A Dangerous Magic

July 17, 2017
Originally published in the U.K., Hounam’s supernatural mystery takes readers to an alternate contemporary England where technology is at early-20th-century levels, the dominant Catholic church seeks to embrace magic rather than persecute it, and children must take on adult roles because adults start to go blind in their 20s. When the headless body of the bishop of Oxford turns up, the authorities have little choice but to seek out 15-year-old Frank Sampson, a rule-breaking and wisecracking forensic sorcerer. The case should be simple—locate the missing head and find the killer—but add in a mercurial partner, an unhelpful chief inspector, and Frank’s instantaneous infatuation with the murdered bishop’s niece, and he has more obstacles to maneuver. There are enough gory rituals and plot twists to help push through the occasional lag in action, and Frank’s sardonic narration provides a coarse, attitude-laden introduction to this elaborately imagined, if somewhat opaque, world, even if his general refusal to accept what’s in front of him tends to irritate more than endear. Ages 13–up.

September 1, 2017

Gr 8-Frank Sampson is a 15-year-old forensic sorcerer for the Criminal Investigation Department of Doughnut City, a fictional place in England. In this supernatural murder mystery, magic is known and feared, but not understood. And most who practice it become blind by the time they reach 30. "What we've got here is a world where kids do all the seeing." This dystopian urban fantasy has an intriguing magic system heavily influenced by Catholicism, bureaucracy, and politics-none of which Frank has respect for. The teen survives an abusive father, abandonment issues, as well as "self-harming: one of the useful skills they taught me at Saint Cyprian's," all while trying to figure out why the Bishop of Oxford was beheaded. He has no people skills whatsoever and none of his social challenges are magically fixed by the end of the story, making this gritty but realistic. The Briticisms combined with terms specific to Frank's world might make the work a challenging read for some teens. There are unrequited romantic overtures but no sex scenes. There is, however, a lot of gore due to the nature of necromancy. It is also not always clear who is speaking, making it difficult to maintain a grip on the plot and dialogue. VERDICT An entertaining choice for speculative fiction mystery lovers. Otherwise, an additional purchase only.-Carina Gonzalez, Raritan Valley Community College, NJ

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2017
A brilliant teenage sorcerer takes on the case of a beheaded bishop in this supernatural noir debut. When the police drag 15-year-old Frank Sampson into a murder investigation, he immediately suspects that something is off (other than the cleric's absent head). But since the detective in charge hates him, superstitious mobs are after him, and his own society is ready to expel him, not to mention the feminine distractions of plucky, perceptive DC Marvell and the bishop's beautiful, enigmatic niece--well, Frank's a bit bollixed, all right? Hounam skillfully integrates classic hard-boiled-mystery conventions with the baroque flair of occult horror. Frank's mordantly hilarious narration elliptically conveys all the bleakness of this Church-ruled Britain, where industrialized magic coexists with Victorian technology and epidemic presbyopia by age 30 thrusts children into adult responsibilities. While the main characters are all working-class white, the background displays significant ethnic and social diversity. Raymond Chandler-esque antihero Frank is simultaneously supremely arrogant about his skills and rubbish (and self-sabotaging) in his personal life; his cynical, iconoclastic veneer barely conceals his vulnerability and romantic idealism. Despite the frenetic pace and meandering asides, the engrossing central mystery pays off with a twisty reveal that--in the best noir tradition--is both predictable in its tragedy and satisfying in its rough justice. Violent, profane, caustic, grisly, and pitch-black--but all in a good way. (Horror/mystery. 14-adult)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.