Mortal Coils

Fifteen-year-old twins Eliot and Fiona Post are, unbeknownst to them, descended from two age-old warring dynasties. Their oppressive grandmother, Audrey, hides them from the political machinations of their centuries-old, magic-wielding relatives by making their lives as mundane and boring as possible, an expedient that leaves them predictably miserable. The opening chapters share the sluggish pace of the Posts' life in dull Del Sombra, Calif., and even several impossible events at first fail to penetrate the twins' belief in the utter normalcy of their family. Fortunately, the characterization of Eliot and Fiona is lively and realistic, and Nylund (Halo: Ghosts of Onyx ) rewards readers willing to slog through the first of the twins' three magical trials with a sparkling and complicated story filled with dangerous, intriguing events and characters. (Feb.)