by Terrance Mc Arthur

Details on how to win a copy of Magic and Loss at the end of this review.

Tate was a normal human female. Well, not THAT normal–she was an artist who worked in meta–—until she moved into Golgotham, the magical and mythical part of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Then she acquired the ability to make her work come to life and move on its own. She also found love, marrying Hexe, the future Witch King, in Nancy A. Collins’ Golgotham urban fantasy novels (Right Hand Magic, Left Hand Magic).

In the third book, Magic and Loss, a Trump-like developer is trying to gentrify Golgotham, raising rents and evicting tenants. Boss Marz, criminal overlord of the area, wants revenge on Hexe for interfering with his shape-shifter fighting pits, and he gets it–violently.

Things get lively, with long-planned revenge, clockwork dragons, a leprechaun mayoral candidate, a glove that does more than cover a hand, a metal-wizard centaur, inter-species prejudice, hair of unusual colors, bull-headed Minotaurs and a paranormal pride parade. Along for the ride are also disinherited rich girls, Oriental apothecaries, monkey familiars that turn into flesh-tearing primates, soul-riding ghosts and a frequently-used plot twist (I’m getting so that I can spot this one coming half-a-book or more before the characters) that makes one character sick.

Collins has some colorful characters to work with. Tate may not kick gluteus maximus like some paranormal heroines, but she doesn’t wait for a big, strong, paranormal hero to rescue her. She is able to out-think a lot of her enemies, although her blacksmithing experience gives her physical strength. Hexe spends a lot of the book in a clinical depression or a psychopathic rage, which doesn’t create much sympathy for him. The baddies have definite menace and there is risk for Tate, Hexe and others that must be overcome.

If you are new to this series, it doesn’t take long to figure out who’s been doing what to whom and why, as long as you remember that you are dealing with fiction, and not a tour guide to Manhattan Island (People are strange in New York, but they don’t usually conjure up fireballs and throw lightning bolts).

This is the end of a trilogy, so many of the storylines are brought to satisfying conclusions and some end in sadness. Nevertheless, the possibilities for more stories are evident and it would be a shame for Collins to permanently leave this corner of NYC.

To enter to win a copy of Magic and Loss, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Loss,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 28, 2013. U.S. residents only.

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Terrance V. Mc Arthur is a California-born, Valley-raised librarian/entertainer/writer. He lives in Sanger, four blocks from the library, with his wife, his daughter, and a spinster cat.