Welcome to Litsy!

A unique murder mystery set in a well-developed fantasy world, this book intrigued me right from the start.

While the characters are undeniably inspired by Sherlock Holmes, the author makes them his own in endearing ways. Then he drops them smack dab in the middle of a puzzle that sank it's claws into me and did not let go!

A good time all around!

I finished the third book for #SummersEndReadathon !

I quite enjoyed this blend of fantasy and crime fiction. The world threatened by toxic leviathans was interesting and different enough from any other fantasy series I‘ve encountered. The characters were well drawn and believable. Dinios Kol is an engraver. He‘s been genetically augmented to have an edectic memory. He‘s a new assistant to the eccentric yet brilliant investigator Ana Dolabra.

This is described as a fantasy Sherlock Holmes and I think that fits it well. I didn‘t love this as much as most. I thought the world building was excellent but it lacked depth with the characters. @Eggbeater explains how I felt perfectly. ‘I could tell this book was written by a man. It was completely unemotional.‘ Ana the lead investigator wears a blindfold a lot of the time to heighten her senses and gets Din her apprentice to be her eyes. ⬇️

#SummerEndReadathon

I have tomorrow off work, so I hope I can really indulge in this readathon and finish all three of these books by Labor Day. 🤞 The Erdrich and Ishiguro books are from my #14Books14Weeks stack.

hopping in the bandwagon. I plan on using this for r/fantasy 2025 bingo card (biopunk).

the lizard is on the lookout for birds

#petsoflitsy #reptilesoflitsy

I finished THE TAINTED CUP with my surprisingly calm new buddy, Stormy, then popped on here and saw it just won the Hugo! Good times.

https://youtu.be/VkCshsgZS_Q?feature=shared

Made a little Hugo reaction video.

This one is short 😄

Such a good book!

List of this year's Hugos: https://locusmag.com/2025/08/hugo-lodestar-and-astounding-awards-winners-2/

At last, a new book! I started THE TAINTED CUP over breakfast and carried on while I ate lunch at this excellent park (following a ride there across the prairie and a hike through the woods). It‘s got a lot of promise so far, with murder and spores and kaiju galore.

#99ponkindle #ukkindledeal

I loved this sci-fi/fantasy/mystery story with a Holmes/Watson pairing as the investigators. I think it has a good shot at winning the Hugo Best Novel award this year.

#hugoawards
#52bookclub (a sprayed edge)

I could tell this book was written by a man. It was completely unemotional. There is also almost no background as to the main character's family. But, for all that, I really liked this genre-bending sci-fi murder mystery. The world building was excellent, and I loved the brilliant, eccentric, foul-mouthed Ana. I found Din to be kind of what the British call gormless, but talented nonetheless. I would recommend it to those who like leviathans.

This was a fun well crafted murder mystery set in an original high fantasy world. Loved the main characters a really good read

Ohmigoodness this was a twisty turny other world sci-fi murder mystery that I could not put down. Absolutely going to read the second book in the series.

Book 100 of the year! 🎉
Book 3 of #14books14weeks @Liz_M

Interesting fantasy murder premise, killed by tree erupting from a body! The first half is a little slow, but once I got invested in the mystery and characters I really enjoyed this. I loved Din's romance with Strovey but wished it had more page time. But I loved the plot and its twists, the unique world-building, and Ana and Din as a Sherlock and Holmes team. If you're looking for a smart queernormative fantasy mystery, this is a great choice!

It turns out one of my favourite crossover genres is mystery-fantasy. (Although maybe this is mystery-scifi? There is no magic but the tech is all plant based)
Anyhow! Everything i love in a mystery with a Holmes style detective plus a strange new world with unusual tech. Our protagonist is Kol, he‘s the level headed Watson to Ana, the temperamental investigator. Ana wears a blindfold and usually stays indoors, to better focus, ⬇️

My #aardvarkbookclub books are finally here!

Book 2 is out on the 1st of April, so I decided to do a re-read to have it all fresh in my head. Still holds up second time round. Absolute pure enjoyment.

THIS. WAS. AMAZING. I loved loved loved this fantasy mystery so much, and I‘m excited for the second in the series! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A masterwork in fantasy world building. This isn‘t my usual fare, and expected myself to be overwhelmed but it worked seamlessly and with an intertwining murder mystery. 5 ⭐️

2025 Reads started...
CBTB - Good Xmas read
TCJM - loved the eldery character and thought this was better than her previous novel
TTC- fantastic fantasy crime genre mash up. Interesting world, plot, and wonderful memorable characters
IAPOD - good black houmor crime novel. Just a little too long

This fantasy murder mystery gets the Rae stamp of approval!

Din and Ana are great characters and this book works as both a mystery and fantasy read.

Fungalpunk detective noir!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Billed as sci-fi Holmes & Watson & it hit that mark. That silly spellings & months were unnecessary, but it was an entertaining story, if not a big stand out for me. I‘ll try the next one because I think these characters do have potential.

Thank you, @Nazgul93 ! I‘m so looking forward to this book. And the Lindt bears look adorable and yummy. I‘m diving in to the cocoa right now! Happy reading and chocolate to all and to all a good night! #JolabokaflodSwap

Thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing!

This is the murder mystery set in a fantasy world replete with magic, leviathans, contraptions, augmented humans, & dark secrets that you didn‘t know you needed. Fascinating world building & a new favorite character who is a cross between Sherlock Holmes/a foul mouthed sailer/& a grandmother. Seriously. Together with her assistant they stumble on a murder when an official dies after a tree erupts from his chest…great read. Can‘t wait for the next!

#Two4Tuesday

1. I‘m a morning person who loves waking up with the sun, if not earlier, so it‘s sunrises for me.

2. Murder, vegetation, leviathans

@TheSpineView

Sneaking in a little reading while dinner is in the oven…

Obsessed!! So freaking good. Sherlockian vibes, zero romance. 💯

This was a solid unique fantasy with a strong mystery plot. I enjoyed the world building especially. It was a little slow to start, but as the mystery unraveled it became more and more entertaining. I look forward to more of this new series! 4⭐️

Really good reinterpretation of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. The fantasy world was interesting and immersive and I look forward to the next adventure in the series. I particularly enjoyed that the Watson character is more active and interesting with powerful abilities and a keen intellect. I always disliked how slow and unhelpful the original Watson was in relation to Holmes.

OMG! thank you Aletheia for a party in a box! So much yumminess, self care, and great BOOKS! I love all of it and your card made me tear up! 😘😘😘😘😘😘

The first book by this author that I‘ve read and I enjoyed it thoroughly; I‘ve got to go back and read his earlier series! A great mystery set in an imperial wold that is exquisitely drawn. Gentry, officers, and 10 engineers have been killed by a terrible contagion, and just when they are needed most to defeat an encroaching Leviathan. Ana and her assistant, Dinios are tasked with finding who is responsible. A great fantasy and exciting read.

78/150 Its been awhile since I've enjoyed a fantasy mystery as much as this one. Din and Ana definitely have a Holmes & Watson vibe going, although Ana seems more annoying and prickly than Sherlock could ever be. Din was the character that kept me reading, his struggle with his abilities, discovering new abilities he didn't know about, and learning his place in the hierarchy of the Empire. I know a sequel is coming early next year,

A horrible murder is discovered and Din must go investigate and then report back to his superior, Ana. They discover it is only one of a series of violent deaths. It is a world with helpful and dangerous plants, peopled by individuals enhanced in ways to better do their work, protecting the empire from leviathans from the sea. Rushing to discover the truth, Ana and Din forge a strong partnership. Solid characters and an interesting world merit 3⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️

It took me a moment to wrap my head around this intricate high fantasy world. I certainly admire how creative and unique it is, and I did enjoy the Holmes and Watson dynamic between Din and Ana, but I think a lot of other readers will enjoy this more than I personally did. I didn‘t feel a strong emotional attachment; it feels like a story that feeds the brain more than it captures the heart. #Aardvark #AardvarkBookClub

This was a good Sherlockian steampunk fantasy.
Din is an engraver magically altered to memorize everything in a crime scene so he can report back to Ana, a brilliant investigator who refuses to go outside and often wears a blindfold. The two are sent to a mansion in Daretana to solve the murder of a dead officer.
My main complaint is that you are tossed into a new world, and getting used to it can be jarring.
#Aardvark

Yup, give me all of these RJB can write. A fantasy-mystery, this combines two of my favourite genres. But it is way more about the fantasy world and the characters than it is about the mystery. The mystery chugs away doing it's job but the fantasy world is spectacular and the character unique and engaging. I would highly recommend it for fans of Martha Wells Raksura books and Katherine Addison Speaker for the Dead books. Easy 5 stars.

This fantasy mystery was absolutely fabulous. I loved everything about it - setting, characters, magic system, and the mystery itself. I especially loved the dynamic between our main character, Din, and his boss, Ana. Lots of lovely sarcasm with obvious respect. Can't wait for the next book!

At the beginning I wasn‘t convinced I‘d like this, but then for the last two thirds I was really captivated by the plot and stayed up late to find out what happened. I think that‘s mostly on account of liking detective mysteries, though - because I still don‘t feel sold on the fantasy elements of the world building and how they were integrated into the narrative. But an enjoyable read overall!

Starting this fantasy mystery today. #aardvarkbookclub

This is a great mix of fantasy and murder mystery. I'll definitely read the next book in the series.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Next up! #TheTaintedCup#RobertJackson#Bennett#BeautifulCoverArt

A Holmesian mystery set in a vivid fantasy world. I was more invested in the mystery than the characters, and still didn‘t guess whodunit.

#unpopularopinion

I was curious about the new trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett, but even though the basic idea of this world is fascinating, it didn't work for me. It all lacks depth and atmosphere. The characters as well as the world building. Most of the characters were solely names to me and I forgot about them as soon as they left the scene. I wasn't as invested in the case as I'd hoped I'd be. But I'll give it a second chance anyway.

I don't usually read fantasy, but did enjoy this one. I enjoyed the mystery in it. I liked Ana's Holmes to Kol's Watson.

#bookspinbingo #marvellousmarch Readathon #readaway2024

This was such an intriguing mix of murder mystery, eco terrorism and VanderMeer-esque ecological anomalies. Plus beasts! Basically I‘m here to say it had it all and I loved every minute. Hope there is a book 2 so we get to see how Ana and Dinios‘ partnership flourishes.
Book 9 of 2024. #Aardvark #ARC

3/5 ⭐
Uhh..I sat with this book for a few days before I reviewed it. Overall I liked it..it just wasn't my usual type of book. When I heard that there was a fantasy murder mystery with Sherlock vibes I was sold!
In my opinion this focuses a ton on politics and is more sci-fi than fantasy. Din and Ana, the two MCs held this together for me. I adored them both and would read another book in this weird world just for them.

Book no.12
It was fast, action-filled, and full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The dialogue is fast-paced, well-written, and witty. I was in love with the first-person POV of Din, the "Watson" to Ana, the "Holmes" if you will of this mystery thriller, they have such an interesting dynamic, which I loved as he's her apprentice. I can't get over how much I loved reading about her from his pov.

Making progress on the tagged book and my sweater! 🧶

This book was absolutely bloody brilliant. Thank you @AardvarkBookClub for picking a book from one of my favorite authors! ♥️
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Also, here‘s my #botm #bookofthemonth selection … and getting ready to read St Patty‘s Murder for #SeasonalCozies 🍀🔪🩸