The Mage in Black
Jaye Wells
Orbit, Apr 1 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780316037808

In a world when mortals don't know that vampires, werewolves, faeries, and mages exist, Sabina Kane is an unusual hybrid offspring of a vampire and a mage. Her vampiric grandmother Lavinia the Alpha of the Dominae raised her though she loathed her as an abomination of nature. When Grandma Dearest tried to kill her, she escapes with the mage Adam. They head to New York for her to meet her mage blood side of her heritage especially her twin sister Maise, head of the Hekate Council.

Maise opens up her heart to her sibling, but as an enforcer and a Dominae assassin, to stay alive she has trust issues. Her goal is to destroy her grandmother, but to do she needs to learn magic. She never expected to get involved with the mages nor anticipate an unknown enemy will come after her, but Sabina has no choice. She must deal with the leader of the pack and try to survive the assault of Eurynome the demon summoned from beyond to specifically kill her. Evidence surfaces that prove Sabina betrayed the mages costing them their alliance with Queen Maeve of the faeries at a time when the mages consider open war with the vamps. Sabina escapes incarceration with plans to go it alone until she finds proof that her heart is right about the mages especially Maise.

Jaye Wells' latest urban fantasy picks up where the Red-Headed Stepchild ended, but goes in a different direction as the heroine leaves behind the vamps to connect she hopes with the mages. She holds the exciting story line together as she struggles with backstabbing political intrigue (talk about realism) and making new relationships especially with ever trusting Maise. Filled with plenty of action focused on Sabina as well as humor mostly by her familiar Giguhl who has never found a moment in which he is not causing trouble without trying. The Mage in Black further defines the fascinating unique "Wellsian" mythos.

Harriet Klausner