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A review by rowena_m_andrews
Fallible Justice by Laura Laakso
4.0
This is the first paranormal crime book that I’ve read and what a fantastic introduction. The title – the idea of justice being fallible – and the cover, which is alluring caught my attention, but it was the writing that hooked me in right from the beginning. ‘I am running through the wilderness, and the wilderness runs through me.’ The descriptions throughout the story were lyrical and vivid, particularly where magic was involved giving the world a wonderfully mystic feel without losing the grounding needed by the crime aspect of the story. It was a story that was woven, rather than told, fantasy and reality twined together.
Fallible Justice had all the facets of a traditional crime novel, the twists and turns, and clues that weren’t clues. It was well-paced, balancing the urgency of solving the mystery and racing against the clock, with slower, character moments. And these were set against the backdrop of a complex, beautifully imagined world. What I enjoyed, was that this wasn’t two worlds entirely at odds with one another, but two communities trying to live together – not perfectly, and not without tension and some misconceptions – another way of grounding the fantastical in the real.
I enjoyed the worldbuilding, not just the combination of the magical and mundane, but also the breadth of the fantasy world. There was such a variety of magical users and beings, each with their own powers, and personalities, and all with their own place in the world. I especially enjoyed the concept of the Heralds and the way the belief that they were infallible in their omnipotence was built into the world.
Yannia, the main character, a magic-user trying to make a place in Old London away from the world she had grown up on, was a fantastic character. She had power, but it didn’t solve all her problems. She still had to solve the mystery through detective work and deal with questions about her personal life, and the chronic pain that plagued her, without an escape clause that magic can sometimes be. Her relationship with Karrion was a well-developed friendship built on honest affection, and working together, and it was wonderful to see him finding his path and learning from her. Other stand characters are Wishearth and Lady Bergamon, and I hope that we will see more of them in the future. Each character had a distinctive voice and role, threads that draw the reader deeper into the narrative, and has left me wanting more.
This book is a blend of crime and fantasy, old and new, reality and the magical, and has laid a strong foundation for the rest of the series. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone wanting to find read something different.
Fallible Justice had all the facets of a traditional crime novel, the twists and turns, and clues that weren’t clues. It was well-paced, balancing the urgency of solving the mystery and racing against the clock, with slower, character moments. And these were set against the backdrop of a complex, beautifully imagined world. What I enjoyed, was that this wasn’t two worlds entirely at odds with one another, but two communities trying to live together – not perfectly, and not without tension and some misconceptions – another way of grounding the fantastical in the real.
I enjoyed the worldbuilding, not just the combination of the magical and mundane, but also the breadth of the fantasy world. There was such a variety of magical users and beings, each with their own powers, and personalities, and all with their own place in the world. I especially enjoyed the concept of the Heralds and the way the belief that they were infallible in their omnipotence was built into the world.
Yannia, the main character, a magic-user trying to make a place in Old London away from the world she had grown up on, was a fantastic character. She had power, but it didn’t solve all her problems. She still had to solve the mystery through detective work and deal with questions about her personal life, and the chronic pain that plagued her, without an escape clause that magic can sometimes be. Her relationship with Karrion was a well-developed friendship built on honest affection, and working together, and it was wonderful to see him finding his path and learning from her. Other stand characters are Wishearth and Lady Bergamon, and I hope that we will see more of them in the future. Each character had a distinctive voice and role, threads that draw the reader deeper into the narrative, and has left me wanting more.
This book is a blend of crime and fantasy, old and new, reality and the magical, and has laid a strong foundation for the rest of the series. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone wanting to find read something different.