It’s been six years since D.B. Jackson’s last Thieftaker novel, Dead Man’s Reach, and boy, have I missed going back to Colonial Boston in the years leading up to the American Revolution! But the wait is over now that Jackson has published a trilogy of novellas titled The Loyalist Witch.
The Witch’s Storm is the first novella in this new trilogy, and it begins in the aftermath of the Boston Massacre shortly after the end of Dead Man’s Reach. Ethan Kaille, one of my all-time favorite historical fantasy characters, has retired from thieftaking and settled down with his wife Kannice at their tavern, The Dowsing Rod. But Kaille is also a speller, or conjurer, a fact he must keep secret to avoid hanging from the gallows. And when a deadly new speller arrives in the city, he discovers his services once again are desperately needed.
This time, Kaille’s employer is the historical patriot Samuel Adams, the leader of the Sons of Liberty. This new speller is trying to disrupt the trial of the British officers accused of committing the Boston Massacre. Even more, she’s attacking lawyers for both the prosecution and the defense, making it unclear whose side she’s on.
Adams wants a fair trial to prove what type of nation America could be, so he needs this speller stopped. To do so, Kaille must discover this conjurer’s identity and what she intends before it’s too late.
Compelling villains are a hallmark of the series, and the titular witch in this tale proves to be among the most intriguing and powerful Kaille has ever faced. This forces him to ally with his longtime enemy, Saphira Pryce, and seek the aid of her conjurer, Kaille’s sometime friend Mariz. Janna Windcatcher, the most powerful conjurer in Boston, plays a role in the story, too. And by the end, most of the colorful characters that inhabit Jackson’s eighteenth-century Boston make an appearance in one way or another.
In addition to the characters, the book’s eighteenth-century setting, the fascinating magic system, and a series of thrilling magical duels make The Witch’s Storm a welcome new addition to one of the more unique historical fantasy series around. There’s even a twist near the end that gives meaning to the final word in the story’s title. Let’s just say that conjurers like Kaille aren’t the only type of magic users around, and this revelation promises to impact the rest of the series.
Speaking of, I’m delighted there will be at least two more Thieftaker stories after The Witch’s Storm. And with luck, we’ll get a few more. Paul Revere made a cameo in one of the earlier books, and I’m ready for his midnight ride! I hope Ethan Kaille can be there too.