"Despite the high-stakes plotting, these short yet immersive fantasy detective novels are pleasantly quiet and optimistic." —Buzzfeed News
"Kazuo Ishiguro-an style."—New York Times
“A delightful story that will satisfy readers of both fantasy and mystery.”—Library Journal, starred review
"Intriguing and well-plotted fantasy mystery. The author’s fans will welcome the chance to continue exploring Amalo alongside this mild-mannered but tenacious detective." — Booklist, starred review
"Addison has striking command of language, a precision of phrase that’s a delight to read and a pleasure to read again. If you enjoy atmospheric, thoughtful, well-characterised mysteries with compelling characters and a competent, kind, and modest protagonist, I recommend The Grief of Stones highly. Hell, even if you don’t think you like such things, try this one (or its predecessor). It’s a great book."—Locus
"The Grief of Stones shows us how a single person builds a family of choice, and what that family means to him in a crisis. . . . Celehar's pursuit of truth and justice, with the obstacles and monsters he faces, is a more than sufficient reason to read The Grief of Stones. Addison's world-building is also terrific, with each page etching the image of a incredibly old society (and one difficult to traverse, both physically and socially). " — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Our titular Witness begins forging more relationships among the living, yet is still compelled to exhume one of the city’s most gruesome secrets.... The Goblin Emperor hit the very niche spot of cozy fantasy while still having very dark underpinnings... Addison... has kept that note of death and how it affects the living."— Lithub
“An excellent third entry in an absolutely wonderful series. Katherine Addison has built a world that could easily fuel more and more of these – let’s hope it does.”—Mystery & Suspense Magazine
“Excellent series. I hope there will be more.”—Philadelphia Science Fiction Society
"Immersive sequel. . . . Thoroughly entertaining. . . . The plot masterfully blurs the line between fantasy and mystery, and Addison turns her brilliant character building to the common folk of Amalo, fleshing out the citizens with heart-wrenching backstories and addressing and ameliorating the world’s societal ills."—Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Chronicles of Osreth
"The only thing wrong with The Goblin Emperor was that it was, for a long time, a stand-alone. But now there's a sequel, The Witness for the Dead — so if you love the world Katherine Addison has created, you've got a way back to it."—NPR, Best SFF of the Past Decade feature
"I've been wanting to return to the world of 'The Goblin Emperor' from the moment I finished that book, and 'The Witness For the Dead' does not disappoint. At once intimate and literally operatic, it's everything I love about Katherine Addison's writing, in ways I didn't know to expect. I loved it." — John Scalzi
“I enjoyed the book so very much. It was really exactly the sort of thing I needed to read.” — Ann Leckie
“Is there anything greater than discovering a genius in our midst?... I adored The Goblin Emperor, and Witness for the Dead—also set amongst the elves, airmen, goblins, and ghouls of that world—packs another lightning-fisted literary wallop...It rocks all my hot spots. Addison lavishes her ardent readers with adventure, new friendships, invisible enemies, and rewards us with her uncommon depths, subtleties, and kindnesses.” — C.S.E. Cooney
“Left me with feelings of warmth and hope for humanity.” — Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns
"The follow-up to the acclaimed The Goblin Emperor brings back a favorite character and expands the elaborate world Addison has created. Fans of the first book—and new readers—will find this novel delightful and immersive." — Library Journal
“A remarkably hopeful story of a single decent person doing his best in a difficult situation.” –io9
“Ambitious and meticulously executed worldbuilding brings an animated dazzle to this exceptional assemblage of character studies and complex encounter.”– Publishers Weekly
“A spellbinding and genuinely affecting drama. Unreservedly recommended.” –Kirkus Reviews
03/21/2022
Thara Celehar’s adventures serving the provincial city of Amalo continue in Addison’s immersive sequel to The Witness for the Dead. Having finally grown accustomed in his role as a Witness for the Dead, communing with the deceased to solve their murders, Celehar is surprised when his employers suddenly send him an apprentice, a widow named Velhiro Tomasaran, and force him into a teaching role. Meanwhile, the Marquess Ulzhavel believes his late wife was murdered and requests that Celehar look into her death. But the investigation takes a turn when Celehar and Velhiro discover an unexpected connection to a murdered student at a girls’ foundling school and uncover a scandal that leaves Celehar questioning his life’s purpose. Though the ending feels rather anticlimactic, the ride there is thoroughly entertaining. The plot masterfully blurs the line between fantasy and mystery, and Addison turns her brilliant character building to the common folk of Amalo, fleshing out the citizens with heart-wrenching backstories and addressing and ameliorating the world’s societal ills. New readers won’t want to jump in with this one, but series fans are sure to be pleased. (June)
★ 03/01/2022
Continuing his assignment from last year's Witness for the Dead, Thara Celehar serves his calling by investigating issues that can only be resolved by speaking to the dead. Whether the issue is an unidentified victim, a lost recipe, or a ghost that needs a last duty performed before it can cross, Celehar's ability to converse with the deceased closes open questions. At least until he loses his gift in a desperate attempt to placate an ancient ghoul. Uncertain whether he will ever witness again, Celehar does his best to search for justice for one last client through his own dogged determination and with the help of his new apprentice and the friends and colleagues he has made. Celehar's wry, self-deprecating, and somewhat philosophical perspective brings his assortment of disparate cases and plotlines to a satisfying conclusion for the clients and the reader, even as his own future is left hanging. VERDICT The gentle Celehar continues to do his best to discover truths that few want revealed, while exploring his city, reflecting on his life and his world, and generally telling a delightful story that will satisfy readers of both fantasy and mystery.—Marlene Harris
Liam Gerrard narrates a mystery set in a complex fantasy world. Thara Celehar, Witness for the Dead in the city of Amalo, finds himself on a dangerous path after starting an investigation into the bewildering murder of a marquise. Despite the grim turns that Celehar’s story occasionally takes, Gerrard maintains a hopeful tone throughout, which is in keeping with Celehar’s focus on always doing his job to the best of his ability despite the occasional hardship he may encounter. When Celehar is at a painful crossroads, both emotionally and professionally, Gerrard does not downplay the profound impact of what has occurred, and gives equal space to the deep solace that Celehar finds in a ritual that helps to recenter him. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Liam Gerrard narrates a mystery set in a complex fantasy world. Thara Celehar, Witness for the Dead in the city of Amalo, finds himself on a dangerous path after starting an investigation into the bewildering murder of a marquise. Despite the grim turns that Celehar’s story occasionally takes, Gerrard maintains a hopeful tone throughout, which is in keeping with Celehar’s focus on always doing his job to the best of his ability despite the occasional hardship he may encounter. When Celehar is at a painful crossroads, both emotionally and professionally, Gerrard does not downplay the profound impact of what has occurred, and gives equal space to the deep solace that Celehar finds in a ritual that helps to recenter him. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
