Two young friends work to uncover the truth behind magical killings in Shards of Glass, a complex and engrossing murder mystery with dark academia overtones, set in the fantasy world of the Chronicles of Elantra series by Michelle Sagara (Silence).
Robin and Raven grew up together in the warrens, the most impoverished section of the city, but now Robin has disappeared. Raven has no other friends, and she tracks him to the Academia, a recently rediscovered campus with a sentient mind represented by a magical avatar. The dragon who serves as the school's chancellor is recruiting new students, and Robin wants Raven to stay at the school with him. Years of living in and hiding from danger in the warrens have left Robin eager for a safe home. The Academia proves more perilous than it seems, however, when students turn up murdered, "two corpses when it should be impossible to even have one." Pieces of magic glass and metal that only Raven can see appear at the crime scenes. Only by excavating the truth about Robin's lost family and Raven's real identity can the two friends make the Academia safe again, but the price of the truth may be their friendship.
Sagara's deep and self-assured world-building brings heft to this spinoff of a long-running series. Multiple mysteries take center stage, but magical school accoutrements, such as a giant talking spider as school librarian, add a sense of fun. Familiarity with the series will help, but seasoned fantasy readers will find their footing quickly. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads