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abby_ace_of_books 's review for:
The Helm of Midnight
by Marina J. Lostetter
I think this wins the award for the darkest fantasy mystery I've read yet...and now I'm scared for what else is out there.
The Helm of Midnight is the first book in a fantasy mystery series with some of the coolest magic systems and worldbuilding I've seen in a while. There are five gods, four types of magic, terrifying monsters, and death masks that preserve the skills of the dead. While it took a little while to get used to the jargon, I really did enjoy the worldbuilding. The only "clarification" type thing I think this book could've benefitted from is a character list (because there are three interweaving plots from different times, and characters are referred to by different names, which made it a bit confusing at times).
I was really surprised to find how deeply the author delved into the mystery itself. At its surface, the story appears to be about a serial killer and the death mask that preserves his spirit and knowledge, but I wasn't expecting to actually get so much backstory on the killer. The pacing was a bit slow initially, but the last 30% or so was rapid, and I read the second half of the book much quicker. As a mystery, I expected there to be plot twists...and there were. I called more than I expected, and though I didn't officially "catch" the killer, I really enjoyed the vibes of the book without attempting to solve the mystery.
The cast of characters is quite wide (which is why I kind of hoped for a dramatis personae list), but I actually really liked a lot of them. I liked Krona and her complicated relationship with her sister, especially given the backstory that was slowly revealed throughout the story. Thibaut was my favorite character...I don't really have a reason why, I just liked him. I also found myself unexpectedly enjoying Charbon's POV chapters, and I think he actually might've been in my top 3 favorite characters for this. Melanie's POVs took a little longer to appreciate, but I enjoyed seeing how she played into the story toward the end.
If you're in the mood for an atmospheric fantasy mystery with engrossing worldbuilding, beautiful prose, and complex characters, look now further than The Helm of Midnight.
4/5
The Helm of Midnight is the first book in a fantasy mystery series with some of the coolest magic systems and worldbuilding I've seen in a while. There are five gods, four types of magic, terrifying monsters, and death masks that preserve the skills of the dead. While it took a little while to get used to the jargon, I really did enjoy the worldbuilding. The only "clarification" type thing I think this book could've benefitted from is a character list (because there are three interweaving plots from different times, and characters are referred to by different names, which made it a bit confusing at times).
I was really surprised to find how deeply the author delved into the mystery itself. At its surface, the story appears to be about a serial killer and the death mask that preserves his spirit and knowledge, but I wasn't expecting to actually get so much backstory on the killer. The pacing was a bit slow initially, but the last 30% or so was rapid, and I read the second half of the book much quicker. As a mystery, I expected there to be plot twists...and there were. I called more than I expected, and though I didn't officially "catch" the killer, I really enjoyed the vibes of the book without attempting to solve the mystery.
The cast of characters is quite wide (which is why I kind of hoped for a dramatis personae list), but I actually really liked a lot of them. I liked Krona and her complicated relationship with her sister, especially given the backstory that was slowly revealed throughout the story. Thibaut was my favorite character...I don't really have a reason why, I just liked him. I also found myself unexpectedly enjoying Charbon's POV chapters, and I think he actually might've been in my top 3 favorite characters for this. Melanie's POVs took a little longer to appreciate, but I enjoyed seeing how she played into the story toward the end.
If you're in the mood for an atmospheric fantasy mystery with engrossing worldbuilding, beautiful prose, and complex characters, look now further than The Helm of Midnight.
4/5