Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: February 6th, 2024
Pages: 432
Publisher: Del Rey
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“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.
Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.
As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.”
My Review:
This is going to be a favorite book of the year (easiest five-star thus far) and quite possibly of all time.
I absolutely loved everything about this story! I can’t wait to continue with this series.
This has also prompted me to get my hands on previous series from this author because now I want to read everything he has ever written.
I can’t even express to you in words how much I enjoyed this story.
It’s exactly the something-new-and-fresh-for-the-genre that we need.
Everything was perfection for me.
The unique, complex (yet so easily grasped), intriguing worldbuilding and magic system.
The loveable, quirky, fun, characters/personalities.
The murder mystery, political, doomsday, suspenseful, expertly-paced plot.
And the writing was absolutely brilliant, with just the right balance of exposition and reader interpretation.
This is narrative craft at its best.
Though I never wanted it to end, I couldn’t wait to get to the conclusion, which so neatly tied up the story while leaving the wider world open for more.
It’s a definite must-read! I’ll forever be looking for another experience like I had with this one.
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you read this book? Planning to add it to your TBR?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
I love a good book discussion. 🙂
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