Shadows of the Short Days

May 1, 2020

DEBUT Before the apocalyptic tragedy happened to the Huldufolk, their world was perfect. But now the Crown has taken over Hrimland (Iceland) and the Huldefolk have dispersed, only a few remaining. Garun is a "Blendingur" owing to her mix of human and Huldufolk ancestry. Not really fitting in anywhere, she runs away to Reykjavik. She persuades a farmer going to market to smuggle her into the walled city since she lacks the necessary papers. Anxious to win rights for her kind and the Huldufolk, she meets young Saemundur, who is studying Galdur, spoken magic, at the university. He is eventually expelled for his deviations from the norm, which the faculty fear will let loose demons. After a demonstration that led to many deaths, Garun retreats to the Lost Downtown as the crown and local police go after more and more nonhumans. Estranged from Garun, Saemundur attempts to bring forth demons. VERDICT In this first of a new series, Vihj�lmsson's well-developed future world will interest fantasy fans with a taste for dystopia, especially if they're up for learning new vocabulary.--Vicki Gregory, Sch. of Information, Univ. of South Florida, Tampa

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
In an alternate version of Reykjav�k, the borders between dimensions have buckled. Now, the city's humans share space with the birdlike naskari and the water-dwelling marbendlar, along with individuals of mixed parentage. Garun is one such individual, half-human and half-huldufolk, unable to find a place in the city's mishmash of tribes. She spends her days tagging businesses, smearing graffiti with magically-infused paint designed to cause bad luck. Magic is widespread among Reykjav�k's citizens, with some, like Garun, using it to fight against the city's fascist government, while others use it to attempt to break the boundaries of human knowledge. Garun's friend S�mundur is one of the latter; expelled from the local college for exploring forbidden rituals, he continues his studies into dark galdur magic on his own. The novel's wide-ranging plot, which joins magical fantasy to revolutionary politics, gets challenging at times and the inclusion of Icelandic terminology will require frequent trips to the book's glossary. But readers who enjoy urban fantasy writers like China Mi�ville should enjoy this dark saga.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)