Karen O'Neil is an American magician, a rare breed for a few reasons. Not only does America tend to turn its nose up at anything magic related, but given that this book takes place early in the Cold War era, and Karen is a woman, the idea of her having any kind of power makes most of the men that work with her feel threatened. The fact that she is also the head of her department for researching new magic at the Office of Magical Research and Deployment (ORMD), means she has no shortage of ill-tempered and disgruntled men at work.
Needless to say, when her boss, the director of ORMD, deploys her to the field because the CIA asks for an expert in magic to consult on an issue, the fact that Dr. Haupt chose her over the other men in the organization causes even more feathers to be ruffled. However, neither Karen nor Dr. Haupt realize the details of the mission and just how much danger in which she will find herself. If Dr. Haupt knew exactly what the CIA needed in Berlin, he might very well have gone on his own, despite his own tortured past in the Fatherland.
When Karen arrives in Berlin, she is introduced to the local CIA branch, including a pair of low-level spies name Jim and Dennis, a pair that will quickly become close friends with the visiting magician. When the group shows Karen why they asked for her, her interest is immediately piqued and she begins studying the magical Berlin Wall in the hopes of not only determining the source of the growing crack, but also in repairing it.
As Karen digs into the Wall, she starts to learn that not everything is as it seems and the people she is beginning to trust could be keeping dark secrets from her. When she gets a hidden message to cross the border and help an East Berlin magician defect, Karen and a team must make their way to the other side and retrieve the asset if she has any hope of discovering exactly what is going on in Berlin. Unfortunately, this crossing doesn't go exactly as planned and Karen will find herself doubting those around her even more than before.
Breach is a fun read with a lot of interesting twists and turns. While I am not a fan of every alternate-history novel I come across, this one definitely grabbed me. The addition of magic to the Cold War world adds another layer to an already perilous time and place. What I really liked is that Goodwater doesn't use magic as a way to drastically change the world. Instead, it is just another tool that is being researched and used by the people that live in it. It also isn't just a fix-all, there are very strong limitations put on magic and how its used. As a result, just because Karen and a few others have access to magic, it doesn't mean it helps them get out of trouble. On the contrary, many of the problems they face are caused by magic.
If you have any interest in fantasy and the post-WWII world, then the Cold War Magic series looks like it will be right up your alley. I know I can't wait to see what happens next, but to go into any detail as to why would dive too far into spoiler territory.
