Dust of the Dead by Michael R. Fletcher
Blurb:
DUST OF THE DEAD
In the peaceful decades since the Qalil War, Aakifah has gained a few pounds and taken a job as shairf of Basrah. Days from retirement, her plans for a quiet life are shattered when a local family is murdered, their daughters taken by pyumah, a race of ravenous predators.
Aakifah sets out with a handful of volunteers, including her lover, in what she knows to be a doomed rescue attempt. Even if the monsters haven't already devoured their prey by the time she finds them, a handful of farmers will be no match for the terrifying creatures.
Young Khayrat studies to be a lumin, speaking to the listening world to bring light to civilization. When her father is assassinated, she volunteers to learn the dark art of the unraveller. Like any act of imploratory, her studies come with a price. With each unravelling, her mind fragments, her sanity fraying as she forgets the peaceful woman she once was.
Khayrat travels with a band of hardened killers, intent on assassinating the foreign royal family. Driven by her need for vengeance, she swears to reduce her king’s enemies to dust.
Review:
As a big fan of grimdark fantasy, there are several authors whose work has come to dominate my TBR. Michael R. Fletcher is one of those authors. Without a doubt, Fletcher writes some of the best grimdark fantasy out there. Dust of the Dead hits all the notes of a high-quality grimdark tale, with enough intrigue, twists, and glimpses of hope to make it a read that I found genuinely difficult to put down.
I was pulled in immediately by the unique world-building and Middle Eastern-inspired aesthetic, particularly in the names. There is a distinct timeline structure that gives perspective to both the past and present, which isn’t at all difficult to follow since there are only two POVs in this book. Combined with the questions of morality and the consequences of actions that seem to always have a domino effect, I was thoroughly pleased with the way this book had me ruminating on various elements throughout. All the while, the plot kept me reading well into the night.
“she saw his life in relation to her own, as if she were a lumin lantern and he a flitting moth.”
Khayrat and Aakifah are similar in some ways and opposites in others. With the addition of the aforementioned timeline structure and an intricate magic system (more accurately, an insanely metal magic system), one can’t help but build theories and cultivate a high level of anticipation for what might happen. The epigraphs offer deep insight into the lore and world-building, and with such a playful structure, Fletcher utilizes clever tactics to weave around potential spoilers for the reader.
“Aging, she decided, was insult heaped upon injury piled on bad knees.”
By far, the most prominent element that readers will gravitate toward, and one that is bound to leave an impact, is the magic system. Certain characters draw from various specialties, most of which are brutally violent. Fletcher is fantastic at exploring the physical and psychological toll the wielder pays for their magic. It’s fascinating to ponder just how much of the consequences can be attributed to the magic itself rather than simply human nature.
For those ready to delve deep into fear, rage, and mystery, all while grasping a thin cord of hope throughout the journey, Dust of the Dead just might become a new favourite read, as it has for me. The atmosphere is eerie and tense, with plenty of badass heroics and just the right amount of toilet humour. Thank you to the author for providing an eARC. It is, indeed, a great book!
