5/5 stars on Goodreads
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| A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennet |
Book 3 of the fantastical detective duo, Ana Dolabra and Din Kol, takes them to the heart of the empire, to its agricultural core where augmented cattle grow the size of wagons and whose feed is picked by small cats conditioned by a fungus to keep up with their need for food. It’s also the area where Din is from and where he hasn’t been back to since he agreed to be augmented as a scribe.
Two families rule over the area. Now the son of one family has killed the daughter of another. Ana and Din need to solve the matter before the families descend in an open warfare, as that would threaten the food supply. She’s bored already.
But from the start it becomes evident that the crime isn’t as straightforward as they believed. The manner of killing has oddities. There have been several earlier deaths in one of the ruling families. It has made the matriarch believe her family is cursed and seek out guidance from the gods of people who inhabited the empire before—and still maybe rule it. And every time the pair thinks they’ve made progress with the investigation, a twist of fate pulls the rug from under them.
To solve the case, Ana has to delve deep into the history of the area and unearth things that she’s in a unique position to know about. But some secrets of the ancients should stay hidden.
This was another great book. The manner with which the victims were killed was unique and something that is only possible in this world, which makes the mystery feel fresh. Ana was more active in the investigation than before, and her character gained a bit of depth. Din was having a personal crisis or two, one that had to do with his augmentations and another with his family that made an appearance. He wasn’t quite as promiscuous as in the previous book, but he had his moment. We were introduced to yet another interesting group of augmented people, the Osrii, who scent and taste the world to determine its state. And the mystery that is Ana came a little bit closer to solving. Maybe.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
