The Spirit War: The Legend of Eli Monpress, Book 4

In the fourth adventure of the legendary and lovable con man Eli Monpress (following The Spirit Eater), when the latest bounty posters are posted, Eli is shocked to find he has a rival for his goal of having the largest bounty in the Council Kingdoms. How is it that his traveling companion, Josef, a mere swordsman, can be more wanted than the best thief in all of Zarin? Josef, it turns out, has been hiding a few details about himself, like the fact that he’s a prince of the island of Osera. The bounty is actually a summons for the errant prince to head home, which he does with his girlfriend, Nico—who is distressed to learn that Josef’s mother has married him off in absentia—and of course the irrepressible Eli. Aaron explores the heroes’ backgrounds while sprinkling around a few hints about the world-spanning problems that presumably will be addressed more directly in the fifth and final book. Agent: Matt Bialer, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (June)