Title: A New York Knight: The Raven, the Serpent, and the Wolf
Author: Carson M. Berger
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1532066074
Pages: 136
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel

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Geoffrey Lakson is a knight (formally known as the Knight of New York) who has the important job that has him stuck between two worlds with the duty of keeping the mortal and magical from intermingling. Lakson keeps busy between the duties of his private detective agency and the duties of a knight – a job that he truly hates. His duties get a lot more complicated after Detective Moran requests his assistance at a crime scene where they discover a grisly scene with dismembered parts and the goblin word for debt etched in blood. Lakson is then pulled into the mind of a deranged killer with more murders round every turn and with the Unwritten Laws broken he has no choice but to unravel this tangled web of greed and murder.

Author Carson M. Berger delivers a witty and snarky urban fantasy mystery about a man that doubles as a private detective and a knight charged with keeping the order between the two worlds. The tone of the writing and the voice of the wisecracking Lakson makes the story reminiscent of the “Dresden Files” series. Lakson is a character with a humorous personality and a grittiness about him derived from his struggle with his own inner demons and through his hatred of his role as a Knight. He’s driven by his duty as a Knight though his attitude lends toward that of a private investigator or hardboiled detective. Urban fantasy is a freeing genre that allows for two worlds to merge into one with the magical and the mortal creating a collaboration of epic events, chaos, and murder.

Grymm is the magical world opposite New York City with Lakson in the middle and with the fate of each resting on his shoulders with the responsibility to keep the separation of magic and mortal. The magical touches of this world are driven from the grittiness and world of New York City. His skills as a detective are equal to his skills as a Knight with both facets of himself put to the test the closer he gets to catching the killer. The plot has a similar balance between the two sides with one side following a procedural set up that follows Lakson investigating the disappearances and murders, and with the other side revolving around the magical society of Grymm. Fans of murder mysteries and urban fantasy will be immediately addicted to this rich story that Berger delivers with fun and originality. Berger has created this world with authenticity and the creativity that fine-tunes the little details that go into bringing this magical society to life through Grymm’s strict and rigid system.

The rigid system revolves around the Unspoken Laws that are strict which includes that if any of these laws are disobeyed the result is death, the laws must always be obeyed even if no previous knowledge is known of them, magical creatures must maintain their Masks at all times when in the reality Mortal, and other detailed laws that restrict what these magical sorts can do within the mortal world. Fine details are given to this world that introduces a variety of magical sorts including (but not limited to) changelings, goblins, and leprechauns. Each creature has its own social order such as goblins having their own council and names like Gear-Clog and Crank-Bolt, a changeling gang called the Lost Court of NY that has the Missing King in charge, and four magical courts rooted in the seasons. These details help bring this world to life thanks to how Berger crafts the characters and delivers a tone derived from the inspiration of NYC. “A New York Knight” is an addicting read with humor, a murder mystery, an intricate world of magic, and a complex protagonist. A New York Knight: The Raven, the Serpent, and the Wolf is a fascinating story that would surely be loved by any fan of fantasy and

mystery books.