“This is the best fantasy series currently being published, maybe the best mystery one too.”—John Joseph Adams, series editor of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy
“Wildly imaginative, sometimes pointed, often hair-raising, and very entertaining, a series that has been a hit with everyone I’ve recommended it to . . . The banter between [Ana and Din] is the most delicious element. . . . A great detective yarn, very strange and delightfully familiar all at the same time.”—Laura Miller, Slate
“Great world-building and a masterfully conceived mystery make for a compelling cross-genre blend.”—The Guardian
“Bennett continues to make genre-blending appear effortless in his stellar third Ana and Din novel (after 2025’s A Drop of Corruption), a suspenseful whodunit set in an immersive and imaginative alternate world. . . . The case is as clever and fairly clued as ever, and it’s a pleasure to revisit these sharply drawn characters. This series shows no signs of slowing down.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The Ana and Din mysteries are a perfect summer beach read. . . . The really clever thing about these books is that they provide all the easy pleasures of a classic whodunit but also include vivid and original world-building, which is no easy task in today’s crowded marketplace. . . . I’ve been recommending [them] to everyone I encounter.”—Emily Gould, New York Dinner Party newsletter
“Series fans will be delighted with the Romeo and Juliet–inspired plotline involving a complex mystery that astounds even the peevish detective. The introduction of a member of Din’s family plus new hints about Ana’s history will have readers eager for their next adventure.”—Booklist, starred review
“Masterfully combines an engrossing mystery, imaginative fantasy and frontier drama . . . Full of evocative writing and thoughtful world building, A Trade of Blood provides a window into yet another aspect of Bennett’s remarkably strange and brutal empire.”—BookPage
“Another highly recommended entry in the . . . Will also appeal to those who are looking for new, different, and fascinating recreations of the greatest detectives and epic fantasy readers craving a dangerous world to plumb to its depths.”—Library Journal, starred review
“Imperial snoops Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol are back on the job. . . . Fantasy meets procedural with a side of veganism, and it’s good merry mayhem.”—Kirkus Reviews
