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Five Grains: A Dark Historical Mystery of Poison and Power
227 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2026
About the author
Kristof Loak
12 books6 followersKristof Loak writes dark historical fiction about the weight of truth.
His characters are alchemists, anatomists, and cryptographers—professionals whose expertise makes them indispensable and whose silence is a professional necessity. They are the sharpest observers of their age, moving through worlds where their discoveries quietly diverge from the official record.
At the center of Loak’s work lies a simple tension: the distance between a private observation and a public signature.
Across nine novels arranged as three trilogies, his stories move from the anatomical theatres of Renaissance Padua to the alchemical courts of Rudolfine Prague and the shadowed streets of seventeenth-century Paris. In every setting he returns to the same dilemma: what happens when the person who sees the lie most clearly is the one asked to validate it?
The project began in 2019 during a six-month writing sabbatical that gradually expanded into a year of deep research. In the years that followed, the manuscripts accumulated quietly in the margins of everyday life. In 2026, these chronicles of science and silence began reaching readers.
His characters are alchemists, anatomists, and cryptographers—professionals whose expertise makes them indispensable and whose silence is a professional necessity. They are the sharpest observers of their age, moving through worlds where their discoveries quietly diverge from the official record.
At the center of Loak’s work lies a simple tension: the distance between a private observation and a public signature.
Across nine novels arranged as three trilogies, his stories move from the anatomical theatres of Renaissance Padua to the alchemical courts of Rudolfine Prague and the shadowed streets of seventeenth-century Paris. In every setting he returns to the same dilemma: what happens when the person who sees the lie most clearly is the one asked to validate it?
The project began in 2019 during a six-month writing sabbatical that gradually expanded into a year of deep research. In the years that followed, the manuscripts accumulated quietly in the margins of everyday life. In 2026, these chronicles of science and silence began reaching readers.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 17, 2026
This is an intriguing tale, based on the true history of the ‘Affair of the Poisons’ in 17th Century France, where this story is set.
I enjoyed Maren’s expertise as an apothecary; her precision and meticulous rituals; her knowledge of chemistry as it aided in her ability to create potions – both healing and lethal. It was a bit of a stretch of my imagination however, to accept that she had the ability to conduct autopsies, expecting that particular skill to be performed exclusively by surgeons.
The story is very detail-focused, and, at times a bit repetitive. There’s some mystery, deception, and plenty of secrets. The story continues in ‘The Weight of Ink’.
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden Gems, and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed Maren’s expertise as an apothecary; her precision and meticulous rituals; her knowledge of chemistry as it aided in her ability to create potions – both healing and lethal. It was a bit of a stretch of my imagination however, to accept that she had the ability to conduct autopsies, expecting that particular skill to be performed exclusively by surgeons.
The story is very detail-focused, and, at times a bit repetitive. There’s some mystery, deception, and plenty of secrets. The story continues in ‘The Weight of Ink’.
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden Gems, and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2026
She runs a little shop where people can buy five grains of anything including poisons. Before she opened the shop she was someone else, she supplied poisons so people could die but now she is being hunted. She will end up helping him to find her so she decides she needs to get rid of her buyers to save herself. Follow her as she gets deeper and deeper into trouble
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a fantastic read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a fantastic read
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews