When Demons Walk

A different series by Patricia Briggs, set in an alternate world, where magic  exists--both good and bad magic. This is a "loosely woven" series called Sianim, in which mostly stand-alone stories share a common world with some overlap of characters. In this book the protagonist is a thief and apprentice magician, Sham, living in the worst slum of the former kingdom of Southwood, aptly named Purgatory. When her mentor, the wizard Maur, is murdered by a demon, she is pulled into an urgent hunt to find what the new rulers, the Cybellians, do not want to admit can exist but which is nevertheless killing people within the castle. Sham will pose as the mistress of the new Reeve of Southwood, Lord Kerim, in order to track down the murderous demon. Kerim was a warrior before he became the voice of the Cybellian god, Altis, and the role sits uncomfortably upon him, but he is striving to reconcile the conquered and the conquerors. Even though he does not believe in magie, Kerim seems to have a knack for rescuing magical creatures, like the blind stableboy who is a selkie. Still he comes to rely on Sham's magic as she begins to uncover the complex web of spells and runes that have Kerim as their primary target. The identity of the demon, who can disguise itself as anyone, shakes everyone to their core, and its power will challenge Sham to the limits of her skills and beyond. A really colorful cast of characters, good pacing for the story, and the well-thought out creation of an alternate reality are all trademarks of Briggs' writing that I have come to enjoy in her "Mercy Thompson" series; these qualities show up here as well. Search for Briggs in my blog to find posts on that series books.