A continuation of the novel “Mittelspiel.” Seventeen-year-old Melanie is the alchemist’s daughter, but Melanie is destined to die: she has a sick heart and is very weak. Her friend, Harry, doesn’t want to lose the closest person in the world. When Melanie and Harry announce that they can become the Winter Queen and the Summer King, they agree without hesitation, not knowing that they will have to fight a bloody battle for victory. Along the way, they will meet relatives they didn’t even know existed, enemies pretending to be friends, and the already familiar Roger and Dodger.
“Seasonal Fears” is a dark psychological fantasy with ambiguous, deeply drawn characters and a complexly constructed universe—fully in the best traditions of Shannon McGuire.