Genre: Fantasy, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Rari
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About The Book
Iole City is in turmoil. Doran Ó Seanáin, leader of the Black Lung Gang, is determined to challenge the Archon, Arajon’s tyrannical ruler, for his brutal treatment of the miners. But Doran has more to deal with than getting stabbed and a city-wide lockdown that’s seeing his gang of ex-miners slowly starved out of their base.
His daughter Grace has turned against him, and the death of his wife haunts them both. Although he finds reprieve in Nathaniel Morgenstern, the apotheker with a mysterious past to whom he owes his life, the clock is ticking.
The fate of the mines hangs in the balance and the Archon is closing in. Doran’s plan to break the cycle may very well be his last.
The Review
This was my first book by this author, and I had no idea what to expect.
But my heart being ripped from my chest wasn’t it.
Doran is the leader of the Black Lung Gang, an association of miners who are striking against the policies of the Archon of Iole City. He’s also a man grieving the death of his wife three years ago, and the subsequent estrangement from his daughter, Grace.
Doran had slipped to alcoholism in the wake of his wife’s murder, which not only estranged Grace, but also some of his closest friends. Rhian, his deceased wife, was a privileged member of the noble class, but who left that life behind for Doran, founded the Miners’ Liberation Association and was working for the rights of the miners to safer, regulated working conditions and better pay. After her death, the Archon undid everything she was working for and Doran changed the association to the Black Lung Gang and has been trying to carry on her work, albeit in a more violent way.
The miners’ strike has been going on for two years and a demonstration turns violent. Doran is stabbed and he kills the guard who stabs him before escaping. He ends up in an apothecary by Nathaniel Morgenstern who takes care of his injuries, stitches him up, and sends him on his way.
Doran has been pulled out of his grief and alcohol induced spiral by Tsa Lien, his second in command, who isn’t even a miner. She is the Broker who has a network of informants spread throughout the city.
For some reason, Lien doesn’t like his association with Morgenstern, but Doran finds himself seeking the apothekar more and more. His attempts to reconcile with his daughter falls flat and Grace is betrothed to the Archon now.
In desperation, Doran forms the idea to blow up the mines. The mines are the lifeblood of the city and the only item of trade they have. It also has religious significance to the Arajoni, who treat it as a gift from their goddess Sionnan.
In the midst of the chaos of his life, Doran’s only refuge is Nathaniel’s shop and his presence, but Nathaniel is hiding secrets of his own. Addicted to a toxic drug called Death’s Embrace made from a poisonous plant, his days are numbered, but that isn’t the worst thing about him.
From the beginning, this book grabbed me and refused to let me go. Doran, Nathaniel, and Lien are all extremely relatable characters who felt real. There are no chunky blocks of text to describe the past, the world, the religion, and yet, all of it is brought to life vividly.
The prose is evocative and made me feel everything that much more intensely.
There aren’t many fantasy elements in this, no magic or anything and the world that Doran inhabits is very grim and stained with coal dust.
I was able to guess the main plot twist about Nathaniel, so good was the author’s foreshadowing.
On a side note, I was reading this while waiting for my daughter’s medical appointment at the hospital.
Immediately on finishing it, I started the next book.
Character driven fantasy with complex characters, well developed worlds, and fast paced plots.
The Reviewer
Rari is an author and editor writing under the name of Niranjan K. She is an avid reader of all things fantasy, and loves to discourse at length about her favourite books as well as shows. This blog is the space where she will be sharing her views and insights of the books, shows and movies that she likes.
