Three Kinds of Lucky

Kim Harrison is best known as one of the mainstays of the modern urban fantasy scene. Three Kinds of Lucky is only going to cement that reputation further, as she gets this new series started with a bang!

Petra Grady lives as part of a clandestine magical world that hides in plain sight, with magic a secret kept from the mundane majority of society. She’s a sweeper, someone who disposes of the damaging byproduct of magical work known as dross – a constant hazard and something that can become very dangerous when mishandled or left unmanaged altogether. It’s thankless work, with most mages resenting those who clean up after them, and as an old rival begins to stir rumours of an alternative that would leave Petra – and sweepers altogether – obsolete, she discovers that no-one is willing to listen to her warnings that there’s major problems with the process. Petra, though, isn’t one to take a challenge lying down, and that’s just as well, because before long events start to spiral into something much larger than anyone could have predicted. With the future of her entire world at stake, she’s going to need that resilience and every smart she’s got.

There’s no shortage of books in the urban fantasy genre, and it’s such a delight to come across really original worlds, especially when they’re accompanied by a nice twisty plot and characters you really want to spend time with. There’s no shortage of surprises, which kept me glued to the page and reading much too late into the night as I waited to find out what would happen next.

Though it’s the first in the series, Three Kinds of Lucky wraps up nicely – while still leaving plenty of ground to cover with the next few books in the series. I appreciate a book that works as a read on its own, while getting me ready to see where the author takes the world next – and I’ll be there when Kim Harrison is ready to show us what that might entail.