Felix is a professional investigator, an expert at retrieving information and putting together clues to solve crimes. A Roman PI, if you will. But he’s more than that because in this world of dark magic, he must understand those arts as well. When a young man is found dead, with a horrid, twisted look on his face, it is clear such dark forces have had their way with him. The dead man’s father happens to be a senator who suspects foul play so Felix is called on to the case.
The author of this book, Assaph Mehr, has done a remarkable job here. The world building alone is worth the price of admission. His descriptions of the Roman-like cities, structures, people, etc. are superb and provide a genuine flavor of what could be a real place. There are numerous “Roman” words used like Canicula, Gladius, Triclinium, and Pharos. Some are straight out of the actual language and some are fictional terms made up for this novel. There is a handy glossary included but frankly, I never felt the need to use it because the context was sufficient to understand the meanings.
The magic system is entirely practical. It is also subtle, always there in the background but never hammering us with massive magical battles or detailed spell weaving. It blends in with the overall story very well, not stealing the thunder from the actual story of solving a murder. In fact, while this book is classified as a "fantasy", it reads more like historical mystery. As for solving the crime, that is also blended in well with the colorful cultural depictions and personalities we meet along the way. The solution is certainly not obvious and I had to wait until the final denouement when Felix gathers all the relevant parties ala Hercule Poirot to disclose the solution.
A fun novel all the way around, smartly written and begging for a sequel. Thankfully, there is one, and hopefully more on the way.