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Ser Kellan tor Iaestus is a Highwayman. On the distant Outlands world where Kellan lives, a Highwayman is a Crown official, not a bandit. A combination of a circuit-riding magistrate and sheriff, dispensing justice. Sometimes this entails settling disputes between farmers and sometimes hunting lawbreakers. He is good at his job because of his talent. He is a truth-teller, a living lie-detector.
Sam Robb's A Sense of Murder opens with Kellan roped into a new task. Prospero, an Imperial Magus, arrives in the Outlands seeking a truth-teller. Kellen is assigned as Prospero’s guide in this hunt.
The seers of the Black House diverted Prospero from the hunt. The Empire needs those with talent, and a truth-teller would be valued in the Imperial capital. For Prospero, the hunt is a distraction. For Kellen, it is a danger and an opportunity. He keeps his talent hidden because he does not want to be drafted into Imperial service away from his home world. As Prospero’s guide Kellen is well-positioned to lead suspicion away from himself.
The hunt for the truth-teller soon gets derailed. Traveling seeking traces of the truth-teller, they stumble on dark magic. A demon is killing children. For both men tracking down the demon, stopping it, and finding the warlock animating it take priority.
Their new search takes them to the port of Victar de Reya, the major metropolis of Kellan’s world, a mercantile and Imperial administrative center. But their arrival entangles the pair in Imperial politics, as competing Imperial factions seek advantages. Worse, Kellan and Prospero discover there is something demonically evil in Victar de Reya. It needs to be cleaned out, but complications with the various factions impede their efforts.
The background in this book is complex and layered. There is a blend of magic and science, and which is stronger depends upon location. It also has a strong ethical core, based on Christian values. It is not overtly Christian — the names of the deities are different. The values are the same and many of the teachings will be familiar to anyone conversant with the Bible. All of this makes A Sense of Murder stand out from typical hack-and-slash swords-and-sorcery tales. It has a depth lacking in many such tales.
The action is non-stop. It builds to a stunning conclusion, with numerous plot twists and surprises. If you like science-tinged fantasy, this book is worth reading.
This review was written by Mark Lardas, who writes at Ricochet as Seawriter. Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City, TX. His website is marklardas.com.
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Discussion (2)
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This looks like it could be in the same genre as the Lord Darcy books by Randall Garrett. I enjoyed those many many years agone.
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It is similar in many ways. This one is set in a spacefaring society, where FTL travel seems to be magic-based.