Minnesota Author Kat Howard Gives Urban Fantasy a Shadowy Twist

Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster

Hidden societies and realms hiding in plain sight are tropes in fiction that never get old for me, and Minnesota author Kat Howard’s Unseen World duology is no exception. Following an elite society of magicians battling for power and esteem in New York City, the Unseen World books have consistent high stakes, with characters pursuing personal vendettas clashing with those who have more sinister intentions. And at the center of it all is Sydney, a powerful magician who is a physical reminder that the needs of the many don’t always outweigh the needs of the few.

Both books are narrated in third person omniscient, with perspectives shifting through a variety of characters in each chapter. The worldbuilding is done through internal monologues, and while there is quite a lot of it, it’s not distracting in the slightest. Howard’s writing flows well and her descriptions give just enough detail without bogging down the narrative, and longer explanations of certain rules of the Unseen World almost read like mini fairy tales. The shifting points of view allow further insight into character motivations, and while they’re not always justified, they are understandable and flesh out characters who might have otherwise been stereotypical villains.

Sydney, however, is the main character of these books, a force of nature determined to destroy the Unseen World’s main source of power. There are various Houses within the Unseen World, made up of families or groups of magicians, and each must make intermittent sacrifices to the House of Shadows. Howard’s magic system is as enchanting as it is brutal, with nosebleeds and migraines being the least painful aftereffects of casting spells; sacrifices to the House of Shadows ensure that only those who live within Shadows’ walls bear the brunt of the pain whenever magic is used, allowing everyone else to practice with no consequences. Sydney’s personal mission is to end the cruelty and level the playing field, to force the Unseen World to reconsider how things are run.

And therein lies the issue: is it truly worth sacrificing someone else’s well-being to make one’s own life seemingly easier? It’s obvious that most magicians see themselves as superior to mundane people, their powers a gift that shouldn’t be burdened by inconvenient physical ailments. It brings about a complex moral dilemma that, on the surface, should be easily answered. But the further Howard digs into the minds of her characters, the more obvious it becomes that, perhaps, it’s a problem that doesn’t have a simple solution.

This is especially true with Dahlia Morgan, a character introduced in the second book as the sister of a woman who was brutally murdered by another magician for magic. Dahlia, still grieving her loss, was present when her sister’s murderer was executed by Sydney during a duel, the images of the ghosts of his victims being part of Sydney’s magic. Feeling like her sister’s memory has been tainted, Dahlia also struggles to adjust to a life with constant nosebleeds when performing the simplest of spells. Her desire to rebuild the House of Shadows isn’t surprising in the slightest, and she manipulates younger magicians into helping her, but Howard never justifies Dahlia’s actions. Rather, we’re shown a woman channeling her grief and frustration into the wrong outlets, a broken person doing what she believes is the right thing to do to heal herself and claw back any bit of normalcy she can, even if it’s at the expense of others.

This is barely scratching the surface of the Unseen World, simply because there are so many individual stories intertwining and ongoing through both books. It’s best to go in not knowing much, though, because I found my experience was all the more thrilling because I was guessing what would happen next. Howard’s Unseen World is a universe that’s endlessly fascinating in the way the most powerful can easily find themselves at the mercy of fate or their fellow magicians. Howard has something extremely special with these books, and I for one would happily read more should she choose to continue with the series.

Both An Unkindness of Magicians and A Sleight of Shadows are available now for purchase.