Bad in the Blood

Two teenage stepsiblings work together to solve a threat to the fae community in this uneven work of fantasy noir from Cerilli (Lockjaw). Fae Hawthorne Stregoni and human Gristle Senan Maxim Jr., both 11, are the sole survivors of an explosion caused by Hawthrone’s fae mother, who purportedly lost control of her powers in a moment that doctors on their early industrial island nation, Dale, call madness. Now 18, Hawthorne attends a school set up by the siblings’ fae aunt—presidential candidate Shona Maxim—where Hawthorne learns to control her powers. Meanwhile, Gristle is pulled into an inquiry about the death of a fae at a club, whose owner claims to have seen Hawthorne nearly lose her grip on her magic. As Gristle and Hawthorne investigate, Shona calls for greater understanding of fae, who are disproportionately expelled, forced into menial employment, or institutionalized in “low-stimulation care facilities.” The pair’s uncovering of the murderer, though, leads to the discovery of a much larger conspiracy. In-world news clippings and diary entries from Hawthorne’s mother help situate the convoluted worldbuilding. Employing dense prose, Cerilli conjures a uniquely imagined reflection on otherness and mental illness against the backdrop of a twisty mystery. The protagonists are described with varying skin tones. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)