Enjoy a world of sorcerous aunts, musical magic, and moody swords in this delightful tale of finding one’s balance in an unbalanced world.
Ever since she broke the curse that made her live as a harpy for two years, Jules has worked as a cursebreaker, taking on magical odd jobs for minimal pay and the occasional spot of cake. In a society obsessed with propriety and status, she must tread carefully to maintain her ties to both her aristocratic mother and the wild clamor of harpies with whom she once flew. The delicate balance she has struck is disrupted when her childood friend, Anthony, begs for help with a disgruntled sword. At first, she assumes it will be a job like any other, but the sword soon reveals itself to be an ancient, powerful weapon: the dubious sword forged by the magician Wayland Smith that can literally cut through human certainty. Now, it has awakened to challenge a new law in Parliament that would strip millions of their rights—magical and mundane people alike. The man behind the law, Lord Ventstock, was the very person who once cursed Jules, and she’s determined not to let him hurt anyone else.
As her connection to the sword grows, Jules begins to appreciate the double-sided power of doubt: how it can create healthy skepticism or fuel deep anxiety. Certainties can be safe but also dangerous traps. After walking a razor’s edge for so long between two worlds, Jules must call upon all her connections and finally merge the two halves of herself if she is going to defeat Lord Ventstock, embracing doubt and having the courage to be undefinable.
Reviews
“It’s a delightfully grown-up book about building makeshift nests with your weird friends, being the person everyone comes to with their problems, and the importance of doubting authority. And magic swords, of course, as a vital way to protect all of the above! I want one yesterday.”
—Ruthanna Emrys, author of A Half-Built Garden
“An exquisite delight: a perfect balance of sharp edges, society manners, and cake.”
—Davinia Evans, author of Notorious Sorcerer
“This is a story that ultimately cuts to the quick against those who would simplify and categorize the world at the expense of the individual. Resonant with our own struggles today, A Dubious Clamor holds up a mirror to our own society’s threats to find acceptance for those who do not fit into neat boxes.”
—Paul Weimer, The Skiffy and Fanty Show
