Assaph Mehr

The world building is perfection, every aspect of the book drags you deeper into a roman-esk era. You can tell the author has a great appreciation for the time period, as if we put the story aside, that alone kept me interested.

Food was a huge part of this story, it was laced through all the interactions, in each place the character visited, and overall fascinating. It not only added to the era the author was engulfing us in, but gave us more insight to the characters. The characters had your typical roman names which all blended in my mind, but they had distinct personalities so I had no trouble keeping them apart.

Overall the story was long winded, and probably could have been shorter, but I personally think that was a nod to the time period as well. It's written as a memoir, not a fast pace mystery/thriller.

I also really enjoyed reading the notes in the back of the book about the authors research and how he adjusted things to fit his world.… (más)

This series is swoon worthy. The level of research that goes into each books is felt through the pages. If you love Roman even a little, you will enjoy reading this.

I love the authors attention to detail when it comes to the wording, foods, clothes, all the way down to religious and housing layouts. It's fully immersive, and I can't wait to read more in this series. Make sure to read all the deep dive information at the back of the book. I found it so fascinating to see how the author made choices, and took from history or strayed a bit for the sake of the story. Seriously fantastic.

In this instalment we get to know Felix on a much more personal level. Not sure if it's the nature of this particular case, or just that we're on book two. But his personality and capabilities really shine throughout the story. I loved that he is pragmatic but also a bit idealistic. I think it's what makes him a great sleuth.

The paranormal aspects of this story are also well done. I love how we're eased into it, with getting what the citizens witnessed first, then diving deeper into the spells and castors world as the story progresses. It never feels like I'm having to suspend my disbelief for it. More like practitioners could have actually orchestrated the events during this time period. I think that gives more nods to how well the world building is done.

I am horrible with keeping names straight in certain time periods but the characters are so well written, their personalities do a great job at helping me keep them straight.

You'll love this series if you enjoy Roman, Urban Fantasy, Mystery and characters with gray morals.… (más)

I've now managed to read this after reading the first book in the series. While I still enjoyed the story and the premise, I thought it a bit weaker in execution. The real-world characters I found a bit jarring in a fantasy setting although it could almost be considered an alternate universe.

In this story, Felix meets up with Aemelia and her mother again, when Aemlia's uncle calls on Felix's services when 3 of his insulae start loosing tenants at an unhealthy rate. It turns out the tenements are being cursed rather comprehensively by a business rival.

The story is told in 3 parts - the investigation and breaking of the curse, the investigation and identification of who is responsible, and the court case against the ringleader.

Recommended.… (más)