From one of the genre’s finest writers comes a bold new epic fantasy in which science and magic are locked in a deadly struggle.

It is the dawn of a new age… The Industrial Revolution has begun, factories are springing up across the country, and new technologies are transforming in the cities. But the old ways do not die easy.

Cat and Bee are part of this revolution. Young women at college, learning of the science that will shape their future and ignorant of the magics that rule their families. But all of that will change when the Cold Mages come for Cat. New dangers lurk around every corner and hidden threats menace her every move. If blood can’t be trusted, who can you trust?

What the Amazon description doesn’t mention is that all the characters are POC! I am very excited for this story. I was similarly excited to read Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 chronicling Miles Morales’ origin! For anyone who’s not in the loop, he is the Afro-Latino 13-year-old in New York who replaces Peter Parker after the old Spidey’s death(!!!!!). I must say my expectations were not only met but exceeded! The characters are all very believable and endearing, especially Miles, and it is about freaking time we have a POC hero stealing the spotlight. As much as folks neglect this fact, people do notice a main character’s race. It may not matter to them, but they notice. The biggest commonality there is to notice among protagonists in any area of American fiction is that they are white, which is not only alienating to POC but also tired and boring. Isn’t it dull when everyone in a comic is a cisgender dude? Or rich? So why do people think it’s ever dynamic or interesting to have all their main characters be white people? Think of all the richly textured stories out there that primarily reflect the white American experience. Now imagine how richly textured our media landscape would be if we drew from /all the cultures/ that comprise our society. Food for thought.