A Trade of Blood: An Ana and Din Mystery (Shadow of the Leviathan Book 3)

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

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Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man's innocence and confront terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the bestselling author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards. The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos. As Ana investigates—her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears—she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers.

Posts about this title from DocoftheDarkArts

Bob Stuntz
Mar 6

Member Only Early Access: My Most Anticipated New Books in 2026

Books I will get to after I tackle this car crash of ARCs...

1. Speaking Bones by Ken Liu: I have been slowly making my way through the Dandelion Dynasty for the past four years or so, and frankly, the only reason I haven't finished it yet is because I don't want it to end. I maintain that Ken Liu is operating at a level so much higher than other authors that reading him feels like eating caviar or some other food that you only bring out for special occasions.
2. Children of Dune by Frank Herbert: In an effort to get up to speed before Denis Villenueve's Dune Part 3 comes out later this year, I have been making my way through the novels that have inspired the films.
3. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller: I know almost nothing about this book, BUT, the guy who wrote it lives in my general vicinity and one of my coworkers has raved about it, so I have it on a suspended hold at the library.

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Anywho, what are you all reading? What catches your eye on the upcoming release schedule? Let me know.