The Helm of Midnight

by Marina Lostetter

Overview

Hannibal meets Mistborn in Marina Lostetter’s THE HELM OF MIDNIGHT, the dark and stunning first novel in a new trilogy that combines the intricate worldbuilding and rigorous magic system of the best of epic fantasy with a dark and chilling thriller.

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.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250757050
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Series:	The Five Penalties , #1
Pages:	464
Sales rank:	271,616
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Marina Lostetter is the author of Noumenon and Noumenon: Infinity. The Helm of Midnight was her first foray into fantasy. Originally from Oregon, she now resides in Arkansas with her husband, Alex. When not writing or drawing she can often be found reading spec fic, or playing it (she enjoys a good zombie-themed board game now and again). And she does it all while globe-trotting.

Editorial Reviews

01/04/2021

The first in a new trilogy for Lostetter (Neumenon) uneasily blends fantasy with quasi-procedural detective work. Krona, a young Regulator, is assigned to guard a collection of enchanted artifacts on display at a celebration for the chief magistrate of Lutador. But when a monstrous varg attacks the event, the assault draws Krona’s attention long enough for two especially dangerous items to be stolen from the exhibit: a regulated despairstone brooch and executed serial killer Louis Charbon’s death mask. Determined to prove herself to her sister and superior, De-Lia, Krona resolves to catch the thieves and retrieve the items. But soon corpses begin to pile up throughout the city-state, suggesting that she’s got a Louis Charbon copycat killer on her hands. Lostetter intersperses Krona’s hunt for the killer with backstories involving Melanie Depont, a woman searching for a cure for her dying mother, and Louis Charbon himself, who was a legitimate surgeon before getting caught up in a sinister religious plot. The worldbuilding is impressive but overextended, with Lostetter’s highly detailed scene setting and frequent digressions into Lutador’s creation myths making for a cumbersome narrative. It’s an uneven opening, but there’s plenty of potential for series installments to come. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

04/01/2021

Lostetter (Noumenon) makes her fantasy debut with this title. In book one of a five-part series, we are introduced to Krona, a soldier in a Europe-coded world, who is present when an exhibition opening is raided and a valuable artifact of terrible power is stolen—it's the death mask of Louis Charbon (a notorious long-dead serial killer). Now Krona is caught up in the search for a gruesome new murderer, who dissects his victims ruthlessly, then arranges their mangled bodies into disturbingly beautiful flower forms—killings in the style of Charbon, who had created an art form known as "Death Is Art." Krona enlists the aid of Thibaut (part-ally, part-aristocratic pain in the ass) in the search for the killer, who is always elusively just out of reach. VERDICT This tale has creative worldbuilding and an intense focus on the psychology of a killer. Its unresolved ending will leave readers either frustrated or eager to tackle the next installment in the series.—Jane Henriksen Baird, formerly at Anchorage P.L., AK

Library Journal

Praise for The Helm of Midnight

"Marina Lostetter brings together a cast of relatable, remarkably human characters across three separate timelines to tell a beautiful story of struggle, loss and, eventually, triumph... Tears, smiles and surprise await any reader that opens this book."—Bookpage, starred review

"The Helm of Midnight transports readers to an intensely unique and creative world, with interwoven secrets and heart-pounding action. Bloody, ambitious, and absolutely riveting."—Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

"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

"An utterly enthralling mystery of magic, masks, and murder. Marina Lostetter weaves together three stories to a stunning conclusion with a skill that will leave you breathless."—K. B. Wagers, author of the Farian War series

"A tense and atmospheric mystery in an inventive fantasy setting, Lostetter weaves three stories of trauma and grief together with skill and suspense to a thrilling conclusion."—Sam Hawke, author of City of Lies

"A firecracker.... What makes this book a captivating read is not merely the tight prose and exquisite use of language to create tension, but the master craft level of world building that offers much more to the fantasy genre than the usual fare. Don’t pass this one by, it’s too good.”—New York Journal of Books

"This tale has creative worldbuilding and an intense focus on the psychology of a killer."—Library Journal

Praise for Noumenon:

“Lostetter expertly balances the thrill of discovery with the interpersonal consequences of an isolated community. The tools of speculative fiction are deployed with heart-rending attention to emotional reality in this enthralling odyssey. A striking adventure story that could hold a galaxy in its scope.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“[An] ambitious and stunning debut...Lostetter handles a complex and fractured narrative masterfully, never allowing her novel to become confusing or unconvincing. There are no easy answers to the book’s questions, but the lingering sense of wonder and discovery thoroughly justifies its title.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Noumenon...offers a dreamlike exploration of evolving societies and the many ways humans can control, fight and love each other.” —The Washington Post

From the Publisher