Synopsis
Irody can speak to the dead. But the living want him silenced.
Mortedants can speak to the dead – and Irody Hasp is the greatest of them. Not that they’ll admit it. And not that anyone actually likes the Mortedants, or Irody in particular. Nonetheless, Elbay is a city of tradition, and tradition calls for Mortedants to attend a death.
But when Irody reads the corpse of a low-level record-keeper, he’s dragged into a conspiracy that will see someone close to him murdered and Irody framed for the crime, the eyes of the city’s guilds, nobles and villains all fixed on him. With only days to prove his innocence before he is executed, Irody is forced to work with unlikely and unwanted allies: a street urchin and a hulking, inhuman mercenary from the sea people’s city of Oknusoka.
With danger and death lurking around every corner, and trust a luxury, Irody is running out of time. He must save himself and his friends, as well as Elbay – the magnificent, terrifying, complicated city that he loves. Or darkness will fall on them all.
Review
A bit of a fantasy fix in my reading this week!
R J Barker, quite possibly the quirkiest fantasy author working right now, is back with a new trilogy – The Trials of Irody Hasp – beginning with book one (funnily enough), Mortedant’s Peril. Within just a handful of chapters, I knew that this one was going to be special!
But what is Mortedant’s Peril about? Following Irody Hasp, a Mortedant – a cleric whose job it is to visit the recently deceased and read their final thoughts – who is tasked with the lowliest of jobs in his already disliked faction of colourful folks vying for control over the city of Elbay (more on that later). But when a seemingly routine job uncovers a secret that Irody should not have found, murder, intrigue, and danger rear their ugly heads.
One of Barker’s strengths is worldbuilding. I have never been one who has been that bothered about worldbuilding (it’s always a nice bonus, but I am 100% a character, plot, and themes guy first), but his ability to create such vivid and unique worlds and cities is working overtime here. Barker presents a three-tired city, where the claustrophobic, musky stink of the lower levels conflicts with the rich, bright upper echelon. It’s immersive as always and the magic of this setting weaves itself into our characters and their headspace.
Which leads me to Irody, who is an interesting person to follow. Disliked by his peers, this creates a jaded man with prejudices built on the social structures of this city, and watching how he navigates this mystery plot – often times fumbling the investigations due to his own flaws – makes for a story that builds its tension in a way that we the reader can sometimes see the solutions, but the characters are so twisted by this setting that they can’t. It’s damn entertaining stuff!
Mortedant’s Peril sits comfortably with some of the best recent mystery SFF novels out there. The Tainted Cup, Mushroom Blues, The Raven Scholar, The Justice of Kings, Mortedant’s Peril. These are the titans of the fantasy-mystery trend that is sweeping publishing, and long may it continue!
Mortedant’s Peril releases May 21st! Thanks to Tor for the ARC!
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