Electric City Switches
by M.D. Presley
DETAILS: Series: The Inner Circle, #3 Publication Date: April 18, 2028 Format: eARC Length: 311 pgs. Read Date: April 8-9, 2026
What’s Electric City Switches About?
Corbin and Isaac are sent to the Carolinas, basically where Isaac’s origin story begins. Isaac’s former flame is headed there with some sort of recently stolen item. One of the Inner Circle’s best enforcers, January, is also on her way to retrieve the item (and whatever happens to Sheena, happens).
Once there, they have to deal with the local magic establishment, others trying to capitalize on Sheena’s impending arrival, and, of course, January. Thankfully, there’s a motel that caters to magicians and they strictly enforce no-conflict.
And, I have to admit, after a couple of drafts, I still don’t think that’s the best way to describe it. But it’ll do.
Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?
I started this because the first two Inner Circle novels were really strong and entertaining—how could I not?
I stuck with it because it got into my bloodstream almost right away—it’s got all the elements of the other two books, but the type of story isn’t the same (ditto for the other two).
What does this book tell us about humanity?
Presley deals with themes of family, duty, family duty, and other obligations. Some people evade one—or more—of these (because of their character); some embrace them wholeheartedly (and that shapes who they are); some outwardly comply/support, while inwardly rebelling or resenting (which reflects and further shapes who they are). We don’t see any of these characters on their first steps along these lines—most of them have been in their position for years, and they’re brought together (in many cases and configurations, brought back together) here to react with or against each other.
None of this is uncomplicated (not unlike that rambling paragraph)—but the combination of motives, character, morals (or lack thereof), and desires provides reactions that possibly only someone as Machiavellian as Mister could predict. But none of the characters did.
Sure, there’s the magic society stuff—and other magic shenanigans—which are not to be underappreciated. But the heart of this book is that list above—the magic is just the dressing.
So, what did I think about Electric City Switches?
This is my favorite entry in the series thus far. Okay, it’s only the third, so that probably doesn’t sound so impressive. But it’s going to take some work by Presley to top this (work I expect he’s capable of).
Presley isn’t afraid to jam a lot of things into his novels, but this one seems super-loaded (the advantage of doing a pretty good job of building the world in the first two books—he can focus on other things): there’s a network of hotels for the magicians in the U.S. that serve as “Accorded Neutral Ground” (to borrow a label from someone else); it’s possible for non-magicians to wield magic? Oh, that’s cool; magicians can actually go to college and get a degree (even one that’ll work for mundane interests). A novella/novel about any one of these things would be cool—and these are just background material or things that come up along the way.
The fight scenes in this book are fantastic—magic and bladed weapons are generally a fun mix—especially when you put them in a contemporary setting. I don’t think Presley has given us anything like this in the series so far (yes, there’ve been exciting scenes—but not at this level).
And it’s just a lot of fun watching Corbin discovering Indian food—and a touch of the family’s culture, too. In the midst of all the drama, just this little bit of joy really stands out.
Our cast of characters is really pared down—we’ve got two or three of our regulars (depending how you want to count), and that’s it. Honestly, we don’t need more—as much fun as I’ve had with them around. Mister is not around, but his presence is felt throughout the book. We get some good backstory on Isaac that expands our understanding of him. And Corbin finally makes some decent headway on his magic education. Everyone else is new, and all of them—well, the ones that survive—are ones I’d enjoy seeing again. Particularly Sheena, who could easily become my favorite character in the series.
At several points, people ask Corbin why Isaac keeps him around, given his lack of proficiency with anything but dowsing—and honestly, there are other ways to get that result. But over and over again, Corbin shows himself to be more clever and resourceful than they are (with a few blunders, he’s not perfect). Growing up where he did—and without abilities—he learned to outthink those around him. He’s observant, a fast thinker, and doesn’t see things in the same way as those in the magic world. His approach to things is what justifies keeping him around and helps him keep coming up on top of messes.
And now that he’s leveled-up (a bit)…he’s going to have a big future. Assuming he keeps his head.
This would work as a jumping-on point to the series for those who haven’t tried The Inner Circle yet, but you’d probably be better off with the first book, Rites of Passage. If you’ve dabbled in this world before, you’ll be more than pleased with this one. Go grab it now that it’s out!
