Resurrected by an ancient power, she finds herself with the new ability to manipulate life force. When she stumbles across a dead body on her patrol, two fellow officers gruesomely murder her and dump her into the harbor. She’s barely holding it together, haunted by memories of a lover who vanished and voices that float in and out of her head like radio signals. Yat has recently been demoted on the force due to “lifestyle choices” after being caught at a gay club. But, after a devastating war and a sweeping biotech revolution, all its inhabitants want is peace, no one more so than Yat Jyn-Hok a reformed-thief-turned-cop who patrols the streets at night. The port city of Hainak is alive: its buildings, its fashion, even its weapons. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary.Gideon the Ninth meets Black Sun in this queer, Māori-inspired debut fantasy about a police officer who is murdered, brought back to life with a mysterious new power, and tasked with protecting her city from an insidious evil threatening to destroy it. It’s an ambitious tale that doesn’t quite pull through. Meanwhile, the long buildup, expansive cast, and perplexing magic system make this slow-going. Stronach’s worldbuilding is dense and wonderfully weird, but readers should prepare to be left with more questions than answers. With dark forces wreaking havoc in the city, Yat fights alongside Sibbi’s gang to save her home, forging a delightfully queer found family along the way. Luckily, Sibbi Tiryazan, an ancient witch turned ship captain, is eager to recruit Yat to her pirate crew. Unsure of how or why she was resurrected and worried that someone might finish the job of killing her, Yat goes on the run. Yat dies-and then mysteriously comes back to life with magical powers. Instead, two mysterious officers emerge from the shadows and shoot her.

While on a patrol, she finds a rotten corpse in the water and calls for backup. In the city of Hainak, constable Yat Jyn-Hok is reassigned from day to night shift as punishment for being caught having a dalliance with another woman. Stronach debuts and launches the Against the Quiet series with an inventive, meandering fantasy that delivers plenty of atmosphere but little clarity.

The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach