Beneath the Starlit Sea

Bea (The Summer I Loved You) spins a neat idea into a disjointed and drawn-out romantic fantasy. Exiled sorceress Illyse is forced into a bargain with the King of Sjökanten to solve a recent series of supernatural murders in exchange for her freedom. To crack the case, she must work with Garit, a medical doctor for whom she soon develops feelings. The relatively spare mystery is quickly resolved, as Garit and Illyse identify siren-like nixies as the culprit and gather the ingredients for a spell to stop them—all the while fighting their forbidden mutual attraction. It’s a half-baked plan at best, made flimsier by several plot contrivances and convenient fixes. There’s some joy to be had in watching Illyse, Garit, and the allies they’ve roped in along the way work together to save the kingdom from an unlikely adversary, but much of the execution falls flat. Readers will have to excuse some sizeable plot holes to enjoy Illyse and Garit’s barely earned happy ending. (June)