thank you to Netgalley and Tor Forge for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

full review to come.

Marina Lostetter's "The Helm of Midnight" is a dark and enthralling symphony of suspense that takes readers on a harrowing journey through the shadows of a twisted and intricate world.

Lostetter's prose is a masterful blend of chilling elegance, painting scenes with words that send shivers down your spine. The narrative unfolds like a meticulously crafted puzzle, each piece fitting into place with precision and suspense.

"The Helm of Midnight" immerses readers in a realm of mystery and danger, where secrets lurk at every turn. The characters are multifaceted, their motivations as layered as the darkest depths of the abyss.

Lostetter's exploration of morality and the human psyche adds a thought-provoking dimension to the story, leaving readers questioning the boundaries of good and evil.

This gripping tale of darkness and redemption is a must-read for fans of thrilling and atmospheric storytelling.

A gripping if uneven series-starter.
I'm always going to be sold when copy references HANNIBAL or China Miéville and this book happens to get both, so I was always going to be IN. And Lostetter has created a terrific fantasy world, lived-in and strange while also not-so-world-built that there aren't a lot of blank spots on the map. The linear progress of the novel was tough going for a while, bounced as the reader is around several characters at several points in time, but there was enough here to keep me going through the rocky bits. I'm excited to pick up book two, and so-very-curious to see where it goes...

Helm of Midnight creates the perfect combination of fantasy and thriller, as a serial killer is released into a magical city. This was a roller-coaster of a ride, with an incredibly detailed, sprawling city backdrop surrounded by a wall to keep the monsters out that sets a very atmospheric scene. Its an intricate plot too, not skimping on setting up the scene of a city terrorised by a serial killer, and the magic system of five separate God's with a unique material power was really interesting.

I will say that at times, especially in the middle, the pacing slows significantly and I wasn't keen on the jumping narratives that takes the reader through different timelines. However overall I like the setting, and found the characters (especially Charbon) to be compelling.

An interesting and ambitious start to a series that feels unique and has enough intrigue to keep a, reader captivated right to the end.

The world was so cool in this book. Basically, people can have death masks. It is a long process to make one:you visit a specialist while you are still alive,follow some requirements, preparations are made,and then when you die the process gets finished, the mask is made. It contains glimpses of memories and personality of a person whom it belongs to, and also,the coolest part, their special skills. Some masks are kept in the families, some are used by the Regulators(a kind of police in this world), and some are too dangerous and are strictly guarded. In the beginning of the book we see a heist where one of the most dangerous masks gets stolen, the mask of Louis Charbon, who was a kind of Jack the Ripper in this story. Also here we have our first Pov, Krona, a regulator who among with her team has to investigate the heist and retrieve the mask preferably before people start to get killed (spoiler alert:people start to get killed). The second POV is set two years prior to these events. We follow Melanie, a farm girl whose mother is very ill. Melanie hopes to get the mask of a famous healer so she can use his knowledge to cure her mother, but things go terribly wrong. And finally the third POV is of Louis Charbon himself, set 11 years in the past following his journey to becoming one the most feared people in the city.
Out of the 3 POV I have to say Krona was my least favorite. She was excellently written, don't get me wrong, but I just didn't vibe with her personality as she is a follower not a leader. Charbon's perspective was fascinating. I just loved how everything was not black and white with him and how sad and tragic his life was and still continues to be. Melanie was my favorite. Strong, willed young woman with a big heart.
The plot and the lore were great. Time here is used as currency, emotions can be extracted and put into objects. The wall surrounds the land, keeping the monsters away but they still get through sometimes.
My only complaints are the pacing(towards the end it dragged a bit) and some dialogs. -We have to do this! -no,we cannot, it's too dangerous. -but no,we have to,even if it's dangerous. nooo, we absolutely cannot. And so on and so forth.
Will absolutely be reading a sequel when it comes out, there is so much potential for the series to become one of my favorites.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lot of fun. My first book by this author and I was not disappointed. A great plot and world building. Would highly recommend if you enjoy fantasy as this book had everything I loved

I love the overall fantasy horror elements of this book that really captured me from start to end. Fair warning the descriptions of the killings is quite graphic and detailed. I don't mind this at all because I can stomach it. Though if you are a reader with a slightly weak stomach this is your warning.

I'd say the pacing is on the medium as it has its slow parts and fast parts. I wouldn't say this bothered me but it did made me drop this book for a bit. The magic system is religion based, a sort of communion-esque and with a side of enchantments.

Eventhough I enjoyed this book I don't have any particular attachments to any of the characters or the story so I might not continue this series.

Lostetter pulled me into this dark fantasy mystery/thriller told from opposing POV from the beginning. Yes, the world-building took some time and there were slow passages, but all in all I wanted to know how the POVs came together and how the whole story fit and would play out.

An artefact is being stolen right under the watchful gaze of one of our female lead, a regulator (let’s say some form of police). With the help of this artefact murders are committed ten years after the initial serial killer was caught and executed for his brutal crimes. How do you catch a dead murderer? How do you find out who committed the theft and is behind the recent murders when the thieves used distraction and enchantments to hide their identities?

The other POV is that of a young apprentice to a healer. This woman is very gifted at healing, far more gifted than her age might allow. How? Evidence suggests that she is involved with the current murder spree. Is she, though?

There are enchanted masks and bottled beasts. There’s PTSD and grief. There are strong female characters, friendships, family ties. There is knowledge to be found, but at what price?

A book that took me out of my fantasy-funk! I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment.

Such a great book! I enjoyed reading this one so much! I highly recommend this book. Side note: the cover!!!!

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

Mysterious and magical with an undeniable engrossing narrative, compelling characters and unique worldbuilding. Enjoyed this book a lot, can’t wait for the sequel to be released.

I often find books that tell a story from opposing viewpoints can end up playing a kind-of "gotcha", where certain details are left out of the reader's information to create tension and drama - Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter is the rare exception that allows the reader to slowly gain insight into both the protagonist and antagonist, empathize with both, and lets the story play out across a fascinating world. Lostetter has done a great job of fleshing in just enough of the unique world to intrigue and entice the reader without the atlas-like exposition that can take pages. The magic systems are clever and clearly defined, while still allowing for creativity amongst the characters and artifacts. I hope she might be interested in diving back into this world; I know I'd definitely be interested in reading more. I try to save 5 star reviews for books that I feel really push a genre in a new direction or add something that is a *must read* and The Helm of Midnight is one of those books - I can wholeheartedly recommend it to any fan of SFF and/or psychological mystery/thrillers.

While I was into the magic system and the world building, there were just certain elements in the writing that took me entirely out of the story and I struggled to continue reading it.

Solid first entry and what is shaping up to me a new favorite setting. 4/5 Stars! Thank you, Net Galley, for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes, I took forever to finally read this, and it's so long it did feel like it would never end, but at least I did it??? And enjoyed it???

This is a darker fantasy with enough murder to fill a criminal tv series, with a compelling mystery that kept me going and will probably get me to read the sequel soon enough as well. It took me a bit to get into the story, since a lot of the world is new and we're thrown in with half infodump and half guessing what the hell is going on, but once I got used to all the different words and concepts it got quite nice.

It's very slow, though, and some scenes felt like they lasted waaay longer than they needed to. I also felt no real emotional connection to any of the characters, since most of the narrative is very objective and "outside" of them, changing between three different point of views (which were all interesting, thankfully!).

What really got me through it was curiosity - to understand how things would fit together in the end. We do get some answers, but lots stay up for the next book, which could be worse?? It was enough for me, for now at least; if we got everything at once it would be rushed, I think. The writing is nice and, despite being longer than it needed, I am curious about where this is going.

The magic system was very unique and interesting, especially given the personal cost of using it and the way the various characters navigated that. I'm excited for the next book!

This was a fascinating mix of science fiction, fantasy and thriller in a wonderful serial killer wrapped parcel. I loved the way the narrative unfolded and thought that the slow pacing worked really well to build the tension and allow for detailed world building. All in all a really impressive first book in a series and I will eagerly be anticipating the follow up.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Great start to what promises to be an interesting trilogy. Richly layered, and somewhat complex worldbuilding coupled with complex, relatable characters make for a sometimes slow but very engaging read. Relying on a more scientific magic (think alchemy not magic spells), the story is told through three interwoven storylines.

I cannot believe I've waited so long to read this book because of a ridiculously misguided idea that "it was probably going to be a favorite so you should keep putting it off."
Don't be fooled by the simple cover art, this story is complex, dives deep in a mystery that keeps you at the edge of your seat while blending my favorite genre FANTASY. The investigation was brilliantly lead by characters with depth, feelings, motivations. I can't be more excited to read more by this author.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel.

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars. This is the first instalment in The Five Penalties series.

There are some books that make me shake my head, whilst reading them, in sheer bewilderment at the innovation of story design and unique constructions, in terms of magic system and world building, that it contains. This is a shining example of one of them.

The Helm of Midnight features a famed serial killer, whose crimes are being replicated through a stolen artefact, a healer, who has risen in station and has more secrets than just her knowledge for herbs that she keeping close to her, and a Regulator, tasked with restoring order to a place plagued by fears from both within and without.

What immediately captivated me was how magic was constructed in this world. Death masks were fashioned to retain some of each individual's essence after their passing. Through new individuals later donning these masks, they would be able to harness the skillset of the former. Sometimes though, far more sinister elements of the deceased's character also clung to this last semblance of life.

There was a multitude of perspectives, from a variety of different timelines, used to narrate this tale. It ensured mysteries were continually appearing and all were solved at various junctures before new ones arose in their place. I loved exploring them all, as well as casting my suspicions over each character, who all had something they hid from both the reader and each other.

Despite the grittiness and darkness these elements brought to the book, there were also many protruding moments of hope and faith, life and light. This was a story with veins of blood running entirely through, yet it retained a core of goodness, or at least hopeful goodness, despite it all.