When I heard The Helm of Midnight was basically The Silence of the Lambs by way of Mistborn, I almost started yelling. How deeply creative and dynamic. It takes a little bit of focus to get all the timelines straight but it really comes together.

Oh my goodness! I don’t think a fantasy novel has emotionally drained me, but this is what “The Helm of Midnight” did for me. It is a beautiful, emotional, and suspenseful mammoth of a novel and an excellent start to The Five Penalties series.

The author did a beautiful job in narrating the tale. The world-building is fantastic, where you have vargs, cults, priests, mists, and magical masks (to name a few). The author also narrates the story in a detailed manner which makes you easily understand the world.

Similarly, the three main characters are memorable distinctively. When I started reading the perspectives, I felt disconnected from each other, as they take place in different timelines. Yet, the author seamlessly weaves them together towards the end, making it so good!

I enjoyed Krona’s storyline and the way she investigates Charbon’s mask.
I also loved her connection with Thibaut and thought they made a dynamic pair. The author also wrote her guilt realistically after what happens at the Jubilee, which impacts her relationship with De-lia. Likewise, Melanie was also memorable, and I enjoyed her plot with Sebastian.

My favorite, however, was Charbon’s storyline. The author wrote his emotions brilliantly, where we see his various emotions when he realizes his work’s implications. One of my favorite scenes is when he reunites with his wife Una after a few years. The ending to his storyline left me speechless.

The author progresses the story in a gradual yet effective manner where you get immersed completely. The climax left me speechless, and I cannot wait to read the next book! Overall, if you are looking for a compelling fantasy thriller, pick up “The Helm of Midnight” as it doesn’t disappoint!

When I picked up The Helm of Midnight I didn't know much about it; I thought 'dark fantasy? murder mystery? sounds good!'. This book blew away my expectations. It's filled with a detailed, dark world, an interesting magic system, ominous secrets, in-depth worldbuilding, and engaging characters. The Helm of Magic is exactly the type of fantasy I'm desperate to see more of.

In this world, masks can be imbued with the talents of the dead. Do you want the ability to tell if someone is lying? Well, there's a mask you can wear of someone who had that gift. Sure, if you wear a mask too difficult to handle it might try and overwhelm you, but that's a risk you'll have to take.

The mask of serial killer Louis Charbon is a deadly and terrible artefact; one that no one is allowed to wear. So when a heist steals the mask right under the nose of Krona Hivarth, it's up to her and her fellow Regulators to track it down. Meanwhile, murders start occurring, using the particular skill Charbon had in mutilation.

From the very first pages, I knew I was going to adore this book. Evil magic, terrible creatures, strange mysteries. Look, I'm an absolute sucker for forbidden knowledge, and this book is jam-packed full of it. The journey the characters went on was compelling, but the worldbuilding was what drew my attention. This is one of those books where secrets slowly unravel, but not enough, not enough to satisfy you, only to leave you desperately wanting more. I need the next book now, thank you.

Although the world was my highlight, the characters were also fantastic. Krona is a delight to read about, and especially her relationship with a particular rogueish troublemaker. She's an incredibly well-rounded character, with fears and history that truly impact her. I also loved her bond with her sister and how well she propelled the story onwards. There are a couple of other PoV characters in here too - all of which were compelling. I particularly enjoyed being able to learn the history of Louis Charbon, the notorious killer, himself.

I want to shout about every detail of this book, but I don't want to spoil it. You should know this isn't just a book about criminals and serial killers; it goes a lot deeper. Perhaps, even deep enough to change the world itself. I mean, what's the point in a strict magic system if you don't tear it apart in every possible way?

I recommend The Helm of Midnight to all of you who prefer their fantasy detailed and relatively slow-paced, who love to unravel mysteries and learn about brand-new worlds. I'm going to be shouting about this book from the rooftops for a long time.

Review #38

I’m going to attempt to give you a summary of this book, this fantasy suspense phantasmagoria.
Go with me.
Imagine a mask. Could be elaborate, carved, made of wood. Maybe it’s a a scary face. Maybe it looks like a tree with openings in the branches for eyes and a mouth. The kind of masks Julie Taymor would throw together in an hour, and set a Broadway show too.
Then imagine these masks contain who someone was in life. For example, you’re Mozart and a mask was made for you of your essence. Then I put on your mask and suddenly I’m composing. Suddenly everything he knows, I know and I’m a musical genius.
Now imagine a serial killer had a mask made upon his death and that mask was under lock and key.
But one night in a cacophonous opening sequence it’s stolen. And soon after, the killings start again.

Into this world are cops known as Regulators, who suit up in outfits like the cover art shows. Krona Hirvath is the Regulator who will quickly begin to put together clues as to who stole it, and more insidiously, why?
Resting oddly somewhere between Caleb Carr’s “Alienist”, feudal Japan, and the ghoulish gorgeous world of television’s “Hannibal”, Marina Lottstetter’s brilliantly conceived, first book in a planned trilogy truly falls under the banner of ‘unlike anything I’ve ever read’. She’s also created a world not penned in by race, gender, or sexuality, the encompassing fluidity fitting into this setting like a perfectly shaped puzzle piece.
Yes there is world building, but it’s not overwhelming and yes my brain felt discombobulated especially in the first twenty or so pages with what was coming at me. However everything quickly begins to make sense as the three very distinct storylines she sets out begin to coalesce.
I can’t declare this would be a book for everyone, but for those who like an exceptionally crafted smart original story that stands out in a crowded genre I would highly recommend this. The only drawback is having to wait for volume two. Thank you to @torbooks and @netgalley for the advance copy.

“Though Krona knew nature’s cloister to be directly to her right, she was compelled to turn left. In Lutador, everyone walked a coterie path clockwise, as an honor for Time. It took her first by the cloister of Knowledge, then Emotion, then by the Shrine of the Five, where she paused.”

Synopsis: Deadly artifacts of immense power are stolen, freeing the spirit of an infamous murderer to kill again. Krona, a Regulator of dangerous magic, is tasked with retrieving the items. When she becomes unexpectedly tangled in old secrets and dangerous plots, will Krona be able to save her city, or even herself?

Who May Enjoy This Book:

Fans of non-traditional Fantasy
Fans of flawed protagonists
People who enjoy mystery
Thank-you to Marina Lostetter, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in exchange for an honest review!

To begin: Do not be dissuaded by the cover art of this novel. I cannot stress this enough.

“The Helm of Midnight” was a wonderful book, and I cannot help but feel that it deserved a much better cover. I point this fact out because I know that many people tend to go with their gut when it comes to picking a book off the shelf, and that this is directly tied to the appeal of the cover art. That is all I will say on the matter!

This is my first Marina Lostetter book as I don’t often pick up the “harder” sci-fi series (I just love my Fantasy too much…); I was intrigued by the premise, and it certainly delivered. “The Helm of Midnight” has a setting that’s a bit tough to pin down… it blends elements of Fantasy along with Science Fiction and “Jack The Ripper” era London. It does seem quite clear that the Ripper inspired the character of Louis Charbon, the infamous murderer at the heart of the story. It’s altogether fascinating… there is a somewhat “soft” magic system, based off the harnessing of emotions in inanimate objects… currency is based off of actual “time”, contained in special receptacles… the spirits of the dead are bound to masks, allowing people to harness the skills formerly possessed by the deceased, albeit at great risk… the world contains 5 different genders, each with their exclusive pronouns… so inclusive, so meticulous, so much FLAVOR! What delighted me most, however, is that it somehow still manages to feel wonderfully understated: the focus is quite clearly on CHARACTERS. People who know me are well aware of my distaste for stories which massively overemphasize worldbuilding. If I wanted that, I would simply pick up a D&D splatbook. Lostetter’s cast is flawed, relatable, and utterly compelling.

“The Helm of Midnight” has 3 different POV (point of view) narratives, each of them taking place at different times. The earliest (chronologically) focuses on Louis Charbon, the man whose spirit now resides in the terrifying Charbon’s Mask. While initially introducing him as a terrifying monster of a man, Lostetter takes on the daunting task of making the reader empathize with him, if only a little bit. She does a marvelous job of this, pushing and pulling delicately, giving us glimpses of the good before snapping us back to reality with a view of the abyss. It can be quite chilling at times! The next character is Melanie, a physician who is simultaneously at the periphery and also at the center of the story. I won’t dwell on her too much in order to avoid spoiling anything, though I will say that her blossoming relationship with another character is touching, and a pleasure to read. The final and arguably main protagonist (her story takes place in present time) is Krona, a “Regulator”. Regulators track down and contain dangerous and/or unlicensed magic items, keeping the public safe. She becomes involved after the theft of Charbon’s Mask, and her story is periodically interspersed with the other POVs. This narrative structure allows us to slowly piece together certain elements of the story without a great deal of tedious exposition, which is just lovely.

Krona is quite fascinating as a character… she is deeply flawed, perceiving herself as inferior to her higher-ranking sister. She does not allow herself to indulge in much of anything, presenting as a bit of a “tabula rasa”; this is not to say that she does not have a personality, but it seems to morph and shift depending on whom she is interacting with. Psychologically, she always seems to wish to be someone else, which is perhaps why she has such an easy time wearing the masks. Unlike most people, Krona has the uncanny ability to subdue just about any mask she puts on (masks can attempt to take control of their wearers) in a matter of moments, with little effort. She is whatever she needs to be in the moment, except herself. This presents itself frequently in her interactions with Thibault, her informant; there is clearly something there between them, but Krona denies herself at every turn. We are made privy to her inner vulnerability, and one cannot help but root for her throughout the book. Her past trauma colors everything she does, and yet she continues to do her best on a daily basis. She’s a perfect protagonist for the times, in my opinion.

The intertwining narratives take us through a variety of twists and turns, revealing that the theft at the beginning of the novel was hardly the beginning; no, this is a story which began long ago, when Charbon still lived and stalked the streets. What started as a theft becomes a murder-mystery, a deep criminal conspiracy, and a race against the clock. Lostetter does an excellent job pacing it all, making each narrative compelling in its own way and wrapping it all up together with a nice bow on it. To say more would likely spoil something, and I prefer you take the opportunity to grab yourself a copy of this excellent book. DO IT! “The Helm of Midnight” is available in all fine bookstores April 13/2021.

Happy Reading!

3.5 stars, rounded down for pacing.

Okay, so... Krona was what drew me to the story, kept me listening ceaselessly through hours and hours of audiobook time. Her drive, her complex fear, her unwavering love of her sister, her intelligence, her curiosity, her insanely bad luck. I cannot wait to continue her story in Lotsetter's next book - especially with the threads the ending purposefully left dangling.

But, and this is a big but, a "round down your goodreads rating" but... Spreading the story across three narrators hurt the pacing to a frustrating degree. With a few tweaks, we could have gotten the whole story, half as long, with just Krona's POV. It would have been more direct and barreled ahead with the natural intensity that all hunts for serial killers automatically bring. By adding the healer (who was, at best, a distraction) and the butcher (who all but spoils the big reveal very early on) Lotsetter made the book significantly longer without buying us much in terms of plot weight. I will say that the other two POVs give us a much clearer understanding of magic and it's rules, but that worldbuilding could have been folded into Krona's story without sacrificing pacing.

TL;DR Fascinating, unique magic system, nuanced and dynamic main character, poor pacing due to too many POVs.

I’ll be honest that I almost didn’t pick up this book. Neither the cover nor the blurb really grabbed me, but I reconsidered when I started hearing other reviewers talk about the book. Character-driven? Fascinating world-building? Serial killer mystery? Check, check, check. And while this is the first book in a trilogy, there’s no cliffhanger ending and there’s a good balance between what’s resolved and what’s still left to explore.

Krona, a Regulator usually responsible for helping retrieve lost enchanted objects, is a bit bored at her team’s latest post protecting a bunch of those priceless – and dangerous – artifacts at a politician’s ball. But when unknown forces attack and make off with two of the artifacts, including the death mask of a legendarily vicious serial killer, the team, led by Krona’s sister De-Lia, must figure out who did this and why the mask has been stolen. But the investigation gradually reveals that the heist of the missing mask goes farther back – and has many more ramifications – than Krona could possibly have guessed.

“You are much too clever to leave things cut-and-dry.”
“But cut-and-dry is simple. It’s efficient.”
“It’s boring.”


There are multiple POVs in the story, with the main one being Krona’s in the present. A lot of Krona’s character revolves around her hero worship of her sister. I loved the relationship between the two of them and how much they genuinely cared and tried to take care of the other, from buying tangerines to taking the heat at work. Krona’s followed in De-Lia’s footsteps all her life, from attending the academy to becoming a Regulator, and she’s sometimes derided for being nothing more than her shadow. It’s partly a reaction to shared childhood trauma, including that she’d rather act – even wrongly – than hesitate to act. Krona tries to act like her sister – brave, strong, but somewhat gruff – in the hopes that acting will become being. But it’s the areas where she’s not like her sister that really make her an interesting character, including her relationship with her informant, Thibaut. There’s definitely some romantic tension between the two that I’m hoping will be explored further, but in this book, their banter added some much needed levity to the book.

“The more I try to wind the lengths of my life into a neat, manageable knot, the more they seem to stretch and fray and snap. Order is not easy. Breaking takes less effort than building, that is the way of the world.”


Interspersed with Krona’s investigation are chapters from Charbon’s and Melanie’s POVs, as well as smaller bits from other characters. By the time Charbon’s POV pops up, the reader has heard a lot about the infamous serial killer. But when his POV picks up, Charbon is a sort of misunderstood genius, at turns lauded for his skill in surgery while reviled for honing that skill “disrespectfully” on corpses. It’s that past willingness to bend the law for the greater good – or at least as he defines it – that draws him into his predicament and ties in to Krona’s investigation. By contrast, Melanie is a country girl who’s brought her terminally ill mother to the big city in hopes of healing her. But things don’t go quite right, to both Melanie’s benefit and detriment. Unlike Charbon, who I found mostly annoying, I sympathized with Melanie, and the parallels between her and Krona were especially interesting. A lot of this book revolves around the themes of trauma and family and how they intertwine: how Krona and De-Lia interact at home and at work, how Melanie’s life has revolved around caring for her ill mother. For all three characters, their decisions are a spiraling mess of how far they’re willing to go to protect the ones the love or to protect the greater good – and what they do when those two things are in conflict.

“She’d asked herself years ago what she was willing to do, how far she was willing to go to protect the people she cared about.
Now, she was about to find out.”


The worldbuilding, especially the religion and magic system, is fascinating. There are five main deities, each of whom has a different gender identity that matches their assigned sphere of influence. Those deities formed the Valley, where all of humankind lives, protected from the outside world with all its wild magic. The only things able to cross the god-formed barrier are vargers, magical creatures that come in five different forms and who feed solely on people. Each form can only be stopped by a certain metal, which again calls back to the gods. On top of that, a person’s skill can, with certain preparations before and after death, be transferred into a mask. So you could harness someone’s ability to detect lies, or play the cello, or shoot well – but only for the length of time you’re wearing the mask. And the masks don’t come without risks, either, as the essence of that person – their echo – also still resides within the mask, and can temporarily take over weak or unwary hosts.

“The more I try to wind the lengths of my life into a neat, manageable knot, the more they seem to stretch and fray and snap. Order is not easy. Breaking takes less effort than building, that is the way of the world.”


The main issue with the book for me was the pacing. On the one hand, the multiple POVs gradually build up the story and add tension, and give the reader time to immerse themselves in the world. On the other hand, it does take a while before the threads start knitting together. I’m very much a character-driven reader, but it did feel like the book took a while to get going and then would switch POVs just when things were getting good.

Overall, I’m definitely hooked and will be eagerly looking forward to the next in the series!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This arc was provided by Tor Books, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW: gore, body mutilation and detailed descriptions of mutilation and murder, infanticide, and death of a loved one

The Helm of Midnight is a memorable fantasy novel, set in a world whereupon your death, your best ability is transferred into your death mask, and whoever wears it can channel your ability.

The story begins with a heist where the mask of Louis Charbon is stolen. Louis Charbon was a deadly serial killer and his knowledge went into his death mask, which came into government custody until it was taken.

There are three different POVs but I only want to talk about one, Krona, one of the Regulators in charge of investigating the heist. Regulators are the government's elite enforcement, and they focus on high-risk cases. Since Krona's team was in charge of protecting the mask and other charms, and her sister, Lia, is the captain of the team and therefore takes the blame, she is committed to righting the wrongs.

I truly enjoyed Krona's perspectives as well as the other characters (read to find out!), Lostetter has created complex characters that intrigue you as the story goes on. The world itself is complex and interesting: there are five deities and each has a story and rules, as well as pronouns; the death masks; the emotion stones, an enchanter can create a joy stone or a despair one (though the latter is illegal); the valley and the vargs, unkillable creatures that stalk the world. There is much to learn and it will only improve with the sequels.

The heist mystery that develops into a murder mystery also keeps you hooked, and Krona's emotions as she does her best investigating.

I adore mystery stories and mixing them with a fantastical setting is the best thing you could give me as a reader. I will be eagerly waiting for the next book!

I would like to thank TOR Books for the review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter seamlessly combined different genres to make such a dark, compelling story about magic and mayhem caused by a legendary serial killer.

The story opened with a heist where the death mask of Louis Charbon was successfully stolen. Charbon committed terrible, grotesque murders that made him known as the Blooming Butcher. With his incomparable knowledge of human anatomy, anyone who had his Death mask could use it to terrorize the city. Now, it was up to Krona Hirvath and her fellow Regulators to stop the impending horrors and the truth behind the heist.

Reading this novel was such an exhilarating and thought-provoking experience. It presented complex world-building as well as the plot itself. Although the huge part of the story was more on chasing clues of who done it, it also tackled faith, trauma, death, grief and family duty. The narrative was told through three points of view: Krona’s which was the present time, and the other two that happened two years and ten years ago. That being said, the plot was a little bit slow, but I could guaratee you that these different POVs and timelines would make so much sense after reading the book.

As I had said earlier, the author did a great job with the world-building. In this novel, there were five gods who had different types of magic. To protect humanity, the Valley was enclosed in a sort of magical wall or bubble which monsters, like the Varg, could not easily enter. Each person worshipped one of these gods, and to not abuse the magic, citizens needed to abide by the rules, which were monitored by Regulators. Magic could be stored in different materials, such as Wood for knowledge, depending on what magic. Magical materials were grouped based on tier and magnitude. Death Masks, which were made of wood, stored memories and knowledge. Whoever wore these masks could have accessed to this knowledge, but they had to supress the ‘echo’ or else they would be consumed by it.

Characterwise, this novel’s characterization and diversity were on point. Krona had a strong personality, but deeply she was also sofhearted. Most of the characters dealt with loss, guilt, and redemption. However, my favorite was definitely Louis Charbon. I really liked how readers would be able to learn the background of this serial killer. His story was a complete tragedy, but this did not absolve him of his crime.

Overall, The Helm of Midnight is a thrilling novel set in a rich fantastical world. I am surely reading the future entries of this trilogy.

4/5 stars!

Reviewed by my co blogger Petrik.

ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books—in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

This is an incredible book. Character-driven and bloody thrilling; The Helm of Midnight has pretty much confirmed its spot in one of my favorite books of 2021 list.

I owe a thank you to Andrea Stewart, the author of The Bone Shard Daughter, for recommending this book to me. I was already intrigued by the eerie cover art illustrated by Sam Weber, and it was her endorsement that really push me to read The Helm of Midnight amidst my ever-growing TBR pile. I don’t regret it one bit. This was my first time reading Lostetter’s book, and I’m undoubtedly impressed, especially because this is her fantasy novel; her previous books were all sci-fi if I’m not mistaken. Lostetter herself described The Helm of Midnight as The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris meets Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson; I can confirm that this isn’t a far-off pitch, and I loved it.

Unraveling: that’s what it feels like. The more I try to wind the lengths of my life into a neat, manageable knot, the more they seem to stretch and fray and snap. Order is not easy. Breaking takes less effort than building, that is the way of the world.



The Helm of Midnight, the first book in The Five Penalties trilogy, opens with a daring and deadly heist. The perpetrator managed to steal a dangerous artifact of terrible power: the death mask of Louis Charbon. Louis Charbon was once known as the most terrifying serial murderer, and this death mask created by a master craftsman being stolen means that someone might have the power to channel Louis Charbon’s abilities when they wear the death mask. Now it’s up to Krona, De-Lia, and their fellow Regulars to find out the thieves, the truth behind this heist, and Louis Charbon himself.

As you can probably guess, investigations is a huge part of the narrative in The Helm of Midnight. The terror and mayhem unleashed by Louis Charbon were frankly terrifying; it made me wonder what kind of research the author has done to successfully write massacres in such a vividly horrifying detail. Yes, this is quite a dark book, and if you’re not into reading grim books, you might be better off skipping this one. However, as evil blooms in darkness, The Helm of Midnight was an amazing read to me not because of its attention to murder, yes that’s a part of it, but more importantly it was the magnificent characterizations that immersed me into the narrative so much.

“Nothing can stop a man who thinks his violence is not only justified, but the epitome of virtue.”



This is, at its core, a story about faith, trauma, family, and duty. The characterizations are the key factors that made these themes worked so good. Even when the pacing considerably slowed down in the middle of the book, I never felt bored because I’ve grown attached and invested in finding out the fates of these characters. The story is told through the perspective of three main characters in a different time frame. First, we have Krona in the present timeframe who deals with the plotline I mentioned earlier; her story took some time for me to fully enjoy. Eventually, I became attached to Krona’s character development and the well-written sibling relationship she has with her sister: De-Lia; the complexity and love between the two characters as sisters really shine through the pages.

“They’d wanted to protect each other so much, sometimes they’d forgotten what they were protecting.”



And then we have Melanie’s chapters that take place two years before the current event. I will admit that I was worried that her chapters won’t matter much to Krona’s story; it just seemed disconnected at first, and I thought this would be one of those cases where a character was introduced, but their story won’t connect until the sequel. Obviously, I couldn’t be more wrong. That’s all I can say about this, though, you have to find out for yourself. In Melanie’s POV, Lostetter also exhibited her talent in writing a romantic relationship that’s so wonderfully done.

’“It’s not just about what I want,” she said with a sigh. “We take actions in life, and there are consequences. Those consequences narrow our choices. Time makes us walk a straight path between where we’ve been and where we are now. There’s no changing it.”
“But new decisions mean new consequences and new choices,” he said softly. “We’re never locked into one path. Time also allows us free will. She never freezes our future.”’



And finally—my favorite of the three POV characters—we have Louis Charbon himself; his chapters start eleven years before Krona’s story. This POV, y’all… It exceeded my expectations. I recently read a manga series called Shuumatsu no Valkyrie (Record of Ragnarok in English), and the similarity to Jack the Ripper found in Louis Charbon’s reputation reminded me of reading Jack the Ripper’s story in that manga. I’m giving a self-standing (yes, I’m standing right now) ovation to Lostetter with Louis Charbon’s origin story. THIS is the one that gives the necessary extra depth to the novel. Does eternal malice accompany Louis Charbon since his birth? Is he really the personification of death? Again, read and find out for yourself. Suffice to say that I was absolutely compelled with his chapters; reading about the internal and external conflicts he has between loving his family and executing his duty to the Unknown God was heartbreaking, disturbing, and unputdownable.

“People are more complex than that. Evil has its logics, just as good does. I need to understand Charbon to understand this killer.”



Three different characters with three different timelines and all connect with each other to bring a great result. Plus, The Helm of Midnight has one of the most despicable villains I’ve ever read. Lostetter’s prose felt so well-polished, and the full force of the horror and nightmare that the characters felt can truly be felt. I seriously love books with characters that made me feel; Lostetter’s capability to describe emotions—especially pain, anguish, and regret—was incredible. I could really feel the character’s emotions. And speaking of emotions, the magic in this novel revolves around emotions, and it also reminded me of the magic system in Mistborn; without the explosive actions. There’s quite a lot to unpack here; I’m just going to mention them briefly. People with an affinity for wearing a death mask have the power to channel the abilities and memories that comes with wearing one; each death mask has its own level of Magnitude, Tier, and abilities, with its own benefits and drawbacks. Then there’s also the concept of Enchantments and emotion stones, and more.

“Real time is far more valuable than bottled time. It has a better exchange rate. I decided I wanted to spend mine as productively as possible, get the biggest payout I could. That way, when I’m close to dying, I won’t feel the need to cash in—to lay on extra days, or months, or years. Because I won’t have any regrets. I think only people who waste their lives scrape for those extra minutes.”



Dark, immersive, and bloodstained, The Helm of Midnight provides an emotionally manipulative reading experience that I enjoyed. Although this is the first book in a trilogy, it worked nicely as a standalone. I have a difficult time classifying what kind of sub-genre this novel belongs in; it’s a novel with a lot of ideas implemented, and I’m curious to find out how the author will improve on these ideas in the sequels. The Helm of Midnight is partly urban fantasy, high fantasy, thriller, and mystery with a touch of steampunk, and Lostetter combined them into one package with frightening accuracy. It’s different from the kind of epic/high fantasy books I usually read, and I know this won’t work for everyone, but it really did for me and I hope it will for you as well. Last but not least, I’ll close this review with an important message from the author herself:

“And thank you to everyone who picked up this book, especially the readers who are struggling—whether it be through external battles or internal ones. As krona pointed out, despair always lies, and no one should be expected to work through depression, anxiety, or a catastrophe alone.”

—Marina J. Lostetter

Wow, I was pleasantly surprised by this book! After reading other early reviews that had been posted, I knew to expect more of a complex story than what the blurb described and did it ever blow me away. The world building and magic system in The Helm of Midnight is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Lostetter has created a truly unique world for her new trilogy—one in which mankind is contained within in a protective barrier by the gods with nothing but monsters and barren wastelands beyond it. There are also enchanted gemstones that are infused with emotions that can influence the wearer, death masks that contain the spirit and skills of the deceased, various metals all with their own separate magic system and more! There is at least five different types of magic in this book which were all a delight to read about so I can’t wait to see how they’re further developed in the rest of the trilogy.

All three POV’s in this novel were enjoyable and held their own weight throughout the story. The first follows Krona, a Regulator who becomes embroiled in a heist and subsequent murder mystery, Melanie, a healer’s apprentice harbouring a secret, and Louis Charbon, the famous Blooming Butcher who terrorized the streets 10 years ago. The way all of these narratives became intertwined was compelling and well-written. I liked how we could gain insight into Krona’s investigation through different timelines and events that all lead up to the current story.

My only critique was that the pacing felt a bit off throughout with a bit of drag in the beginning and third quarter but besides that, I thought this novel was amazing! Can’t wait to continue with this series.

I was drawn in by the unusual cover photo and a description that says, "Hannibal meets Mistborn". I didn't get it, so of course I just had to read it. I get it now, and it makes perfect sense. 

The Helm of Midnight fits into several genres. Paranormal, detective, thriller, horror and even a splash of steampunk I suppose. The magic building was brilliant. 

My only complaint is that the book felt exceedingly long. What should have taken me a few days to read instead took a few weeks. If you can push yourself through the sludgy bits of the story, you will be greatly rewarded. 

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.

The Helm of Midnight had been a book on my radar for a while with its intriguing premise of being an epic fantasy crossed with a dark thriller, so I was super excited when I was approved for an early copy!

THoM kicks off with Krona, a Regulator, keeping watch over a state soiree where a variety of artifacts are being kept on display for partygoers to ogle. Everything turns upside down for her though when the soiree suddenly becomes the stage for a heist. In the aftermath of it all, it’s discovered that the perpetrators were able to get away with two deadly artifacts: a brooch inlaid with a Despairstone, and a death mask imbued with the spirit of the infamous Blooming Butcher, Louis Charbon. Now, Krona and her fellow Regulators must track down the thieves and avoid getting entangled in the web of conspiracies, forbidden magic, and murders that follow in their wake.

I’ll admit, this book was a bit of a slow burn for me hence the 4-star rating—I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to like up until I was around 30-35% of the way through. But for some reason, it totally sucked me in after that point. The worldbuilding was pretty dense and detailed in the beginning so I wasn’t sure if I was understanding it correctly. There are also three main POV’s in this book which I wasn’t initially sold on because they didn’t seem to be connected in any way to the main storyline which involved Krona and the hunt for Charbon’s mask.

After Lostetter got the narrative for all three POV’s going, everything started to come together for me. The way she was able to intertwine all the different timelines and characters together by the thrilling climax was masterful. Not a single point in any of the various stories being told within this book felt like wasted time since they all played a part in the main plot in one way or another. As a big fantasy reader, I can definitely say this is one of the most unique worlds I’ve had the pleasure of exploring. There are various magic systems within this book that fall under the dominion of the five gods. Wooden masks are able to store the personality and skills of someone who has passed away, time can be trapped in vials, and gemstones are infused with emotions. It’s all very detailed and incredibly creative so I can’t wait to see how all of these enchantments are developed in future books.

I loved how real Krona’s relationships with characters like De-Lia—her sister and captain—and Thibaut—a loveable rogue type and potential love interest—were. You could feel all of her emotions and inner conflicts coming into play during every interaction which really made me connect with her as the main character.

This dark fantasy was like nothing I have ever read before. Hats off to the author, for creating a unique complex world and a dynamic cast of characters. The strengths of this book are in the plot and the depth of the novel. Also of note are the strong female characters, complex villains and elaborate magical system. The only downfall being the denseness and amount of information given can at times be overwhelming.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for allowing me to review this advanced readers copy.

The Helm of Midnight is a serial killer murder mystery in a fantasy setting with complex magic. My two favorite genres are fantasy and mystery, so this book sounded perfect for me.

We follow three main characters. Krona is a Regulator, which is a type of law enforcement. People in this world can wear enchanted masks. These masks are made when someone dies, and the wearer will gain that person’s unique skills when wearing the mask. A dangerous mask made from a notorious serial killer is stolen at the beginning of the book. It is Krona’s task to find this mask and stop the murders.

Melanie’s chapters take place two years prior to Krona’s storyline. Melanie wants to rent a mask that will help her heal her ill mother.

Finally, about 20% into the story we follow Louise Charbon. His storyline takes place eleven years prior to Krona’s. By the time we get to his chapters, we already know that he was a gruesome serial killer. Finding out what led him to that point was fascinating.

All three perspectives were equally interesting, and I loved seeing how they all came together. One of my favorite things about this book was the magic system. Not only do we have the enchanted death masks, we also have enchanted stones that contain emotions. There is also bottled time, gods, monsters, and many more aspects of the world and magic that make this book so interesting.

I’ve been looking forward to this fantasy/mystery hybrid for months now and somehow resisted the temptation to abandon my schedule and read it immediately. A synopsis that tells of a death mask imbued with the spirit of a heinous serial killer that is now loose on the world is quite frankly, irresistible. And the cover with a minimalist yet imposing figure on the front just made me even more curious!  The best part is, the actual contents are just as cool as I could have hoped.

De-Krona Hirvath is on guard duty at a lavish party where a collection of notorious magical artefacts including the death mask are on display. The last thing she could have expected was a varg attack and the subsequent (or more likely, simultaneous) theft of Louis Charbon’s death mask and an enchanted gem filled with despair. Her team is tasked with the recovery of the valuable and highly dangerous artefacts, but they are too late to stop the first murder. The victim is grotesquely carved up and displayed as if they are ghastly meat flowers - the signature style of Louis Charbon, the Blooming Butcher. Someone has put on his death mask and they are likely taken over by his spirit as the mask was ranked highly on the danger scale. The higher the ranking, the more likely the wearer will have to fight or be subsumed by the personality of the dead person infused within the mask.  The race is on to find the mask wielder so that another corpse bloom may be prevented and also so De-Lia Hirvath (our protagonist's sister) is not censured for letting the mask be stolen in the first place, as she is the captain of their unit. 

In addition to De-Krona’s point of view, we also have that of two other characters, the first of which is Louis Charbon himself. It’s interesting that the author chose to give a deceased serial killer quite so many chapters, but they really help to flesh out the story and make it something truly great. This background helps the reader to understand what drove Louis Charbon from a scholarly family man to a deranged murderer and corpse mutilator. The other POV is that of Melanie, and her story begins ten years prior to the story’s current day. We meet her as she rent’s a particular healer’s mask so that she might gain the knowledge to cure her mother. At first Melanie’s POV doesn’t mesh particularly well with the rest of the story, and as we go further we begin to see how it does in fact blend in, though I won’t spoil it. 

This was a fascinating and dark tale, with super cool world building and magic. The story is far from a straight up murder mystery and pulls in the fascinating magic and even some of the five gods. The magic, as you may have gathered, is based on physical enchanted objects like masks (containing the essence of the dead), gems (containing emotions), and other physical objects. It’s quite fascinating and takes a bit of time to wrap your head around, but it just clicked for me and I think the system is awesome. The involvement of the gods is somewhat more subtle than the theft of an infamous death mask and involves spoilers. I will say that I look forward to seeing how future books in the series play out now that the influence of the gods has been revealed. 

The Helm of Midnight was a definite win for me. It took me a little while to click with some of the characters, but I never disliked them and until that point, the plot was strong enough to keep me heavily invested anyway. I’ll be thrilled to hear news of the sequel and to see what becomes of our characters as they move on and as the setting expands.

In a daring heist, thieves make off with a dangerous magical artifact: the death mask of Louis Charbon—imbued with the spirit and knowledge of the notorious serial killer. Now a copycat killer stalks the streets, replicating Charbon’s signature calling card by arranging his victims into “blossoms” … albeit with their own unique twist.

Regulator Krona Hirvath is in a race against time to try and find the perpetrator, and in the process, she uncovers terrible truths.

The Helm of Midnight by Marina J. Lostetter has a lot going on. It’s an ambitious, genre-defying novel that blends steampunk, crime procedural, and epic fantasy. The worldbuilding is innovative and intricate and it also has a darn cool emotion-based magic system.

However, all this comes as a bit of a double-edged sword. This is the first in a trilogy and it did very much feel like an introduction and like it was setting up for a much grander story. It was very lore and exposition heavy, so the actual murder mystery component of the plot gets lost in the muddle at times.

Imperfections aside though, this book presents a unique psychologically-driven fantasy that deals with family and trauma and I’m excited to see the rest of the mystery unfold.

The Helm of Midnight, by Marina J. Lostetter, is a book with a lot of ideas. The first entry in The Five Penalties series, I find myself at a loss as to whether to recommend it or not. On the one hand, Lostetter has built a world just brimming with interesting rules and magic. On the other hand, getting into that world felt akin to wading through concrete. While I ended up wanting to continue the series by the time I finished Helm, there were a ton of instances where I almost quit the book and relegated it to my DNF pile. Yet, through clever writing, compelling mystery, and plot lines that I just had to see come together, Helm managed to keep its grip on me to the last page.

The back of the book will tell you that Helm is a story about chasing a killer who has donned a mask of one of the world’s most infamous mass murderers in order to gain his powers of destruction. Once I got into the book and started digging around I found this preview to be laughably oversimplified. Helm is a world of rules. The first page you will read shows the dictates of the five gods who rule over reality and what they expect of you. Violating any of their decrees will result in a horrific penalty, which is where the series gets its name. Existence in the world of The Helm of Midnight is more malleable than our own. The magic of the world allows people to store abstract concepts and emotions in physical objects. For example, emotions like joy and despair can be imprisoned in gems and then worn to evoke the desired feeling. When a person dies, their skills and abilities can be captured in a death mask that allows a wearer to recall their abilities. Oh, and the entire world exists in a giant bubble dome that keeps out apocalyptic flora and fauna that would obliterate humanity in a heartbeat if it got in. The only thing the barrier doesn’t keep out are the vargs – which are sort of like werewolves with special abilities depending on their breed. Some can teleport, others can read your mind, others can turn invisible. Vargs represent the largest threat to the world as they can’t be killed, only reduced to a mist that is then captured in bottles and stored in vaults. All of this just scratches the surface of the minute detail and whimsically grim nature of Lostetter’s world, and on top of all of this we have an intricate plot.

The story is split into three POV’s in three different time periods. We have Krona in the present, a cop who is trying to track down a lost mask of a serial killer and stop whoever is wearing it from killing more people. We have Melanie in the near past, a young girl who is trying to save her mother by wearing the masks of healers. Finally, we have Charbon in the distant past, the aforementioned serial killer who is living his life as a successful doctor.

The three timelines act as set up, catalyst, and execution of the mystery of the book. In Charbon’s period, we see a talented and kind doctor trying to save everyone and we wonder how this man became the mass murderer we know him to have been in the present. In Melanie’s period, we see new elements and rules introduced that start to change how we perceive the world to work and open up new possibilities. In Krona’s period, we get to see the payoff of all of the setup, but mostly we get to see her talk to her CI about nothing for a whole lot of pages. Maybe I just don’t like cops, but I struggled to be invested in Krona’s story – which is a bummer because her POV is easily the one with the most page space. I felt like nothing ever happened in her segments, while with Charbon and Melanie I was constantly learning more about the mystery that permeates the story and about the world that it takes place in. All three plot lines eventually do all come together, and I felt the book picked up massively at this point. However, this nexus is deep within the story and I wouldn’t be surprised if people dropped out halfway through.

Part of the problem is that while Lostetter’s worldbuilding and themes are fantastic, the prose can feel lackluster. She excels at grim imagery and violence but somehow seems to struggle with imbuing her worlds with excitement and feeling. Many scenes were objectively horrifying in their nature but had little resonance with me as I struggled to empathize with multiple members of the cast. The characters are wonderfully complex with a ton of potential, but it can feel like a lot of that potential is left on the table thanks to the language.

The Helm of Midnight is certainly a unique read with a lot of new imaginative ideas. If you feel bored by the current sea of fantasy offerings and want something off the beaten path, this book will definitely scratch the itch. But, beware of the slow ramp-up speed. The series is definitely going somewhere, it just hasn’t quite gotten there yet. The first book provides an interesting blueprint, but I mostly see the potential of something to come instead of something concrete I can hold onto.

Rating: The Helm of Midnight – 7.0/10
-Andrew

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 25%

Guys, this one was hard. I'm trying to let myself be more okay with DNF'ing books because my TBR is endless and my time is not. That said, since I got an ARC of this I really wanted to finish it but....no.

Let me start by saying that I think there is a type of reader who will LOVE this. The worldbuilding is super unique and that was frankly the only part that kept my attention even a little bit. I'd describe the world as a super religious, geographically contained, steampunk society with heavy layers of stratification and magic based on enchanted items, particularly masks. So far, so good, right?

Where it broke down for me was with the pacing, the characters, and the writing. I'm not going to delve too deep into these because 1) I don't want to spoil anything and 2) I really do think a lot of people will love this book. However, if any of the below are red flags for you....consider yourself warned.

This was a slow burn. Which sometimes I love but this was just a little too slow. At 25% (chapter 12) I felt like the author was still "setting the scene." I might've been able to deal with pacing like that if I really felt connected to the characters but I just didn't care about them, so it made pushing forward difficult. I also think the author had a bit of an issue with "telling" and not "showing," which is a huge pet peeve of mine. This is probably why I wasn't able to connect with the characters as well.

Also, the pronouns. Let's talk about them. It's possible this will be changed in the final published copy, but in this edition, the author uses a combination of They/Them and MULTIPLE non-standard pronouns like "feir" for non-binary characters. It seems like the different layers of government have their own pronouns, as well as the gods and then some people pick non-standard ones individually. I don't have an issue with this and I bet a reader who super prioritizes inclusion in storylines would love it. HOWEVER, since there are so many social and governmental titles to work with and the world is so unusual and the plotline is non-linear I found the pronouns super hard to keep track of, to the point where I would need to re-read sentences because they didn't make sense straight away. I also found a few instances where the author didn't use the same non-standard pronouns for the same character (e.g., a "zher" gets called "he") but this will likely be corrected in the final addition.

If you love super-inclusive reads with unique settings and don't mind a slow pace, this might be perfect for you. It just didn't click for me.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from The Helm of Midnight, but it sounded fascinating… and a little creepy. After reading it, I can definitely say it’s imaginative; the world-building is highly ambitious and the plot is very clearly linked to the consequences of the magic system(s) that have been developed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to offset the lack of attention to character development and relationships for me, but readers who prioritise world-building are likely to love this one.

Broadly, The Helm of Midnight follows three perspectives – in the present, we have Krona Hirvath, the Regulator (sort of like a bureaucrat/police officer) responsible for discovering who stole Charbon’s mask and is now copying his distinctive mass-murdering style. In the past, we follow Charbon himself, as we learn what drove him to become a serial killer, as well as the story of a suspect in the mystery. There are also multiple magic systems, linked to different gods, which allows for an expansive world. My curiousity about the various gods and how the different magic systems worked was what kept me going – for example, one form of magic is related to time, and every citizen has some of their ‘time’ siphoned from as infants, which they can buy back at the end of their lives, and I thought this was a fascinating but macabre idea that I wanted to know more about.

Unfortunately, the world-building was about the only thing I enjoyed in this book. Loestetter has a very clinical narration style, and The Helm of Midnight spends very little time in the heads of its main characters, exploring their innermost thoughts (we do get a little of this with Charbon, and it’s chiling stuff). The writing essentially provides a blow-by-blow account of what characters get up to, and as a result relationships emerge because the plot requires them to, rather allowing the reader to see them organically grow and change over time. Not every book has to be a character-driven book, either, but the problem is that The Helm of Midnight‘s final twists rely on character bonds (such as the relationship between Krona and her sister De Lia) that just weren’t strong enough in the text for me to truly feel like I’d been stabbed in the gut. While I thought Loestter did a good job of differentiating her POVs clearly, the decision to spend so much time learning about what characters – including Charbon – got up to in the past took out a lot of the suspense for me, since the discoveries Krona made had already been so clearly telegraphed. While murder mysteries involving serial killers require having some indication about the killer early on – since they clearly have a distinctive pattern – knowing so much about the person responsible made this feel less like a mystery.

I won’t be reading on in the series, but those who like darker fantasy with ambitious world-building may want to check this one out.