FIRST-DEGREE MAGIC

Linkhart’s debut novel is set in a reimagined 1927 Chicago, where a series of Tarot-themed murders challenges a magical organization of knights that defends the city.

A stage-setting introduction briefly summarizes the cultural landscape of this novel’s version of 1920s America: There’s no racial segregation, Indigenous majorities administer 13 provinces, and traditional religions are still practiced from multiple African kingdoms colonizing the New World. The Great War recently devastated the globe with “the first full-scale use of magic.” Prohibition is in full swing, and the glamour of jazz and flappers beckons from behind closed doors. In this setting, Bernice Chandler, a knight of the Order of Joan, is summoned to investigate a series of gruesome murders that radiate “the oozing black touch of terrible magics and violence.” She’s assigned a cop partner, Det. Jack Donovan, and the two begin to work the demonic cases while hiding their respective troubled histories. On the night before the first killing, for instance, Bernice was visited by a “portentous” vision of an angel. She escaped an institution in her youth, and she begins to see its nefarious head, Doctor Werner, lurking around the city. She gets unlikely aid from Valentino “Tino” Morandi, a cursed, bootlegging demi-demon who’s obliged by the Order to assist on the case, and he can help rid her of her problem—for a price. As these three characters precariously undertake professional relationships, the action propels them toward a dramatic climax that threatens to consume the city.

The plot maintains punchy pacing in alternating sections from its main characters’ third-person perspectives; symbolic illustrations indicate when the point of view changes. Readers will find themselves easily drawn into this sturdily built world, and they’ll find the inner workings of the all-female Order and their reluctant collaboration with traditional law enforcement to be particularly intriguing. The knights—or “Joanies,” as Tino and his associates call them—are each equipped with the Three Sisters (a chain of hawthorn, rowan, and holly), silver chains, and a sword, and if that isn’t enough, Bernice also carries a .38 strapped to her thigh. The knights also carry Optical Oil—an “applied alchemy” that reveals the dark symbols used to enact the ritualistic killings. Such devices assist in grounding the story’s magical elements in procedure and neatly contrast with Tino’s demi-demon abilities. The Joanies are supported by the Order of Catherine (or “Cathies”), who maintain the extensive Archives on history and magic. The intricate workforce features diverse characters who display genuine camaraderie in their hierarchical structures. Outside of her demanding job, Bernice lives with Lula, a nonmagical, churchgoing woman who shows more than a passing interest in Bernice’s work with the Order. Although the book is somewhat lengthy at more than 400 pages, the pace never drags, as it effortlessly mixes genres to propel the story forward. In this first title in the Degrees of Magic series, Linkhart ably balances character development with intricate plotting, which will make readers look forward to the next installment.

A fantasy tale that hums with magic and originality, featuring extensive worldbuilding and a compelling cast of ne'er-do-wells.