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The Grief of Stones

(The Cemeteries of Amalo #2)

Katherine Addison (Goodreads Author)

4.40 · Rating details · 739 ratings · 141 reviews

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...

Celehar’s life as the Witness for the Dead of Amalo grows less isolated as his circle of friends grows larger. He has been given an apprentice to teach, and he has stumbled over a scandal of the city—the foundling girls. Orphans with no fa ...more

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Hardcover, 249 pages

Published June 14th 2022 by Tor Books

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Start your review of The Grief of Stones (The Cemeteries of Amalo, #2)

Dec 03, 2021 Collin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2022-pride-and-indigenous-month, adult

sometimes a book is both a book and an antidepressant

Actual review, now that I've read it: [through tears] sometimes a book is both a book and an antidepressant

Sometimes it feels like books are written specifically to suit your tastes, and that's the case with the Cemeteries of Amalo. There was a very specific hole in my heart where I've been waiting for a depressed queer person of faith to fit in neatly and heal my grievances, and that's where Thara Celehar lives now. The worldbuilding is delig ...more

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May 27, 2022 Fiona rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, absolute-favourites, detectives

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 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 got me completely hooked! ...more

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Jun 03, 2022 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2022-shelf

Like The Goblin Emperor and The Witness for the Dead, the story is full of rich fantasy worldbuilding that serves the purpose of an extended Cozy Mystery.

That being said, if you like sedate, rich fantasy that handles the little things and almost entirely the little things -- until it gets to the one big thing -- then this is definitely gonna be your kind of book.

This one doesn't disappoint. Indeed, I may have really enjoyed the small stuff better than the one big mystery. That one was rather rou ...more

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Jun 14, 2022 The Captain rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. While I try to post no spoilers, this be a direct sequel to the witness for the dead so proceed at yer own peril . . .

As soon as I heard there was another book featuring Celehar, I knew I had to read it. And I was not disappointed. I love him. This book continues the day-to-day life of Celehar and that continues to be the highlight for me. There is also the addition of Othala Tomasarin, a Wi ...more

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Jan 12, 2022 Mayim de Vries marked it as to-read

I am wildly happy that the Goblin Emperor was an excuse to start a new fascinating series!

PS If there is a foundling ARC, I'll be delighted to adopt. ...more

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Aug 30, 2021 Janine Ballard rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2022-06-june-releases, spec-set-steampunk, recommend-to-jean, 2021-releases, 2022-releases, genre-fantasy, 2020s-decade-releases, diversity-lgbtq, diversity-poc

1 star

June 29, 2022

I was a huge fan of The Goblin Emperor but not as keen on The Witness for the Dead, the first book in the spinoff Cemeteries of Amalo series about detective/priest/medium-of-sorts Thara Celehar. Hope springs eternal, though, so I requested book two in that series, The Grief of Stones.

Set in Amalo, the same steampunkish industrial city where its prequel takes place, The Witness for the Dead, The Grief of Stones opens when Thara is called to the home of the elderly Marquess Ulzh ...more

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Mar 08, 2022 charlotte, rated it really liked it

Shelves: magic-and-fantasy, mystery-thriller, lgbt, fair-folk, 4-stars, adult-lit, favourite-characters, series-to-continue, review-copies, achillean

On my blog.

Rep: gay mc, achillean li

CWs: mentions of child pornography, suicide, past suicidal ideation

Galley provided by publisher

What I love most about this series is the fact that, while these are mysteries, they’re character-driven mysteries, and they’re driven by characters you sympathise with and love from the start. That is no different in The Grief of Stones than in the previous two books of this world. In fact, it may be even more so.

The Grief of Stones has a couple of mysteries goi ...more

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Feb 11, 2022 Mimi marked it as to-read

Shelves: cozy, fantasy-of-manners, mystery

Katherine Addison's writing is addictive and meditative. Looking forward to returning to the cemeteries of Amalo with Thara Celehar. ...more

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Jun 23, 2022 Barb in Maryland rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf-f-goodies, comfort-reads, keepers

I need to re-read this and then let my thoughts settle.
I really loved it first time through; my rating is likely to go higher.

Review coming soon.

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Apr 14, 2022 Katy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy_2022

The Grief of Stones continues the adventures of Thara Celehar, the witness to the dead in the city of Amalo. Thara is starting to settle into his life in Amalo, he is becoming less isolated and making more friends. However his tentative peace is threatened when he stumbles upon a massive scandal involving the foundling orphans of the city. When one of his witnessing's takes him into the criminal underworld of Amalo, Thara will discover conspiracies, blackmail and malicious plots threatening the The Grief of Stones continues the adventures of Thara Celehar, the witness to the dead in the city of Amalo. Thara is starting to settle into his life in Amalo, he is becoming less isolated and making more friends. However his tentative peace is threatened when he stumbles upon a massive scandal involving the foundling orphans of the city. When one of his witnessing's takes him into the criminal underworld of Amalo, Thara will discover conspiracies, blackmail and malicious plots threatening the cities most vulnerable.

This series strikes the perfect balance in tone between comforting and melancholy - I think this book in particular highlights the authors skill in creating a unique atmosphere and overall mood of the story. This book (and the whole series) is quite introspective and character focused but with a great cosy mystery type plot which is honestly just the perfect combo for me.

I really love Thara as a character - he is quite serious and at times grumpy but he is also so loveable. I loved seeing his developing relationships from characters in book 1. In particular, Iana - I really love their relationship although we don't see that much of it and sometimes it feels like you are being queerbaited but I'm pretty sure Thara is canonically queer and I think I like the super slow burn as it feels like it fits Thara's character well of him slowly opening up and being willing to let good things into his life.

We also see some new relationships forming in this book, I really enjoyed Thara getting an apprentice and seeing how he approached taking on a mentor role and also how this changed his attitudes to work. I also really enjoyed the apprentice character - she had such a sweet and determined personality despite her unfortunate circumstances. I also enjoyed seeing how the people Thara witnesses for affect him, often he must reckon with all his griefs and losses and rely on the support and love of his friends to help him.

This book discusses some quite heavy topics - especially around child pornography, which I thought were handled with care and added a lot of depth and heartbreak to the story. You really feel for the foundling girls and what they have to go through.

I think this book somehow feels like its own contained story but a lot of threads are left open and so I was left after finishing feeling satisfied if I knew it wasn't the last story in the world however I'm not sure yet if there will be a book 3 but I really hope there is as Thara's story definitely feels incomplete. Something fairly major happens to Thara towards the end and I think it definitely needs a lot more time to explore.

Overall I really enjoy this series and this instalment was no expectation. From the careful empathy of Thara, the explorations of grief and death (themes I always love), the cosy writing style and the perfect balance of dark themes and lighter moments that mirrors real life very well there is so much to enjoy about these books. ...more

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Apr 22, 2022 Meredith Katz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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 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. ...more

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Jun 12, 2022 PlotTrysts rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, non-pod

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 overar ...more

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Apr 26, 2022 Lorena rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, netgalley, fantasy

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 Ce ...more

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Jun 07, 2022 Lynn Williams rated it really liked it

https://lynns-books.com/2022/06/07/th...
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 charac https://lynns-books.com/2022/06/07/th...
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. ...more

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Jun 17, 2022 Sean O rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This urban fantasy with elves and goblins and 19th century technology with no electricity world is really a fascinating setting and would be a fine setting for all kinds of stories.

The main character is what seals the deal and makes this a great series. He’s a prelate of one of the many gods, and a witness for the dead. This essentially makes him a detective. And he’s a lonely rumpled melancholic insomniac to boot.

Highly recommended.

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May 30, 2022 Annemieke / A Dance with Books rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-and-a-half-star, supernatural-paranormal, favorites

4,5 stars

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

TW/CW: Mention of Child Pornography | Mental Abuse | Suicide

The Cemeteries of Amalo series is a companion to The Goblin Emperor in which we follow the Witness for the Dead Celehar. The Grief of Stones is the second story. If you are looking for soul warming and character focus fantasy this is a great series for you.

The Grief of Stones starts us off rath ...more

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May 23, 2022 Marta Cox rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-approval, my-reviews, netgalley

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 i ...more

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Jun 21, 2022 Yev rated it liked it

Shelves: genre-fantasy, status-reviewed, type-novel, genre-thriller-mystery-suspense

...and so continued the further adventures of a gay melancholic elf who witnessed for the dead. This is a steampunk fantasy and gaslamp mystery. That's to say that it's almost all aesthetic, which is nice, and may suffice on its own for many readers, but it isn't enough for me. From the beginning that's been a problem for me because although the characters are elves and goblins there's almost nothing that distinguishes them or their society from humans and that bothers me.

I read this and the pri ...more

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Jun 15, 2022 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Celehar is this universe's personification of "if you keep your expectations low, you can't be disappointed". I love him. It was nice to visit with him in his world again and see how he's getting on with his least favorite people: the living. Pleased to see he has developed more good friends (among the living) who are looking out for him even when he isn't looking out for himself. Who know he deserves affection and good things, even if he doesn't know it. The weight of his continuing, unresolved ...more

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Jun 16, 2022 Dana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 out of 5

First, a warning: this is not a stand-alone. It is the sequel to "Witness for the Dead" and the events in "The Grief of Stones" take place shortly after where they were left off at the end of "Witness for the Dead." Many of the characters were introduced in the first novel and are not re-introduced when they appear in "The Grief of Stones." As such, a reader will likely feel afloat in a sea of nonsense without reading "Witness for the Dead" prior to reading this.

While Katherine Addis ...more

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Jun 23, 2022 Alexa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, mystery

Addison wastes no time here getting right back into it: this is a crime novel that just happens to be set in a world of elves, goblins, and magic. For the most part it reads like an example of the former. The narration is straightforward, our protagonist is exhausted yet persistent. The murders are pretty grim. I liked Thara Celehar's new sidekick, Witness-in-training/widow Tomasarin. I enjoyed Thara's continuing relationship with opera director Iana Pel-Thenhior, even if it's progressing at a g ...more

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Jun 23, 2022 Denise rated it really liked it

Shelves: june-2022, 2022-books, audiobooks-purchased-2022, women-2022

A series of relatively brief (but not unimportant) mysteries as was the first book. The pace is deliberate and, again as before, the details of the world- the clothing, the buildings and clothing- are all detailed. This time we hear more about the place of women, foundlings and goblins and half- goblins. I find the world very interesting and the main character very sympathetic. I’m not sure this is a book for someone looking for action.

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Jun 28, 2022 Kiera rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2022-reads

A quick, enjoyable listen. I almost felt like it was too short, but that might be because I'm currently working my way through the Outlander series again and those books are 55+ hours a piece, to this ones 9. ...more

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May 09, 2022 Jeska rated it really liked it

Shelves: for-netgalley

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.

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Jun 30, 2022 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I have given this book 5 stars because I was so reluctant to stop reading when it ended, and I know I will read it again, probably several times. Any criticisms I would make of it are small and petty––like, for instance, I became tired of the number of times there is a scene where we see Thara Celehar telling somebody what previously happened. It happens a lot! I also found our protagonist oddly easy to––how can I say this without spoiling?––surprise. It goes along with his well-established lack I have given this book 5 stars because I was so reluctant to stop reading when it ended, and I know I will read it again, probably several times. Any criticisms I would make of it are small and petty––like, for instance, I became tired of the number of times there is a scene where we see Thara Celehar telling somebody what previously happened. It happens a lot! I also found our protagonist oddly easy to––how can I say this without spoiling?––surprise. It goes along with his well-established lack of concern with his own safety, but when others are involved I would have expected him to be more cautious and, umm, resistant. Of course, the plot demanded that he go along, so this is just a minor carp.

The praise I would give the book is much less specific and more significant. The writing is intelligent, evocative, suspenseful, moving, and intriguing. Celehar is a wonderful person and it is pleasant to be in his consciousness, despite (or possibly because of?) his deep suffering, and despite the suffering and evil that he witnesses. I find myself fretting about his wardrobe, though, and I wish very much I could give him a coat or two!

I have no other place to share some of my many thoughts about this series, so I will ramble on about them here. I have so many questions about the author's choices and intentions! I am wondering what her purpose was in making the society (both societies) so intensely and cruelly sexist, even beyond what we would expect, for instance, in Mediaeval Europe. It is particularly interesting because her protagonists––both Maia and Thara––are male and the all-encompassing sexism is therefore only a background cultural detail rather than a theme or obstacle in their life stories.

I am also interested/puzzled/confused/intrigued by her choices when it comes to the two––races, I suppose we should call them, since they obviously interbreed freely: elves and goblins. When I read the first book, I interpreted it as a fascinating situation where the two very different-looking peoples in adjacent countries seem to be equally powerful, wealthy, technologically advanced, etc., although goblins are subordinated and discriminated against in Elfland. I was left wondering how elves are treated in Barizhan, or if elves even live there at all. Then I was surprised in the two books set in Amalo that goblins and people of mixed goblin-elf heritage seem to be so extremely common there, much more numerous than they seemed to be in Cetho in the first book. For me (this is a criticism) it detracts from the difficulty/importance of Maia's half-goblin heritage when it seems every second person Thara meets in Amalo is goblin or part-goblin. I realize of course that it is different when the mixed-race person is the EMPEROR, but I still wonder at her choice to make Amalo so extremely mixed, especially since it is on the northern side of Ethuveraz, far from the goblins' southern homeland. I am left wondering if Amalo has had a higher immigration of goblin peoples because of the mining in the mountains and then the airship manufacturing jobs, and other parts of Ethuveraz remain more elf-y or if Amalo is typical. Do goblins immigrate into elf lands more often than vice versa, and why? I find myself much more interested in goblins than elves, possibly because we know less about them, or maybe just because they sound so colorful, with their red and orange and gold eyes and their great variety in size.

All these unknowns worry at me and keep me thinking about the books, so maybe that is the intention. Certainly, if the author intends some kind of message or lesson about racism in these books, it is a very subtle one!

One of the things I love most about the series is the background details casually introduced and unexplained. Both elves and goblins have ears that move and show their emotions. What do these ears look like?––we don't know. Photography exists, but it is considered vulgar and scandalous. Why?––we don't know. Magic and magicians (maza) exist, but they don't seem to have much impact on society and they certainly don't in the plot of the books. Well, except Thara Celehar's own magic power of communing with the dead, and I suppose one magical act from the past is important to the plot of this book. But GENERALLY magic-working is underplayed, and seems of low status in society––including Thara's own brand of magic. Why are magicians so poor and unpowerful?––I don't know.

Obviously, I can hardly wait for the next book. ...more

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Mar 22, 2022 Rike Random rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Originally published on RikeRandom - find the full review and others there.

Content notes for The Witness for the Dead and The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison: death, suicide, murder, corpses, rape, racism, homomisia

Detailed content notes:
(view spoiler) ...more

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Jun 27, 2022 Elizabeth A rated it really liked it

I cannot get over how much I like these books. If the phrase "cozy urban fantasy noir with a slow burn queer romance" lights up your brain like it does mine with the bibliophile equivalent of the ASMR tinglies, then please take me at my word when I say that this series has so much to offer you.

In this book in particular, there are more cozy side mysteries (find the recently deceased baker's secret scone recipe!). More urban worldbuilding (I could probably get around Amalo about as easily as I co I cannot get over how much I like these books. If the phrase "cozy urban fantasy noir with a slow burn queer romance" lights up your brain like it does mine with the bibliophile equivalent of the ASMR tinglies, then please take me at my word when I say that this series has so much to offer you.

In this book in particular, there are more cozy side mysteries (find the recently deceased baker's secret scone recipe!). More urban worldbuilding (I could probably get around Amalo about as easily as I could get around NYC with how much detail we get on tram line connections). More of the city's opera scene (and an expansion of the scandalous demimonde with an introduction to the photographer's guild). There's even, unexpectedly, more romantic development (sure, it's still a super slowburn, but what we do get is so deft, and really lovely).

There are also more (alive) female characters, including a new regular in Celehar's widow apprentice, which is a welcome change from the first Amalo book.

But what worked for me the most was that we get a lot more emotional character work for Celehar. Wayyy more than in his previous two appearances. Thara's arc has always been about grief and his slow process of healing, but this book allows him—and thus, the reader—to confront that grief head on. It's very cathartic, and hopefully it opens the way for brighter things for our leading man.

However, you may notice the missing star, so what didn't work? Well the arc-mystery in this one was very, very easy to follow, with every beat neatly telegraphed. Though one twist really threw me for a loop, it was more to do with the fact that it was an awful tonal shift than that it wasn't signalled. Having the book go from (view spoiler) in the space of a chapter... there's no way for that not to feel like fucking whiplash.

So for that unideal genre/tone shift, the book dings a star from me.

Something else that might not work for others is that, as I mentioned, this book is about grief and as such it is... Well, I wouldn't outright say it's a downer because it's not sad for the sake of being sad, but it's definitely a book about BEING sad, and about trauma and how that affects a person in un-fun ways. So if you're not up for a book that does its best to balance its extremely sad protagonist with sprawling worldbuilding and a heart that beats for found family and fulfillment through community service, then maybe save this book for when you're in a more wabisabi mood. ...more

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Jun 30, 2022 Akkisuitok rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2022-books, c-competent-people, format-novella, c-wholesome-as-fuck, c-friendship, genre-crime, rep-queer, genre-fantasy

I waited for this book to come out, and it fulfilled all of my high expectations. I adore this whole concept of a very quiet, episodic crime novel which remains fully committed to exploring the inner life a grumpy, tired character who struggles with depression and grief. It's a great credit to the book that it is not bleak at all even when dealing with heavy themes – rather, it's incredibly hopeful, especially in this second volume, as Thara Celehar realises that he has a support network and a g ...more

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Jul 01, 2022 Mandy Szewczuk rated it really liked it

While the mysteries were not as compelling as in the book before, the character development for old and new characters more than make up for it. As always, Celehar is a compelling and sympathetic (and funny) character, and seeing him work his way through a world where he always feels slightly like an outsider is a good journey to take with him. I'm thrilled that this one seems to set up for a sequel, because I always want to read more in this world! ...more

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May 30, 2022 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, netgalley

Oh, how I love this series! Beautiful and spellbinding, it does its worldbuilding so gorgeously I'm happy to let it wash over me and be submerged in this world of such strict manners and dresscodes and behaviours, while at the same time the plot meanders us to huge events. Similarly, it's utterly fantastical but so grounded in the mundane, that all in all it's just a joy to read.

Dark subject matter; still a huge fuzzy blanket of a read, somehow.

Read my full review on my blog, LittleFrogScribbles ...more

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About Katherine Addison

Katherine Addison

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A pseudonym of Sarah Monette. Both Sarah and Katherine are on Twitter as @pennyvixen. Katherine reviews nonfiction. Sarah reviews fiction. Fair warning: I read very little fiction these days.

Sarah/Katherine was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, one of the three secret cities of the Manhattan Project.

She got her B.A. from Case Western Reserve University, her M.A. and Ph.D. from the Universi ...more