A Summoning of Demons

Glass crafts an unremarkable finale to her Chimera series (after A Conjuring of Assassins), returning to the kingdom of Cantagna as a disastrous earthquake spreads fear of the return of the dark force Dragonis, a monster imprisoned beneath the earth. Against this backdrop, Romy—a member of the Chimera team who use their forbidden magic to serve the Shadow Lord—has a series of strange, vivid dreams. But before she can process them, she and the rest of the Chimeras are tasked with preventing, for an unknown reason, the impending marriage between Director Dono di Bastianni and Livia di Nardo. As the crew plans this simple job, they uncover some of Cantagna’s most dangerous secrets, including Dono’s true nature and his hidden connection to Dragonis. Now Romy must confront the monsters she believed were myth and save her crew before Dragonis can break free. Glass kicks up quite a bit of intrigue to keep the pages turning, but the goings-on occasionally stagnate in belabored plot points and lackluster dialogue. Series fans will be satisfied, if not blown away. (Feb.)