the five years since her death and resurrection. When mysterious teenager Ramses St. Cyr escapes from destiny—and from Renai—she’s thrown into a tangled world of New Orleans gods, magic, and dangerous deals. Renai’s second outing is as raucous as her first, and the magic is just as double-edged and slippery. Camp crafts a journey through New Orleans’s spirit underworld that’s whimsical as well as grim and sometimes horrific. Renai is a real standout of a heroine, a powerful African-American woman cutting through bad or desperate situations in living and dead realms of increasing chaos, armed with snark, courage, and a storm of magic drawn from deep within her. This will be a feast for all lovers of urban and dark fantasy. Agent: Seth Fishman, Gernert Company.

Korey Jackson narrates a fantastical musing on life and death, steeped in the mythos of New Orleans. Renaissance Raines is a psychopomp, a guide who leads the newly dead through the Seven Gates of the Underworld. Jackson's portrayal of Renai is a believable characterization of a (dead) 20-something who is confused, frustrated, and disheartened with her afterlife. It is his portrayal of Renai's mentor, Salvatore, however, that is of note: Sal can take the form of either a dog or a raven, and Jackson subtly modifies his characterization to differentiate between the two. There are many gods and supernatural beings among the secondary characters, and Jackson depicts them all as slightly tarnished, which is fitting, given the numerous cons they are all seemingly trying to perpetrate. K.M.P. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine