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Tales of Fenest #2
The Stitcher and the Mute
The second novel in the fantasy crime trilogy from two rising stars in the genre.
'Melding noir with the fantasy genre, this is a rather clever read, one which feels especially prescient for our reality' SCIFINOW
There's power in stories,
but stories can be silenced.It's election year and the streets of Fenest are filled with people from every corner of the Union of Realms. But this year is different. The Wayward storyteller has been murdered. Detective Cora Gorderheim has found the man responsible, but now he's dead too, and it's clear that the silenced Wayward is just a small part of a much bigger tale.
As her investigation digs ever deeper, Cora pieces together a conspiracy that will take her from the gutter dwellers of the Union right to the top. A conspiracy that will force her to return to her own story, to its very beginning, if she is to have any say in its end.
Widow's Welcome, the first book in the Tales of Fenest trilogy, is available now.
'It's rare to find such a richly imagined world about the art of myth and storytelling' CHRISTOPHER FOWLER
'Like a Philip Pullman rendition of Cloud Atlas. Widow's Welcome is an irresistibly thrilling introduction to a world of stories within stories – and I can't wait for more' TIM MAJOR
'There is more than meets the eye in this gripping and inventive debut... Rife with intrigue, deceit and cultural tension' JAMES AITCHESON
'An utterly absorbing tale set in a fascinating world. A terrific start to the series' MICK FINLAY
'If you love storytelling, you'll love this' SIMON MORDEN
'Melding noir with the fantasy genre, this is a rather clever read, one which feels especially prescient for our reality' SCIFINOW
There's power in stories,
but stories can be silenced.It's election year and the streets of Fenest are filled with people from every corner of the Union of Realms. But this year is different. The Wayward storyteller has been murdered. Detective Cora Gorderheim has found the man responsible, but now he's dead too, and it's clear that the silenced Wayward is just a small part of a much bigger tale.
As her investigation digs ever deeper, Cora pieces together a conspiracy that will take her from the gutter dwellers of the Union right to the top. A conspiracy that will force her to return to her own story, to its very beginning, if she is to have any say in its end.
Widow's Welcome, the first book in the Tales of Fenest trilogy, is available now.
'It's rare to find such a richly imagined world about the art of myth and storytelling' CHRISTOPHER FOWLER
'Like a Philip Pullman rendition of Cloud Atlas. Widow's Welcome is an irresistibly thrilling introduction to a world of stories within stories – and I can't wait for more' TIM MAJOR
'There is more than meets the eye in this gripping and inventive debut... Rife with intrigue, deceit and cultural tension' JAMES AITCHESON
'An utterly absorbing tale set in a fascinating world. A terrific start to the series' MICK FINLAY
'If you love storytelling, you'll love this' SIMON MORDEN
496 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
6 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Fields
3 books27 followersDK Fields is the writing partnership of novelists David Towsey and Katherine Stansfield.
They both write individually: David’s zombie-western The Walkin’ Trilogy is published by Quercus. Katherine’s historical crime fiction series, Cornish Mysteries, is published by Allison & Busby. She is also a poet.
They both write individually: David’s zombie-western The Walkin’ Trilogy is published by Quercus. Katherine’s historical crime fiction series, Cornish Mysteries, is published by Allison & Busby. She is also a poet.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 11, 2020
It doesn’t take long for the story that Detective Cora Gorderheim’s been telling to gain weight… and a heavy one at that… in the form of a body with a familiar face. Turns out someone important, perhaps even a Chambers, needed their connections to the Wayward killing kept quiet and it seems that bloody murder is a small price to pay for getting away scot free. They should have known better. Cora won’t let sleeping dogs, or dead bodies, lie. She’s prepared to shake things up, and put her life on the line, to find out who’s behind this crime. And what she reveals is world shattering...
As in the first book, The Stitcher and the Mute is a celebration of storytelling. More than that, it’s a multifaceted exploration of the power of words. Here, that power is made explicit through election stories, but if there’s ever a connection to be made between fiction and real life, then this is it. Amongst the entertainment, there’s a warning, both within the book and for those of us without: always look out for what’s hidden as much as what’s on display. Words are slippery things, perfectly suited to deceive. And a whole different story can hide in what's not said. For the Union, this is an election like no other, but there are some who don't want that tale told. It’s up to Cora to separate truth from lies, even if she has to go beyond words, right to the source, and see the truth with her own eyes...
Now, if you thought the authors had showcased their best ‘stories within stories within stories’ designs in Widow's Welcome, you’ve got a surprise coming. The beautifully rolling histories in the Perlish tale were a masterpiece of narrative creation. I’m genuinely awed by how innovative these books are in both form and objective. Yet what’s even more impressive is that the very obvious cleverness is never allowed to outweigh or overpower each novel’s connection with the audience. Yes, there are multiple layers.Yes, there are lots of links within and between stories. But this is a book to be enjoyed and it’s clear that the authors have neglected neither feeling nor character in their desire to create this wonderfully different reading experience. Each individual, whatever their page time, is immediately and stunningly real. Every one engaging enough to hold the reader's attention through their part, whatever shape that takes. I can’t wait to discover how this play's out.
ARC via Netgalley
As in the first book, The Stitcher and the Mute is a celebration of storytelling. More than that, it’s a multifaceted exploration of the power of words. Here, that power is made explicit through election stories, but if there’s ever a connection to be made between fiction and real life, then this is it. Amongst the entertainment, there’s a warning, both within the book and for those of us without: always look out for what’s hidden as much as what’s on display. Words are slippery things, perfectly suited to deceive. And a whole different story can hide in what's not said. For the Union, this is an election like no other, but there are some who don't want that tale told. It’s up to Cora to separate truth from lies, even if she has to go beyond words, right to the source, and see the truth with her own eyes...
Now, if you thought the authors had showcased their best ‘stories within stories within stories’ designs in Widow's Welcome, you’ve got a surprise coming. The beautifully rolling histories in the Perlish tale were a masterpiece of narrative creation. I’m genuinely awed by how innovative these books are in both form and objective. Yet what’s even more impressive is that the very obvious cleverness is never allowed to outweigh or overpower each novel’s connection with the audience. Yes, there are multiple layers.Yes, there are lots of links within and between stories. But this is a book to be enjoyed and it’s clear that the authors have neglected neither feeling nor character in their desire to create this wonderfully different reading experience. Each individual, whatever their page time, is immediately and stunningly real. Every one engaging enough to hold the reader's attention through their part, whatever shape that takes. I can’t wait to discover how this play's out.
ARC via Netgalley
August 3, 2021
The two authors who write as D.K. Fields did not disappoint with this second installment in the Tales of Fenest. Cora Gorderheim digs ever deeper into the mysteries surrounding the death of the storyteller in book one, and now a new set of deaths open this book.
Cora’s dogged, and has the yet-to-be identified people involved in the election-related conspiracy increasingly concerned, as she gets closer to all the secrets, and the reasons behind the growing numbers of murders.
And in a world where stories themselves are vital and integral to all the cultures, and the ruling, of Fenest, the authors create another pair of detailed and fantastic stories as related by two new in-world storytellers within the larger narrative. In fact, this whole series is like a box that one opens to find other smaller tales enriching the main narrative, and also giving the reader a wider and better understanding of the land's cultures and political concerns.
I love the layered nature of this series. On one level it's a murder mystery, leading to the gradual unearthing of a political conspiracy, which masks growing environmental and immigration crises.
Cora veers from angry to sometimes unlikeable, and yet, I felt sympathy for someone who still bears a lot of anger over her sister's exposure of their parents' secrets and her sister's abandonment of Cora.
I enjoyed this book more than book one, perhaps because I was already familiar with many of the names and groups, and the inventiveness of each Fenestrian group showing off why people should cast their votes for them.
I also loved how emotionally gripping the election stories were, and how invested they made me in this land, which leads me to anxiously awaiting the outcome of this trilogy.
Cora’s dogged, and has the yet-to-be identified people involved in the election-related conspiracy increasingly concerned, as she gets closer to all the secrets, and the reasons behind the growing numbers of murders.
And in a world where stories themselves are vital and integral to all the cultures, and the ruling, of Fenest, the authors create another pair of detailed and fantastic stories as related by two new in-world storytellers within the larger narrative. In fact, this whole series is like a box that one opens to find other smaller tales enriching the main narrative, and also giving the reader a wider and better understanding of the land's cultures and political concerns.
I love the layered nature of this series. On one level it's a murder mystery, leading to the gradual unearthing of a political conspiracy, which masks growing environmental and immigration crises.
Cora veers from angry to sometimes unlikeable, and yet, I felt sympathy for someone who still bears a lot of anger over her sister's exposure of their parents' secrets and her sister's abandonment of Cora.
I enjoyed this book more than book one, perhaps because I was already familiar with many of the names and groups, and the inventiveness of each Fenestrian group showing off why people should cast their votes for them.
I also loved how emotionally gripping the election stories were, and how invested they made me in this land, which leads me to anxiously awaiting the outcome of this trilogy.
October 27, 2020
I LOVED this book. It did everything that a '2 of 3' needs to do in an elegant and engaging way.
The worldbuilding set up in book 1 is used masterfully as a base for nuance and detail in this book.
The pacing is excellent, it has a nice rhythm that matches the story.
The plot is imaginative and the layers of story telling are awe inspiring, I really like how both book 1 and this book have a distinct story that is told and resolved within that 'episode' while still keeping the broader arc is sight and moving along.
The characters are brilliant, they are all three dimensional and have clear voices, stories and motivations.
I'm really looking forward to book 3.
The worldbuilding set up in book 1 is used masterfully as a base for nuance and detail in this book.
The pacing is excellent, it has a nice rhythm that matches the story.
The plot is imaginative and the layers of story telling are awe inspiring, I really like how both book 1 and this book have a distinct story that is told and resolved within that 'episode' while still keeping the broader arc is sight and moving along.
The characters are brilliant, they are all three dimensional and have clear voices, stories and motivations.
I'm really looking forward to book 3.
August 15, 2020
The Stitcher and the Mute is the second in the Fenest books and we are back with detective Cora Gonderheim as she tries to root out what is rotten in the state of Fenest. Apparently quite a lot.
The second book follows the style of the first as Cora’s investigations wrap around two more election stories; one from the Perlish and one from the Torn probably the two most divergent socioeconomic groups in the union. This format is tricky and I struggled with it in the first book because it takes the reader out of the main action for a good length of time to read a short story that seemingly has little relevance to the main plot. I found it easier this time around probably because the stories were not the doom laden gloom fests they were in the first. They Perlish story was positively light hearted and I appreciated the skill of telling a story with a story within a story within a story. (But we’re not allowed to like the Perlish because they have all the money and the power so boo!) The stories are valuable in learning how the different groups live in the union which is important when it comes to the understanding how this world operates. The election stories also take us away from Cora which is bad because I love Cora.
Cora is an absolute hero. She smokes like a chimney, has a pronounced limp, gambles all her money away, uses prostitutes for warmth (and their tailor connections), rarely washes her hair or her face, hardly ever eats or sleeps or changes her clothes and in the first book still manages to pull Finnuc, a huge, hot Tasker who it turns out is twenty years her junior. Yes he turns out to be a wrong’un but the pretty ones always are. Then a matter of days later in the second book she’s already snogging the hot metal cheeked fire investigator. She must be working those stolen coats something rotten. Although I have learned my lesson from beautiful Finnuc (who Cora rightly says wasn’t all bad) and am wary of the auburn locked fire investigator he may have something cooking with the Rustan chambers or Cora’s using him for his connections. We will have to see how that all shakes down. But it would be nice to have some light in Fenest.
Cora also has to get to grips with the return of her estranged sister Ruth. This was probably the weakest part of the story for me. Cora’s been hugging a grudge for the her sister for thirty years but seems to forget it in the span of one road trip. Yes the road trip is to see the world being eaten by a giant lava flow but still, Cora’s acquiescence of Ruth’s story seems too easily won after such a bitter build up.
It all sets up nicely for the third book where we will get the last two election stories and hopefully Cora will finally get around to having the damned glass removed from her foot!
The second book follows the style of the first as Cora’s investigations wrap around two more election stories; one from the Perlish and one from the Torn probably the two most divergent socioeconomic groups in the union. This format is tricky and I struggled with it in the first book because it takes the reader out of the main action for a good length of time to read a short story that seemingly has little relevance to the main plot. I found it easier this time around probably because the stories were not the doom laden gloom fests they were in the first. They Perlish story was positively light hearted and I appreciated the skill of telling a story with a story within a story within a story. (But we’re not allowed to like the Perlish because they have all the money and the power so boo!) The stories are valuable in learning how the different groups live in the union which is important when it comes to the understanding how this world operates. The election stories also take us away from Cora which is bad because I love Cora.
Cora is an absolute hero. She smokes like a chimney, has a pronounced limp, gambles all her money away, uses prostitutes for warmth (and their tailor connections), rarely washes her hair or her face, hardly ever eats or sleeps or changes her clothes and in the first book still manages to pull Finnuc, a huge, hot Tasker who it turns out is twenty years her junior. Yes he turns out to be a wrong’un but the pretty ones always are. Then a matter of days later in the second book she’s already snogging the hot metal cheeked fire investigator. She must be working those stolen coats something rotten. Although I have learned my lesson from beautiful Finnuc (who Cora rightly says wasn’t all bad) and am wary of the auburn locked fire investigator he may have something cooking with the Rustan chambers or Cora’s using him for his connections. We will have to see how that all shakes down. But it would be nice to have some light in Fenest.
Cora also has to get to grips with the return of her estranged sister Ruth. This was probably the weakest part of the story for me. Cora’s been hugging a grudge for the her sister for thirty years but seems to forget it in the span of one road trip. Yes the road trip is to see the world being eaten by a giant lava flow but still, Cora’s acquiescence of Ruth’s story seems too easily won after such a bitter build up.
It all sets up nicely for the third book where we will get the last two election stories and hopefully Cora will finally get around to having the damned glass removed from her foot!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2021
Absolutely love the world building from these two talented authors, there are so many delicate touches to the description yet none of it feels obvious, it's just there. Makes for an immensely immersive world that continues from book one (Widow's Welcome) and takes us further afield from before (literally). I particularly loved the deft application of analogy to our social issues and a rapidly changing world which affects lives and futures. As I read through the reviews before posting this one, I expected to see this mentioned by others, but surprisingly not. I think it is worth noting that this book (like its predecessor) is not just a fantasy world, but a fairly brilliant allegory of our own at its deepest levels; there was plenty to chew on between readings.
Additionally I loved the strong representation of feminine characters throughout the book, whether it is the woman running the betting houses or Cora, the main character herself, there is a fundamental strength that unites them all even in a world creaking under the weight of a presumed patriarchal model.
The stories from the storytellers (of which we get two in each volume woven around the main story) are utterly brilliant. It's like getting three books in one book. An absolute pleasure to read.
Additionally I loved the strong representation of feminine characters throughout the book, whether it is the woman running the betting houses or Cora, the main character herself, there is a fundamental strength that unites them all even in a world creaking under the weight of a presumed patriarchal model.
The stories from the storytellers (of which we get two in each volume woven around the main story) are utterly brilliant. It's like getting three books in one book. An absolute pleasure to read.
July 20, 2021
Election year where the powers that be tell their story to win control of the Union of the Realms, but after the Wayward storyteller is brutally murdered in book one, Cora Gorderheim is investigating. But as Cora uncovers the layers of truth she discovers a conspiracy that goes to the very top, it rocks her world but that’s not the end as she uncovers more of her family’s story.
Book two of the Tales of the Fenest and the secrets now start to be uncovered and it’s shocking. The concept of telling stories within a story really works, as they shed light on what’s happening overall. Book three should be quite a conclusion.
Book two of the Tales of the Fenest and the secrets now start to be uncovered and it’s shocking. The concept of telling stories within a story really works, as they shed light on what’s happening overall. Book three should be quite a conclusion.
January 18, 2022
A strong second installment. Usually with trilogies, you find that the second book is weaker than the first and third, but here that doesn't seem to be the case (can only know for sure once I've finished the third book, of course; I'm working on that).
Though some of my small gripes - the stories don't sound like the kind of stories you would orally transmit, for example - still stand, others have been resolved or at least stopped bothering me. Looking forward to the final book!
Though some of my small gripes - the stories don't sound like the kind of stories you would orally transmit, for example - still stand, others have been resolved or at least stopped bothering me. Looking forward to the final book!
October 15, 2021
Again loved the stories within the story. I’d love to read a collection of Fenest election tales. On to book three if I can get it.
February 9, 2021
The first book in this trilogy was good, this one is excellent.
This unusual mix of fantasy and thriller is a gripping and highly entertaining read that kept me hooked.
The fascinating and original world building is as interesting as was in the first book and I loved how we get to know more about this world.
The plot flows and is tightly knitted, the characters are interesting.
I can't wait to read the last installment in the Fenest trilogy.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
This unusual mix of fantasy and thriller is a gripping and highly entertaining read that kept me hooked.
The fascinating and original world building is as interesting as was in the first book and I loved how we get to know more about this world.
The plot flows and is tightly knitted, the characters are interesting.
I can't wait to read the last installment in the Fenest trilogy.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
April 21, 2021
Solid middle trilogy fantasy - I loved the escalation of risks, reveals about characters, and the beautiful involved stories.
Can't wait to see how it all ends.
Can't wait to see how it all ends.
January 5, 2021
The Fenest Trilogy continues to be one is the most interesting, original and compelling I have ever read.
November 11, 2020
A good, entertaining read that suffered for evidently being the second book of a trilogy. The whole way through I felt I was rushing to get to the end, but perhaps this is because I’m unaccustomed to police procedurals? Still, the world of Fenest is well realised and the danger felt all too real.
January 21, 2021
A great mixture of crime and fantasy novel - and we get the benefit of a self contained story in one volume within an ongoing world/series.
Love the world this is set in and the prominence and importance of stories and our hard nosed detective is becoming clearer, more interesting and more fleshed out as we go.
Looking forward to the next.
Love the world this is set in and the prominence and importance of stories and our hard nosed detective is becoming clearer, more interesting and more fleshed out as we go.
Looking forward to the next.
August 15, 2021
My thanks to Head of Zeus for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Stitcher and the Mute’ by D.K. Fields in exchange for an honest review. I subsequently bought its ebook and audiobook, narrated by Sophie Roberts.
This is Book 2 in their Tales of Fenest trilogy, which began in 2019 with ‘Widow’s Welcome’. It again combines the themes of politics and storytelling with a police procedural set in a fantasy realm. As this is a trilogy the books should be read in order.
Detective Cora Gorderheim is continuing her investigation into the shocking murder of a storyteller. It turns out to be a more complex case than she had first imagined as she comes up against powerful forces that have been lurking in the shadows.
Again, all this takes place against the backdrop of the election as storytellers from the six realms present their tales in Fenest. The outcome will determine which realm will rule for the next five years. Here the Torn and Perlish tales form part of the narrative.
I found it quite easy to immerse myself once more in the intrigues of Fenest. Cora is a delight, very tenacious in her desire to uncover the truth. It is well plotted and a highly engaging read. The world building remains impressive, noting the elegant way in which its authors have woven the spoken tales into the broader plot.
In addition, the storytelling elements work very well on audio.
The final book, ‘Farewell to the Liar’, is listed for publication in August 2021.
Certainly a book and trilogy that I found very original in its premise and that I am very happy to recommend.
This is Book 2 in their Tales of Fenest trilogy, which began in 2019 with ‘Widow’s Welcome’. It again combines the themes of politics and storytelling with a police procedural set in a fantasy realm. As this is a trilogy the books should be read in order.
Detective Cora Gorderheim is continuing her investigation into the shocking murder of a storyteller. It turns out to be a more complex case than she had first imagined as she comes up against powerful forces that have been lurking in the shadows.
Again, all this takes place against the backdrop of the election as storytellers from the six realms present their tales in Fenest. The outcome will determine which realm will rule for the next five years. Here the Torn and Perlish tales form part of the narrative.
I found it quite easy to immerse myself once more in the intrigues of Fenest. Cora is a delight, very tenacious in her desire to uncover the truth. It is well plotted and a highly engaging read. The world building remains impressive, noting the elegant way in which its authors have woven the spoken tales into the broader plot.
In addition, the storytelling elements work very well on audio.
The final book, ‘Farewell to the Liar’, is listed for publication in August 2021.
Certainly a book and trilogy that I found very original in its premise and that I am very happy to recommend.
June 17, 2020
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book in the series, which starts with Widows Welcome.
This is a fantasy book, based in an unusual world where stories are the main currency, elections are determined by storytellers and there are numerous gods with specific qualities. It took me a while to get into this, but I think this was partly because it was a sequel so I wasn’t very sure of all the ins and outs of the world. I believe that this must also start immediately after the previous book ends - this book can be read alone, but I think it would be more enjoyable if you started at the beginning of the series and worked through in order, as the story builds on the first book to a significant extent.
I’m sorry to say that this book wasn’t really for me, I may come back to it in the future to give it another try, but i just couldn’t focus on it at this time. I have given it four stars because although it wasn’t particularly to my taste, I recognise that it is well written and a richly populated world, with lots of depth and backstory to explore.
I would recommend attempting the series in order as I think readers will get more out of the whole story that way!
This is the second book in the series, which starts with Widows Welcome.
This is a fantasy book, based in an unusual world where stories are the main currency, elections are determined by storytellers and there are numerous gods with specific qualities. It took me a while to get into this, but I think this was partly because it was a sequel so I wasn’t very sure of all the ins and outs of the world. I believe that this must also start immediately after the previous book ends - this book can be read alone, but I think it would be more enjoyable if you started at the beginning of the series and worked through in order, as the story builds on the first book to a significant extent.
I’m sorry to say that this book wasn’t really for me, I may come back to it in the future to give it another try, but i just couldn’t focus on it at this time. I have given it four stars because although it wasn’t particularly to my taste, I recognise that it is well written and a richly populated world, with lots of depth and backstory to explore.
I would recommend attempting the series in order as I think readers will get more out of the whole story that way!
July 3, 2021
Please note: I requested to read this despite not knowing this was a sequel (my fault, really). Nevertheless, I enjoyed this read.
𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• a captivating and gripping read with an intriguing premise and an original and fascinating world-building
• interesting characters (the main character, Cora, is my favourite)
• mystery aspects kept me hooked
𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• I really wished I read the first book (that's on me) as it was a little difficult to get into the story. I would have liked to read this after reading the first book.
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of fantasy + crime
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• a captivating and gripping read with an intriguing premise and an original and fascinating world-building
• interesting characters (the main character, Cora, is my favourite)
• mystery aspects kept me hooked
𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• I really wished I read the first book (that's on me) as it was a little difficult to get into the story. I would have liked to read this after reading the first book.
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of fantasy + crime
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2020
In the second book of the Tales of Fenest trilogy, D K Fields have continued to create a unique world which is also scarily close to our own. There is still an election in progress and it is still to be decided by who tells the best story. (With the recent US election still in some dispute, it is chilling to even write those words.) There is a plague raging in the background, corruption, fake news and back story secrets. And there the age old story of a colorful detective determined to find out what is truth. A real page turner, this one. Bring on the third installment!
March 23, 2023
This trilogy is bubbling along very nicely.
The two stories-within-stories that we get here as part of the election are again better written and more interesting than much of the surrounding material, which sees Detective Cora Gorderheim continue her investigation into the corruption and conspiracy that seems to be plaguing the election, but as this second novel goes on, the Cora side of things starts to get a lot more interesting. Our protagonist’s backstory catches up with her around the same time her entire worldview is shaken to its core, and the whole narrative improves as a result.
The first election Story is a matryoshka of several different stories, as we travel back in time, generation by generation, charting the fall of an affluent family in reverse. It’s vaguely comedic in nature, but the family frames their decline as the result of allowing foreign influences in, tainting their otherwise pure and esteemed lineage. If you didn’t know that DK Fields were from the UK, you do now. The second Story sees a young girl in the Tear – a sort of volcanic wasteland that people have adapted to survive in – happily training fighting beetles as part of the family business, until a cruel act of god leaves her family’s future hanging by a thread. Breaking the mould and finding a way to innovate is the only path left to her.
The two Stories expand the mild fantasy elements of the series, even if they’re kept vaguely within the bounds of human reality. The Torn, for instance, must wear masks containing burning embers from their homeland in order to breathe in other realms, while the Rustan people take to ritually fusing parts of their bodies with metal, including the installation of ‘sails’ in their backs, which allow them to glide around their mountain home.
As The Stitcher and the Mute goes on, it gets more and more interesting, with strong themes that should be easily recognisable to anyone who has cast a vague eye over the news cycle in the UK lately. By the end, we pretty much know all the key players, and we know exactly what the stakes are – and they’re significantly bigger than I guessed. It leaves things superbly set-up for the final novel, and crucially, the final two election Stories. If the third book continues the upward trajectory, it should be a pretty great climax.
The two stories-within-stories that we get here as part of the election are again better written and more interesting than much of the surrounding material, which sees Detective Cora Gorderheim continue her investigation into the corruption and conspiracy that seems to be plaguing the election, but as this second novel goes on, the Cora side of things starts to get a lot more interesting. Our protagonist’s backstory catches up with her around the same time her entire worldview is shaken to its core, and the whole narrative improves as a result.
The first election Story is a matryoshka of several different stories, as we travel back in time, generation by generation, charting the fall of an affluent family in reverse. It’s vaguely comedic in nature, but the family frames their decline as the result of allowing foreign influences in, tainting their otherwise pure and esteemed lineage. If you didn’t know that DK Fields were from the UK, you do now. The second Story sees a young girl in the Tear – a sort of volcanic wasteland that people have adapted to survive in – happily training fighting beetles as part of the family business, until a cruel act of god leaves her family’s future hanging by a thread. Breaking the mould and finding a way to innovate is the only path left to her.
The two Stories expand the mild fantasy elements of the series, even if they’re kept vaguely within the bounds of human reality. The Torn, for instance, must wear masks containing burning embers from their homeland in order to breathe in other realms, while the Rustan people take to ritually fusing parts of their bodies with metal, including the installation of ‘sails’ in their backs, which allow them to glide around their mountain home.
As The Stitcher and the Mute goes on, it gets more and more interesting, with strong themes that should be easily recognisable to anyone who has cast a vague eye over the news cycle in the UK lately. By the end, we pretty much know all the key players, and we know exactly what the stakes are – and they’re significantly bigger than I guessed. It leaves things superbly set-up for the final novel, and crucially, the final two election Stories. If the third book continues the upward trajectory, it should be a pretty great climax.
October 30, 2022
As in book one, this is a detective mystery set in a completely fantastical world, yet somewhat similar to ours. But imagine that the politics and mythology revolve around storytelling! It is truly unique and book two did not disappoint!
Bullet review:
- Nested stories
- Creative worldbuilding
- Mystery plot
- Engaging pacing
- Election politics
- Unique lore
This did exactly what a second book should do: there was a contained mystery, some threads picked up from book one, and an epic conclusion was set up for book 3. I'm looking forward to it!
Bullet review:
- Nested stories
- Creative worldbuilding
- Mystery plot
- Engaging pacing
- Election politics
- Unique lore
This did exactly what a second book should do: there was a contained mystery, some threads picked up from book one, and an epic conclusion was set up for book 3. I'm looking forward to it!
April 16, 2021
My points:
- I didn’t realise it was a second book in the series, so I was a bit confused when we were just kinda thrown into the mystery
- I like our MC, but for the lenght of the book, there was’t enough of her in it
- the story within a story though important to this world, was a complete dud for me, taking me out of the story, I was drifting during those parts
- this was all prepping the final book, so I am kinda curious to go back and then forward
It’s a fantasy world, where not much magic is explained or shown, and the everyday people’s lives seem to be normal, which is by definition - the boring side or fantasy. I wish this had a bit more meat on it’s bones.
- I didn’t realise it was a second book in the series, so I was a bit confused when we were just kinda thrown into the mystery
- I like our MC, but for the lenght of the book, there was’t enough of her in it
- the story within a story though important to this world, was a complete dud for me, taking me out of the story, I was drifting during those parts
- this was all prepping the final book, so I am kinda curious to go back and then forward
It’s a fantasy world, where not much magic is explained or shown, and the everyday people’s lives seem to be normal, which is by definition - the boring side or fantasy. I wish this had a bit more meat on it’s bones.
November 18, 2022
The second book in the Tales of Fenest trilogy by the author duo D.K. Fields.
I wasn't aware, when I requested the ARC, that this was the second book. So I missed some information about the mystery when the story, obviously picked up from where book 1 ended.
This felt a lot like a middle book in a trilogy. The story was preparing the reader for the conclusion in the third book and, to be honest, might have been dealt with in a short novella. I particularly didn't like the story-within-the-story, because it pulled me out of the flow of the main plot.
I wasn't aware, when I requested the ARC, that this was the second book. So I missed some information about the mystery when the story, obviously picked up from where book 1 ended.
This felt a lot like a middle book in a trilogy. The story was preparing the reader for the conclusion in the third book and, to be honest, might have been dealt with in a short novella. I particularly didn't like the story-within-the-story, because it pulled me out of the flow of the main plot.
Read
December 7, 2020DNF
Read
January 26, 2023a VERY GOOD READ
July 18, 2023
Fantastic premise, excellent book, though I do rather regret that I started in the middle.
October 1, 2024
3.5 stars. The Torn story got this over the line for me, I still don't know if I even like this series or not but the world has so much potential I keep reading
July 27, 2022
While in the first book I was wondering if Cora knew what she was supposed to do, it becomes clear in this book and the investigation she is set upon starts to develop. I was glad this happened as I was really lost with her parts of the story in the first book.
Sad to say though that where Cora her parts in the book started to develop positive I did not enjoy the election stories in this one as much as the ones in the first book. The Torn story is very gritty but it did not touch me as much as in the first book.
Not really sure I am going to continue but the election is not finished yet.
Sad to say though that where Cora her parts in the book started to develop positive I did not enjoy the election stories in this one as much as the ones in the first book. The Torn story is very gritty but it did not touch me as much as in the first book.
Not really sure I am going to continue but the election is not finished yet.
March 10, 2021
I liked the first one but this follow up wasn't as good as that was. I did like how it started but it missed that mark overall. I would read the follow up as I did enjoy it generally.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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