T.A. Pratt, Spell Games

Spell Games

T.A. Pratt

Bantam, Mar 3 2009, $6.99

ISBN: 9780553591361

Jason Mason comes to the town of Felport where his sister Marla is the chief sorcerer. She has mixed feelings about her roguish sibling as she expects he will run a scam. He plans to pull a con on mega-billionaire Cam-Cam Compton, who believes in magic and wants to learn how to use it. Jason ask Marla what Cam-Cam would interest him that he would pay a fortune for and she says a vial of Borrichius spore that does not exist. A waiter overhearing them calls the sorceress Nicolette who thrives on chaos; she sends a courier to find the mycronancer Bulliard who should be interested in them. The courier finds his target only to find Bulliard in thrall to the Mycelium, an underground mushroom god. Nicolette knows that if Bulliard comes to Felport, chose will follow to her euphoria.

While coping poorly with her brother as she doubts she should trust him, Marla also works with apprentice Bradley Bowman, who she believes is a worthy successor to her. Jason ropes Marla's consigliore into his con. Rondeau, who is a psychic parasite that took over the mind and body of the person he lives inside of, finds the graft an exciting experience. However when Bulliard and his cronies arrive, chaos ensues; leaving a heartbroken Marla to clean up the mess caused by those she loves who betrayed her.

The latest Mason urban fantasy affirms that in a relatively short time, T.A Pratt has become a sub-genre star. Fans will find it fascinating as Marla introduces Bradley to the top sorcerers in town; as each teaches him a little bit of magic. He is like a younger brother to her whom once he learns to control his power will be a perfect successor to her. Readers will admire the heroine, but adore her innocent apprentice while also hoping her sibling will mend their estranged relationship, which she tries to do by assisting him on his scam. Like its predecessors (see DEAD REIGN, BLOOD ENGINES and POISON SLEEP) SPELL GAMES casts a magical enchantment on the readers to finish it in one sitting

Harriet Klausner