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A Lady in Crystal
“In Niskar they have perfected the art of stealing dreams, which, in the end, is the art of stealing souls.”
A Lady in Crystal is the first complete tale of how the Assassin Akna came to leave the city of night. His failure to kill one of his master’s enemies has left him spiritually crippled, a man barely alive. He must employ the deadly arts he learned in Niskar’s great Asylum to survive in a city filled with petty gangs where death comes quickly to all but those who seek it.
Akna will survive despite himself, drawn on by a destiny that he cannot yet understand and the need to be whole once more. He cannot know that his fate is inexplicably bound with a being every bit as dangerous and tortured as himself. A lady in crystal.
A Lady in Crystal is the first complete tale of how the Assassin Akna came to leave the city of night. His failure to kill one of his master’s enemies has left him spiritually crippled, a man barely alive. He must employ the deadly arts he learned in Niskar’s great Asylum to survive in a city filled with petty gangs where death comes quickly to all but those who seek it.
Akna will survive despite himself, drawn on by a destiny that he cannot yet understand and the need to be whole once more. He cannot know that his fate is inexplicably bound with a being every bit as dangerous and tortured as himself. A lady in crystal.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2013
1 person is currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Toby Bennett
42 books8 followersToby Bennett was born in 1976 in Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a degree in philosophy from the University of Cape Town. Like many writers he has had a varied career that has included graphic and web design, database administration and technical writing. His true passion lies in creative writing. Visit: www.thedragontower.co.za for more.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 5, 2025
Some good parts, but a little frustrating
2.5 stars rounded up. I liked some aspects of this. The middle portion (after the time skip) seemed pretty well fleshed out and I thought it would go on being enjoyable. It almost felt like someone writing the plot to a video game, with the world being richly described but the main character being less so.
I liked Ilsar and guessed the twist early on, but I'm frustrated with how her plot plays out. The beginning felt like a different book entirely, and the third act felt confusing. Like too much was jammed in to tie up loose ends.
This book could have used some content warnings. This world is extremely dark, and the author doesn't shy away from describing gore and body horror.
Overall this book isn't for me. I think those who like a dark gritty setting filled with nightmares and a more video game vibe might enjoy it.
2.5 stars rounded up. I liked some aspects of this. The middle portion (after the time skip) seemed pretty well fleshed out and I thought it would go on being enjoyable. It almost felt like someone writing the plot to a video game, with the world being richly described but the main character being less so.
I liked Ilsar and guessed the twist early on, but I'm frustrated with how her plot plays out. The beginning felt like a different book entirely, and the third act felt confusing. Like too much was jammed in to tie up loose ends.
This book could have used some content warnings. This world is extremely dark, and the author doesn't shy away from describing gore and body horror.
Overall this book isn't for me. I think those who like a dark gritty setting filled with nightmares and a more video game vibe might enjoy it.
Want to read
January 4, 2024This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
This one is densely poetic, but hard to parse at first. It levels out, however. I’m getting my bearings, & the effect is heady and dark, which marries well with the dreamweavers that are the subject.
There is a Gormenghast meets The Shadow of the Torturer quality to this. The prose is competent, patient, slowly developing our gothic setting and dream stealing priest with some dark plan…
This promises to be a nightmarish, dark fantasy read. The prose is like a drug, drawing me steadily, heavily into this fallen City of Night. I want to know where this goes. I’m in.
This one is densely poetic, but hard to parse at first. It levels out, however. I’m getting my bearings, & the effect is heady and dark, which marries well with the dreamweavers that are the subject.
There is a Gormenghast meets The Shadow of the Torturer quality to this. The prose is competent, patient, slowly developing our gothic setting and dream stealing priest with some dark plan…
This promises to be a nightmarish, dark fantasy read. The prose is like a drug, drawing me steadily, heavily into this fallen City of Night. I want to know where this goes. I’m in.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews