This is a slow-moving, contemplative book that still managed to keep our attention. Written entirely in first person from the perspective of a "Witness for the Dead" - a cleric who can speak to the recently-deceased, and whose calling leads him to investigate their causes of death - the book is nearly a diary. It follows Celehar from day to day as he goes about his investigations, speaks with his friends, mentors a new apprentice, and deals with his own enduring grief.

Although there is an overarching narrative thread of the mystery (or mysteries) to be solved, the appeal of the book is in how engrossing and all-encompassing the world building is. Without much narrative tension to pull you in, you don't want to leave. It also helps that our viewpoint character is a wonderfully complex, ultimately decent person, whose compassion shines through in all of his actions.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review.
I had mixed feelings about this book’s predecessor, but I was eager to try again, as I love the world this series is set in. And while I wasn’t wowed by The Grief of Stones, the strengths from the prior book continued in the same vein.
I had mixed feelings about Celehar after the prior book, but I think having read two books now with him as lead has warmed him to me. He has a gentle way about him that I really like, and there’s these lovely little moments in the midst of all the darkness, like feeding stray cats! I love a hero who is generally noble, in spite of the grim events he’s exposed to.
The mystery is also pretty compelling, and it hits close to home in spite of the fantastical setting. Celehar finds himself working to protect and defend foundling orphans from exploitation. I appreciated how the subject was ultimately handled with care, and how in spite of the dark subject matter, the book provides a balm of comfort for anyone who may have been impacted in any way by the issue.
This is a wonderful second Celehar adventure and a great addition to the overall Goblin Emperor world. If you enjoyed the prior book (or even if you just felt middling about it), you might be interested in this one.

The Grief of Stones is the sequel to “Witness for the Dead”
Once again, we continue with the ever-loved Cleric-Mystery solver, Thara Celehar.
Thara Celehar is the witness to the dead, he can speak, see, and know what happened to the dead of Alamo city.
Just when Celehar is finally settling into some sort of normalcy, (meaning) starting to make friends.
His entire life is upended by a 3 mos. old murder case that winds up sending him to the Foundling School for Girls. (Orphanage)
Whilst there, a girl passes him a note while no one else is looking (or so it was thought) begging for help.
However, that same girl who passed him the note is later found, murdered.
What Celehar cannot figure out is why his gift cannot find out who killed her.
At the same time unexpectedly, Celehar is sent an apprentice.
A widower who also can communicate with the dead, who developed the gift later in life.
Celehar is not certain as per why he sent Tomasarin since she has had no formal training as a priest, nor training with communicating with the dead.
This part of the book proves to be quite humorous as Celehar takes on his apprentice in his grumpy, yet peculiar little ways, to mentor her. He tries desperately to explain the aspects of “serving a witness for the dead” and tries to be a good mentor.
Addison once again brings her amazing word building to this book as she mixes it with History, the Supernatural and Religion.
All of these mixed together explain Celehars relationship with the world around him and his want to help the people who can no longer speak for themselves.
Addison makes you think of Celehar as a cross between Monk with his Strict ways about him and his formality, then maybe a Hercule Peirot, because he is determined to solve the case no matter if it hurts him further.
This book was extremely sad because of the exploitation of the girls at the orphanage; however, nothing could prepare for Celehars fate.
Addison does give an open-ended ending and a hope for Celehar.
So, the only question left is

When’s BOOK 3?
Kudos Addison!!

Thank you NetGalley and Katherine Addison for this ARC, which I recieved for free for my honest review.

If you’re a fan of the modern classic The Goblin Emperor then you are probably excited for this 3rd book which returns to the world, it’s a direct sequel to The Witness for the Dead which was considered a standalone so it’s fun to see a new series being made out of it and it continues to follow Thara who is able to talk to the dead, getting to the bottom of what happened to them. This is a fantasy/mystery mix so if that’s what you’re in the mood for. This is a great option. Kinda has that investigation quality to it. Reminds me of the video game Murder Soul Suspect a bit. It’s certainly a great installment and worthwhile book within the Goblin Emperor universe.

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

Having enjoyed both The Goblin Emperor and The Witness for the Dead, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a direct sequel to the latter was arriving with minimal fanfare over the summer, and even more delighted to snag an advance copy a week ahead of release. Witness was a beautifully-crafted slice-of-life mystery, rich with Thara Celehar's voice and personality and packed with small digressions that always revealed its characters' inner lives even when they did not advance the "main" plot. The Grief of Stones delivers more of those same joys and sets up a presumed third novel to complete the post-Goblin Emperor trilogy.

After seeing Celehar struggle and suffer and ultimately open up and form friendships with a few residents of Amalo, I was pleased to see most of that cast return, especially the prelate Anora, the opera composer Iana Pel-Thenhior, and the members of the postal service and Mapmaker's Guild. As someone with a strong place-memory and fondness for walking through winding side-streets, the latter two and their emphasis on careful directions and details of the tangled geography of Amalo are always engaging to read and lend insight to Celehar's thought process as he goes about (or deviates from) his daily routine. The evolution of Celehar's relationship with Pel-Thenhior was expected (perhaps, despite Celehar's reluctance to confide in others and their differing occupations and personalities, I even expected it to move faster than it did) but still beautifully handled, and the shift in language from formal to informal as they came to know each other better was a well-chosen detail. In general, while the consonant-heavy character names can sometimes be tricky to keep straight, I appreciate the linguistic details Addison has included--the prefixes and suffixes that attach place names to certain offices or different ranks to the prelates, the prefix "rev-" for rites and creatures related to death, the consistency of the ending-in-i plurals, and more. These elements of structure fit well with Celehar's meticulousness and use of formality as a defense and coping mechanism, and also give the world a rich texture.

Celehar spends much of Witness being stepped on by various local politicians and, out of a sense of duty, refusing to speak up for himself or shy away from the increasingly onerous burdens he is made to face. in Grief, he is pushed to a breaking point emotionally and spiritually, not only by the circumstances of the murder he is investigating but also by the growing realization that he has found a place and people worth standing up for. Watching Celehar struggle to place his own needs above his religious compulsion to sacrifice everything for those he is Witness to is tragic, but tempered with more hope and optimism here than in the first book of this growing series. I look forward to seeing what he makes of his new circumstances, his new apprentice Velhiro Tomasaran, and his growing willingness to make room for himself in his own life.

Four and a half out of five stars. Like a second steeping of a fine cup of tea, The Grief of Stones brings back the same flavors and themes as The Witness for the Dead, but with subtle differences and an air of progress.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2022/06/07/the-grief-of-stones-by-katherine-addison-the-cemeteries-of-amalo-2/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I loved returning to Amalo

Addison, once again, returns us to the City of Amalo where we follow in Thara Celehar’s footsteps as he provides his unusual services to those who have died and the bereaved who request his services. Celehar is Witness for the Dead. A strange occupation indeed and one that involves a complexity of cases.

I’m loving these stories with Celehar.

Firstly, Addison has imagined a very easy to like central character in Celehar and a character that I could happily follow along in to whatever predicament he finds himself in. He’s such an easy character to get on with. Straightforward, honest (brutally so sometimes), respectful, determined to undertake his duty even in the face of danger, kind and thorough. I could go on at some length about this character because I’m loving reading about his adventures.

Secondly, Addison once again pays attention to the everyday little details in Celehar’s regular routines that just help to form a clear picture of the place itself. And clearly this is a place that the author feels comfortable in. There are all sorts of naming conventions, formalities, protocols, etc, but rather than explaining these in any sort of depth you instead get a feel for them by reading the story and everything just slotting into place with relative ease.

Thirdly, I love the kind of gentle feel to these stories – which to be fair belies some of the brutal or shocking cases that Celehar actually undertakes. The central case here, for example, is actually quite unpleasant, but at the same time the way Celehar deals with the situation is so respectful and helpful, and indeed intelligent that he brings a quiet sensitivity to the story. It reminds me almost of reading, say, an Agatha Christie novel, Celehar shares the tenacity and powers of deduction of Miss Marple or Poirot for example. And, although there tends to be a central investigation there are a series of almost comic threads that help to lighten the overall feel – like the search for a famous scone recipe. I could seriously see myself reading more from Celehar and I hope his journey continues although I will say that there is a very surprising development in this story that knocked both Celehar and me for six – so I need the next instalment in the Cemeteries of Amalo series yesterday. No pressure at all.

Fourthly, I love it when the title of a book comes to make sense during the read and that is definitely the case here.

Once again the world building is done really well. We have Celehar visiting haunted temples, tea shops, the opera (where a sweet and slow build romance seems to be developing), schools for foundlings and even a maze.

And, the extra bonus is a new character who becomes an apprentice to Celehar. I love this development, apprenticeships and mentoring relationships are one of my favourite things to read about and so I hope for more.

I don’t think I can add anything further. This is well written, very easy to engage with, has a delightful main character, a central mystery with lots of other shenanigans, set in a fantasy world with Goblins and Elves, ghosts and ghouls and is just a delight to read.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Another great story set in this amazing fantasy world. Katherine Addison is an excellent, inventive author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by NetGalley.

"The Grief of Stones" is a third entry in "The Goblin Emperor" series, and a direct sequel to "The Witness For The Dead," picking up almost immediately where it concluded.

The story centers on Thara Celehar, who is the Witness for the Dead, tasked with speaking to the deceased, whom he can reach thanks to a supernatural gift, and does so to solve murders and family mysteries, locate missing items, settle inheritance disputes, and so on.

It all takes place against a surprisingly comforting backdrop of a fantastical world (populated by elves, goblins, ghouls, and other supernatural beings), where very mundane things happen (people die, people kill, secret recipes are misplaced).

Continuing from the previous book, Thara is starting to settle into his life in the city of Amalo, becoming less isolated as he becomes more comfortable with the city and makes friends, and even gains an apprentice. His tentative peace is threatened, however, when the potential murder intrigue is introduced. The dreadful case, while central, is not the only one filling the pages of the novel - Thara, in his capacity as the Witness, is frequently petitioned to help with other services, which might be minor by comparison to the murder, but he attends to them all with as much care and integrity. In fact, I may have enjoyed the small cases more than the central mystery.

The writing, filled with explorations of grief, death, and the rituals of both, achieves a balance in being both comforting and melancholy. It builds a meditative novel - scaffolded upon its character-focused, introspective tone. Celehar's first-person voice is unique in that it strives to be constrained and proper, and yet reveals his own grief and shame.

While "The Grief of Stones" is a self-contained story, it leaves a lot of threads open. I don't need to be convinced to pick up the next in the series, however, whenever it comes out. Katherine Addison has me well addicted.

The Grief of Stones is the third book in The Goblin Emperor, Addison’s wonderfully unique steampunkish world of goblins and elves, and the second in The Cemeteries of Amalo starring Thara Celehar, the Witness for the Dead. He’s a goblin priest whose job it is to communicate with the recently, and not so recently, departed on behalf of their families or the authorities to find out how they died, or to settle disputes.

The book starts soon after the previous ended. A marquise wants to know if his wife was murdered and Celehar sets to investigate. A case follows another and soon he is trying to figure out how to save foundling girls from an unscrupulous person.

The cases weren’t complicated, and the overall tone was that of a cosy mystery. But the latter lead to an encounter that changed Celehar’s life, maybe forever. The rest of the book deals with the aftermath and the never-ending politics of Amalo.

Celehar is not alone with his investigations. Out of the blue, he’s sent an apprentice, a widow who has had no formal training as a priest but who can also communicate with the dead. And he has the friends he made in the previous book that he can turn to, and does, despite being much of a loner.

The city of Amalo is as huge, strange, and complicated as ever. I never knew where anything was in relation to other places, but it didn’t really matter, though I would’ve welcomed a map (I don’t know if final versions come with those). There are trams and air travel, pneumatic tubes and photographing, but the overall impression is of a highly hierarchical society where traditions matter more than innovations. And nothing matters more than funeral traditions.

This was a sad book, much more so than the previous ones. Celehar is maybe ready to open a little after the tragedy in his past, but the rigid norms of the society make him afraid of even contemplating friendship, let alone love. He’s lonely. The cases of exploited girls were sad, and Celehar’s fate saddest of all, even though the book ends in a hopeful note.

The book wasn’t as much about the belief in humanity and decency as the previous ones, but it left me feeling positive in the end. And the hints about changes for Celehar make me eager to read the next book.

The Grief of Stones is the sequel to Katherine Addison's The Witness for the Dead (my review here), her spinoff from the award winning The Goblin Emperor. I liked The Witness for the Dead quite a bit - not a given since I didn't particularly love The Goblin Emperor - as its main character was really enjoyable and the plot was essentially a Holmes-esque slice of life mystery type story (unsurprisingly, Addison also wrote a direct Sherlock Holmes pastiche lately) that worked very well with that character. And so even though not everything worked - like I didn't have any care for the political subplots and the biggest mystery ended kind of abruptly - it was still a very enjoyable novel and I was very happy to get a sequel.

And The Grief of Stones is a really good sequel - absolutely delightful for its first half and then poignant and tense for its second half, as things get serious and contemplative and require a major shift for the protagonist. I didn't reread book 1 prior to reading this one, so I often found myself at a loss as to who certain characters were or what certain titles were....and yet I didn't really feel that I lost anything out as a result, with there being more than enough present just in this novel to keep me very entertained and very satisfied, especially with main character Celehar having to take a new potential Witness under his wing. My only real complaint is that the book ended where it did, in a way that is reasonable, but also makes me want more to see the main character wind up with a more happy ending, and therefore makes me wish badly for a book 3.


--------------------------------------------------Plot Summary----------------------------------------------------
Thara Celehar, Witness for the Dead, has settled in somewhat into life as the Witness for the Dead in the city of Amalo. While the political/religious hierachy he fits into remains a mess, he's gotten used to it, and he has a good relation with the police/burial authorities who bring him questions, the populace trusts him to bring him petitions, and there's even a subversive opera master who treats him like a genuine friend and who might have a greater interest than that.

But things can't remain static for long, and soon Celehar is tasked with a surprise: a woman he is to train as a fellow Witness for the Dead, who came to realize the power to hear the dead late in life and has no training of her own. And when he is sent to look into the death of the wife of a noble, ruled as being natural but suspected by the widow as being murder....the investigation spirals into something more, something that will change Celehar's life as a Witness for the Dead, and beyond, and force him to confront not just the monsters of his past, but his place in the future....
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The Grief of Stones starts out being utterly delightful as it follows Celehar, first on his own, and then for large parts with his new apprentice Tomasaran, as he goes about his job and just his ordinary business. And I mean goes about his ordinary business - the book describes how Celehar does ordinary things like checks directions from the Cartographers, how he looks for directions and asks questiosn fo ordinary peoples, and more - and instead of this being boring, it just is particularly charming in Addison's prose. It gives Celehar's life well....life, and makes it feel just so real, and Celehar is such an enjoyable character that it's a pleasure to follow him as he does his job and tries to figure out his own personal feelings about his own nightmares and about his own current personal life.

It doesn't hurt that Addison fills this part of the book with stuff that keeps the plot moving, adds new things that are both familiar and unfamiliar, and new characters and mysteries to charm and intrigue - even if none of them are on their own super unique. New character Tomasaran, as a widow who was forced out of her family and essentially left with nothing but to then try to pursue a calling as a Witness for the Dead despite knowing nothing about it is a delight as she tries to learn and forces Celehar into a teaching role he's quite good at despite not realizing that very fact. The mysteries faced by Celehar feature such new touches as "photographers" - (think pornographers at worst, sometimes of children or violence) - ghosts and hostages, late night burglaries, and keep everything moving as Celehar goes beyond the call of his duty to investigate at times....and gets into trouble.

That trouble leads to the second half of this book, a supernatural threat that results in Celehar and his companions having to figure out what to do with what results - itself highly interesting and entertaining in its own way - and comes with tremendous personal consequences for Celehar. But these are Consequences that he does not need to face alone, and his friends and companions help him take action to get through them, so that they aren't his alone to bear....even if he still wants to grieve for some of his loss alone. It's very well done - and really my only complaint is that it ends on a bit of a sad note, and I feel like there's a happier ending to be had here for Celehar....maybe in a future third book.

If there is such a third book, well, I will definitely be back for it, because this is just such a delightful series of small time and sometimes bigger time mysteries, with a really enjoyable main character and cast. And to be honest, that's with me often not remembering what half of the fantasy terms used by Addison in this world actually mean or who certain political actors are. That's how enjoyable this is. Super recommended.

This is a direct sequel to Witness for the Dead, which was a sequel, or spin-off perhaps, to The Goblin Emperor. Both were instant favourites, and I’m pleased to report that The Grief of Stones is now, too 🙂

We once again follow Thara Celehar, the titular Witness for the Dead. His abilities allow him to touch a recent corpse and ask limited questions, and thus he is in high demand in criminal cases, and also more domestic ones. Here, for instance, he is at one point asked to find out a baking recipe from a sudden death. I love those little moments.

Most of his job is less pleasant, and between that and tragedy in his past (which I do believe we get more detail of in the previous book, but not here) he is a quite subdued, melancholic character. However, his innate good nature and drive to help make him very likeable regardless. In this instalment, he’s asked to take on an apprentice, which adds a new element and does help push Celehar’s brooding a little more into the background.

As per the previous volumes, the pace here starts suitably sedate and fitting for the gravity of Celehar’s calling. Still, there’s a point where the momentousness of events starts to build, and again when seemingly unrelated, quieter cases start to tie together. The drama without the need to scream it at 100 miles an hour is gloriously comforting, even when the subject matter can be quite dark.

As ever, huge shout out for the worldbuilding. I still can’t get my head around the naming conventions – not that I’ve really tried – and yet they clearly have internal consistency that I could map out, if I wished. Likewise, trying to pronounce almost anything 😉 Instead I’m happy to let it wash over me, submerging me in this fantastical environment of strict dress codes and titles and expected behaviours, but with enough familiarity – operas and teahouses and stray cats – that it’s not alienating. It’s all so strange and yet is presented with such a mundanity that it’s just… well, beautiful and spellbinding and wonderful!

Yes, I am a huge fan. I could have read this in one sitting, but I spun it out like the treat it was. I massively hope there are more adventures in this world, especially with Celehar but I’ll take any further stories! If you haven’t read the series, do – you can start with Goblin or Witness – and if you are already a fan you’ll love this!

This is the follow up book to Witness for the Dead, which itself was set in the same universe as The Goblin Emperor. This book continues the story of Celehar, an intriguing secondary character from The Goblin Emperor.

In this book we continue to follow Celehar in his duties as a Witness for the Dead in his new city of Amalo, He solves murders, grows his relationships with those around him, takes on a mentor role to a fledgling Witness for the Dead, and slowly begins to heal from his own past.

The world building, as with the previous two books, is fantastic. The information comes in a very organic way, as we learn about religious differences, burial rituals, bureaucratic conundrums, political intrigue, and corruption through the situations and mysteries that confront Celehar in the narrative.

There is a lovely complexity to the story but also a gentle simplicity as we follow Celehar in his day to day activities--the descriptions of his threadbare cloaks, the taverns he frequents, the long walks and public transport he uses to get around, the townspeople he interacts with, the meals he partakes in. It's a narrative that flows and meanders and brings profound truths to the fore, as well as introspection. The overlying theme of respect for the dead and justice are as prevalent here as in the previous book.

It is gratifying to see Celehar slowly build connections and relationships and find a place he fits in this city and with these people. And how he realises he is more than simply his position and he is gifted in more ways than his Witness capabilities. There is a gentleness to the narrative as well, a slow thawing of his reticence and remoteness as he accepts that he feels connected to others and allows himself to build on those relationships.

I could read a dozen books in this world.

my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Even in a fantastical world of goblins, elves, and dragon slayers (even if it was only one, and more a question of saving a goldmine than slaying a dragon), people die – and worse, people murder.

Enter Thara Celehar, Witness for the Dead, who will speak to the deceased he can reach, whether it’s to solve murders, settle inheritance disputes, or even locate a secret and much-prized scone recipe. It’s all in a day’s work when you’re the only Witness for your city.

Katherine Addison first introduced Celehar in her award-winning The Goblin Emperor, before following up with his own sequel, The Witness for the Dead. The Grief of Stones follows directly on from that, continuing his adventures in a world cunningly drawn to be both wildly fantastic and comfortingly mundane. I mentioned dragons, but the dead are a more present aspect; if bodies are buried without names and the appropriate ceremonies, too close to a particularly hated rival, or their graves neglected after burial, then they’re not just about to lie down and take it. These dead will rise, and they’ll be after the living. It adds an entirely new dimension to dealing with death, grief, and the rituals that surround both – and Katherine Addison makes it feel entirely logical and real.

The real trick with these novels is the way the reader is dropped into the middle of an entirely new world, one with intricate, almost courtly, social expectations, and yet the author has you understanding it within a couple of chapters, without simply explaining it to you. Instead, context leads to understanding, and the day-to-day nature of life in such a fantastical setting encourages the reader to feel at home and comfortable. Celehar frequents teahouses, feeds stray cats, and cares deeply about doing the right thing; I found him very easy to trust, and despite a focus on death The Grief of Stones is anything but grim.

As for the mystery aspect, readers will not be disappointed. There’s a central intrigue, but Celehar sees a number of petitioners for his services, and each has their own case with a story that may be minor in the scope of the novel, but is shown as mattering deeply to them. One is a matter of a single word – another is a family tragedy that we catch only a brief glimpse of. It’s a very effective way of showing small moments of a much wider world, while keeping the potential for stories from running away with the plot.

The Grief of Stones is an excellent third entry in an absolutely wonderful series. Katherine Addison has built a world that could easily fuel more and more of these – let’s hope it does.

The amount that I love this series cannot be overstated. It is a straight up detective procedural in a fantasy world that strongly resembles somewhere in late 19th/early 20th century Europe. I love the worldbuilding, I love the characters, I love the mysteries and how they hang together, sometimes connected by the plot and sometimes just by the detective, Mer Celehar, who is devoted to his calling and determined to do his best, and who works his way through the world in spite of the gentle sorrow he carries.

It's not a book for everyone--not everyone is interested in the procedural parts of period detective work, where figuring out how to find an address is an outing of its own, and street car connections take all morning. I love these details, though, and how they slow the pace of the story, giving the characters time to think and process. I love the detailed subtleties about social class, and where opera singers and photographers fall in the rankings of people one might admit to knowing. Heck, I love all the details about running an opera house, as Celehar's friend Pel-Thenior.

I am eagerly waiting for the next book in the series (the end is not quite a cliffhanger, but it is open enough that it's clear the author is planning another one), and I highly, highly recommend these.

Three and a half
Such an unusual concept that straddles fantasy with perhaps a touch of steam punk . The lead character Othara hears the dead and indeed bears witness for them when called upon. He's a quietly, serious character who actually felt quite lonely. He's presented with a young female assistant to train but the case they undertake is sadly a tragic one even for Othara but my lips are sealed.
This was a steady mystery that happily meanders along. It's also very sad and as much as I found it I enthralling because of the mistreatment of those who should have been protected I found it to be very poignant with an ending that gave answers but not a lot of hope.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair.

The Grief of Stones
by Katherine Addison



Yay! Unexpected sequel to amazing book that was as good as the previous volume!

Like many people, I first encountered Katherine Addison when I found the Goblin Emperor on a bunch of awards ballots and was immediately enchanted. Within six months of reading it, I doubled back and listened to the audiobook - that novel was charming and delightful and wonderful. (I also adored her unrelated book, the Angel of the Crows, and I think more people need to read that.) I was thrilled beyond belief when Tor and NetGalley gave me an eARC for The Witness For the Dead, a related book in the same universe as The Goblin Emperor. That book was a book of my heart - It was the most enjoyable reading experience I had in months when I read it the first time.

So I felt triply lucky when Tor and NetGalley gave me an eARC for The Grief of Stones, the direct sequel to the Witness for the Dead. And it was perfection itself! We resume with Thara Celehar, the Witness for the Dead, continuing to hear petitions and talking to the recently deceased. He solves some mysteries, has some adventures, and continues to visit the gentleman who runs the opera company that he became friendly with in the last book.

This book filled me with joy. I almost missed my stop on Metro North because I was so close to the end and I didn’t want to stop! Content warnings for several suicides, several murders, and a stillborn child.

If you liked The Witness For the Dead or The Goblin Emperor you will adore this book. I can only hope there is a follow up soon!

I am infinitely fascinated by the juxtaposition of complexity and simplicity in these books—a bit mystery, a bit slice-of-life, I am invested in Thara Celehar’s story (and his happiness), and I desperately hope there will be another.

"In The Grief of Stones, Katherine Addison returns to the world of The Goblin Emperor with a direct sequel to The Witness for the Dead...

As a Witness for the Dead, Thara Celehar can speak to the recently departed: see the last thing they saw, know the last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. It is his duty to use that ability to ascertain the intent of the dead and to find the killers of the murdered. Celehar’s time in the city of Amalo has brought him both friends and enemies - and no little notoriety. Now, when solving the murder of a marquise raises more questions than it answers, he finds himself exploring Amalo’s dark underside.

His investigations lead him to the Cemchelarna School for Foundling Girls, where all is not as it seems. Discovering the truth about its headmistress will lead Celehar deep into the city’s history - and into the shattering depths of the loss he fears the most."

A DIRECT sequel you didn't have to wait years and years for!

Another moving and beautiful entry in the world of the Goblin Emperor, this one a direct sequel to The Witness For The Dead, picking up almost exactly where that book left off. In this book, Celehar continues his work with a new and surprising apprentice, and attempts to find the secrets of his city's orphanages. It combines so many wonderful things it is hard to know what to focus on - Celehar's unique first-person voice, that tries to be so constrained and proper, and yet reveals so much of Celehar's own grief and shame and character; the budding relationships with other characters; the wonders of a city as revealed by a genteelly impoverished prelate walking and taking public transportation from the wealthiest to the poorest neighborhoods; the continued meditations on loss and on purpose in life. A wonderful book to be savored, like the others in the series.

This book's almost impossibly good, and after having reread the Goblin Emperor and read The Witness for the Dead this week to prepare for it, I'm gutted at having nothing more in this world to read now.

Like The Witness for the Dead, the Grief of Stones deals with several cases that Celehar is witnessing for and ties these together around the themes explored both in the in-world media (such as the operas) and of course that Celehar is personally dealing with: old and new grief, the sense that his time doing what he can do is short, the constant feel of an old scandal hanging over his head and the bitterness that his personal grief is *reduced* to scandal in so many ways, the fear of starting new things because of how the old ended. Again, as with Witness, Grief is a story that braids these together tightly, forming a bigger picture about how they all interact than any of them could be by themself.

There was a point in the story where I worried that it wasn't going to come together as smoothly as in Witness -- Essentially, the details of what was going on in the school seemed excessively clear to me and I didn't want to sit through another 70% of the book knowing it and waiting for it to play out. And then I was nearly chagrined, because while I was right, it wasn't the final mystery reveal but was simply another detail that complicated the whole story and was timed perfectly for it to be realized by the reader shortly before it was revealed in text.

Since he's a witness vel ama, the theme here is so much that Celehar is someone who speaks for people who cannot speak for themselves -- generally the dead, obviously, but this story challenges you to remember that there are entire classes of people who could speak for themselves and never be listened to, not when their word would be weighted against those more reputable than themselves. It's a message that was brought up originally in Witness with the details of the opera, and the themes of that opera pay off here -- and so do many things that began in Witness. The Grief of Stones doesn't pretend to be standalone in any way; it doesn't take the time to remind you of what you read about previously or explain existing relationships in any detail, but it carries it forward directly. I strongly recommend reading the Witness of the Dead first (or rereading it if some elements are foggy) because not only the events but the themes and motifs play off each other. They're separate enough events to be separate books, but Grief happens right after, so everything that was introduced in that is continued to be developed here, and more to the point, the development of Celehar's changing emotional state continues in a steady arc.

An absolute beautiful read. I know I'm far too early to say I can't wait for book three, but I cannot wait for book three.

Also, I continue to ship it.

Thank you to Tor and to NetGalley for the ARC I was granted in exchange for an honest review.