A motley crew must stop an undead villain from opening a portal to the underworld.
Asperides is a 2,000-year-old semiretired demon sword whose power is sourced from the imprisoned souls of his previous masters. Despite lacking a mouth or hands, he enjoys spending his days in a dark corner of the Wet Fang, an underworld pub, nursing a warm drink. One day, Asperides feels the trapped soul of his last master, Amyral Venir, go missing. Unbeknownst to him, 18-year-old dark sorcerer Cleoline has attempted to fully resurrect Amyral but finds her spell did not go exactly as planned. Meanwhile, across the kingdom, Nack Furnival has been banished from his knightly family. He is determined to complete a quest, receive an angel blade, and return to their good graces. Nack meets Asperides, who hides his true demonic nature, impersonating an angel blade to win his trust and claim his soul. The duo encounter Sister Dawn Therin, a 12-year-old Seer who shares a significant prophecy that will bring them all together. Horwitz’s middle-grade fantasy is quirky and fun but also nuanced and complex. Chapters shift in point of view as the narrative threads are woven together with masterful dexterity. Readers are clued in before the characters, and the journeys to their various places of self-discovery are wholly enjoyable. Asperides is delightful, imbued with hilarious snark and a gray moral compass. The main cast reads White; there are some queer secondary characters.
An exciting and well-wrought romp.
(Fantasy. 8-12)