I picked up this book because I have recently fallen in love with a podcast co-hosted by the author (Be The Serpent). I had heard her describe bits and pieces of what the story was about, and I was intrigued. It's quite different than any other fantasy novel I've read before, in a way that only really sunk in after I had finished it. The main character is Chant (that's his name and his job), a man past middle age who wanders through many countries collecting and telling stories. When we meet Chant he is on trial in a country called Nuryevet, which has fantasy Soviet-Russia vibes but also five elected rulers who control various parts of government: Coin, Order, Law, Justice and Pattern (spying/diplomacy/foreign affairs). Chant has a very good advocate, but he is bad at keeping his mouth shut. He was arrested for witchcraft but by the end of the first trial day he is being accused of espionage as well. Spoiler: Chant spends almost the entirety of this book in prisons, sometimes being upgraded or downgraded in security levels, sometimes being questioned by one facet of government or another. If you are looking for a book with a lot of action, this is probably not the one for you. But if you are interested in a slow-burn political drama peppered with fairy-tales and myths (Chant takes every opportunity he can for story-telling) that this is your book! There's some really nice causal queer representation- Chant's apprentice is a young man who gets crushes on every handsome fellow he meets, and additionally Nuryevet-style marriages are across the board poly and queer. There's a lot of unflashy world-building and a door left open at the end of for a sequel.