The Grief of Stones

Thara Celehar’s adventures serving the provincial city of Amalo continue in Addison’s immersive sequel to The Witness for the Dead. Having finally grown accustomed in his role as a Witness for the Dead, communing with the deceased to solve their murders, Celehar is surprised when his employers suddenly send him an apprentice, a widow named Velhiro Tomasaran, and force him into a teaching role. Meanwhile, the Marquess Ulzhavel believes his late wife was murdered and requests that Celehar look into her death. But the investigation takes a turn when Celehar and Velhiro discover an unexpected connection to a murdered student at a girls’ foundling school and uncover a scandal that leaves Celehar questioning his life’s purpose. Though the ending feels rather anticlimactic, the ride there is thoroughly entertaining. The plot masterfully blurs the line between fantasy and mystery, and Addison turns her brilliant character building to the common folk of Amalo, fleshing out the citizens with heart-wrenching backstories and addressing and ameliorating the world’s societal ills. New readers won’t want to jump in with this one, but series fans are sure to be pleased. (June)