Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book and it ended up being a DNF (did not finish) .
From reading the book’s profile I thought I would really enjoy this book as it’s something a bit different from what I usually read.
But I just couldn’t get into the book, the language used was SO hard to understand. I couldn’t get my head around it. So sorry :(

This was an interesting read with a storyline that was unique and kept my attention. I hope there are more books and this is going to be a series. Great characters and plot.

I have tried several times to read this and I’m having a really hard time getting into it. The writing is very wordy and the chapters are so long. It’s just not grabbing my attention and given how long it is in general, I’m gonna call it DNF early on. Not for me.

I honestly can't believe that I missed out on a book like this before, I've had it in my netgalley app for over a month, and I just picked it up last week, and that is one of my biggest regrets this year!
This book exceeded my expectations, I genuinely requested it only for the cover, but it was very very good, and way better than how I'm describing it!
The world building was so on point, it was great, super easy to imagine based on the descriptions, even the language of the book fit the setting the book came in!
The main character was very moving, I was rooting for her on every turn, and her partner's support made things even better, she was just as likable to the other characters as she was to me! Lol
One of the things that I was shocked of in this book, it didn't start out slow and then throw a bomb, it started with the bomb, and then slowed into the mystery reveal. And after that epilogue, I am dying for the second book, because it made me question everything I read, literally!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the e - ARC of this book.

This book is inspired by the latin saying Memento mori, as claims the author in the note. Definetely I can see that in many aspects of the story, however I was missing on something.
The book was very atmospheric and the colors mostly red, crimson and black have a crucial role in the story.
During the reading we have got a plenty of words like reckon, nought and true, which I suppose are part of a dialect or a language in the Red Kingdom, that was really interesting, but sometimes a bit overflowing. Also the rodents and moths are a whole theme in this story, but we do not have explanation why.
The main characters were ok, but I did not like them that much. Thora should have been the Battle axe and really clever woman, what I have not seen in her actions.
About Diem we did get only little information I would say too little, so I could not connect with him.
Weak points: Love intrest was not really believable for me and the ending was a bit meh.
However the atmosphere and the writing were exquisite.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5073711977

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I loved it. There's so much interesting worldbuilding and lore surrounding the characters, some that's mentioned fully some that's brought up in passing, that makes the setting their inhabiting feel fleshed out and real. There's hints of big things that happened in the past that directly impact the characters that I hope we get to learn more about in future books, i'm so interested to hear about the Dead Daughters and what happened to make the world what it is. The actual story revolves around Thora, a dust caste worker for an investigation house that gets sent along to an investigation in Death City, where a noble's daughter has gone missing. As the case unfolds, things turn out equal parts mystery and magic, with local superstition having a hand in how things are solved. There's a lot of moving parts to this story, but everything came together well at the end, and I liked how it set up for a future installment. I'm looking forward to reading more about the Red Kingdom!

Thank you to PJ Nwosu, Small Heart Press, and Netgalley for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am not really big on dark fantasy, but the premise of this book really drew me in as I am a sucker for mysteries. Nwosu was really able to set the scene and paint a picture of the world, which was supported by stellar prose. Descriptions could get a little long/off-topic at times, but this only served to build the world a bit more. The overall mystery was satisfying to say the least, and I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who is even slightly interested in the genre!

This book was unfortunately one I did not finish. The style of writing was very chaotic and nearly impossible to follow. The prologue lacks consistency and direction. The manner of speech of the characters was scattered. The plot seemed to be a weird mashup of medieval sleuths and a futuristic dystopia. It just doesn’t work.

"𝘐𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭."

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (3.6)

Rating Guide Questions

1. Did the story catch your attention, after reading the first 1-3 paragraphs, enough for you not to be able to put it down? And if not, did it become ‘gripping’ at some point?
3. Not really, but I had nothing else to do so I continued. The weird writing style (British English?) was distracting at first but I got used to it at some point and just accepted it as the story’s language.

2. Genre-specific question: Was the writer able to make your transition to the story's world from the real world easy and smooth?
3.5. The transition wasn’t smooth but also not difficult. It was like reading a secret history of our ancestors or maybe a look into the future of the human race. Nevertheless, it wasn’t that bad but not remarkable.

3. Did the story leave a significant impact in your mind e.g. led you to an epiphany, made you reflect on life and its complexities?*
4. In a way. Given the liberties that I am able to experience, it’s quite difficult to imagine living a life stuck to a role decided for you since birth because your parents had that same role. And it was easy to feel for Thora in that way. Possibilities of freely choosing what you want to do in life kept the fire of hope burning in her despite the crippling fear that her world’s rules instilled in her. A silent protest in a way. If I wake up and find myself in that world, I don’t think I could also sit still and not do something about the current situation knowing what I know of the possibilities of basic human rights.
The concept also of justice was something to think of. How far could you really go in exacting justice? Would you trust a system you are well aware of is corrupt? Would you then take justice into your own hands? Would you try to find another way when you’re someone considered as nothing, as dust?
I guess all this made me keep reading despite the distracting way that the manner of talking of each character changes, making it difficult to tell where one character ends, and the other begin.

4. How about the characters? Were they well-developed (i.e. connect with them by relating to their experiences, or you can see them as an actual person because of their profound development through the story)?
4. Despite the 3rd-person POV used, it was still easy to appreciate each character and develop a connection with them. But as mentioned the inconsistent writing of their dialogues and thoughts was distractingly confusing.

5. For romance, either as the main plot or as a subplot, were the relationships between the characters to your liking?
4.5. It’s a complicated set-up plus they could die if they pursue the romance. What’s not to like? Seriously, Thora’s realistic approach their situation makes sense to me. I’m subtracting 0.5 because a miscommunication trope is there without a resolution (maybe on the following books?).

6. How was the climax and resolution of the story for you?
3.5. It was anti-climactic in a way that it came too early and the denouement ended feeling like such a drag. It was like hearing the start of the punch line of a joke, you’re excited because you can already imagine this will be one funny joke, but it turned into something else and you lose your ‘laughing momentum’. Did that make sense? It felt like the author wanted to go for a one-shot piece and decided to add all these other complicated details to at least make sure that if they decide to go for another book, it will still make sense.

7. If it's a book series, can't you wait to read what happens next?
3.5. Despite what was previously said, a part of me is curious about the bigger world of the Red Kingdom. However, I don’t really care if the POV would be focused on Thora or not. Maybe someone else with a stronger impact on the story and its world? I’m not really sure what the author’s goal is here but Thora’s story felt like it ended already in this book. Though if she has a more interesting adventure coming up, I would still be interested to read it.

8. Will you recommend it to someone?
3. I chose to request this book in Netgalley because of its synopsis tagline: “Chilling, dark fantasy with a heavy dose of *Sherlock Holmes* in this new series of twisty mysteries in fantasy worlds.”
I’m a super fan of Sherlock Holmes and it’s not there. Did not find it there. Nothing. Zilch. And was disappointing. So if you want to check it out because of that tagline, I do not recommend it.
But if you’re someone who generally likes fantasy books that deal with worlds found on controversial concepts like death as a religion, then check this out!


Note: This review is also posted on Goodreads, and a summary review will be posted on my blog kayenotes.wordpress.com a few days after the book's release date.

Rating: 4/5 🌟

Dust-Caste Thora is desperate to prove her worth and rise above her slave status. In the Red Kingdom, that is impossible. But, when Thora finds herself on her way to assist in her second investigation, the hope of one day being free is hard to keep at bay. A Sun-Noble's daughter has gone missing, and it's up to Thora, her investigation partner, Diem, and another lowly Dust-Caste, Effile, to find her. A dark tale filled with mystery and wonder. A story of survival for some, and death for others.

I truly enjoyed this book! I'm giving it four stars instead of five though due to the fact that, at least for me, some of the details and ideas Nwosu was trying to get across sometimes got lost in translation because of the language used in the book. The best way I can describe it is how you would imagine people from medieval times speaking. I'm not used to reading novels that dive so deeply into the use of language like that, so it took me a while to wrap my head around the formatting. I'm a big fan of small details, and I LOVED that Nwosu included excerpts of the Red Reform Laws at the beginning of each chapter. Inserting those laws and the use of chapter illustrations pulled me into the story even more. The story was fantastic and I found myself really rooting for Thora and Diem (though the epilogue made me rethink everything I thought I knew). I know this is the first in a series, so I would definitely be interested in reading the second book once it's available! If you are a fan of dystopian novels, mysteries, tales of crime, and swords, I would definitely recommend checking this out!

Maybe I'm the wrong audience for this book despite its excellent worldbuilding and the fairly high quality of the prose. Unfortunately, it's also so unremittingly bleak that I couldn't get any pleasure from it; I kept setting it aside to read other books and then had to drag myself back to it over and over.

One problem that may not be just about my personal taste: the idiom Nwosu has established for her characters' speech -- e.g., "reckon" used over and over, "true" interjected for emphasis in places that sound stilted: "I reckon these bruises here were made prior to her death true," for example. Rather than grow accustomed to this as I went on reading, I found it more and more jarring and intrusive.

I've read other books that use eccentric diction for their characters' speech -- Katherine Addison's books set in the world of The Goblin Emperor, for example -- and I'm at a loss to understand exactly why one such experiment should succeed and another seem forced. But there it is.

I'm giving this three stars because I think my negative reaction is owed in large part to my personal quirks as a reader rather than to the book's "objective" qualities.

Thank you to NetGalley and Small Heart Press for an ARC of Dream of Death City by PJ Nwosu

Unfortunately, Dream of Death City was a DNF for me. Despite being written stunningly with gorgeous prose (the opening was fast-paced and beautiful) the slow build-up and strange choice of language (TRUE?) made this book tedious. I believe Author (()) was unintentionally trying to do too much as this book had elements of Historical Mystery, particularly with how characters spoke with what I imagine might be a possible cockney accent plus Dune-Esque fantasy world with a slow-burn noir mystery ..oh and on top of that a slightly forbidden romance.
I think if you are an atmospheric/slow burn mystery reader then this book has the possibility of being an enjoyable foray into the fantasy genre however as a fantasy reader this book’s worldbuilding was lacking and the noir investigator angle was interesting. With both the world and pacing being off I could not slog through it.

I will not be posting this review on GoodReads Amazon Ect.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I requested this book as I loved the stunning cover and the genre is my most read one. I didn’t know the author or their writing style, I was in for a treat after a reading slump. I was hooked from the start.



The writer created a full immersive experience starting with the amount of depth in the world building. I felt that I was at the Red Kingdom myself at all times. The evocative descriptions, aligned with the dark feminist portray of magic, heavily supressed by totalitarian laws was fascinating. I really enjoy a heavy political fantasy and this did not disappoint.

The death worshiping culture of the setting was very interesting and in the beginning, I struggled with the peculiar speech pattern, but once I was halfway through it it didn’t bother me as much.



I loved the characters, especially Thora, another perfect anti-hero character. I stand by it when I say that I love morally grey characters and both Thora and Diem were that and more.

Their relationship reminded me of Alex and Darlington in the Ninth House, which is one of my favorite books. They both have dark pasts, a darker position in the hierarchy of this empire whilst dreaming of seemingly impossible goals like freedom.

Their development throughout was so well done and I was very intrigued with their positions but also their past which was slowly revealed alongside the rest of the narrative.
I also appreciate when romance is not the main point of the story (it’s a preference) and enjoyed the way their relationship was explored, leaving a bittersweet and tangy taste of sadness within me.



I think this author is going to be an auto-buy author for me from now on. I cannot wait for further instalments of this book .

4 STARS
“What’s dead is dead and all shall die”

Investigators arrive to a superstitious island to solve a brutal crime. Among them is a lowly slave desperate to prove her worth and a soldier with dark dreams. Neither are prepared for what they find.
First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-book ARC in exchange for my completely honest review.

Dream of Death City paints the picture of a dark and gothic world in this tale of uncovering mystery.
"Black blood glistened over the stones on the beach, and gulls screamed as they took their fill of whatever rotted flesh the citizens of Death City had left behind.
The whole world stunk like death."

What I liked:
**Dust-caste Thora and Low-investigator Diem Lakein are two characters well fleshed out and developed. It was easy to sympathize with and root for Thora, even with the mistakes she makes, she is a very likable character.
**The dark deadly world coated in mystery was gripping from the first chapter. It sucked me in and showed me this imaginative world that i could not only see, but feel.
**The touch of magic and romance. Although i would have loved to see more of both, personally.


What I disliked:
**I would have loved to learn more about the religion and customs the culture has surrounding death, marriage, holidays, etc. Those sorts of things tend to give an extra layer to the world-building that can add so much to a story.
**There were a few times I was picturing the scene only to read something that completely changed the way I was thinking it "looked" and it threw me off and ripped me out of the story. Some of the scenes were a little hard to follow/confusing.

Conclusion:
Prepare yourself to pay attention and dive in, this isn't an easy light hearted read. Give yourself time to read it in one sitting because you might not want to put it down. It is beautifully written and it draws you into the world and makes you feel everything the characters are feeling. A fantastic debut for Nwosu that will leave you beyond excited for book 2! And did i mention the map and artwork? Overall, it is a darkly beautiful book.

Dream of Death City is the kind of book that takes a little while to settle in, for the world-building elements and character elements and plot elements to really mix together into something special. But when these ingredients do finally start working, you get quite the literary kick.

This fantasy mystery story takes place on the outskirts of the highly restrictive country of the Red Kingdom, where a brutal caste system controls much of the lives of the citizens who live under its rule. Thora is a member of the Dust Caste, the bottom rung of the system, and works under Diem, a recently-demoted lower level investigator for the kingdom's main investigatory body. Both are sent to Death City, at the far end of the control of the Red Kingdom, to investigate a missing woman from the highest caste, but everything is not as it seems in this strange world...

I found myself greatly enjoying this book as I kept reading, with my appreciation of the (very strong!) characters and the utterly bizarre and potentially post-apocalyptic fantasy world that the story takes place in. Readers who like dark, gritty mysteries and are willing to wait for the narrative to pick up after some quality world-building will be greatly rewarded.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review Dream of Death City by PJ Nwosu! For those who don't want to stick around for the full review, just know that this is a fantastic book that everyone should read, and I'm leaving giving it four stars!

Dream of Death City is a dark fantasy/mystery read that will be published on the 18th of November. It is the 1st book in the Red Kingdom series. It's 523 pages long and was published by Small Heart Press. My ARC was courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.

The Red Kingdom has people divided into certain classes. Thora (a Dust-Caste slave) is owned by the Investigation House, a part of the government. She is tasked to assist with some investigative work with Diem. As they get to Death City, a place where the Red Kingdom holds a less power, Thora can taste freedom, even if she cannot have it.

I had no expectations going into this book, and then I ended stayed up until 4 am reading it. The book is fantastic! You'll start, and then you'll lose yourself in the world PJ Nwosu built up. Truly fantastic world-building! I could picture the giants and the places, but there was never too much of it. It always felt like it belonged to the text and not like the author was forcing it down.

I was a big fan of Thora. She makes hard decisions, takes action, and puts herself on the line for her beliefs. She has a goal, a position no other Dust Caste could ever hope for, and she works hard for it. That being said, despite her being clever, she makes mistakes. She miscalculates, speaks out of turn, and she loses a great deal while trying to get the job done. Sometimes the price is too high.

I was also a big fan of the other characters. Diem, the viceroy, and all the people around them were easy to picture and could be understood. The layers of corruption in the Kingdom were also interesting. I'm sure we'll see a clash coming in the following books.

All in all, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in dark fantasy!

The world-building in this book is extensive, but I was very confused at times. It wasn't always clear and the rules of the world didn't seem well-defined. I enjoyed the gothic vibes the story gave me, but that's all I really remember from the book. The rest of it didn't get absorbed well. I'll probably give it a reread at some point, and hopefully it leaves a greater impression (good or bad) on me.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Small Heart Press for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I literally don't how to describe this book, save for visceral screaming.

Dream of Death City by PJ Nwosu is a fantasy mystery that follows the many crimes that haunt Death City in the much oppression Red Kingdom. This book follows the life of Thora and her very uneventful life at the Investigation house, working as a servant. But things change when she helps investigate the disappearance of a Sun noble girl. Mix that up with some Nordic inspiration and dark fantasy, and there you have Dream of Death City.

Honestly, this book had me confused at times. With the complicated plotting and society system. Though I did like the world building, as it was a breath of fresh air compared redundant worlds we often see scattered through the deluge of fantasy. But at the same time, I feel like I can't completely tell you what this is about.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC! I thought the gothic worldbuilding of this book was lush and lovely — but when it came to the actual plot and pacing, there were some elements that could have absolutely been improved upon. Still, I'm excited to see what this author writes in the future!

Thora is a dust caste worker, a lowly skivvy, in Investigation House in the capital city of the bloody Red Kingdom. However, she’s had a taste of – not freedom exactly, but perhaps a little more autonomy than she’s usually given, as part of a long-term investigation (and yay, you can read about that in the free short story, Pyres in the Long Night). Now back to drudgery, she’s chaffing at the bit to escape once more and to prove herself worthy of an almost unprecedented rise in status, from dust caste to Investigator. For that, she’s going to need a big case – and one has just arrived on her superiors’ desks.

Thora is dispatched under the command of Investigator Diem (someone else we’ve met before in that prequel story) to Death City, a remote island outpost at the edge of the kingdom. Death City is harsh, but also somewhat free from the tight restrictions of City of Pillars, where Purge House wields terrifying power and a fondness for pyres…

Diem and Thora are there to find a missing girl, daughter of an important Sun Noble. But strangely, despite requesting the investigation, he seems to be doing everything he can to block progress. Can Thora untangle the mysteries laid out before her, prove herself to her superiors, and rise above her status? Or will the strange lures of Death City change her dreams?

I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘teaser’ prequel introductions to this new series. This is officially the first book in the series, but it draws heavily on the background we got from Pyres in the Long Night – you don’t have to have read it, but given the number of hints about the events of a certain dark night, you might want to find yourself a copy after reading this! The prequel novella, A Pale Box on the Distant Shore, also introduced the location of Death City, and a few of the other characters here, although they’re more in the background this time. Again, it’s not necessary to have read those first, but they’re both really good so you might want to!

Dream of Death City is a brilliant blend of the very bleak – harsh living conditions, terrifyingly rigid societal rules, and all-too-real nastiness of the case under investigation – but also hints of the fantastical. Early on we get a better glimpse of the ocean giants that were hinted at in Pale Box, and then there’s the magic of the Crooked Beat.

The story, while predominantly a mystery in a fantasy world, is mostly about Thora’s struggles with her status in the world and how events start to shift her dreams and thinking. It’s easy to root for her and to admire her dogged determination. There’s no simple outcome; the story, like life, is far more complex than that. I just hope there’s more from both Thora’s story and other explorations of this strange, dark new world, to come.