Death and Bribery

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My first impression was wondering how the main character (Buc) would match up to the well known Sherlock Holmes. I also wondered how they managed to get set up for their biggest job. What pulled me in was the setting of the book - a “...fantasy set in a diverse world, featuring dead gods, a pirate queen, shapeshifting mages, and a Sherlockian teenager.” I’m interested.


The book cover showed me a fierce main character (presuming it’s Buc) and how she’s clearly experienced with a knife. But she also seems focused. The boar suggests that she might get to travel far away from her home - I wonder if part of her biggest adventure involves being in the ship.

We jump into the book with Buc and her partner in crime, Eld, in trouble and accused of killing many people. They are placed in trial, with Buc stating that it was all out of defense. I expected her argument to be more solid than it was, but it doesn’t look like it doesn’t matter much since the judge might be bribed anyhow.

I don’t think the initial few pages show the potential excitement to come. This feels more like a set up of the characters and how they might handle future stresses, but so far I don’t get a ‘Sherlockian‘ vibe from Buc. But I’m definitely still curious on what the mission entails and what interesting characters that might be in this story.