The Gambler Grimoire by B.R. KingsolverMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Urban Fantasy Murder Mystery
This is the first book in a series but can be enjoyed as a standalone story as there is no cliffhanger.
Dr Savanna Robinson is a professor of apothecary and alchemy and newly hired at the prestigious Wicklow College of Arcane Arts near Pittsburg. What she didn’t realise is that the man who once held the position she has been hired for was murdered. In the five months since his death, the police don’t seem to have been making much headway in the investigation. Savanna’s curiosity is piqued and she decides to look into what happened to her predecessor. When she uncovers some papers that the police never found, she realises that the murder may be connected to a rare book purported to contained spells that can change your luck.
There is much to enjoy in this book, with its wonderful world-building and intelligent and interesting main character. Savanna is the daughter of a Councilman (a very important person) and she’s in her 40s. She has a sharp intellect and relishes the shaping of lively minds. She has a dry wit and enjoys matching those wits against others. She’s magically talented as well as intellectually but she keeps that a bit more under wraps. She’s sociable and enjoys the company of men though romance isn’t a priority.
This is an interesting world in which Savanna has been placed. It feels like British Academia rather than being set in the US, with its formalities and old and beautiful buildings created to emulate Oxford University. It’s rather staid and filled with older men on the faculty. We also get to see a little of the town as Savanna goes on explorations into the world outside the campus. As always with this author, you can visualise clearly the surroundings and structure of society with a few paragraphs scattered throughout the book, from Savanna’s dark apartment to the beautiful herb garden and greenhouses just outside.
The murder mystery was interesting but I felt like the solution to the mystery was handed to her on a plate a little bit. The rest of the resolution was pieced together because of the information handed to her and her good contacts. It felt a little bit cheaty.
Despite the resolution being a little disappointing I still really enjoyed the book as a whole. The world, the characters and the plot were fun and absorbing. I’m glad that this is the start of a series as I believe this character deserves more chances to shine. Dr Savanna Robinson is a force to be reckoned with.
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