Dexter Drake is a magician, but he doesn’t just deal in illusions. He hunts for real magic he can use to save the world. So naturally, he ends up in Arkham. But he’s not the only magician in town with something extra up his sleeve. But while he wants to use magic to help people, his competition isn’t so altruistic. With the help of Marie Lambeau, a lounge singer turned mobster spy, and Michael McGlen, a mobster hitman, he’s determined to stop his rival before he does something really bad. Discover The Cost of True Magic in the latest Arkham Horror by C.L. Werner.
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Aconyte for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of The Cost of True Magic contains some spoilers!]
An illusionist chasing after the real thing
Dexter has loved stage magic since he was a kid. But during the war, he saw something that made him believe that real magic was out there. The magic he saw was used for death and destruction, but Dexter felt that the magic itself was a tool. He believes that, like all tools, magic is neither good nor bad; it’s about what the user does with it. And Dexter saw the potential to do good with it. So ever since that day, he’s been searching for real magic to help out humanity.
Now his search has brought him to Arkham. He lands a gig at a nightclub run by a mob, but that’s okay; Dexter knows how to wow a crowd no matter who’s signing the checks. But something is different. His usual act just isn’t cutting it; the crowd just sits there, glassy-eyed. Could it be that the other magician in town, Arioch, is that much better than Dexter? Dexter decides he has to see for himself, so he checks out the competition with his new friend, Marie, tagging along.
To his shock, Dexter realizes that Arioch is using real magic in his act. Driven to find out more, Dexter checks out Arioch’s room and learns that Arioch is actually an old friend! But he’s messing with some very dangerous forces. Dexter wants to save his friend, but at what cost? His old friend seems to have something bad planned for Arkham. Will Dexter be able to stop him and save the town, or will eldritch forces once again destroy Arkham, maybe for good this time?
Just as many bullets as magic
Competing magicians aren’t the only rivals threatening to tear Arkham apart in The Cost of True Magic. The O’Bannion Gang and the Six Nails Gang are fighting over bootlegging rights in the city. The O’Bannions are the established operation, and they don’t appreciate the new guys trying to muscle in on their territory. Tension between the two escalates as bodies begin to drop. Slick hopes to lead the Six Nails gang one day, and he sees that day coming soon if he can get his hands on the kind of power Dexter and Arioch have. But Arioch has no intention of sharing his strength, and Dexter can’t think of anyone worse having that kind of power.
The two gangs are fighting it out with Dexter and Marie caught in the middle. Luckily for them, Marie has a (sorta) guardian angel in the O’Bannions, Michael McGlen. Not only does he want to keep them safe from mundane threats like bullets and gangs, but he also wants to stop the magical threats too. Michael has seen enough to know that no one should have that power. Together, the three of them will have to avoid gangsters and monsters if they want to keep Arkham, and the world, safe.
Dexter fights fire with fire
An interesting aspect of The Cost of True Magic is Dexter’s obsession with using magic for good. Usually the heroes in Arkham Horror books are completely against magic. Sure, they study and know about it, but only so they can stop magic users. As a general rule, they don’t use the magic they know. If someone who isn’t the bad guy does use magic, they are usually grey characters, anti-heroes that are helping the heroes, but we still don’t really trust them.
But in The Cost of True Magic, Dexter is definitely a hero. He wants to help people, and he wants to stop Arioch from using magic because he’s clearly hurting the people around him. Still, Dexter is more than willing to use magic to get his goals. Marie tries to convince him not to use magic. And Michael makes it clear that if magic is a problem, he’ll stop it, no matter who’s doing it. But Dexter ignores them because he’s sure he can handle the magic. He manages to stay on the right side this time, but I’m interested to see if he’ll be a recurring character, and just how close he’ll dance to that line before he falls, if he falls.
A double threat in The Cost of True Magic
I’m a big fan of the Arkham Horror series. Most of the books are about various monsters inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and the people who mistakenly think they can control them. The Cost of True Magic is a little different. Eldritch entities and occult forces are still at work. And there are still people silly enough to think they can tame them. But there’s also the more human danger of rival bootlegging gangs in the 1920s.
Obviously, the big, scary danger is Arioch and his magic (and the entity behind that magic!). But most of the immediate, recurring danger comes from the unstable gangsters surrounding Dexter and Marie. The mix of mundane and magical terrors makes The Cost of True Magic a different and exciting addition to the Arkham Horror series. If you’re looking for an exciting escape this fall, check out The Cost of True Magic today.
Rating: 8/10
The Cost of True Magic by C.L. Werner is available now!
Learn more about the book at the official website for the title.
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