I'm not sure what I was expecting from another book set in The Goblin Emperor universe, but I really enjoyed this fantasy slice of life cozy mystery. This is not a sequel per se and I don't strictly think you need to have read the previous book to enjoy this one, but I do think coming to this one knowing the naming conventions and a little bit of backstory make this book easier and more enjoyable to read.

It was also fun to have read this after reading Paladin's Hope (by T. Kingfisher), which similarly features a main character who is able to see a body's last moments before death. Plot-wise, it's definitely a useful mystery hook to have an amateur investigator (and also thankfully not a cop) have some insight into tracking down nefarious deeds. The similarities end there, as Paladin's Hope has a more ...action and romance bent to it, and this book is more about religious duty and local community. (I think I expected that book to have more of the feel that this one did and was surprised where that one went. But that's neither here nor there.)

I think my biggest joy with this book was just the extra worldbuilding and cultural details. The Goblin Emperor is (understandably) focused on Maia who is insulated from the rest of the world, and so the book focuses more on his feelings and court politics. There's still plenty about Celehar's feelings and local politics here as well, but there's a lot more space to see the world itself. It was fun to have such a different locale here where we get to see coin-powered gas meters, teahouses, burial practices, local religious politics, airship manufactories, etc.

I really enjoyed this a lot, even if it had a very different feel from The Goblin Emperor. I do love a good mystery though, and this delivered.