Rating: 4⭐️
A City of Swords and Fangs picks up almost immediately after the events of Demon Dance and Other Disasters, the novel where we meet 16 year old Katy Brown. Street toughened by loss, hardened by homelessness and abandonment and trauma, she’s a powerful self taught mage and hunter surviving alongside the monsters in the streets of the city.
But now she’s on a different path, one that’s brought her to Zurich as the student of one of the world’s most powerful mage’s of the Guild. She’s 17, soon to be in college and eager for her new adventures and life.
Unfortunately politics and the religious order has a different plan for Europe and magic that will disrupt her life and those who have taken her in.
I found this story very interesting and absorbing. It moves at an extremely fast pace, packed with history and current events of the world this is situated in. The paranormal, mundane and religious aspects of the European setting are very familiar coded, if that makes sense. The elements that are stirring up the political atmosphere and hatred here, while layered with magical or paranormal overtones, still have that racial and religious and ethnic tension and bigotry that’s been present throughout history. It’s urban fantasy and current reality.
The school and all the various other groups within the Guild are interesting but, like much of the relationships between the characters, don’t get the same detail and exploration as the political aspect of the story. She’s sent to certain groups and we see her as being part of a larger community but there’s no depth in the design of this particular part of her life. We know nothing about these characters or the school or even her lessons. Which is why she was sent there to begin with.
Everything other than the political instability becomes a non-element in the story. That means a whole lot of narrative is left behind or discarded in favor of another plot line that loses track of her character development. She’s moved quickly from A to Z without any further learning, real believable relationships with others, and although she’s said that Zurich feels like home, I’m astounded. Because the author hasn’t made her case for it.
And there’s no realistic connection between a vampire she’s just worked with on a dramatic short time case and immediately overcoming her issues about trust etc. That entire scene felt entirely unrealistic.
So yes to the action packed adventure, yes to the political drama and magical moments. But this was disappointing after the well crafted characters seen in the first novel. Those relationships were absent.
A mixed bag but enjoyable.
Cover art by Lou Harper
(Note: Pls take time to appreciate the wonderful cover art for both novels done by Lou Harper who has passed recently. She will be missed. )
A Spirit Mage’s Journey:
- Demon Dance and Other Disasters #1
- A City of Swords and Fangs #2
Buy link
A City of Swords and Fangs (A Spirit Mage’s Journey Book 2)
Blurb
“In my world, keeping my head on my shoulders has always required paying attention to what goes on around me. I’ve seen chaos, and I’ve seen evil…”
In Zurich—the wealthy, peaceful city where I plan to attend university—I walk into a war zone. Vampires, werewolves, Knights Magica, and the Mage Guild battle for supremacy. Apprenticed to a man considered the greatest living mage, I have a lot to learn—if I survive.
“Balance is messy. Freedom is messy. People and their social constructs aren’t always pretty.”
A dark, character-driven urban fantasy where magic is power, alliances are fragile, and survival means walking the line between order and chaos.
Perfect for readers who love:
- Dark, immersive urban fantasy with political depth
- Complex heroine with untamed magic
- Magic vs. morality stories where no side is clean
- High-stakes danger, evolving friendships, and hard-earned power
date
May 21, 2025
Language
English
Print length
254 pages
Book 2 of 2
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 