Book Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Ana and Din are called on to solve an unusual murder - one where the corpse isn't consistently at rest. Combine that with some Romeo and Juliet type plotting and you get two families at odds with each other threatening the peace of this area of the empire.

There is also more about how the empire works. This book talks about the keys to producing meat and keys for grain to feed the cattle. Din continues to be likable. Ana is weird as usual. Both Ana and Din have their observations and insights questioned before the surprising truth is revealed. I also liked the character of Fo, Din's sister. She was a surprise when he arrives in the canton. As the story goes on, the weirder things get. 

A Trade od Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett was released August 4, 2026 by Del Rey.

I gave the book 5 out of 5 stars. The world-building is excellent. With each new mystery,  new details of how the world works are revealed. The details of each mystery show wonderful imagination. 

While each mystery can be read as a standalone, the series reads better if you start at the beginning and work your way forward. The characters themselves are well detailed. And again with each new mystery, we learn more about each person. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy well-detailed people and complex characters as well as people who enjoy unusual mysteries and detailed world-building. It's defiitely worth a read. 

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.

Teaser Tuesday: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

 "We attend this, ma'am," I said, "because the murder suspect is of another gentryclan. The two families are now on the verge of outright war. One death may become dozens, if not hundreds."

"But none would be interesting!"she said.

The I is the narrator, Din. The she is the brilliant investigator, Ana. And, Ana is complaining that the investigation into the death is too straight forward and not worthy of her brilliance and attention.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett was released August 4, 2026 by Del Rey. It is the third book in the Ana and Din mysteries series.

What have you been reading?

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #615: Emily Wilde's History of Dark Faerie by Heather Fawcett

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: Curmudgeonly scholar Emily Wilde must brave the beautiful but haunted Black Forest and open a portal to a long-lost, eldritch realm dreaded by the Folk, in this fourth installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

Driven by an insatiable scientific curiosity, Emily Wilde has made a name for herself as the world’s foremost scholar of faeries. Along the way, she’s rescued a faerie kingdom and helped her now-husband—fellow professor Wendell Bambleby, dashing and infuriating in equal measure—regain his throne. And while understanding her fellow mortals has never been her strong suit, she’s also made a small number of friends.

But two years later, one of those friends goes missing in the beautiful but faerie-haunted Black Forest in Germany, a region of picturesque villages and sinister Folk. And if she’s to save him, Emily will have to reckon with the darker side of her own nature, and how ruthless she’s prepared to be to solve the most tantalizing of scholarly mysteries: the history of the ancient and long-lost realm she’s named Dark Faerie, the only place the Folk fear.

But Emily is not alone—she has her beloved Wendell, and her niece Ariadne, who hopes to follow in her footsteps. Told from the perspective of all three characters, this installment of the Emily Wilde series opens a magical portal to the most wondrous and dread faerie realm of all.

Emily Wilde's History of Dark Faerie by Heather Fawcett is expected out January 19th, 2027 from Del Rey.

Why am I waiting on this book? Heather Fawcett writes well. Her characters are interesting and the plot and world building is awesome. I've read the first three books in the series and enjoyed them. I want to know who gets in trouble. And I want to know what's next for Emily, Wendell, and Ariadne.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever-growing TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Book 2

 "You know, you are not a stupid person, Din." "Thank you, ma'am," I said, pleased. "Or rather, not an unusually stupid person." "Thank you, ma'am," I said, far less pleased.

Ana talking to Din. This is 10% through on my Kindle.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett was released April 1, 2025 by Del Rey. This is book 2 in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. Book 3, A Trade of Blood, is out today from Del Rey.

Book 3

Happy Book Birthday! Killer Vibes by Jack Friday and The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

Through Raspberry Colored Glasses wishes a Happy Book Birthday to Killer Vibes by Jack Friday and The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Like many people, they share the date, but couldn't be more different if they tried. And I'm looking forward to reading them both.

From the publisher:

A wild and wickedly funny series debut, introducing readers to the irresistible and irrepressible private investigator, Peter Key.

Meet Peter Key: self-proclaimed “laziest private investigator in Texas” (it’s harder than it looks), unapologetic bisexual, dedicated stoner, and the surprised recipient of a windfall inheritance from an uncle he barely knew. Peter’s life was a mess before, but now— as the owner of a dilapidated house in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Austin—he has a mountain of debt to deal with and pressure to sell from every side.

But Peter doesn’t like to be pushed around. And when he discovers a bag full of cash, he starts to suspect his uncle’s death wasn’t an accident. He soon finds himself pulled into a lethal game where not everybody plays by the rules.

Fortunately, Peter’s never been good at following rules.

Sexy, suspenseful, and packed with Austin’s quirks, Killer Vibes is a wild and wickedly funny romp that introduces us to the irresistible and irrepressible PI, Peter Key.

Killer Vibes by Jack Friday is released today from Minotaur Books.

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a sizzling noir about desire, danger, and greed, in which seduction is the ultimate con.

“Lush and passionate with magnetic prose . . . The Intrigue will grab you by the throat and not let go until its earth-shaking finale!” —S. A. Cosby, author of King of Ashes

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: The New York Times, People, Book Riot, Southern Living, Marie Claire, Time

Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters in order to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico. Ulises knows his looks won’t last forever, and he’s desperate to get his hands on a real fortune.

He thinks he’s found it when he captivates his newest correspondent, Perla, the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn’t expect. The woman has a niece, Inés, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunt’s household.

When Inés discovers Ulises’s true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. They’ll convince her aunt that Ulises is a great catch, Perla will marry him, and her money will vanish. Easy, fast, and clean. But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. She harbors secrets. And although Ulises does not believe in true romance, Inés is more alluring than he bargained for. Suddenly, a simple plan may become perilously complicated.

Venture into the streets of a small town where a patina of convention and good manners conceals a cauldron of avarice and lust.

The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is released today from Del Rey.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #605: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man’s innocence and confront a terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the bestselling author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards.

The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos. 

As Ana investigates—her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears—she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett is expected out August 4, 2026 from Del Rey. This is book 3 in the Shadow of the Leviathan series featuring Ana and Din.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've read the first two books in the series. And I enjoyed them. The character, Ana, is weird and wonderful. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things pertaining to the world in which they live. Some of her knowledge is historical or obscure. She is a genius and yet very human. Din does her legwork and is her eyes and sometimes her ears. I think it's really interesting to watch how they work together to solve mysteries.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Happy Book Birthday to The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

 

Through Raspberry Colored Glasses wants to wish a Happy Book Birthday to The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White.

From the publisher:

An obsession with an immortal serial killer entangles a vampire hunter’s daughter in a sapphic romance in this enthralling gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy Undying.

Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing—doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to the study of vampires—until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that now plague Anneke every night.

Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch this mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn’t the only inexplicable dead body. There’s a trail of victims across Europe, and Anneke is certain they’re all connected.

But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps crucial evidence to herself: infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to her, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola.

The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn’t a madman after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer . . . and much harder to destroy. Yet as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body.

A heart that beats for Anneke alone.

The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White is available today from Del Rey.

And a Teaser:

I make a mental note to have my hems tailored a few inches shorter. Not enough to draw attention, but enough that I won’t have to risk disturbing blood splatters.

“Does someone have trousers Miss Van Helsing can borrow?” hateful de Lange drawls. I can see the sneer beneath his thick, pale mustache. “Or do you have a social engagement to attend after this?"

Kiersten White. The Fox and the Devil. Kindle Edition. 

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #592: The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the Publisher:

In a desperate gamble to save her throne, a young monarch arranges a secret marriage, conceals it in the shadows of an enchanted forest, and unknowingly alters the fate of her world—in this dazzling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

Anne of Brittany was a child when France invaded and drove her royal father to his death. Now she is a young woman, sovereign duchess of an occupied realm, and France means to crown their conquest by marrying her to their king. Such an alliance would put her title, her lands, and her body forever in the hands of her enemies.

But Anne refuses to be the last duchess of Brittany.

Her only hope of resisting conquest is another alliance sealed with marriage, so Anne arranges a daring last gambit: a secret betrothal to Charles of France’s greatest rival. But secrets are hard to keep in a world where rival courts spy on each other with diviners.

The forest of Brocéliande was once the haunt of Merlin the Enchanter and the long-lost faerie queen. But magic is long gone from Broceliande, except for the occasional sight of a unicorn and one critical quirk: This ancient forest is completely inimical to divination.

While pretending compliance with France, Anne plans a unicorn hunt in Brocéliande. A bit of pointless pageantry. A diversion so she can wed in secret.

Or so she thinks.

In this rich and epic novel, the author of the acclaimed Winternight trilogy turns the real history of a remarkable woman into an unforgettable tale of mystery, enchantment, and the price of power.

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden is expected to be out June 2, 2026 from Del Rey.

Why am I waiting on this book? I loved Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. This story sounds interesting. The inclusion of magic makes it even more attractive. I want to know what happens in Brocéliande and what happens with the unicorn.

What book are you waiting on? Leave a note in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing TBR lists. Thanks for stopping by! Happy Reading!

Happy Book Birthday to Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett and I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig

 

Today is the book birthday for two books that couldn't be more different, but are both good reads.

The first is:

From the publisher:

A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montréal turns to a grouchy but charming magician to help save her shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats.

Now it’s the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock—who also happens to be the world’s most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past—including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse.

Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop—and the cat shelter—in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart.

Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn’t need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers that he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. 

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett is available today from Del Rey.

The second book is: 

From the publisher:

After a decades-long stint in prison, former serial killer Carol is looking to kick back and relax in her new retirement home...until a fellow resident drops dead and Carol has to prove she actually didn't do it this time....

Carol is delighted to be leaving her tiny prison cell behind to take her place in a luxury retirement home. She's hoping her past as a serial killer won't come to light so she can make a few friends and find some murder-free hobbies. But it's not long before a fellow resident—who happens to be a former police commissioner—drops dead, and Carol's true identity is leaked—making catching up over daily activities of bingo and baking rather awkward.

Just her luck, Carol soon realizes that the victim wasn't the only former law enforcement officer at Sheldon Oaks—it's filled to the brim with former cops, barristers, and government representatives, her newfound friends included. And everyone thinks Carol's guilt is a no-brainer, but she is ready to prove them dead wrong...without killing anyone, for once.

I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig is available today from Berkley.

What book have you been waiting for? What are you reading?

Teaser Tuesday: Clan Rathskeller by Kevin Hearne

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

This excerpt is from a short story included in this edition of the book. The short story is called, "Clan Rathskeller." This is from the first page.

People shop at outdoor malls like Tempe Marketplace wearing nothing but a light sweater, and they utterly fail to slip on black ice or lose toes to frostbite, because those dangers don't exist in the desert. For similar reasons, they fail to get inhaled by ravenous yeti or snacked on by esurient cephalopods. One would think they'd also be safe from the attentions of sociopathic kobolds, but I discovered, to my chagrin on a Monday night, that this was not the case.

Hounded by Kevin Hearne is the first book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. It was published in May of 2011 by Del Rey.

What are you reading? Share a teaser or the title in the comments. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The October Country by Ray Bradbury

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along, it is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read 2: Open to a random page 3: Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

"From the age of twelve I knew I was in a life and death match, winning every time I finished a new story, threatened with extinction on those days I did not write. The only answer, then, was: write. I have written every day of my life since my twelfth year. Death has not caught me yet. He will, eventually, of course, but for the time being the sound of my IBM Wheelwriter Number Ten electric typewriter puts him off his feed."

This edition of The October Country by Ray Bradbury was published September 1996 by Del Rey. 

I've heard a similar idea come from those who love to read. "My TBR list is so long I won't have time to die."

At any rate, the masterful way in which Bradbury uses language shows that he has had plenty of practice. It's not too far fetched to imagine him writing a story a day.

If this piques your interest, the Kindle version is available at Amazon for $1.99 I make nothing by sharing that with you.

What book are you reading this week? Got a teaser you'd like to share? Feel free to put it or a link in the comments. Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #567: Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life—and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a much-needed cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for lost cats. 

But after she is forced to move the cat shelter, Agnes learns that her new landlord is using her charity as a front—for an internationally renowned and thoroughly disreputable magic shop. Owned by the disorganized—not to mention self-absorbed, irritating, but also decidedly handsome—Havelock Renard, magician and failed Dark Lord, the shop draws magical clientele from around the world, partly due to the quality of Havelock’s illicit goods as well as their curiosity about his shadowy past and rumors of his incredible powers. Agnes's charity offers the perfect cover for illegal magics.

Agnes couldn’t care less about the shop—magical intrigue or not, there are cats to be rescued. But when an enemy from Havelock’s past surfaces, the magic shop—and more importantly, the cat shelter—are suddenly in jeopardy. To save the shelter, will Agnes have to set aside her social conscience and protect the man who once tried to bring about the apocalypse—and is now trying to steal her heart?

Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn't need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers he's more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren't just for rescue cats...

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett is expected out February 17th, 2026 from Del Rey.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've enjoyed the other things I've read by Heather Fawcett, especially the Emily Wilde series. I also enjoy books written about the 1920s era. Agnes sounds like a bit of a curmudgeon while Havelock sounds like the opposite. I'd like to read about how they resolve their differences, if they do, and about how the cats make out. Also, I love the cover.

What book are you waiting on? Share it and a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

From the publisher: 

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.

In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch.

Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was released July 15, 2025 by Del Rey.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. Told in 3 timelines, three women have experiences with witches that are different from what we typically read. They overlap a little bit throughout the book. Even though there are 3 timelines, in the end they are successfully tied together. 

My favorite character was Minerva. I also had a lot of respect for Nana Alba. I felt that they were the most well written. The book was kind of gross at times - some of the occurrences of witchcraft were both frightening and kind of disgusting. This did not in any way take away from the story. It just was a part of it.

The pace of the novel went well. Towards the end, Minerva's story really had me flipping pages and refusing to talk to people until I finished it. There were other similar points in the other stories too, but Minerva's was the strongest.

I gave The Bewitching 5 stars out of 5. It's very well-written. It has good characters and good pacing. If you are a fan of horror, or gothic literature, or Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this is not a book to be missed.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion nor my review.

Happy Book Birthday to A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Today is the day that the second Ana and Din mystery by Robert Jackson Bennett comes out from Del Rey! 

From the publisher:

The eccentric detective Ana Dolabra matches wits with a seemingly omniscient adversary in this brilliant fantasy-mystery from the author of The Tainted Cup.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.

Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is the first book in the series. It is inventive in terms of world building as well as the crime. It has some  good twists as well. I really enjoyed it and I expect that I will enjoy this one as well. 

Check out this series for intriguing fantasy mysteries!