by Martha Wells
First published 2013
Nicholas Valiarde moves through the gaslit streets of Ile-Rien with a stolen jewel in his pocket and murder on his mind. This bitter nobleman turned master thief steals from the wealthy to fund his true mission: killing Count Montesq, the man who orchestrated his godfather's execution on fabricated necromancy charges. Nicholas finds solace only in thoughts of the deadly beauty Madeline as he plans his revenge. But strange forces now work against him. Children disappear without trace. Corpses take on the faces of living people. Deadly spells manifest where magic should not exist. Someone with immense power opposes Nicholas, wielding necromantic arts that have been forbidden for centuries. When a spiritualist guides Nicholas to a crumbling mansion, he discovers the true scope of the evil he faces. Nicholas must abandon his personal vendetta to battle an ancient horror that threatens everything he knows. Even with Ile-Rien's most powerful sorcerer as an ally, victory seems impossible against this supernatural enemy.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, fantasy, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, revenge
Setting: Ile-Rien
Period: 19th-century
18 pages · MP3 CD · Tantor Media Inc
Content warnings: death, murder