★Kadrey, Richard & Cassandra Khaw. The Dead Take the A Train. Tor Nightfire. (Carrion City, Bk. 1). Oct. 2023. 400p. ISBN 9781250867025. $28.99. FANTASY

Julie Crews takes some of the ugliest magic jobs so that she can keep paying for her (usually late) NYC rent, nightly takeout, and various drugs and alcohol to wash away what she does. Then her best friend Sarah shows up on her doorstep looking for help, and Julie will do anything to keep her safe, including taking on a deadly job from her ex, Tyler. When Julie surprisingly survives, she sets off a chain reaction of events that could lead to the destruction of much of the world. Now she must take on Tyler and his magical investment and law firm, and worse—face her own feelings and failings. A world of invasive demons, technology pantheons, and gruesome monsters holds a mirror up to the cruelness of humanity, but beneath the blood and body horror is a heavily-bent-but-not-broken protagonist who will take on the darkest monsters and gods to save those she cares for. VERDICT Khaw (The Salt Grows Heavy) and Kadrey (King Bullet) create an excellent grim and gory tale that levels up urban fantasy in this series launch.