Member Review

We once again join engraver Dinios 'Din' Kol and investigator Ana Dolabra in a serpentine case that will take them to the very edges of the Empire to solve a locked-room murder that quickly spirals into something more dangerous and sinister than anyone could have imagined.

Another twisty mystery that shines thanks to the author's complex worldbuilding and fully developed characters. We spend a lot more time with Din than Ana in this book, which lets his character shine in moments of danger and cunning. We discover things through his eyes and those of the local people, who give depth to everything happening behind the scenes of the bigger mystery, making this about so much more than a murder and the danger it uncovers. It gives the plot layers and meaning beyond just figuring out the how and why, making it a fascinating, thought-provoking read.

The one downside is that there's a tendency to get so much into explaining the complexity of the world that it feels unnecessarily wordy and heavy at times. Yes, it's foreign and unusual enough that exploration and exposition are necessary to ground it, but I just wish there was a way to do it in a few sentences instead of paragraphs. It's not heavy enough to make me dislike it, just enough to force me to walk away from it and breathe every once in a while.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the interesting read!