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The Helm of Midnight

(The Five Penalties #1)

Marina J. Lostetter (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 32 ratings · 22 reviews

A legendary serial killer stalks the streets of a fantastical city in the stunning first novel in a new trilogy from acclaimed author Marina Lostetter.

In a daring and deadly heist thieves have made away with an artifact of terrible power—the death mask of Louis Charbon. Made by a master craftsman, it is imbued with the spirit of a monster from history, a serial murderer wh ...more

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ebook, 464 pages

Expected publication: April 13th 2021 by Tor Books

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Average rating 3.91 ·

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· 32 ratings · 22 reviews

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Feb 03, 2021 Petrik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-and-review-copies, favorites

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo

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 ...more

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Dec 19, 2020 Bradley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-shelf, fantasy

This was something of a surprise to me because I'm kind of a connoisseur of covers and with a title like that, I HAD to assume the novel was an epic fantasy with standard worldbuilding for such.

What it IS, however, is something more like a hybrid Jack-the-Ripper London in a unique fantasy with a Bujold-like 5 Gods setting mixed with a VERY cool external emotions-based magic system (at least early on). In other words, we have a heavy-population fantasy with lots of disparity between the rich and ...more

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Feb 12, 2021 Adam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Helm of Midnight is an entertaining and suspenseful fantasy thriller. There’s more than enough cool, innovative ideas and surprising events that kept me coming back for more each night.

Connecting with some characters was a bit of an issue for me, but overall this is an exciting start to a new series that raises some interesting questions about legacy and currency, among other fresh angles that haven't been addressed in a lot of recent fantasy I've been reading.

The death masks leaving echoes ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Fiona rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, love-the-setting

In a city of magic and masks, Regulators must keep the tightly-guarded peace, preserving the strict laws of the land. Not as easy as you might suspect when under regular attack by beastly varg and a killer recently returned from the dead. But De-Krona and De-Lia Hirvath, sisters by birth as well as by Regulator service, are more than capable of meeting their challenges head-on.

In The Helm of Midnight, we meet them as chaos is loosed upon a high-society gathering, resulting in the theft of the Ma In a city of magic and masks, Regulators must keep the tightly-guarded peace, preserving the strict laws of the land. Not as easy as you might suspect when under regular attack by beastly varg and a killer recently returned from the dead. But De-Krona and De-Lia Hirvath, sisters by birth as well as by Regulator service, are more than capable of meeting their challenges head-on.

In The Helm of Midnight, we meet them as chaos is loosed upon a high-society gathering, resulting in the theft of the Mayhem Mask of Louis Charbon – better known as the Blooming Butcher. The clue’s in the name, and it’s not long before we get to see his work, grotesque and beautiful sculptures made from the victims that could have been pulled straight from an episode of Hannibal. But this is no simple serial-killer thriller dressed up with a fantasy setting – there’s a lot going on in this book, and murder is only the beginning.

It took me time to get into this book – it’s the first in this setting, and the author wasn’t skimping on world-building. For the majority of the book, the chapters are split among three characters, at different points in time, too, pulling the reins a little on the reader as it switches between them. It made for a more leisurely start than the initial heist scene suggested, though I appreciate an author with the confidence to make sure the foundations of a world are stable.

Once the initial world-building and scene-setting gave way to the story proper, however, I was SOLD. The author has a knack for little human moments that make her characters solid and real – and brings scenes to life in the reader’s mind. This book features a very diverse range of people, too – main characters and background both, which is something fantasy novels don’t have a tremendous track record on. No such issues here.

The world itself wanders off the usual fantasy track, too – this is no medieval world plus magic. Despite the odd cottage, most of the descriptions of the world are more likely to associate with the Brutalists, all clean angles and palettes of red, black, and white. The spare but vivid descriptions of characters and places fit into that aesthetic, reinforcing it with their nature as much as their meaning – this was a book that felt like it was written by one of the characters from the very world it describes.

Despite those early issues, the overall experience with The Helm of Midnight is a very exciting one. This reads very well as a stand-alone, but there’s a huge world here, one that I hope to see the author spend more time exploring.

This review originally appeared at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th.... Thank you to Mystery and Suspense and the publisher for providing a free copy for review! ...more

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Dec 11, 2020 Chris Berko rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is a book of fantastic ideas populated by some memorable characters but the story lacked a sense of urgency and seemed kind of repetitive until about 85% in. The ending was fun, if abrupt, and left enough unanswered questions and dangling carrots hanging around to where I'm looking forward to see where the next installment goes.

One of my gripes, and I hardly ever say this as a lover of long books, is that this is too long. Two hundred pages easily could have been chopped out without losing This is a book of fantastic ideas populated by some memorable characters but the story lacked a sense of urgency and seemed kind of repetitive until about 85% in. The ending was fun, if abrupt, and left enough unanswered questions and dangling carrots hanging around to where I'm looking forward to see where the next installment goes.

One of my gripes, and I hardly ever say this as a lover of long books, is that this is too long. Two hundred pages easily could have been chopped out without losing anything narratively and made things a little more exciting. That being said, this is definitely an expansive story with much of the worldbuilding and background history only hinted at and leaving lots to explore in future books. It took me a while to get used to the author's writing style and some passages seemed disjointed until things clicked at around 20% on my Kindle and then went down much more smoothly from there. I connected with the characters pretty early on and it was that connection that kept me going through the slower parts. The characters deal with loss, guilt, and redemption, and a lot of the motivations seem to stem from holding onto things from the past and trying to make things right. Multiple characters deal with this as well as experiencing what we now know as PTSD and this is what made the characters real for me, I have had those thoughts, I've had those feelings and I know how crippling anxiety and trauma from the past can impact present decision making.

The magic system is original and thoroughly explained, and there is plenty the author comes up with to marvel at but these were background things and did not add to the story. I think I was expecting more of a murder mystery that just happened to take place in a fantasy environment and yes the fantasy elements are there and are way cool, it's just that the other elements were not as engrossing and the momentum I usually feel when reading a whodunnit was not there. There were times I was totally stoked to read this and couldn't wait to get to reading (damn real life) but there were equal times where I wished things moved quicker and more was going on.

Three stars from me along with a dash of excited anticipation for where future books will take us.

I want to thank Tor Books, Netgalley, and Marina Lostetter for the advance copy but that in no way shape or form impacted my opinion or review. ...more

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Dec 17, 2020 Tana 🌻 Cozyreadings marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: released-2021

17/12/2020

I got an e-arc!!!

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Dec 10, 2020 Kes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-reads

I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING

I loved this and I have been betrayed.

Full review soon! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5! ...more

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Oct 13, 2020 Brian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Gripping, fantastical murder mystery with a deep emotional core. Absolutely splendid worldbuilding and characters. Very excited to read the further books in the series when they arrive.

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Feb 17, 2021 Nicole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Helm of Midnight is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy. It centers around a heist, but from the law’s perspective. It mixes two fascinating forms of magic and throws you into a world where everyone is scared and no one really knows how their world works. The story starts with a bang. Krona and her crew are watching over a noble’s funeral when two highly protected pieces of magic get stolen right from under their noses. Now it’s up to Krona and her fellow regulators to find out why they The Helm of Midnight is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy. It centers around a heist, but from the law’s perspective. It mixes two fascinating forms of magic and throws you into a world where everyone is scared and no one really knows how their world works. The story starts with a bang. Krona and her crew are watching over a noble’s funeral when two highly protected pieces of magic get stolen right from under their noses. Now it’s up to Krona and her fellow regulators to find out why they were stolen and get them back.
When I saw this cover, my interest was piqued, then I read what this was and I knew I HAD to read it. I love a good heist story, and I had never read one from the point of view of those that act as the law. Then I started reading it, and a fascinating new world was opened up to me. It had magic systems based on masks, and emotions, and echoes. It was so cool, and honestly, I want more of it! I want to know how each of the magic users uses their magic, and hopefully, we’ll see that more in the following books.
For me, the magic system and the characters made this story. The over-arching plot is rather slow, and there were times that I thought I was significantly farther than I was. But the magic system was so fascinating, as I briefly mentioned above. Stones could carry emotions so it could enhance or dampen certain ones, they paid for things in time, had 5 gods, put people’s echoes into masks so they could be used after death. It was so rich and interesting. As for the characters they each had distinct personalities, and I loved the dynamic between Thibeault and Krona. They had great banter, they had boundaries, they have pining (dare I say?). It was so much fun. I also greatly enjoyed seeing how the stories intertwined. I really thought they wouldn’t intersect in this book, but man am I so happy they did. We got to see how not only their stories intertwine, but how their past traumas affect each other, and the importance of being willing to accept help from those around you. It was so nice to read, and I can’t wait to see if it develops into a strong found-family.
The shortcomings of this book are few and far between, and I honestly feel could be chalked up to this being the first book in a high fantasy trilogy. You can’t give everything away at once, and I get that. But I still feel like I should mention them. First being, as much as I loved the main characters, I couldn’t tell you much about the side characters. Krona’s team, and Trey I’m not sure their motivations, and while they’re not important, it feels weird that I don’t know much about the side characters in a character-driven story. The pacing did feel a little off like I mentioned. At one point I thought I was 70% done but was only nearing 50%. It became a little pedantic, and I was hoping something would happen soon, even something other than Krona's thinking.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for the magic system alone. Lostetterr has all the makings of a new, inventive, high fantasy series. I can’t wait to see where she goes with it, and I think it would align well with most people’s fantasy tastes. There’s a little something for everyone in the story.
...more

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Jan 12, 2021 Justine marked it as arcs · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an ARC!

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Feb 03, 2021 Brianna Donato rated it liked it · review of another edition

Such a great premise, but the pace dragged on. It was a slow read.

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Dec 20, 2020 Sandra rated it liked it · review of another edition

I received an ARC from netgalley.

The cover most definitely attracted me to this book and I thought it was going to be scary because of course it has a serial killer and also have fantastical elements but I was quite disappointed in that way that I usually am when a fantasy story focuses more on the characters than the plot.
The premise was very intriguing especially for someone who hails from a continent where masks are a huge part of various cultures.
Saying that I wasn't gripped by the story yes ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Kate (BloggingwithDragons) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, read-fantasy

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Tor books for providing me with an ARC

The Helm of Midnight is a fascinating read, which effortlessly combines fantasy, murder mystery, and even horror. On top of the amazing blend of genres, I absolutely loved the concept of death masks, which preserve the talents of the deceased and allow the wearer of the mask to harness those tale ...more

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Dec 27, 2020 Ryan R rated it liked it · review of another edition

My thanks to Netgalley for sending me a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tough review. The description of this book intrigued me, and I was glad to start reading it. However I must confess that at about 12% of the way through, I wanted to give up on it all together. The story just didn't grab me. That said, I decided to persevere, and i'm glad I did. This book has some very interesting concepts that I haven't come across in another fantasy book before. Also the magic s ...more

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Jan 10, 2021 Ashley Dang rated it liked it · review of another edition

A serial murderer on the loose and Krona and her fellow Regulators must stop the killer before things go wrong. The story takes place in a world where magic exists and there are artifacts that are embued with magic from the gods. Emotions are also regulated and its the job of regulators, who have jewels that contain emotions to maintain stability and peace. There is a masks that once belonged to a notorious serial killer, and now its on the loose again and the serial killings have started up aga ...more

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Dec 18, 2020 Mackenzie Schley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes when I read a book, I just can’t decide right away how I feel about it and that happened with this one. The description grabbed me instantly, as it promised to blend two of my favorite genres: mystery and fantasy. However, now that I’ve had the combination, I’m not sure they quite go together. The slower pace required of proper world building doesn’t mesh all that well with the rather fas ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Sara G added it · review of another edition

Fantasy police procedural. If that combination of genres piques your interest, you are going to greatly enjoy The Helm of Midnight, even if it doesn't do anything particular new with those genres. Krona is a sort of magic detective, working under the command of her sister Lia. An assignment to protect some enchanted items goes awry and soon she is on the case to discover why men are disguised as spiny mist werewolves, how an enchanted healer's mask has gone inert, and, most importantly, the loca ...more

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Jan 17, 2021 Rebecca Whaley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Really good book! Action, suspense, and magical objects! Absolutely awesome! The main character, Krona is great! She kicks butt and takes names. The creatures in this book are downright scary. The beginning opens with a bang and it doesn't let up. An adrenaline rush for sure! I absolutely loved this! I can't wait for more by this author! ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This one's a bit of crime procedural mixed with sci-fi world building, with a healthy dose of "identity sensitivity" that seems forced---there's almost too much packed in to do it all well. I loved the relationship between the two sisters, and their role as competent, strong and fierce protectors, and wish the author had spent more time building out their characters and their relationships. ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 sai added it · review of another edition

Very interesting book ..

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Feb 28, 2021 Siavahda rated it really liked it

Shelves: blessed-with-an-arc, assorted-human-magic-users, characters-of-colour, female-author, girls-kicking-ass-and-taking-names, lgbtqai-queernorm-world, lgbtqai-inclusive, need-to-review, original-superpowers-or-magic, other-magical-creatures

Rtc!

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Dec 20, 2020 Emma Reid rated it liked it · review of another edition

There was a lot going on in this book - an incredible magic system, a Jack the Ripper style murder mystery, flashbacks all over the place... and it got to be a bit much. This was well-written, but was bogged down with unexplained details in the worldbuilding. The characters were compelling enough, but they weren't featured much. We spent most of our time in Krona's head and delving into her psyche. Overall it's a good fantasy, but I felt like it needed a little more paring down.

*Thank you to Net ...more

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