Kill the beast

A ruthless faerie bounty hunter finally gets a shot at revenge in this rewarding quest fantasy, Swift's debut. Lyssa Carnifex--aka the Butcher--has devoted her life to hunting deadly faerie creations known as Hounds, though she's never been able to track down and slay the Beast of Buxton Fields, the Hound who killed her brother. When the eccentric and extremely wealthy Lord Alderic Casimir de Laurent hires her to kill the Beast, Lyssa jumps at the job. Two things complicate this quest: first, the Beast can only be killed with a sword forged from items owned by its victims; and second, Lyssa's witch ally, Ragnhild, foretells that Lyssa will only be successful if she and Alderic work together. The pair form an unlikely but banter-filled alliance, as they collect ingredients and dodge the faerie-loving Hound-wardens. The final twist will come as no surprise to any seasoned fantasy reader, but the predictable ending still delivers hefty emotional payoff. Lyssa is a stellar protagonist and readers will find it easy to invest in her story. Meanwhile, the colorful side characters, especially Ragnhild, do their best to steal the show. With a well-drawn cast and a charming fairy tale quality, this should win Swift plenty of fans. Agent: Valerie Noble, Donaghy Literary. (Oct.)

DEBUT Lyssa the Butcher lives solely for murderous revenge. Her only allies are the childhood dog she can't bear to leave at home and a witch who taught her how to kill faerie beasts. When her latest job aligns with her own vendetta, Lyssa is forced to travel with the client, Alderic, to gather components for a magical weapon. Her prey's weaknesses are tied to Lyssa's and Alderic's traumatic pasts, making each ingredient they find a danger to the angry solitude Lyssa uses to protect herself. As Lyssa reluctantly realizes that Alderic could be a friend, she begins to understand the cost of vengeance. Swift's novel falls in the twilight between melancholy and adventure, punctuated with brutality, occasional gore, and shocking moments of joy. The foreshadowing is excellent, stringing action scenes and a delightful berserker/sunshine dynamic on a thread of delicious tension, strengthened by the characters' emotional depths. On the scale of faerie stories, Swift's debut lurks closer to Peadar Ó Guilín's The Call than to Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde novels, despite the similar dynamic between Lyssa and Alderic. VERDICT Swift writes in the liminal space separating the fantasy subgenres, making her debut an excellent recommendation for all fantasy readers.--Matthew Galloway