Starred Review
Sarah Gailey's fresh, clever Magic for Liars is a study in balance. It's funny, it's familiar, it's sinister, and it's engrossing. When a teacher is found dead at Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, private investigator Ivy Gamble is enlisted by Principal Marion Torres to investigate the possibility of murder. Ivy knows the school well, as her sister Tabitha teaches on campus. As she starts to interview students and teachers alike, the truth slowly comes into focus—there's something wicked going on at Osthorne. Even the most casual Harry Potter fan will see similarities to Hogwarts, but Magic for Liars borrows without stealing. Teenage angst and school tensions are present, but Ivy's adult perspective brings some needed cynicism to the whole affair. This impressive, confident debut is a total blast to read thanks to Gailey's snappy, nimble writing.

Louis Greenberg's Green Valley asks what's more valuable: freedom or peace? Tucked away from the world behind a massive wall, the sense-­altering conclave of Green Valley promises an idyllic life. All inhabitants are fitted with brain-controlling hardware that coordinates a shared hallucination meant to block out the cruel realities of the outside world. When Lucie Sterling's niece, Kira, goes missing inside Green Valley, Lucie must uncover the truth and expose the dark underbelly of this false refuge. The futuristic technology never distracts from the engaging narrative, and Greenberg centers the story on Lucie's feelings of uncertainty and disgust even as she peels back the layers of her investigation.

I never thought I'd have much interest in 15th-­century Florence, but toss in about a million demons, and I'm hooked. Hugo Award-winning author Jo Walton does just that in Lent. Brother Girolamo is head of the church of San Marco, and not only can he confer with kings and sway city leaders, but he can also see demons. These creatures of hell gather in places of power to tip the scales in favor of Satan. When Girolamo discovers a treacherous plot at the highest levels of government, just as more and more demons flock to Florence's walls, he must learn the dark secret of his power over hell in order to save the city. Walton's detailed, vibrant vision of the Italian Renaissance is amazing, and Girolamo's shifting relationship with hell is equally mesmerizing. Lent is unlike any other book I've read this year and is worth a look for history buffs and fantasy fans alike.

DEBUT Oakland-based PI Ivy Gamble chases adulterous partners and money-hungry families, until a new client asks her to investigate the death of a health teacher at the Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, where Ivy's estranged twin sister, Tabitha, works. Tabitha possesses magic in spades, but Ivy does not. The headmaster at the school insists that the teacher's death is not accidental, and if that's true, someone on the grounds is a killer. Ivy grudgingly takes the investigation, uncovering both typical and unusual scenes at a boarding school for magical elites: secret relationships and mean girls, not to mention the prophecy of the Chosen One. As Ivy hunts for answers to Sylvia Capley's gruesome death, details about her childhood and bias against magic emerge, and she finds out just how much the past can affect the present. VERDICT Gailey's debut is an energetic modern fantasy that plays rough with relationships and personal beliefs, from youth to adulthood. Ivy's emotional investigation will strike a chord in anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong. Highly recommended for all collections.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

In this clever and fast-paced magical mystery, Gailey (River of Teeth) introduces Bay Area PI Ivy Gamble, who usually tracks down adulterers and insurance scammers. Then, Marion Torres, headmaster at Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, walks into Ivy's office and asks her to solve a murder. Sylvia Capley, the school's health teacher, was found bisected head-to-toe in the library, and Marion does not agree with the findings of accidental death; she's certain it was murder and wants Ivy to prove it. Reluctantly, Ivy visits the school—where her magically gifted twin, Tabitha, whom Ivy greatly envies and resents, happens to teach. To Ivy's surprise, it's just like a regular high school, except that the kids are armed with magical arsenals. One student stands out: Alexandria DeCambray, whose brother believes he is the chosen one foretold in a prophecy. As Ivy continues her investigation, she ruminates on her past choices, especially as she tries to rebuild her relationship with Tabitha. A budding romance with one of the school's teachers also complicates matters. Petty, petulant Ivy is hard to like, but her story is a wonderfully quirky mystery filled with inviting characters and gripping surprise twists. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (June)