The Heat Stealer by Kater Cheek
This is the third book in the Desert Mages (Susan Stillwater) series, and it might be the end of the series as I have no plans at this point for a fourth.
Susan, Zoe, Griff and Darius are living together in Zoe’s house when the air conditioner breaks and Darius announces he’s moving out. The three remaining housemates are desperate to keep their living situation intact. With money perpetually tight, they can’t afford to replace the air conditioner, and they can’t get a new roommate in Arizona if the house isn’t air conditioned. So they turn to magic. Susan casts a spell, and everything seems to be going swell when their new roommate Paloma literally makes things cooler just by being around. She has a “metaphysical disability” in that she steals heat from her surroundings.
Susan soon realizes that Paloma isn’t the godsend she appears to be. Everyone in the house start to suffer from insomnia and go a little crazy. After some nasty accidents, Susan digs further and finds out that Paloma has left a trail of horror and tragedy from every one of her living situations. Susan tries to convince her roommates that Paloma is killing them, but they don’t want to hear it; they think Susan herself is responsible.
Soon, Susan cares less about everyone staying together in the house and more about staying alive.
The first book in this series is Alternate Susan, and the second book is Mulberry Wands.
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2 comments
Dear Kater. I have read most of your books. I couldn’t really get into your last Kiy Melbourne book because she’s married and has a family now. (I prefer my protagonists to be single).
Your Alternate Susan books are my favourite books of yours. I usually don’t reread books, but I reread those and Parasitic Souls at least three times each. I think of those books often because they’re truly unique.
Your Alternate Susan books were so amazing and i truly hope you’ll consider writing a fourth one. However, I feel as though you’re not one of those writers who just crank out series books for the hell of it.
But I miss Susan. She was great. So was her roomate… So was that time she was shrunken and taken to the tiny people’s homes… And got super high on hexelmoth meat.
Your imagination is truly wonderful, Kater.
I just wanted to thank you for writing interesting and strange novels that were readable and comforting.
Author
Hi Lauren,
Thanks so much for your comment. I agree that something is lost when a protagonist settles down, but I felt I was so cruel to her she deserved something of a happily ever after.
Thanks so much for your comment about Alternate Susan. Sometimes I feel like that’s an orphan series and it’s good to know someone else liked it too.
This really means a lot to me.
Kater