Jacked Cat Jive

Ford’s third Kai Gracen fantasy (after Mad Lizard Mambo) is a thrilling escapade with unusual creatures, plenty of violence, and conflicted romance. Kai escaped brutal slavery to become an accomplished bounty hunter of the dangerous beasts that have threatened humans since the elfin world overlaid the human world. His exceptional self-healing abilities come from his atypical blend of Sidhe (light) and Unsidhe (dark) natures. Despite the powerful, almost incapacitating attraction Kai feels for officious Sidhe Lord Ryder, he has rebuffed offers to join Ryder’s San Diego court as his consort. Kai’s best friend and former lover, Duffy, urges him to head to Tijuana to rescue someone fleeing the Dusk Court with three elfin children (a rarity among the mostly infertile elves). When Duffy is murdered, Ryder insists on accompanying Kai south—as does Ryder’s conniving, condescending cousin Kerrick, a recent rival for the throne. The dangerous trek balances deeply described battles and personal intrigue, sprinkled with analogies to the present-day tensions over the U.S.-Mexico border, police violence, and refugees seeking asylum. The unexpected conclusion, however, feels a tad too much like an awkward segue to the next book in the series. Readers who enjoy a touch of queerness and politics in their urban fantasy will enjoy this action-packed tale. (Mar.)