ASIN : B0879J44XZ
Publisher : Tor Books; 1st edition (April 13, 2021)
Publication date : April 13, 2021
Language : English
“A mysterious and mind-ripping journey through the mystic depths of time and the darkness of the human psyche.” ―Matt Wallace, author of the Sin du Jour and Savage Rebellion series
“Beautiful and vicious, The Helm of Midnight will snare you with its intriguing mystery and then enthrall you with its rich characters and inventive world.” ―Megan E. O’Keefe, author of Velocity Weapon
A legendary serial killer stalks the streets of a fantastical city in The Helm of Midnight, the stunning first novel in a new trilogy from acclaimed author Marina Lostetter.
In a daring and deadly heist, thieves have made away with an artifact of terrible power–the death mask of Louis Charbon. Made by a master craftsman, it is imbued with the spirit of a monster from history, a serial murderer who terrorized the city with a series of gruesome murders.
Now Charbon is loose once more, killing from beyond the grave. But these murders are different from before, not simply random but the work of a deliberate mind probing for answers to a sinister question.
It is up to Krona Hirvath and her fellow Regulators to enter the mind of madness to stop this insatiable killer while facing the terrible truths left in his wake.
I received a copy of this book for an honest opinion. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. There was no compensation made for this review.
Marketed as Silence of the Lambs meets Mistborn, The Helm of Midnight is the first book of a grim fantasy trilogy. This book delves into the point of view of three different characters and three different timelines, connected in a surprising way.
The world is intricate, filled with Gods, magic, and death. Mistborn‘s magic system was an interesting take on metals in the human system. For Helm of Midnight, Lostetter goes beyond that, making objects made by certain elements be able to hold something that a person can use. The Regulators, a sort of police team, use stones to boost their emotions. Wood is able to keep the memories of the dead.
When a wooden mask is taken during a high event, all hell breaks loose. Krona and her fellow Regulators have to find a way to stop a series of murders in their home. Murders that are disturbing and very dark.
I personally loved the detail of the world. It had the perfect balance of show and tell. The stones being used to boost emotion, how it is described when the stones separate from the user, and how the magic system works as a whole, was an interesting take that I would never had thought off. In just the first chapter, you know this book will dive into grief, pain, and inner demons. It is an action packed beginning that leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting more.
For the happy fantasy world lover, you may want to put on some brazers imbued with courage to jump into this book. For the readers who love darkness in their fantasy, I’m sorry you’re going to have to wait for the sequel.
The open skies and dense forests of the Pacific Northwest are ideal for growing speculative fiction authors–or, at least, Marina Lostetter would like to think so. Originally from Oregon, she now resides in Arkansas with her spouse, Alex. In her spare time she enjoys globetrotting, board games, and all things art-related. Her original short fiction has appeared in venues such as Lightspeed, Uncanny, and Shimmer Magazine. Her debut novel, NOUMENON, and its sequels, NOUMENON INFINITY and NOUMENON ULTRA, are available from Harper Voyager. Her first fantasy novel, THE HELM OF MIDNIGHT, is forthcoming from Tor. In addition, she has written tie-in materials for Star Citizen and the Aliens franchise. She is represented by DongWon Song of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, and she tweets as @MarinaLostetter.
Casia's Corner 
1 thought on “Blog Tour (Review): The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter”