Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
From the author of the critically acclaimed Dominion of the Fallen trilogy comes a sparkling new romantic adventure full of kissing, sarcasm and stabbing. It was supposed to be a holiday, with nothing more challenging than babysitting, navigating familial politics and arguing about the proper way to brew tea. But when dragon prince Thuan and his ruthless husband Asmodeus find a corpse in a ruined shrine and a hungry ghost who is the only witness to the crime, their holiday goes from restful to high-pressure. Someone is trying to silence the ghost and everyone involved. Asmodeus wants revenge for the murder; Thuan would like everyone, including Asmodeus, to stay alive. Chased by bloodthirsty paper charms and struggling to protect their family, Thuan and Asmodeus are going to need all the allies they can—and, as the cracks in their relationship widen, they’ll have to face the scariest challenge of all: how to bring together their two vastly different ideas of their future... A heartwarming standalone book set in a world of dark intrigue. A Note on Chronology Spinning off from the Dominion of the Fallen series, which features political intrigue in Gothic devastated Paris, this book stands alone, but chronologically follows The House of Sundering Flames. It’s High Gothic meets C-drama in a Vietnamese inspired world–perfect for fans of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Heaven Official’s Blessing, KJ Charles, and Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves. Advance praise: “A darkly delicious romp full of ghosts, murder, dragons, and romance, with a couple that just keeps getting better and better as they push each other to new limits.” — Stephanie Burgis, author of Snowspelled and Scales and Sensibility “Beautifully described, deeply caring, and satisfyingly murderous, it’s an immersive delight.” — KJ Charles, author of the Will Darling Adventures
Reviews with the most likes.
It's definitely more of a 4.5.
I've been following the journey of this book on social media since the author decided to write it just for fun and I've been so so excited for its release. And when I got the opportunity to request for an arc, I jumped on it immediately. And then had to read it even though it doesn't release for months.
If you've been following my blog for a while, you should know that Aliette is one of my favorite authors and I'm always in love with her short stories and novellas in particular. And this one is even more special because I adore Asmodeus and Thuan as characters and as a couple. It's fun that this sequel to Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders is again set during the their vacation in the underwater dragon kingdom and they end up having to solve murders. The whole idea of Asmodeus babysitting is hilarious and I was very interested to see it, but what the author gives us is so much more.
Asmodeus and Thuan are vastly different people and it's always fascinating to see how their relationship actually works. And this story which takes place six years after their marriage shows that it takes hard work to keep their relationship strong. Thuan is a compassionate cinnamon roll who can be self sacrificial when it comes to people he loves, but the famously stabby Asmodeus can also be the same if he decides to protect someone. They are very much at odds with each other in this story about how to go about solving the murders and protecting a certain someone but we know that ultimately they will be fine and their love will sustain. Their relationship with their nieces Ai Nhi and Camille is amazing and even the girls seemed so taken with their Unka Thuan and Unka Asmo. The kids are also brave and kind and very thoughtful, even in dangerous circumstances they don't fully understand. The murder mystery itself is fairly straightforward and a fascinating exploration of toxic masculinity, but it's the characters and their interactions that make this book fun.
To conclude, this novella was everything I expected from it and more. Along with a serial murder mystery, we have endearing ghost children, commentary on the various ways of correctly and wrongly brewing tea, insights into an established relationship with diametrically opposite personalities, and lots of fun interactions. I can only hope the author will continue to write more stories featuring my favorite murder husbands.
