Strange Fates

February 18, 2013
In an alternate present where descendants of the Greek gods have set up magical collectives called “houses,” centuries-old Nyx Fortuna, son of Lady Fortuna, loses the thread of fate that controls his life. He comes to Minneapolis with two goals: to make his aunts, the three Fates, pay for his mother’s death, and to find and cut his life thread. He goes undercover as a receptionist at his aunts’ company and gathers power by seeking out his mother’s lost charms, but his plans are disrupted by a growing closeness with his cousin, Naomi Polydoros, and by beautiful, mysterious Elizabeth Abernathy. Soon Nyx finds himself wanting more than revenge and a quick death. YA author Perez (Dead Is the New Black) kicks off this urban fantasy series with an uneven story in which an intriguing protagonist, snappy dialogue, and a fast-paced plot are undermined by sloppy, clichéd characterizations and a paint-by-numbers romantic subplot. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media.