Weavingshaw

Al-Wasity’s debut blends gothic fantasy with grounded refugee and class concerns to engrossing, if occasionally uneven, effect. Three years before the start of the book, Leena Al-Sayer developed “an affliction”­—the ability to see ghosts. With her widowed father imprisoned for trying to form a union and her brother desperately ill, Leena takes the secret of her affliction to the powerful Bram St. Silas, also called the Saint of Silence, in hopes of trading it for enough money to buy medicine. St. Silas does indeed pay for Leena’s secret, and also, unexpectedly, hires her to track down a ghost for him, leading Leena deep into the secrets and conspiracies woven into the fabric of both their lives. The details of Leena’s cultural heritage and refugee community are well-drawn and fascinating, but, in the second half of the story, they take a backseat to more familiar feeling aristocratic drama. Still, captivating characters, unexpected romance, and a devastating cliffhanger ending will leave readers eager for more. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Feb.)