Mystic

Garrett Robinson's second Underrealm book improves meaningfully on the first — the magic system's built-in cost structure creates genuine stakes, and the addition of Jordel gives the ensemble moral complexity it needed. Readers who invest in Loren's arc will find her development toward harder choices believable rather than forced. It is a series entry that earns its place, though the second-half plotting requires close attention and the book does not stand alone.