Beneath the shadow of a drowned death god, a frozen body is unearthed from the snow...Welcome to the Red Kingdom
Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review Dream of Death City by PJ Nwosu! For those who don't want to stick around for the full review, just know that this is a fantastic book that everyone should read, and I'm leaving giving it four stars!
Dream of Death City is a dark fantasy/mystery read that will be published on the 18th of November. It is the 1st book in the Red Kingdom series. It's 523 pages long and was published by Small Heart Press. My ARC was courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.
The Red Kingdom has people divided into certain classes. Thora (a Dust-Caste slave) is owned by the Investigation House, a part of the government. She is tasked to assist with some investigative work with Diem. As they get to Death City, a place where the Red Kingdom holds a less power, Thora can taste freedom, even if she cannot have it.
I had no expectations going into this book, and then I ended stayed up until 4 am reading it. The book is fantastic! You'll start, and then you'll lose yourself in the world PJ Nwosu built up. Truly fantastic world-building! I could picture the giants and the places, but there was never too much of it. It always felt like it belonged to the text and not like the author was forcing it down.
I was a big fan of Thora. She makes hard decisions, takes action, and puts herself on the line for her beliefs. She has a goal, a position no other Dust Caste could ever hope for, and she works hard for it. That being said, despite her being clever, she makes mistakes. She miscalculates, speaks out of turn, and she loses a great deal while trying to get the job done. Sometimes the price is too high.
I was also a big fan of the other characters. Diem, the viceroy, and all the people around them were easy to picture and could be understood. The layers of corruption in the Kingdom were also interesting. I'm sure we'll see a clash coming in the following books.
All in all, I would wholehearted;y recommend this book to anyone interested in dark fantasy!