This Gilded Abyss

Taking a detour from all things cozy, Thorne (Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea) amps up the tension and danger in this fast-paced standalone fantasy. Sgt. Nix Marr swore she would never take another assignment in the Crypt, the deep sea mines underneath the submerged city of Fall and the primary source of ichoron, a metallic substance with seemingly limitless applications. Her last deployment to the mines ended with her best friend dead and Nix’s heart broken by her royal ex, Subarch Kessandra “Kess” Marie Vendermere Biltean III. Now, however, Kess needs Nix’s help investigating a massacre in Fall, and she’s not above using bribery to get her way. Nix reluctantly agrees to act as Kess’s bodyguard aboard the Luminosity, the submersible that makes the three day trip to Fall. They soon discover that the ship offers no safety from the violence sweeping Fall as an illness that “incites violent rage in its victims” spreads among the passengers, putting both women in terrible danger. Thorne skillfully weaves together horror, mystery, and sapphic romance to create an un-put-downable fantasy. Hannah Whitten fans should snap this up. Agent: Taryn Fagerness, Taryn Fagerness Agency. (Nov.)