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Death on the Caldera
It's Murder on the Orient Express with witches, for fans of VE Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Courtney Smyth, as well as Agatha Christie.
A blend of fantasy and Golden Age crime, set in an unforgiving landscape that steams with sulphur and bubbles with lava.
The Linde siblings—Kellen, Davina, and Morel—are anxious to return to the kingdom of Halgyr before their father dies, leaving Kellen to assume the throne as king. They book tickets on a luxury express train, expecting a swift journey home—but disaster strikes when the train engine explodes, stranding the siblings atop a caldera bubbling with volcanic magic.
The crash triggers Davina's latent witch powers, but her magic disrupts her ability to remember what she was doing when the explosion took place. While a witch would be the prime suspect for the explosion, the only ones who knew Davina might become one are her brothers—who never warned her, driving her away from them. And, to add insult to injury, somebody is bumping off the surviving train crew and passengers. But it can't be Davina, can it?
While the surviving passengers try to determine who sabotaged the engine and catch the killer, the fractured siblings attempt to stay one step ahead, concealing not only Davina's powers but their own secrets. Luckily, they aren't the only shifty characters on the train. But that small degree of good fortune quickly sours when powerful men turn up dead, suggesting the saboteur is still at work. And who better a mark for the murderer than the heirs to a foreign throne?
A blend of fantasy and Golden Age crime, set in an unforgiving landscape that steams with sulphur and bubbles with lava.
The Linde siblings—Kellen, Davina, and Morel—are anxious to return to the kingdom of Halgyr before their father dies, leaving Kellen to assume the throne as king. They book tickets on a luxury express train, expecting a swift journey home—but disaster strikes when the train engine explodes, stranding the siblings atop a caldera bubbling with volcanic magic.
The crash triggers Davina's latent witch powers, but her magic disrupts her ability to remember what she was doing when the explosion took place. While a witch would be the prime suspect for the explosion, the only ones who knew Davina might become one are her brothers—who never warned her, driving her away from them. And, to add insult to injury, somebody is bumping off the surviving train crew and passengers. But it can't be Davina, can it?
While the surviving passengers try to determine who sabotaged the engine and catch the killer, the fractured siblings attempt to stay one step ahead, concealing not only Davina's powers but their own secrets. Luckily, they aren't the only shifty characters on the train. But that small degree of good fortune quickly sours when powerful men turn up dead, suggesting the saboteur is still at work. And who better a mark for the murderer than the heirs to a foreign throne?
448 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2025
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June 24, 20254.0 Stars
This is a smart urban fantasy style novel that infuses magical elements into a closed room mystery story set on a train. I assume that this one took inspiration from Agatha Christie's famous novel but I haven't read that one to male a specific comparison.
However this one certainly stands on its own. I enjoyed the mystery element which was made more enjoyable from the fantastical elements.
It perhaps wasn't the most life-altering, mind blowing novel, but it was ultimately well written with a clearly plotted narrative. I would recommend this one for readers looking for something different between the usual epic fantasy that tends to flood the marker.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is a smart urban fantasy style novel that infuses magical elements into a closed room mystery story set on a train. I assume that this one took inspiration from Agatha Christie's famous novel but I haven't read that one to male a specific comparison.
However this one certainly stands on its own. I enjoyed the mystery element which was made more enjoyable from the fantastical elements.
It perhaps wasn't the most life-altering, mind blowing novel, but it was ultimately well written with a clearly plotted narrative. I would recommend this one for readers looking for something different between the usual epic fantasy that tends to flood the marker.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
April 12, 2025
Death on the Caldera by Emily Paxman takes an epic fantasy world, combines it with a murder mystery plot and delivers a thrilling, unputdownable tale.
This isn’t a book which starts off with a murder but instead we are pulled in by family drama involving the Linde siblings as they travel on a luxurious train back to Halgyr to visit their father before he dies. Also on this journey we have a woman and a child escaping something or someone, and a young couple on their way to find a better way of life. Then the train’s engine explodes and worse still passengers start being murdered.
Paxman took me by surprise because I was not expecting such a well developed world with such complexity and detail in its politics and in its magic system. I was fascinated by volchemistry and the way mist, quartz and solozite from the volcano in Caldera could offer characters with the right knowledge powers. Then throw in the mythology of the two opposing gods, Ramona and Soloz, and how that connects to the history of the witches, well I was absolutely impressed.
The three Linde siblings, Davina, Morel and Kellen were so compelling and I think Paxman did a great job of portraying their sibling relationship, the way they misunderstood each other, argued, jibed but then slowly grew to learn that they really did love one another and would do anything for each other. Another character who I immediately grew attached to was the child Rae who was sharp, observant but also contained much vulnerability in her longing to know her father.
I had plenty of characters who I was suspicious of and I even created a suspect list, which I won’t go into detail about because it’s best to unravel the mystery for yourself. Honestly, it’s a fantastic one!
I am awed that this debut contains so much depth and heart. I feel the ending leaves us with a sense of closure but also has scope for more to come and I for one would very much love to read more from this world and this author. Can you tell I loved it?!
ARC provided by Titan Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the copy!
This isn’t a book which starts off with a murder but instead we are pulled in by family drama involving the Linde siblings as they travel on a luxurious train back to Halgyr to visit their father before he dies. Also on this journey we have a woman and a child escaping something or someone, and a young couple on their way to find a better way of life. Then the train’s engine explodes and worse still passengers start being murdered.
Paxman took me by surprise because I was not expecting such a well developed world with such complexity and detail in its politics and in its magic system. I was fascinated by volchemistry and the way mist, quartz and solozite from the volcano in Caldera could offer characters with the right knowledge powers. Then throw in the mythology of the two opposing gods, Ramona and Soloz, and how that connects to the history of the witches, well I was absolutely impressed.
The three Linde siblings, Davina, Morel and Kellen were so compelling and I think Paxman did a great job of portraying their sibling relationship, the way they misunderstood each other, argued, jibed but then slowly grew to learn that they really did love one another and would do anything for each other. Another character who I immediately grew attached to was the child Rae who was sharp, observant but also contained much vulnerability in her longing to know her father.
I had plenty of characters who I was suspicious of and I even created a suspect list, which I won’t go into detail about because it’s best to unravel the mystery for yourself. Honestly, it’s a fantastic one!
I am awed that this debut contains so much depth and heart. I feel the ending leaves us with a sense of closure but also has scope for more to come and I for one would very much love to read more from this world and this author. Can you tell I loved it?!
ARC provided by Titan Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the copy!
April 20, 2025
I picked up this book hoping for a nice murder mystery in a fun fantasy world...I did not get that. Instead, I got 11 POVs, 4 different magic systems, multiple familial revelations (devoid of emotional impact due to the 11 POVs), way too many dead bodies that was necessary for a mystery, and a villain unveiling that made absolutely no sense.
This book just tries to do too much and as a result doesn't know what it is and left me feeling annoyed and a bit confused due to the sheer number of things to keep track of.
In my book, a mystery requires unravelling, picking apart of characters and motivations, and at some point you get a sense of who the villain is or where the twist will come. This book had no unravelling and instead relied on just external reveal after reveal culminating in genuine bafflement as the killer and their motivations was revealed via flashback. Made me want to throw up my hands.
I would recommend sticking to other books like The Tainted Cup, The Big Over Easy, or A Master of Djinn, if you are looking for that fantasy murder mystery fix.
Thank you to the publisher and to Edelweiss for giving me this ARC to review.
This book just tries to do too much and as a result doesn't know what it is and left me feeling annoyed and a bit confused due to the sheer number of things to keep track of.
In my book, a mystery requires unravelling, picking apart of characters and motivations, and at some point you get a sense of who the villain is or where the twist will come. This book had no unravelling and instead relied on just external reveal after reveal culminating in genuine bafflement as the killer and their motivations was revealed via flashback. Made me want to throw up my hands.
I would recommend sticking to other books like The Tainted Cup, The Big Over Easy, or A Master of Djinn, if you are looking for that fantasy murder mystery fix.
Thank you to the publisher and to Edelweiss for giving me this ARC to review.
June 20, 2025
Death on the Caldera is advertised as "Murder on the Orient Express with witches", however this isn't a retelling, it's more of a secondary world fantasy with Victorian-esque aesthetic where there is 1. a train 2. a series of murders 3. witches.
After a really unlucky streak this year of non-romantic adult fantasy most of which disappointed me, I was scared to pick this book up - will it live up to my expectations? Am I doomed to only enjoy YA and romantasy? But nope, I enjoyed this one a lot!
The strengths:
- The biggest one is the cast of characters! I often struggle with multi-pov ensemble casts, as I have trouble remembering who's who. But in this one, most of the pov characters stood out in a way I recognized them at a glance when they appeared on stage.
- Tying to the above, the multi-pov narration. This is often hard to pull off, I complained about multi-pov making me not connect with most of the cast recently in Mistress of Bones, but this one did it brilliantly. I sympathized with most of the main characters, flawed as they were. I got lulled into a false sense of security and didn't guess the killer. I was actively rooting for most of the characters to survive - of which many did, but a few did not. It's also one of the few cases where a child's pov is well done and isn't obnoxious or reading wrong for its age. I can compare it to another read I liked, The Dollmakers, where also multi-pov did a brilliant job immersing me in feelings of different characters with often conflicting goals.
- The "volchemy" i.e. volcanic alchemy is a very unique and interesting magic system, and having everything revolve around the God of a Volcano and minerals from said volcano having magical properties was hella cool.
- The plot offers plenty of red herrings so I was never bored, and the protagonists are investigating the issue actively rather than waiting until everything falls into their lap.
- The family plotline was very heartwarming and I loved the depiction how much they all cared about each other despite all the past grudges.
The weaknesses:
- The ending leaves open door for a sequel even though as far as I know, no sequel is announced so far. This could not be a downside, if a sequel materializes, or if you don't mind the style of ending where the main plot is wrapped up but there's clearly a hint there's more to this story.
- A part of the reveal is delivered through a "villain monologue" which is one of my least favourite tropes, for sure.
- The witches' magic seems a bit overpowered and not clearly limited, which undercuts a bit of tension and believability of the worldbuilding setup.
But overall it was an enjoyable read and one of the best non-romance focused adult fantasy I've picked this year. I'm very intrigued to see what Emily Paxman writes next. The plot held my attention and the characters were interesting and relatable.
I would recommend it to readers who like steampunk / gaslamp / Victorian style settings with a unique magic system, and fantasy where a central relationship is between family members rather than a romance or rag-tag team / "found family".
Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC!
After a really unlucky streak this year of non-romantic adult fantasy most of which disappointed me, I was scared to pick this book up - will it live up to my expectations? Am I doomed to only enjoy YA and romantasy? But nope, I enjoyed this one a lot!
The strengths:
- The biggest one is the cast of characters! I often struggle with multi-pov ensemble casts, as I have trouble remembering who's who. But in this one, most of the pov characters stood out in a way I recognized them at a glance when they appeared on stage.
- Tying to the above, the multi-pov narration. This is often hard to pull off, I complained about multi-pov making me not connect with most of the cast recently in Mistress of Bones, but this one did it brilliantly. I sympathized with most of the main characters, flawed as they were. I got lulled into a false sense of security and didn't guess the killer. I was actively rooting for most of the characters to survive - of which many did, but a few did not. It's also one of the few cases where a child's pov is well done and isn't obnoxious or reading wrong for its age. I can compare it to another read I liked, The Dollmakers, where also multi-pov did a brilliant job immersing me in feelings of different characters with often conflicting goals.
- The "volchemy" i.e. volcanic alchemy is a very unique and interesting magic system, and having everything revolve around the God of a Volcano and minerals from said volcano having magical properties was hella cool.
- The plot offers plenty of red herrings so I was never bored, and the protagonists are investigating the issue actively rather than waiting until everything falls into their lap.
- The family plotline was very heartwarming and I loved the depiction how much they all cared about each other despite all the past grudges.
The weaknesses:
- The ending leaves open door for a sequel even though as far as I know, no sequel is announced so far. This could not be a downside, if a sequel materializes, or if you don't mind the style of ending where the main plot is wrapped up but there's clearly a hint there's more to this story.
- A part of the reveal is delivered through a "villain monologue" which is one of my least favourite tropes, for sure.
- The witches' magic seems a bit overpowered and not clearly limited, which undercuts a bit of tension and believability of the worldbuilding setup.
But overall it was an enjoyable read and one of the best non-romance focused adult fantasy I've picked this year. I'm very intrigued to see what Emily Paxman writes next. The plot held my attention and the characters were interesting and relatable.
I would recommend it to readers who like steampunk / gaslamp / Victorian style settings with a unique magic system, and fantasy where a central relationship is between family members rather than a romance or rag-tag team / "found family".
Thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC!
March 3, 2025
4.5⭐
Thank you Emily Paxman, Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂 by Emily Paxman is a Murder on the Orient Express with Witches, for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Agatha Christie. A blend of fantasy and Golden Age crime, Death on the Caldera is set in an unforgiving landscape that steans with sulphur and bubbles with lava.
This was THE fantasy-murdermystery novel I was looking for which had classic murder mystery vibes with fantasy that wasn't afraid to be immersive. The balance between fantasy and mystery was very well done. The central characters -- Davina, Morel and Kellan were very well developed characters their companions and secondary characters were as important to the plot as they were.
The standout feature of this novel was the rich and atmospheric setting. The descriptions were point on and claustrophobic with the Caldera, brewing tension that permeated the entire storyline. The luxury train served as a backdrop tp the unfolding mystery, adding essence to the Golden Age crime vibes.
The characters are multifaced and compelling. Kellen is burdened by the responsibility of the throne and the weight of the family's expectations, Davina struggles with the fractured memories after her witch powers awaken and Morel harbours secrets of his own. The dynamics between the siblings are fraught with tension, love, and betrayal, making their relationships one of the most compelling aspects of the story.
The jaw-dropping plot twists had blowed my mind and Emily Paxman had us entertained the entire time with red herrings and building platonic relationships. There was never a point in the book where it felt that things weren't moving because everything evenly paced.
Death on the Caldera is a must-read for fans of fantasy and mystery. Emily Paxman created a thought provoking and atmospheric world which can also be read as a standalone. I cannot wait to continue this series!
Thank you Emily Paxman, Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂 by Emily Paxman is a Murder on the Orient Express with Witches, for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Agatha Christie. A blend of fantasy and Golden Age crime, Death on the Caldera is set in an unforgiving landscape that steans with sulphur and bubbles with lava.
This was THE fantasy-murdermystery novel I was looking for which had classic murder mystery vibes with fantasy that wasn't afraid to be immersive. The balance between fantasy and mystery was very well done. The central characters -- Davina, Morel and Kellan were very well developed characters their companions and secondary characters were as important to the plot as they were.
The standout feature of this novel was the rich and atmospheric setting. The descriptions were point on and claustrophobic with the Caldera, brewing tension that permeated the entire storyline. The luxury train served as a backdrop tp the unfolding mystery, adding essence to the Golden Age crime vibes.
The characters are multifaced and compelling. Kellen is burdened by the responsibility of the throne and the weight of the family's expectations, Davina struggles with the fractured memories after her witch powers awaken and Morel harbours secrets of his own. The dynamics between the siblings are fraught with tension, love, and betrayal, making their relationships one of the most compelling aspects of the story.
The jaw-dropping plot twists had blowed my mind and Emily Paxman had us entertained the entire time with red herrings and building platonic relationships. There was never a point in the book where it felt that things weren't moving because everything evenly paced.
Death on the Caldera is a must-read for fans of fantasy and mystery. Emily Paxman created a thought provoking and atmospheric world which can also be read as a standalone. I cannot wait to continue this series!
June 10, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
A multi-POV mystery with equally interesting worldbuilding and magic system, Death on the Caldera is a perfect blend of fantasy and mystery.
I really, really enjoyed this. I was pleasantly surprised by the well-crafted third-person, multi-POV structure! It was a great way to focus the story, as without it, there would have been too many red herrings or suspects in the story to keep track of.
The worldbuilding is really cool. A sort of post-industrial, almost golden age era fantasy (hence the train), but with a royal family in control of one of the more prosperous countries (I could have used a bit more on the politics, actually, but it would have felt out of place given the setting) and a really cool magic system. First, there is Volchemistry, a magic that anyone can use if they have the right materials, though it seems to be something you need training in, making it an esoteric skill generally held by the rich. What’s cool is that it’s powered by or created by the volcanoes. Then there are witches who are said to be accidentally powerful, in that their power is uncontrollable and temperamental, and they also morph their appearance when using it. The latter is used as a way to control and hamper women’s freedoms, which doesn’t get a huge amount of play in the novel but seems to be on track to expand upon, perhaps if there is a part 2.
Despite all this, plus everything else going on, I was never confused. Information is released when needed and by people affected by it, which was another strength of the multi POV.
The characters are a lot of fun. We have the three siblings first of all, all of whom are very different and coming together after being estranged. All three are paradoxes, which makes sense, given they have two personas; their royal self and the self they use when they are living among the masses. The siblings are all undercover, in a sense, as the royals pretend to be regular (albeit rich) people, I’m assuming until they decide to reveal themselves publicly. As such, Kellen is both very logical but also is motivated by his heart. Davina is naive and sheltered, but also very tough. And Moral is a soldier but sort of a, well, not a wimp, but definitely not hot-headed or overly brave. They are all likable as you get to see their struggles with their outward persona vs who they really are. The other characters are also great, especially the child, Rae. Her POVs are few, but they are really well done. There’s a tendency for authors to write child POVs that are very simple to the point of dumbing stuff down, but the real way to do it is to throw in words here and there to describe high-level concepts a child wouldn’t know (which is what this novel does).
The plot is fun - lots of twists and red herrings, with a mystery I figured out just before the reveal. Some characters die, and one in particular, I was like “Aw, that’s too bad!” because I thought that person was really sweet.
The descriptions, especially of the landscape, were really immersive and fun. If you love really cool settings, this book provides that. The action sequences were also well-described and moved at a great clip.
Now, the only thing I will say in critique is that the ending is quite abrupt. While the main things are resolved - in that we have answers to the main mystery - smaller issues were left hanging, almost as if there is supposed to be a sequel. I really hope there is.
Overall, I thought this book was excellent. A 5-star read for sure. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan for the eARC!
A multi-POV mystery with equally interesting worldbuilding and magic system, Death on the Caldera is a perfect blend of fantasy and mystery.
I really, really enjoyed this. I was pleasantly surprised by the well-crafted third-person, multi-POV structure! It was a great way to focus the story, as without it, there would have been too many red herrings or suspects in the story to keep track of.
The worldbuilding is really cool. A sort of post-industrial, almost golden age era fantasy (hence the train), but with a royal family in control of one of the more prosperous countries (I could have used a bit more on the politics, actually, but it would have felt out of place given the setting) and a really cool magic system. First, there is Volchemistry, a magic that anyone can use if they have the right materials, though it seems to be something you need training in, making it an esoteric skill generally held by the rich. What’s cool is that it’s powered by or created by the volcanoes. Then there are witches who are said to be accidentally powerful, in that their power is uncontrollable and temperamental, and they also morph their appearance when using it. The latter is used as a way to control and hamper women’s freedoms, which doesn’t get a huge amount of play in the novel but seems to be on track to expand upon, perhaps if there is a part 2.
Despite all this, plus everything else going on, I was never confused. Information is released when needed and by people affected by it, which was another strength of the multi POV.
The characters are a lot of fun. We have the three siblings first of all, all of whom are very different and coming together after being estranged. All three are paradoxes, which makes sense, given they have two personas; their royal self and the self they use when they are living among the masses. The siblings are all undercover, in a sense, as the royals pretend to be regular (albeit rich) people, I’m assuming until they decide to reveal themselves publicly. As such, Kellen is both very logical but also is motivated by his heart. Davina is naive and sheltered, but also very tough. And Moral is a soldier but sort of a, well, not a wimp, but definitely not hot-headed or overly brave. They are all likable as you get to see their struggles with their outward persona vs who they really are. The other characters are also great, especially the child, Rae. Her POVs are few, but they are really well done. There’s a tendency for authors to write child POVs that are very simple to the point of dumbing stuff down, but the real way to do it is to throw in words here and there to describe high-level concepts a child wouldn’t know (which is what this novel does).
The plot is fun - lots of twists and red herrings, with a mystery I figured out just before the reveal. Some characters die, and one in particular, I was like “Aw, that’s too bad!” because I thought that person was really sweet.
The descriptions, especially of the landscape, were really immersive and fun. If you love really cool settings, this book provides that. The action sequences were also well-described and moved at a great clip.
Now, the only thing I will say in critique is that the ending is quite abrupt. While the main things are resolved - in that we have answers to the main mystery - smaller issues were left hanging, almost as if there is supposed to be a sequel. I really hope there is.
Overall, I thought this book was excellent. A 5-star read for sure. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan for the eARC!
November 1, 2025
A three star story but a two star murder mystery. My official rating reflects which I think matters more.
The most important part of a mystery story, the villain reveal, was so nonsensical and underwhelming it made me wonder why the author wrote a book in this genre in the first place.
The most important part of a mystery story, the villain reveal, was so nonsensical and underwhelming it made me wonder why the author wrote a book in this genre in the first place.
August 19, 2025
8/14/25: 5 stars. WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW. The best debut SFF novel I've ever read. An epic fantasy that is an Agatha Christie style murder mystery meets Brandon Sanderson's magic systems and worldbuilding. This book has excellent characters, an incredibly well paced and twisty plot, fantastic magic, and moments that straight up made me cry. This is fantastic.
Full Reddit review to come.
Full Reddit review to come.
February 4, 2025
Take a Murder on the Orient Express and insert some witches and you've got Death on the Caldera! Siblings Kellen, Morel, and Davina are headed back home because their father, the king, is dying. But while driving over the Caldera the engine explodes, stranding them all. Not only that, but the crash brought out Davina's unknown (to her) witch powers. But now people are being killed and everyone suspects a witch. Death on the Caldera is nonstop action and fun!
I liked this one, but really wanted it to be a stand alone. It definitely seems like there will be a sequel. The one thing that confused me was the royalty. No one knows who the royal family is...so why does it matter if Kellen has an illegitimate kid? No one knows he's the king. Also, shouldn't someone know who they are? I mean, they could pass it to anyone and who would know?
Release Date: 5/27/2025
I liked this one, but really wanted it to be a stand alone. It definitely seems like there will be a sequel. The one thing that confused me was the royalty. No one knows who the royal family is...so why does it matter if Kellen has an illegitimate kid? No one knows he's the king. Also, shouldn't someone know who they are? I mean, they could pass it to anyone and who would know?
Release Date: 5/27/2025
June 28, 2025
✨️ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 ✨️
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 🌱📚
The Linde siblings—Kellen, Davina, and Morel—board a luxury train to return home before their father, the king of Halgyr, dies. But when the train explodes atop a volcanic caldera, they’re stranded with a group of strangers, a rising body count, and a whole lot of secrets. Davina’s latent witch powers awaken, her memory fractures, and someone starts murdering survivors one by one. With suspicion swirling and the siblings hiding more than just royal blood, the real question becomes: who’s the killer… and who’s next?
𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀🍵🪽
Luxury train ride? Check. Royal siblings with secrets? Check. Magical volcanic caldera that turns into a murder scene? Oh, absolutely. This book threw me into a fantasy murder mystery where the train explodes, the witch forgets what she did, and people start dropping like cursed dominoes. Davina’s powers are waking up, her brothers are hiding things, and someone on board is a killer. I was hooked, suspicious of everyone, and living for the drama.
If you like your whodunits with a side of witchcraft and royal dysfunction, this one’s a ride—literally and emotionally.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿🥀
🚂 Locked-Room Mystery (on a train!)
🧙♀️ Hidden Magic Awakening
👑 Royal Siblings with Secrets
🪢 Found Family Tension
🌀 Amnesia/Memory Loss
🔪 Murder Among Strangers
✨️TYSM @titanbooks for sending me a copy!
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 🌱📚
The Linde siblings—Kellen, Davina, and Morel—board a luxury train to return home before their father, the king of Halgyr, dies. But when the train explodes atop a volcanic caldera, they’re stranded with a group of strangers, a rising body count, and a whole lot of secrets. Davina’s latent witch powers awaken, her memory fractures, and someone starts murdering survivors one by one. With suspicion swirling and the siblings hiding more than just royal blood, the real question becomes: who’s the killer… and who’s next?
𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀🍵🪽
Luxury train ride? Check. Royal siblings with secrets? Check. Magical volcanic caldera that turns into a murder scene? Oh, absolutely. This book threw me into a fantasy murder mystery where the train explodes, the witch forgets what she did, and people start dropping like cursed dominoes. Davina’s powers are waking up, her brothers are hiding things, and someone on board is a killer. I was hooked, suspicious of everyone, and living for the drama.
If you like your whodunits with a side of witchcraft and royal dysfunction, this one’s a ride—literally and emotionally.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿🥀
🚂 Locked-Room Mystery (on a train!)
🧙♀️ Hidden Magic Awakening
👑 Royal Siblings with Secrets
🪢 Found Family Tension
🌀 Amnesia/Memory Loss
🔪 Murder Among Strangers
✨️TYSM @titanbooks for sending me a copy!
March 1, 2025
THE fantasy-mystery I've been looking for, classic murder mystery vibes that isn't afraid to complicate its fantasy, or to let those elements complicate each other. The central characters are also standouts for me, both likeable and human, with Davina and her alter ego witch as the queens. Loved it.
June 11, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
Death on the Caldera by Emily Paxman is a third person multi-POV fantasy mystery reimagining of Murder on the Orient Express. As a train passes through a caldera with witches and gods who seek to destroy the royal family, someone crashes the train and they’re also killing passengers. The three Linde siblings, Kellen, Davina, and Morel are three of the passengers and they’ll need to help figure out what is going on and why.
I have not read anything by Agatha Christie so I cannot say how this works as an adaptation of the Murder on the Orient Express. I can say that it fulfills its promise of being a fantasy mystery with witches. Part of the mystery is figuring out who the witch is and there is some very cool worldbuilding around witches that I have never seen before. The magic system isn’t fully explained because it isn’t totally understood by any of the characters, but there are some fun details regarding different magics existing in different cultures.
A major theme is identity and names, which fits in well with this being a fantasy mystery. The caldera god who seeks the royal family struggles to find his prey because they hide their names and identities from the whole world. Their true names are very closely kept secrets and even when traveling, they use fake names. Other passengers on the train, such as Genna and her daughter Rae, contribute to this theme as they move through the world and hide parts of themselves and their pasts, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
The book moves at a fairly brisk pace once we really get going. Classic mysteries often took their time to set everything up and Death on the Caldera is no different. Once we get to the train crash, however, we start moving much faster and we keep pushing forward all the way to the end. I have found that I struggle with plot-driven mysteries because I really need a character to help me get through a book and there were several interesting characters here and they helped the book feel like there is forward momentum.
I would recommend this to fans of fantasy mysteries and classic mysteries and readers looking for something to read after The Tainted Cup and Raven Scholar
Death on the Caldera by Emily Paxman is a third person multi-POV fantasy mystery reimagining of Murder on the Orient Express. As a train passes through a caldera with witches and gods who seek to destroy the royal family, someone crashes the train and they’re also killing passengers. The three Linde siblings, Kellen, Davina, and Morel are three of the passengers and they’ll need to help figure out what is going on and why.
I have not read anything by Agatha Christie so I cannot say how this works as an adaptation of the Murder on the Orient Express. I can say that it fulfills its promise of being a fantasy mystery with witches. Part of the mystery is figuring out who the witch is and there is some very cool worldbuilding around witches that I have never seen before. The magic system isn’t fully explained because it isn’t totally understood by any of the characters, but there are some fun details regarding different magics existing in different cultures.
A major theme is identity and names, which fits in well with this being a fantasy mystery. The caldera god who seeks the royal family struggles to find his prey because they hide their names and identities from the whole world. Their true names are very closely kept secrets and even when traveling, they use fake names. Other passengers on the train, such as Genna and her daughter Rae, contribute to this theme as they move through the world and hide parts of themselves and their pasts, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
The book moves at a fairly brisk pace once we really get going. Classic mysteries often took their time to set everything up and Death on the Caldera is no different. Once we get to the train crash, however, we start moving much faster and we keep pushing forward all the way to the end. I have found that I struggle with plot-driven mysteries because I really need a character to help me get through a book and there were several interesting characters here and they helped the book feel like there is forward momentum.
I would recommend this to fans of fantasy mysteries and classic mysteries and readers looking for something to read after The Tainted Cup and Raven Scholar
June 22, 2025
Death on the Caldera by Emily Paxman opens with a fantastic blurb that immediately caught my attention. With its promise of murder mystery, Golden Age travel, Agatha Christie-style intrigue, and a touch of witchcraft, it sounded like exactly the kind of story I’d love. Unfortunately, my engagement began to wane around the 20% mark. The narrative becomes quite crowded—with a large cast, a complex magical system, and a writing style that at times felt heavy and unfocused. While the overall plot had promise, I struggled to connect with many of the characters. That said, I genuinely enjoyed Davina, Rae, and Genna, and I think the story would have felt more compelling if it had centred more tightly on them. I can understand why some readers gave it five stars—there’s definitely potential here—but for me, it didn’t quite rise above a three.
November 21, 2025
I liked this book , murder mystery on the train damn, I could have loved this book.
NGL I did call out who it was within like 40% of the book but the villains motivations were a bit unbelievable, I don't want to say it was a bit of bosh but that's what it felt like. it was very a very strong story like till about two thirds and act 3 felt like it was a bit loose.
love the Witch magic system and how it's a two sides of a coin thing. I hope there's a second book that ties it together because now I'm left a little bit unsatisfied.
NGL I did call out who it was within like 40% of the book but the villains motivations were a bit unbelievable, I don't want to say it was a bit of bosh but that's what it felt like. it was very a very strong story like till about two thirds and act 3 felt like it was a bit loose.
love the Witch magic system and how it's a two sides of a coin thing. I hope there's a second book that ties it together because now I'm left a little bit unsatisfied.
September 8, 2025
A really neat book with some things I haven't seen before. A bunch of magic systems interact, and they interact with their societies in weird ways - for Balter it's more like technology / for the witches, it's more like get a wild look in your eye, plunge your hands into the earth and cause a lava flow. I liked all the three main characters, they all feel like they have history (with each other, and with the cultures they travel between) and it comes into play in the book. And, the mystery actually works too.
July 21, 2025
Truly a blend of Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery and magic and witches. A little complex at times with worldbuilding and the many POVs, but overall a very successful debut!
Davina, Kellen, and Morel are siblings/secret royalty traveling to their home on a luxury train, when suddenly it explodes and derails. Kellen then reveals that Davina has latent witch powers, usually hidden but comes out when there’s danger. Davina’s not sure if her powers caused the crash, but when a murder takes place, the siblings spearhead the investigation to keep suspicion off of them. But as the bodies pile up, it’s clear the passengers are hiding dangerous secrets.
There’s political machinations, complicated family and sibling relationships, and a magic system based on rocks (along with that of the witches, which seems to be… transmogrifying?), plus a mystery tying them all together. There’s multiple POV, which does get a little confusing sometimes when it’s not the most clear whose POV we’re in. The mystery has the whodunnit vibes and the investigation like from Agatha Christie’s novels, though honestly with the deaths that occur and the character development (or lack of it for most side characters, probably due to the focus on relationships and many POVs), it wasn’t too hard to figure out the suspect (also because of how the narrative was built, but I might have just read too many Christie novels). I would have liked maybe another twist for the mystery aspect. There were also several plot threads left open by the end, but it seemed to be leaving things open for a sequel.
The characters and their complicated relationships were interesting to read and see develop. I grew frustrated with them at times, but also understood why they acted like they did, and liked seeing their warm family moments, too. Definitely recommend to mystery lovers who also enjoy fantasy, with a focus on characters!
Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Davina, Kellen, and Morel are siblings/secret royalty traveling to their home on a luxury train, when suddenly it explodes and derails. Kellen then reveals that Davina has latent witch powers, usually hidden but comes out when there’s danger. Davina’s not sure if her powers caused the crash, but when a murder takes place, the siblings spearhead the investigation to keep suspicion off of them. But as the bodies pile up, it’s clear the passengers are hiding dangerous secrets.
There’s political machinations, complicated family and sibling relationships, and a magic system based on rocks (along with that of the witches, which seems to be… transmogrifying?), plus a mystery tying them all together. There’s multiple POV, which does get a little confusing sometimes when it’s not the most clear whose POV we’re in. The mystery has the whodunnit vibes and the investigation like from Agatha Christie’s novels, though honestly with the deaths that occur and the character development (or lack of it for most side characters, probably due to the focus on relationships and many POVs), it wasn’t too hard to figure out the suspect (also because of how the narrative was built, but I might have just read too many Christie novels). I would have liked maybe another twist for the mystery aspect. There were also several plot threads left open by the end, but it seemed to be leaving things open for a sequel.
The characters and their complicated relationships were interesting to read and see develop. I grew frustrated with them at times, but also understood why they acted like they did, and liked seeing their warm family moments, too. Definitely recommend to mystery lovers who also enjoy fantasy, with a focus on characters!
Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 8, 2025
The cover blurb states that Death on the Caldera is Murder on the Orient Express with witches and the comparison is definitely warranted.
The story begins with the three Linde siblings boarding the luxurious Express train that is to cross the continent and take them to their home. En route we learn more about some of the other passengers before an explosion derails the train. Then comes the first murder!
Mixed in with this Christie-esque mystery is a rich and layered story of witches, alchemy and conquest that turns it into a very different kind of story. One that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in.
The story is quite dark and although there a brief moments of humour the don’t really alleviate the tension threaded through the story. Emily Paxman doesn’t shy away from killing characters that you come to care for and this certainly adds to the tension.
All in all I enjoyed this story and hope to read more by Paxman in the future.
*** Minor Spoiler Ahead***
The story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, however most of the plot points remain unresolved and characters are far from safe. To that end I hope there with be a sequel(s) to resolve things or I’ll be very disappointed!
*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ***
The story begins with the three Linde siblings boarding the luxurious Express train that is to cross the continent and take them to their home. En route we learn more about some of the other passengers before an explosion derails the train. Then comes the first murder!
Mixed in with this Christie-esque mystery is a rich and layered story of witches, alchemy and conquest that turns it into a very different kind of story. One that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in.
The story is quite dark and although there a brief moments of humour the don’t really alleviate the tension threaded through the story. Emily Paxman doesn’t shy away from killing characters that you come to care for and this certainly adds to the tension.
All in all I enjoyed this story and hope to read more by Paxman in the future.
*** Minor Spoiler Ahead***
The story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, however most of the plot points remain unresolved and characters are far from safe. To that end I hope there with be a sequel(s) to resolve things or I’ll be very disappointed!
*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ***
July 29, 2025
It was a solid, decent read. I enjoyed most of the characters. It just never really grabbed me. The volcanoes and the witches weren't my thing. ETA: I agree with too many POVs and also that the touted murder mystery aspect felt more like a stale thriller.
December 21, 2024
You had me at Murder on the Orient Express with witches!!! I'm so excited for this one.
October 9, 2025
I really expected to like this because it sounded like exactly my sort of story when it was described as "Agatha Christie, with magic". That should have been a perfect fit for me.
I really couldn't get into this story though. First there were too many characters and there was just enough time to start connecting to one, before that plot line stopped and we got a completely different, and seemingly unconnected new set of people we had to meet and try to figure out.
I also found this story very slow to get going. I read to page 85 of the 400+ page book and to that point very little had happened other than introducing many characters.
Finally the world-building here felt overly-complex and hard to understand. The names and places and other key aspects were made up and my brain kept trying to connect them to something I could identify so I understood what they were but it didn't land for me.
This obviously just wasn't the right kind of story for me so I won't be continuing with it.
I really couldn't get into this story though. First there were too many characters and there was just enough time to start connecting to one, before that plot line stopped and we got a completely different, and seemingly unconnected new set of people we had to meet and try to figure out.
I also found this story very slow to get going. I read to page 85 of the 400+ page book and to that point very little had happened other than introducing many characters.
Finally the world-building here felt overly-complex and hard to understand. The names and places and other key aspects were made up and my brain kept trying to connect them to something I could identify so I understood what they were but it didn't land for me.
This obviously just wasn't the right kind of story for me so I won't be continuing with it.
July 21, 2025
Crash landing
I was intrigued by this book when I heard about it, picturing in my head a sort of fantastical treatment of Murder On The Orient Express with witches, murder, and presumably murderous witches. However that was not what this book was: instead the train derails and you get to watch the ghost of the plot gradually derail with it. Several groups of characters who have very little beyond their one dimensional archetypes, such as the bigoted powerful peer, the well meaning clueless nobleman love interest, and the lord torn between his duty and his heart- all combine in a narrative more watery than a bowl of soup left out in the rain. It may taste good in different circumstances, but as it stands it's not very nourishing.
I was intrigued by this book when I heard about it, picturing in my head a sort of fantastical treatment of Murder On The Orient Express with witches, murder, and presumably murderous witches. However that was not what this book was: instead the train derails and you get to watch the ghost of the plot gradually derail with it. Several groups of characters who have very little beyond their one dimensional archetypes, such as the bigoted powerful peer, the well meaning clueless nobleman love interest, and the lord torn between his duty and his heart- all combine in a narrative more watery than a bowl of soup left out in the rain. It may taste good in different circumstances, but as it stands it's not very nourishing.
December 19, 2025
4.15 STARS
There is a lot to like about this book....a delightful mix of murder, mystery, politics, and witchcraft.
The characters are well done, and our sibling main characters interact well with each other, even though their relationship grinds on you a bit (which makes it a very realistic sibling rivalry!).
Call backs to Murder on The Orient Express with plain, ordinary murder, mixed in with magic and witches as wanted criminals in hiding make for a quick read.
The end does leave you a bit hanging, as it resolves most of the major plot points, but it appears to also be setting up for a sequel/series.
All in all, a good, enjoyable genre blending read, and I look to the sequel.
4.15 STARS
There is a lot to like about this book....a delightful mix of murder, mystery, politics, and witchcraft.
The characters are well done, and our sibling main characters interact well with each other, even though their relationship grinds on you a bit (which makes it a very realistic sibling rivalry!).
Call backs to Murder on The Orient Express with plain, ordinary murder, mixed in with magic and witches as wanted criminals in hiding make for a quick read.
The end does leave you a bit hanging, as it resolves most of the major plot points, but it appears to also be setting up for a sequel/series.
All in all, a good, enjoyable genre blending read, and I look to the sequel.
4.15 STARS
Read
December 25, 2025not giving this a number since I have a mutual friend with the author, but this was overall fun if slightly uneven in places especially when it was trying to wrap up. I think the best part of this was the very good depiction of how a traditional self centred fantasy heroine type can cause problems with her own self righteousness. Overall, in the current drought of actually good romance fantasies, I have been recommending this to old school enjoyers of the genre niche
December 16, 2025
Really enjoyable book was stuck in an airport with it and kept me entertained for many hours of my delayed flight. The magic system really is interesting, im not a big fantasy reader but it seemed pretty unique to me. Id love there to be a sequel though it looks like the authors next book is a sci fi (which is my preferred genre so im not complaining). One of my best reads of the year.
January 25, 2025
I really loved the magical universe, great concepts for magic-making. And throw in a murder-mystery and you’ve got a hit, I say!
Read
June 22, 2025Did not finish; just thought it was trying to be too many things-mystery, romance, fantasy, sort of historical-and not succeeding at any one all that much. Anyway, was not holding my attention and decided to go back to the two nonfiction books I am currently reading, both of which are vying to keep me reading.
August 13, 2025
This was fine. I wanted to like it more but it was slow in parts. Cool world building
October 26, 2025
Lots of potential, but it very much fell flat.
September 8, 2025
This is among my favorite flights of fiction. Powerful magics battle amongst the lives of a multitude of colourful characters. The mechanics of both relationships and superhuman powers are fun, fresh and volatile. Definitely invested in the world and hoping for more.
June 29, 2025
Keeps you guessing
Gotta be wide awake to follow the multiple threads but ultimately a cleverly woven story. Imaginative magic system and believable family relationships. Twists, turns, and keeps you wondering until the satisfying end.
Gotta be wide awake to follow the multiple threads but ultimately a cleverly woven story. Imaginative magic system and believable family relationships. Twists, turns, and keeps you wondering until the satisfying end.
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