Recommended by J because I liked Edwards’ Tarot Sequence, and I can definitely see the similarities – except whereas Edwards’ books are a warm hug, Powers’ book is more of a morbid chill. Yes, there’s a found family; yes, there’s magic tied to cards; yes, there’s a mysterious magic cabal that runs everything… but the engine that runs it all is fueled by deception, death, and sacrifice, and everything is dark and creepy and full of pain. The inevitability of the characters’ paths brings to mind Seanan McGuire’s Seasonal Fears, in which everyone has a predetermined role to play, and their only choice is how wholeheartedly to embrace it; there’s no way to sit out the game, and the only way to survive is to win.
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