Starred Review The book begins with the gruesome fall of Ystara. Liliath has led this ill-conceived venture, and now her hopes of uniting with her love, Palleniel, the kingdom's archangel, have been thwarted. Not to worry: a hundred-plus-year sleep gives Liliath a break, and when she arises from her sarcophagus, as lovely as ever, she's ready with a new plan. Part of that involves four young adults, Agnez, a musketeer-in-training; Simeon, a young doctor; upwardly mobile Henri; and the dreamy Dorotea, whose skill in creating angelic icons is of great interest to Liliath, whose ability to summon angels makes her almost invincible. Though the story line gets murky at times, it takes a backseat to the vivid characters, who jump off the pages. Each of the young people has his or her own interesting back stories, and their growing relationships, as they try to figure out just how they are connected, steals the show. But there are plenty of embellishments that enhance the more personal aspects of the story: scary beastlings, brutal battles, and the harnessed power of angelic magic. Liliath's machinations, not completely revealed until the end, also keep pages turning. And kudos to fantasy stalwart Nix for a story with gender and racial equality, a fact that is shown but not discussed, because it shouldn't have to be.

Nix (Frogkisser!) builds a Dumas-inspired world filled with angelic legions in this tremendous fantasy that follows Angel Mage Liliath, newly risen from more than a century of magical sleep and ready to reunite with the archangel of Ystara, whom she both loves and compels. Her scheme to return to Ystara depends on the presence of four friends, all 18-year-old provincials newly arrived in the neighboring capital of Sarance: a scholar and icon painter of unusual ability; a new cadet in the Queen-s Musketeers; a clerk who serves the Cardinal; and a student doctor of some skill. Liliath gathers supporters among the Refusers, whose ancestors fled their native Ystara and cannot be touched by magic following an angelic disaster that cursed the population. Readers familiar with The Three Musketeers will see echoes of it here: a chance meeting among the four friends, an intrigue with some jewelry, and Liliath in the role of the mysterious female foe. A unique magical system based on angel summoning and icons, deft characterization-including male and female protagonists and LGBTQ representation-and an affectionate rendering of Dumas-s style will delight teen and adult fans of swashbuckling romance. Ages 14-up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Oct.)