Hummingbird

Starred review from October 17, 2022
Harper (the Firebrand series) transports readers to an alternate Glasgow filled with magic and mystery in the addictive first book of her Charade of Magic series. Orphan Mairi is incapable of speech but is skilled in the art of herbal healing. When she’s not working as the much-maligned servant to a pair of tartan merchants, she’s studying for the Apothecary exam, hoping to use her gift to help more people. This would be much easier if her world weren’t controlled by cruel, patriarchal mages, who ostensibly use their magic to protect the city while really oppressing its citizens. When Mairi’s best friend discovers that the mages are stealing infants from new parents, she speaks out against them—and is murdered for her trouble, setting Mairi on a path for revenge. Her plans are complicated, however, by Nicholas, a daemon bound to the Ascendant (the leader of the mages) who quickly twigs on to her intentions, and Noah, the Ascendant’s nephew, who develops a crush on Mairi. Harper’s simple but lyrical prose pairs perfectly with an intricate plot filled with twists and turns reminiscent of Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study, complete with an in-depth examination of politics and ethics and a healthy dose of satisfying romance. Urban fantasy fans should not sleep on this.