Immortal Quest: The Trouble With Mages

MacKenzie (who illustrated In My Nature), introduces Nick Watson, a London police sergeant who gets a bad case of déjà vu while interrogating a petty thief going by the single name of Marlen. The fellow swears he's an immortal mage, that he was only trying to retrieve a magical object that could be used to destroy mankind, and that he and previous versions of Nick have been buddies for 500 years. Then Nick is offered a job with a super-secret British spy agency run by his uncle, and it turns out they'd very much like to know more about mages in general, and this one in particular. Like it or not, Nick must accompany Marlen on a quest to recover two other key artifacts and defeat an evil plot. As if that weren't enough, Marlen has a secret: he and Nick have been a lot more than friends. From this unlikely premise, MacKenzie spins a charming and original urban fantasy that carries her sure-footed heroes through a maze of refreshing characters and laugh-out-loud revelations. (Sept.)