World Fantasy Award winner Polk (Witchmark) delivers sharp social commentary in this excellent Regency-flavored fantasy. Sorceress Beatrice Clayborn must marry well or her family will plunge into poverty. But marriage means submitting to a collar that blocks women from access to magic, so Beatrice plans to prove herself as a Mage before anyone can propose, hoping her magical skills will enable her to earn money of her own, making marriage unnecessary. When the Lavan siblings, the equally marriage-averse Ysbeta and her handsome brother, Ianthe, steal Beatrice's spell book, Beatrice summons Nadi, a luck spirit, to help her get the grimoire back. In exchange, Nadi demands the chance to live vicariously through Beatrice, hoping to experience cake, dancing, and kissing. With Nadi's help, Beatrice befriends the Lavans and is soon leading a double life: practicing secret magic with Ysbeta, while falling in love with Ianthe over a series of heated debates about structural injustice. To survive the social tightrope, Beatrice summons Nadi more and more frequently, and it becomes her most trustworthy friend, even as its presence in her life puts all her plans at risk. Polk expertly balances propulsive pacing, a rich multicultural world, and a vivid and subversive cast of characters. Readers will be swept away by this powerful and passionate fantasy. Agent: Caitlin McDonald, Donald Maass Literary. (Oct.)

Being cut off from her sorcerous powers is everything that Beatrice Clayborn fears, since being a true Magus is her calling. Yet Beatrice's family is putting the last of their funds into her place in the Bargaining Season, a time when families gather to strike advantageous marriages. Worse, once married, Beatrice must wear a collar during pregnancy to protect her unborn children by cutting off her power. The key to her becoming a Magus lies in a grimoire she has discovered, but another sorceress, Ysbeta Lavan, finds a way to acquire it for the same reason. Using a spirit to get the book back means paying a price: Beatrice's first kiss -- with Ianthe Lavan, Ysbeta's brother and a man that Beatrice wonders if she could have a future with. Except making the choice between love and dreams could mean the greatest loss of her life. VERDICT Polk's (Witchmark) foray into a society of magic and politics places the woman in the secondary role, but neither Beatrice nor Ysbeta will stay in place. Fans of romantic fantasy set in a multicultural world will find this a fascinating read.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

An intelligent and gifted young woman seeks to forge her own path despite considerable social and financial pressures in this feminist fantasy--meets--Regency romance. Beatrice Clayborn's father has gone deeply into debt to allow her to present herself properly at Bendleton's bargaining season, when eligible unmarried gentlemen select their brides. But Beatrice doesn't want to get married; she wants to make a bargain with a greater spirit and become a mage, supporting her family's fortunes through her considerable magic powers. Unfortunately, only men are allowed to practice the higher magics; to prevent spirits from invading pregnant women's wombs and possessing their babies, women are denied magical lore and are locked into collars that suppress their magical potential from their weddings until menopause. When Beatrice locates a grimoire that might offer the knowledge she seeks, it brings her into the orbit of the most eligible pair of siblings on the market, the wealthy and well-connected Ysbeta and Ianthe Lavan. Ysbeta wants Beatrice to teach her how to conjure and bargain with spirits, that she might also remain unmarried and pursue magic. Ianthe's interest in Beatrice is more romantic in nature, and Beatrice fears those feelings might be mutual. Beatrice is faced with an impossible choice: Marry Ianthe and give up the magic she loves or pursue the dangerous and forbidden path to magery; meanwhile, various parties seek to prevent Beatrice from taking either option. As in Polk's ongoing series The Kingston Cycle, magic represents a source of political and physical power that only a select group is permitted to wield. It's a talent that can spring up in anyone but requires opportunities and training to flourish--and whether those are available depends heavily on gender, class, and finances. Obviously, such a concept has many parallels in our own world. The author's penetrating social critique and deeply felt depiction of one woman's struggle for self-determination are balanced by her charming take on classic Regency romance. The tropes of the story are such that we have a reasonable expectation that Beatrice will somehow find a way to realize her dreams, however paradoxical they seem in her milieu, but the author does a nice job of ratcheting up the tension and places enough obstacles in her protagonist's way that the reader might almost believe that failure is possible. The resolution therefore feels well earned and is pleasingly served with a righteous blow at the smugly complacent preservers of the status quo. An expertly concocted mélange of sweet romance and sharp social commentary. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Beatrice Clayborn is her family's last hope. Her father has ruined the family finances on a bad investment, so Beatrice must find herself a wealthy husband. That's why Beatrice is attending the Bargaining Season, where young ladies hope to meet--and hook--a young (and loaded) gentleman. But Beatrice doesn't want to get married; she wants to be a Mage and use her sorcery to bolster her family's fortune. Women are prevented from using magic once they marry because of the warding collar they don, which saps them of their rightful power in an effort to protect any unborn children. To prevent this fate, Beatrice makes a bargain with a lucky spirit, which leads her down a path that forces her to choose between fulfilling her family's wishes or fulfilling her heart's desire. Polk's latest (after Stormsong, 2020) delightfully addresses the theme of a woman's right to choose inside a fantasy novel. The potency of the theme and the strength of the characters outweigh any weaknesses in the worldbuilding, making this a satisfying read.