Published: February 2024
Pages: 410
Summary
In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.
Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.
At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears–quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home..
My thoughts
I loved this book! Let me get that off my chest because 5 stars is not enough for how much I adored this book, its characters and the clever worldbuilding. I got into reading over a decade ago through my love of mystery and thrillers, and now I’ve grown so fond of fantasy I absolutely eat up books that combine my love of both genres together.. and this book does it so well.
The characters are a highlight of this book
Our main characters reminded me of a Sherlock and Holmes duo but in a fantasy world that is threatened by giant sea creatures. I love Sherlock so this was a hit for me. Ana and Din are both flawed but they are genuine in their hunt to seek out the truth. They are rather unique and their master/apprentice relationship was really lovely to see flourish as they support each other in pursuit of the answers.
We also have a wide range of side characters from the military to high society families and staff, there are a lot of people which could be difficult to keep everyone straight in your mind, however it does add to the complexity of the mystery at hand, which I really enjoyed.
Our cast of characters are all different and they kept me on my toes trying to figure out who’s lying and who’s keeping secrets. It’s one of those stories where I had a visual corkboard in my mind with pieces of string between the characters. Or maybe that’s just me!
A world threatened by giant sea creatures
Amongst the larger mystery at play with spontaneous trees erupting from bodies, there is the eminent danger of the world they live in. This world is divided by walls to protect the Empire from the threats of the sea. One the edge of the Empire, right at the coast in the most dangerous place to live, people live and work around the giant walls waiting for the leviathan’s to strike. And it’s here where our mystery takes place.
The map in this book appears small but there is so much nuance to the different cities and which wall they are protected behind. Different race of people, politics, family affairs and so much more there is lots of depth to this world.
“What a tool cynicism is to the corrupt, claiming the whole of the creation is broken and fraudulent, and thus we are all excused to indulge in whatever sins we wish—for what’s a little more unfairness, in this unfair world?”
All of this information to navigate whilst trying to find the source of the mysterious deaths was incredibly immersive. I have seen some reviews that found it confusing, I can see why they thought that, but my own experience was that I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is so much depth to this world and those that live in this story, I felt that I was right there with them. And when you overlay small moments of humour and sentiment, it was an all round fantastic reading experience.
Magic is not born but made
The different take on magic was refreshing. I’ve read a lot of books recently where they were born with magic or discovered they had this hidden power. In this story the magic is made by operating on people. It’s quite apocalyptic but it fits the world incredibly well. For Din, he can remember everything he’s ever seen and he can recall on those memories easily by using scents to guide him. I was fascinated by this concept but what I appreciate more was the author’s way of highlighting the cost that these powers had on people. It made me reflect on if the end justifies the means and for those that made that choice, what does the future have in store for them?
The other side to that is why, why do people do this to themselves? Money of course, a chance to leave the coast where death is on their doorstep. People go to such lengths to volunteer themselves for this so that they can make money to send home. It really highlights one of the biggest themes of this book and that is being a part of a system that is dominated by families in power that care only for themselves and their own survival. People are exploited and mutilated with the promise of a bit of coin, to continue to defend the Empire and the rich and powerful that live in it’s heart.
Our characters don’t care which political family you’re from. They want answers.
“Oh, people love the Legion, with their swords and their walls and their bombards. But though they receive no worship, it’s the maintenance folk who keep the Empire going. Someone, after all, must do the undignified labour to keep the grand works of our era from tumbling down.”
Would I recommend?
Yes, absolutely yes. I loved this book, it is the perfect blend of a classic Sherlock mystery of wit and intellect, within a fantasy world of magic and deadly leviathans. Brilliant worldbuilding which makes for an immersive reading experience with characters that are very easy to love. I can’t wait for book two!