Trickster (Ustari Cycle) (original 2013; edition 2013)

Trickster introduces a new dark and gritty urban fantasy series by Jeff Somers featuring Lem, a low level blood mage. A member of the Idimustari he scrapes by using his talent to fleece the 'normals' with a handful of illusions, refusing to enhance his power by using the blood of others.

Somers' world building is intricate and original. He takes his time establishing the boundaries of his lore and the limitations of magical system. There are just two rules of blood magic, the Rule of Perception and the Rule of Volume, which boils down to the more blood, the bigger the 'trick'. While establishing the world takes some time, Trickster eventually launches into fast paced action as Lem and Mags try to stop Renar and Amir from using Claire to enact a spell that will decimate the world's population.

Lem is an anti-hero. Tricksters 'are not good people' as he so often asserts. Aside from using magic to rob 'normals', few have any qualms about bleeding them to supplement their spells. Though Lem is convinced he is no good, he cares for his 'non-breeding life partner' Mags - a low level, slow witted mage and Lem has always refused to use anyone else's 'gas', causing a rift with his mentor and stunting his magical development despite an obvious talent with Words (spell making chants). And when Lem finds a young girl, Claire Mannice, bound and trapped in the trunk of a car of a high level mage he risks his own life to rescue her placing himself squarely in the path of the world's most powerful Archmage, Mika Renar and her apprentice, Cal Amir.

Trickster is seedy, bloody and exciting. Full of morally ambiguous characters in an intriguing and complex setting, I was thoroughly entertained and I am hoping the next installment is available sooner rather than later. ( )