This is book two in the series of the Tales of Fenest, I haven't read the first one, I would like to though to get the back story. It is written in an intriguing manner, with storytellers yarning their tales, within tales, within tales. Stories are a key part of Fenest and it's administration and elections. It all adds up to a very interesting way of learning about a place, within the story.

The key character is Detective Cora Gorderheim, whose sister disappeared under awful circumstances when Cora was a young lady. Cora still suffers from an injury from that time and thinking that she keeps seeing her long lost sister is making her injury worse.

She is on the case of several murders linked to the elections in Fenest. Her Chief Inspector has placed limits on where she may go when trying to interview the Chambers (kind of like councillors but seemingly more powerful). She has a name, she just needs to find out who the person is. So she goes to the archives and once she actually finds the place manages to get inside. There she finds a vast underground place and has to call on others to help her locate what she is looking for.

Alongside this activity, Cora is attending each realms' story telling to see what leads she can get to help with her case. The story telling is part of the voting process for the governance of the region and competition is fierce between the 'tellers. So much so that murder has taken place!

A thoroughly good book, which I found really realistic and I was able to place myself right there in the story. I would have liked to have read the first book first, but it didn't impede the reading of this the second book in the least.

The second in the Tales of Fenest, THE STITCHER AND THE MUTE picks up where WIDOW'S WELCOME left off, with Detective Cora Gorderheim hot on the heels of her suspect for the murder of the storyteller for the Wayward realm. As in Widow's Welcome, the "main" plot - which follows Cora and her investigation - is interspersed with two election stories, which in their allegories shed light on circumstances which both the reader and Cora remain unsure, but which are slowly becoming apparent as the narrative continues.

This is a brilliantly written and deftly crafted book which kept me thoroughly hooked throughout, and which left me almost breathless come the final chapters: just as answers were revealed, so were more questions - and the stakes - raised. Not only is this series a gripping gaslamp fantasty/detective series with a thought-provoking premise, but it is also a love-letter to storytelling, and the power of stories. Both books so far have made me sit back after finishing, and reflect on what I had just read with an even greater appreciation for stories and their tellers than I had before. I simply cannot reccomend this series enough.

Having already bought and really enjoyed the first volume of this trilogy, I was delighted when NetGalley gave me the chance to review an advance copy of this second volume. It carries straight on from volume one and isn’t really a standalone book. The author’s writing style is excellent and we now have an established large group of interesting characters. The 50 ‘gods’ have turned to be a wonderful background. The twin themes of climate change (sort of) and refugees are handled powerfully but subtly. As in volume 1 there are two long included stories. Very well written again and not quite as sad/depressing as the two stories in the first volume. There is rather a lot about large fighting beetles though in one story. Shudders. There is no swearing or sexual violence. There are some sexual scenes but very bland. There has to be physical violence given the plot but again nothing that will scar the reader’s memory. I am now really looking forward to volume 3

The Stitcher and the Mute is the second in the Fenest books and we are back with detective Cora Gonderheim as she tries to root out what is rotten in the state of Fenest. Apparently quite a lot.
The second book follows the style of the first as Cora’s investigations wrap around two more election stories; one from the Perlish and one from the Torn probably the two most divergent socioeconomic groups in the union. This format is tricky and I struggled with it in the first book because it takes the reader out of the main action for a good length of time to read a short story that seemingly has little relevance to the main plot. I found it easier this time around probably because the stories were not the doom laden gloom fests they were in the first. They Perlish story was positively light hearted and I appreciated the skill of telling a story with a story within a story within a story. (But we’re not allowed to like the Perlish because they have all the money and the power so boo!) The stories are valuable in learning how the different groups live in the union which is important when it comes to the understanding how this world operates. The election stories also take us away from Cora which is bad because I love Cora.
Cora is an absolute hero. She smokes like a chimney, has a pronounced limp, gambles all her money away, uses prostitutes for warmth (and their tailor connections), rarely washes her hair or her face, hardly ever eats or sleeps or changes her clothes and in the first book still manages to pull Finnuc, a huge, hot Tasker who it turns out is twenty years her junior. Yes he turns out to be a wrong’un but the pretty ones always are. Then a matter of days later in the second book she’s already snogging the hot metal cheeked fire investigator. She must be working those stolen coats something rotten. Although I have learned my lesson from beautiful Finnuc (who Cora rightly says wasn’t all bad) and am wary of the auburn locked fire investigator he may have something cooking with the Rustan chambers or Cora’s using him for his connections. We will have to see how that all shakes down. But it would be nice to have some light in Fenest.
Cora also has to get to grips with the return of her estranged sister Ruth. This was probably the weakest part of the story for me. Cora’s been hugging a grudge for the her sister for thirty years but seems to forget it in the span of one road trip. Yes the road trip is to see the world being eaten by a giant lava flow but still, Cora’s acquiescence of Ruth’s story seems too easily won after such a bitter build up.
It all sets up nicely for the third book where we will get the last two election stories and hopefully Cora will finally get around to having the damned glass removed from her foot!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of The Stitcher and the Mute in return for an honest review.

My initial issue with this book was that I did not realise it was a sequel so I naturally put myself on the back foot and struggled to keep up with the fantastical world in which the story was set. Perhaps, had I read the first of the series, I would have felt better about this.

The writing style is enjoyable, with a solid amount of detail which allows the reader to truly appreciate the magic and power of storytelling. The book is engaging from start to finish and, while I believe I would have appreciated it more had I read the first in the series, I didn't feel that it was too much of a hindrance on the actual storytelling.

Overall, the plot is well paced, with a unique tale to tell, but I would definitely recommend reading the first in the series, to truly appreciate Fields' ability. I hope to revisit this novel, once I have read the first and imagine that my rating will improve based on this.

Picking up from where Widow's Welcome left off, the Stitcher and the Mute continues this fabulous series full of gods, monsters, strange happenings and tales. One of the most attractive aspects of the world building is how stories are the main currency and elections are decided via storytelling. This was a great sequel. The magic is well thought out and the writing is bright and engaging. Highly recommend.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series, which starts with Widows Welcome.

This is a fantasy book, based in an unusual world where stories are the main currency, elections are determined by storytellers and there are numerous gods with specific qualities. It took me a while to get into this, but I think this was partly because it was a sequel so I wasn’t very sure of all the ins and outs of the world. I believe that this must also start immediately after the previous book ends - this book can be read alone, but I think it would be more enjoyable if you started at the beginning of the series and worked through in order, as the story builds on the first book to a significant extent.

I’m sorry to say that this book wasn’t really for me, I may come back to it in the future to give it another try, but i just couldn’t focus on it at this time. I have given it four stars because although it wasn’t particularly to my taste, I recognise that it is well written and a richly populated world, with lots of depth and backstory to explore.

I would recommend attempting the series in order as I think readers will get more out of the whole story that way!