The Helm of Midnight

Last Updated on January 18, 2023 by ThoughtsStained

OH WOW. Friends, last year, the first fantasy book I read, The Councillor by E.J. Beaton, was so amazing, it stayed crowned as my favorite read of 2022. I’m not sure if The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter will do the same, but by gods. It’s certainly set itself up to be one of my top five reads of 2023. And we’re only halfway through January. 💀

Table of Contents

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Book Info

Publication Info

Content Warnings

A legendary serial killer stalks the streets of a fantastical city in The Helm of Midnight, the stunning first novel in a new trilogy from acclaimed author Marina Lostetter.

In a daring and deadly heist, thieves have made away with an artifact of terrible power–the death mask of Louis Charbon. Made by a master craftsman, it is imbued with the spirit of a monster from history, a serial murderer who terrorized the city with a series of gruesome murders.

Now Charbon is loose once more, killing from beyond the grave. But these murders are different from before, not simply random but the work of a deliberate mind probing for answers to a sinister question.

It is up to Krona Hirvath and her fellow Regulators to enter the mind of madness to stop this insatiable killer while facing the terrible truths left in his wake.

On the Page

Amnesia and memory disorders
- Depersonalization/derealization
Animal attack
Blood and gore depiction
Cults
Dead bodies and body parts
Death of a child
Death of a sibling
Grief/loss depiction
Hostage situation and kidnapping
Bodily mutilation and medical experimentation
Nightmares and night terrors
Panic attacks
Phobias
Pregnancy (unplanned but wanted)

Referenced

Animal death and death of a pet

Minor

Content warnings are written up by me, unless specified. Subject to being an incomplete list, though guided by referencing this list and trying to highlight as many as I can identify.

Book Depository

IndieBound

Raven Bookstore

Review

Likes

Magic System: Absolutely impeccable. I am beyond fascinated by the masks, the gods, the time tax and the way emotion works.
Mystery. I have wanted more mysteries in fantasy since I read Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans last year. And wow, did this book deliver.
Layered writing: Not only do we have multiple-POV. We also have multiple timelines. Not to mention layered stories within stories. It was a masterful web that was delicious to untangle.
Our sisters. I will die for Krona and De-Lia. No, I’ll not be taking questions at this time.
Queernorm world! The more books I read that regularly use neopronouns within a queernorm world, the less I want to read books that don’t have these elements, tbh.

Dislikes

Length/pacing. Personally, I thought this book could have been just a smidge shorter. I found it started to drag a bit in the middle. Yet it did not have that issue by the end.

Rating

The Helm of Midnight is not a book you want to miss. Especially since the sequel comes out in less than a month!! Though I’m naturally an emotional person, it actually takes quite a bit for a book to make me cry? Look at this one, making me weep buckets by the end. I’m so fascinated by its intricacies and creativity. Yet the characters had my heart. And I seriously cannot get over the magic system of this world.

100% recommend this book, friends. Unparalleled in so many ways, I cannot wait to continue this series!

A custom artowrk signature that reads, "Onward to Adventure, Nicole" with a feathered quill and inkpot bordering it.