I make it known far and wide my love for this series, and A Trade of Blood turned out to be another brilliant installment.
So right off the bat, we find ourselves with a little literary Easter egg. I think fans of Romeo and Juliet will be tickled to spot this nod to arguably the most famous love story of all time. But instead of the Montagues and the Capulets, here we have the Buravs and the Armentas. These two families have been feuding for generations, so when their heirs become star crossed lovers and then one kills the other, surely it must be some sort of tragic lovers spat. But of course knowing Robert Jackson Bennett, that is just the kicking off point of what's to be a rather twisted and sinister tale.
The mystery itself is really two separate components. One is what's going in the present and that's the search for the killer. Now if you read enough of this genre, I don't think you'll be very surprised with this aspect. The clues are certainly there and Bennett very much follows the fair play rules, making this a fun one if you're the sort of reader to enjoy armchair detecting along, which I certainly do.
But just because pinpointing the whodunnit isn't too hard doesn't mean the investigation is without surprises. In fact, there is a scale to this mystery and a boldness to the progression of the whole thing that is frankly—for lack of a better word—insane. Just when you think you've got a grasp on what's going on, here comes another development so surprising, so unforeseen, so imaginative you're forced to pause and rejigger your entire grasp of reality. To quote the kids, I was shook, not once, not twice, but many, many times.
Now the other component, and perhaps the more interesting one, is how this all ties into what happened historically in this world. Here, it feels like we're finally starting to see more of the backstory of how the Empire came to be and also where this series might ultimately be headed. And we're learning more about Ana and her provenance, all of which is so fascinating, I'm drooling with anticipation of what's to come.
As is oft the case for a series like this, each book is a self contained mystery, while there is also an overarching narrative spanning the entire series that we are slowly trying to understand. Of course once we satisfy the latter, it's possible there'll be no more of the former. It's a bit of a balancing act, and Bennett himself recently mentioned that exact sentiment. So while I'm excited, I'm also like let's not be too hasty. I don't want it all to be revealed too quickly, for that could very well spell the end of the series.
This story also tackles some themes that feel relevant and maybe even prescient to today. The developed world has been shifting towards a mindset of ravenous consumption over the last few decades. That's obvious in the food we eat, the things we buy, and maybe even the information we consume. And so it's interesting to see it all laid out in here, starting with the urhosi cows beloved for their meat and the drokha-cats enslaved into harvesting their feed, but also in the guiding web, slowly taking control of a mind and bending it to another's will.
Perhaps we have fashioned an Empire that prefers lavishness to decency. It makes me wonder—is such a people worth maintaining? For a willingness to tolerate suffering for one’s comfort only grows over time.
There are so many layers to this fantasy/mystery hybrid, and it hits on every single one. Every time I pick up a book in this series, it's like watching the bar being raised yet again. What will the next installment bring and how might it astound me even more? Time will tell.
Readaroo Rating: 4.5 stars
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