Mind on Fire Books

I just have to share my latest audiobook adventure with you all! During a recent road trip to the Printers Row Book Festival in Chicago, I dove into Queen of the Dark Things by C. Robert Cargill, and wow—what a ride. The world-building is genuinely imaginative, the magic systems are intricate, and the plot weaves everything together so seamlessly that I was hooked from start to finish.

I score this book a 4.5 out of 5 Coffee mugs!

If you’ve read Dreams and Shadows, you’ll recognize some familiar faces, but don’t worry if you’re new—the story quickly sweeps you up (though it might take a minute to get your bearings). Once you do, hold on! The pacing really picks up, and suddenly you’re racing through action-packed scenes with demons and all sorts of supernatural chaos.

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World-Building & Magic Systems

Cargill constructs a universe that feels both vast and intimately detailed. On one hand, you’ve got the neon glow and grit of Austin, Texas; on the other, the red-dust mysticism of the Australian Outback. These contrasting locales fuel a magic system rooted in wishes, spirit pacts, and ancient lore.

• Goodreads readers praise the “bold and brilliantly crafted” landscape that blurs the line between urban fantasy and mythic horror.
• Amazon reviewers rave about the “unique storytelling” that balances high-stakes action with evocative atmosphere.

Critics often liken Cargill’s prose to Neil Gaiman’s mythic sensibility and Guillermo del Toro’s cinematic flair, noting that every spell and spirit feels earned and alive.

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Character Dynamics & Moral Complexity

At the heart of the story is Colby Stevens, a wizard shaped by three fateful wishes and haunted by their fallout. His struggle to do right in a world that only offers terrible choices keeps you rooting for him, even as he slips deeper into darkness.

• Bookreporter highlights Colby’s desire to “do the right thing,” even when the price is unbearably high.
• Kirkus Reviews calls his “exacting bargaining with the demons” the novel’s high point, underscoring the strategic desperation driving his every move.

Opposing him is Kaycee —the Queen of the Dark Things—whose youthful ambition and wrath give the plot its emotional core. Add Yashar the cursed djinni and a rotating gallery of demons, and you’ve got a lineup that rivals any pantheon in classical myth.

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Plot & Pacing

Your mileage may vary on the structure: the novel opens with flashbacks to Colby’s Outback training under the enigmatic Clever Man, then shifts gears into an Austin teeming with spectral threats. Some reviewers find the early sections a touch meandering, but almost everyone agrees with me, that once the pieces click, the action becomes unputdownable.

• Kirkus notes that the payoff of intricate worldbuilding justifies the winding build-up.
• Bookreporter applauds the emotional stakes tied to Colby’s past decisions, especially his abandonment of Kaycee’s spirit.

By the final act, you’re hurtling through demon-fueled set pieces that feel both epic and intimately character-driven.

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Setting as a Character

Austin isn’t merely a backdrop—it breathes with its own magic scars. Runes etch crumbling warehouses, and dream shadows ripple beneath the city lights. Reviewers agree:

• Bookreporter calls Austin “a weird place, and now it’s an even darker one,” where every alley could hide a spirit or a curse.

That sense of place extends to the Outback sequences, where Aboriginal mythology weaves through every ritual and dreamwalk, lending an urgent authenticity to the stakes.

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Themes & Mythic Resonance

At its core, Queen of the Dark Things is an exploration of memory, power, and the price of wish fulfillment. Drawing on folklore from two continents, it raises questions about cultural collision, ancestral guilt, and the ways dreams can betray us.

• Kirkus spotlights the “small legion of demons so forbidding that even Colby can’t challenge them directly,” forcing him into perilous bargains.
• Readers on Goodreads celebrate the novel’s “mythic dread” and the way it deepens the foundation laid in Dreams and Shadows.

Whether you’re fascinated by the psychology of cursed wishes or the layering of myth across cultures, you’ll find threads that resonate long after the final page.

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Character Map

Instead of proving you all with a synopsis as I usually do, I thought I would share a character map instead.

🧙‍♂️ Main Character

Colby Stevens

• A powerful wizard living in Austin, Texas.
• As a child, he made three wishes with a djinni named Yashar—one of which turned him into a wizard.
• Haunted by the loss of his best friend and the consequences of his past choices.
• In this book, he faces new threats from Australia’s Outback and must confront demons and old allies alike.

🌌 Allies & Familiar Faces

Yashar

• A djinni who granted Colby’s wishes.
• His magic is cursed—every wish he grants ends badly.
• Loyal to Colby, though his help always comes with a twist.

Gossamer

• A mystical dog with ties to the fairy realm.
• Serves as a companion and protector.

Bill the Shadow

• A shadowy figure who operates in the margins of reality.
• One of Colby’s few remaining allies.

Coyote

• A trickster figure from Native American mythology.
• Appears sporadically, often with cryptic wisdom or mischief.

👑 Antagonist

Kaycee Looes / Queen of the Dark Things

• A dream walker Colby met during his magical training in the Australian Outback.
• Descendant of mutineers, manipulated by evil ghosts.
• Eventually becomes the titular Queen, a dark force threatening both magical and mortal realms.

🧠 Mentors & Mythic Figures

The Clever Man

• An Aboriginal shaman who trains Colby in the Outback.
• His teachings are steeped in ancient lore and spiritual power.
• May have hidden motives tied to the Queen’s rise.

😈 The Demons

The 72

• A legion of powerful demons Colby must bargain with.
• Each represents a different aspect of darkness and temptation.
• Their deals are treacherous, and the stakes are soul-deep.

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Final Verdict

Queen of the Dark Things is a darkly ambitious sequel that trades fairy-tale horror for psychological depth and mythic intensity. While some may find the plotting occasionally circuitous – myself included – the emotional weight, character complexity, and immersive settings make it a standout in modern urban fantasy.

If you crave a road-trip companion that will pull you into dreamscapes, demon courts, and the haunted corners of the human heart, this book deserves a top spot on your must-read list.

Thank you for visiting with us. For more Reviews or Literature related content, visit our blog at The Ritual. Copyright Mind on Fire Books.

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