Immersive, atmospheric, and emotionally resonant…
Carroll creates a striking world where faith, machinery, and myth exist side by side beneath a fragile artificial sky. When a panel of the artificial sky falls and destroys an entire town, Saint Alexandra, a devout judge-errant of the Church Invocatory, is sent to uncover the truth before the firmament fails completely. Meanwhile, Scrounger, her disgraced former commander, discovers three boys missing among the dead. Linked by obligation and regret, they must face monsters, long-buried secrets, and each other to prevent their world’s collapse.
The novel combines focused character work with high, world-level stakes. The mystery unfolds with careful pacing, revealing a society governed by hidden systems and protected truths. Engineered creatures, religious authority, and technological remnants deepen the tension between control and collapse. The pacing is steady and well controlled, allowing the tension to build as the mystery of the failing firmament gradually comes into focus. Carroll moves between Alexandra’s investigation and Scrounger’s recovery work, using their separate paths to expand the scope of the story while keeping the narrative moving forward. Action scenes are handled with restraint, focusing on their impact rather than spectacle. This approach gives weight to both the larger mystery and the characters’ personal struggles. Each development feels intentional, contributing to a story that remains focused and cohesive throughout. The result is an original, atmospheric novel marked by emotional depth and narrative precision.
Lovers of layered world-building, morally complex characters, and speculative fiction that blends mythic resonance with technological imagination will find much to admire.
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Curious Figures
Pub date November 1, 2025
ISBN 979-8999373113
Price $17.95 (USD) Paperback, $2.99 Kindle edition
