We Are Not Good People (The Ustari Cycle)

About this book

Learn the Words. Get the blood. Rule the world. The Ustari Cycle starts here. From the "exhilarating powerful and entertaining" (Guardian) storyteller of the Avery Cates series comes a gritty supernatural thriller featuring a pair of unlikely heroes caught up in the underground world of blood magic. Magicians: they are not good people. The ethics in a world of blood are grayand an underground strata of blood magicians has been engineering disasters for centuries in order to acquire enough fuel for their spells. Although in the modern world these mages stay in the shadows their exploits have become no less bloody. Still some practitioners use the Words and a swipe of the blade to cast simpler spells such as Charms and Cantrips to gas up $1 bills so they appear to be $20s. Lem Vonnegan and his sidekick Mags fall into this level of mage hustlers and con men all. Lem tries to be ethical by using only his own blood by not using Bleeders or "volunteers." But it makes life hard. Soon they might have to get honest work. When the pair encounter a girl whos been kidnapped and marked up with magic runes for a ritual spell its clear theyre in over their heads. Turning to Lems estranged Master for help they are told that not only is the girls life all but forfeit but that the worlds preeminent mage Mika Renar has earth-shattering plans for herand Lem just got in the way. With the fate of the world on the line and Lem both spooked and intrigued by the mysterious girl the other nominate him to become the huckleberry wholl take down Renar. But even if he Mags and the simpletons who follow him prevail theyre dealing with the kind of power that doesnt understand defeat or mercy. (The first portion of We Are Not Good People was originally published in an altered form as Trickster by Pocket Books).