In Mirah Bolender's debut, City of Broken Magic, three agents of a magical bomb squad, the Sweepers, risk their lives every day to stand between the metropolis of Amicae and its complete destruction. Over hundreds of years, threats to Amicae seem to have subsided, so now only cynical and abrasive Clae Sinclair, last in a line of Sweepers, and his ambitious, determined apprentice Laura serve as the city's line of defense against the monsters.
Laura, who fell in love with the idea of Sweeping after reading an out-of-date history book, obtained her position by marching into Clae's office after the death of his previous apprentice and insisting he give her a chance. Now on the cusp of promotion after three months of survival, Laura lets her competitive spirit go into overdrive when Clae takes on a second apprentice, Okane. As threats suddenly start to increase, Clae, Laura and Okane must learn to stand together as a team or lose Amicae entirely.
Bolender's world combines elements of magic and 19th-century technology with the occasional steampunk flair. Telephones and trains exist, but much of the world runs on magical amulets that sometimes break down. Though occasionally given to long expository passages, Bolender tends to illustrate rather than explain the world's workings, which have enough intricacy to fuel multiple sequels. Laura is an enjoyably flawed protagonist: brave enough to fight monsters, single-minded enough to get ahead in a man's world, but still competitive and insecure. City of Broken Magic shines most brightly in the interactions between the three Sweepers, and fantasy fans will hope for more exploits in Amicae. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads