Spell of Intrigue

Book excerpt: Fantasy takes a “zany and very, very clever” turn in the second Dance of Gods adventure from the author of Spell of Catastrophe (Kliatt). The port town of Oolsmouth used to be a quiet, peaceful trading city. But with Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable, Shaa, the Great Karlini, and the Creeping Sword all about to converge there, it seems unlikely to stay that way. The usual power struggles—gods vs. mortals vs. gods-know-who in the everlasting Dance of Gods—are brewing in Oolsmouth, and tension is building. But the ship carrying Shaa and the Great Karlini into town has been hijacked, the Creeping Sword has already missed the boat (literally), and Max has taken a detour to try to discover the secrets of a hopefully long-dead sorcerer. These delays have got everyone wondering: will they make it to Oolsmouth in time for the showdown? More importantly: do they want to? “A lot of confusion, mayhem, action and adventure—but better yet, a sense of the humorous that doesn’t rely on puns.” —Bakka Bookie Sheet “Brenner writes in a quick-paced style which perfectly matches his plot twists . . . A book rich in people, places and complications and one which is enjoyable either by itself or in tandem with the first in the series.” —Quantam