The Neon Court or The Betrayal of Matthew Swift-Kate Griffin

The Neon Court or The Betrayal of Matthew Swift
Kate Griffin
Orbit, Mar 24 2011, $19.99
ISBN 9780316093644

London is trapped inside the eternal night with neighborhoods vanishing one after another. War is imminent between the Neon Court and the Tribe; besides being enemies for seemingly ever, a daimyo was murdered. The only hope to prevent the hostilities between two magical user groups from igniting is the electrical magician Matthew “The Midnight Mayor” Swift. He has shown the ability to protect London from various paranormal threats including A Madness of Angels, but he fears he will not be able to stop the war.

However, Matthew has been ordered to come to a nearby burning tower where the corpse of his associate Oda the Warrior of The Order lies. She has a hole and Matthew’s symbol as the Midnight Mayor drawn in her blood; yet she walks and talks while trying to kill Swift. As the night turns darker, Lady Neon is coming to London while unknown phenomena hunt for a monster that burns the eyes of victims and the dead woman still walking and talking.

This is an exciting Swift fantasy (see A Madness of Angels and The Midnight Mayor) as the electrical sorcerer deals with big issues trying to prevent a war and personal issues trying to save his friend from killing him. Loaded with tons of action mostly of a paranormal kind that at times supersedes the plight of the hero, readers will enjoy Matthew Swift’s tightrope as otherworldly occurrences threatens his city and definitely his well-being.

Harriet Klausner