Shadow of the City

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Shadow of the City by R. Morgan is a stunning blend of fantasy and police procedural. When I was reading this book, I was instantly reminded of two similar books that I've read recently: Goddess of the North by Georgina Kamsika and A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark, both of which I read on NetGalley. It seems like this genre has either been hiding from me, or 2021 is the year of fantasy mysteries! If it is, I am totally here for it. This is a genre combination that I didn't know that I needed. Shadow the City takes place in a Latin-American-inspired city where magic is real, and people use magic as part of their everyday jobs. One highlight of the book is how inclusive and diverse it is. For example, all people are referred to as Senorx, which is a gender-inclusive term I believe that author created for this book, and at least one of the main characters is queer. In addition, although the main character Rocio is coded as Hispanic, I believe her partner Hala is coded as Arab. There are other minor characters who are coded as Rus/Russian and Chinese. Here is an excerpt from Chapter Three, when Rocio and Hala arrive at a crime scene: "Rocio put a restraining hand on Pepe's shoulder. "We're not in anyone's pockets, senorx ...?" "Piotr Arkadyevich Prokofiev," he said, drawing himself up, his nostril flaring. He had a sharp nose, high cheekbones and pale eyes. "How do I know?" "Senorx Prokofiev, we do community justice here in the Miraflores district of La Bene, which means we know the people who live and work here well. It looks strange to outsiders, but we serve everyone equally, including new arrivals." The world-building in this diverse and inclusive society is great, but I never felt lost or confused. The personal aspect of the story focuses on the two titular characters as Rocio receives a new apprentice/rookie, who she doesn't necessarily like. Meanwhile, the police procedural aspect focuses on a missing person (possible murder victim). Overall, I highly enjoyed this mash-up of fantasy and police procedural. If that sounds interesting to you, check out Shadow the City when it comes out at the end of this month!