[EN] Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders, by Aliette de Bodard

I have some broad knowledge of the Dominion of the Fallen setting, but the books still wait for me on my kindle. I thought “Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders” might be a good taster of the series. I don’t yet know whether it is, but I know I’m intrigued and want to read the whole series even more.


What strikes me most after a few days mulling over the book, is the mixture of tones. On one hand, there is a fair share of playfulness and humour in the setup of “a couple goes to visit the family of one of the spouses... except they’re an imperial dynasty”, as well as the dynamic between Thuan – a bookish dragon prince who abhors political games and left his family’s domain behind – and Asmodeus – a charming and murderous fallen angel (it's a bit like if “Hannibal” featured a non-abusive relationship and was a rom-com).

On the other hand, we have the backdrop of a struggling kingdom and topics of inequality, justice, political unease, oppression. While on their visit, Thuan and Asmodeus are thrown into a murder investigation that’s quickly revealed to have wider implications. In the course of the investigation, Thuan struggles with loyalty to his family and his desire to be left in piece, as well as some blind spots resulting from his privileged upbringing.

Those two aspects mesh together pretty well, although I was occasionally confused about how seriously I should take stuff like Asmodeus’ propensity for murder (in the end I think he’s far more discriminate and restrained than Thuan gives him credit for) or one character advocating executions as a way of restoring order (but the ethos of the book ultimately leans towards kindness, not despotic rule).

The style of the book is detailed but very clear and the plot strikes a great balance between the intrigue and personal scenes between Thuan and Asmodeus. I greatly enjoyed how much of the book was dialogue driven, with a lot of space devoted to the way things are phrased, what is said and unsaid, the characters trying to parse what the other party is communicating and untangle the complex webs of meaning. Because of that the book felt tense even though there wasn't a lot of action as such.

This is a short and entertaining read, a hybrid of crime story and romance (in typical romance fashion Thuan and Asmodeus experience some conflict and while their marriage is never really threatened, both of them seem to grow a little by the end and learn to appreciate the other’s perspective on the situation) with some pleasantly weighty socio-political considerations. I am eager to dive into the main series.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.