Every so often I'll run into a proper fantasy setting and every time I do I'm more grateful than the last.

I tend to have a hard time remembering stuff, but the lore and rules and the sigils here were so interesting that I managed to absorb it all and ENJOY myself while doing so.
I just love this kind of practical magic as much as the next gal.

This book was a much needed change of gear after a string of spooky books, and the happy ending was a blast until a little detail in the end that sucker-punched me and now I feel like crying a little.

Will definitely go for the second book as soon as my hobgoblin steals it from me.

Enjoy a trip to Tír na nÓg and get ready to get into ink making in this wild-ass book.
I know I did.

Aloysius “Al” MacBharrais is a Sigil Agent. Only five such people in the world exist and it is their ability to create sigils from special ink that make them special. These sigils work like magic spells and can be used for both offensive and defensive and even for more mundane purposes. But when Al’s apprentice dies by choking to death on a scone, Al is convinced it isn’t really an accident. Perhaps that is because his previous six apprentices have also all died in various accidents. His investigation into the death leads him to another crime, this time a large-scale fey trafficking ring being run by what appears to be some sort of governmental organization. He manages to free a mischievous hobgoblin who was next to be sold off and who then acts as a sidekick throughout the rest of the story.

This first-in-a-series novel takes place in the same universe as the author’s Iron Druid Chronicles although it’s important to note that it is not necessary to have read those books in order to enjoy this one. The character of Al MacBharrais is well developed in this first book along with his sigil craft and several of his closest friends and allies. Some of this is told through brief flashback sequences but the author does this in creative ways to avoid dreaded info dumps. At one point he even remembers back to when he met Atticus O'Sullivan, the Iron Druid himself, as well as his loyal dog companion Oberon.

This book does have a fair bit of dialog that reflects unique Scottish terminology and accents (specifically Glaswegian, or “Weegie"). When I read that in the author’s note at the beginning of the book along with a pronunciation guide, I was plenty worried. That sort of thing often yanks me out of any kind of immersive storytelling experience. But here, it didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I think it helped me see and hear these people better.

There is quite a bit of humor in the novel, perhaps even more than can be found in the Iron Druid stories. Some of it is a little juvenile, especially from the hobgoblin, but then that seems totally in character for a hob anyway. Most of it is actually quite clever and original.

Recommended. Keven Hearne fans will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in return for an honest review