The novel “Harbinger of the Storm” by Aliette de Bodard was published for the first time in 2011. It’s the second in the “Obsidian And Blood” series and follows “Servant Of The Underworld“.

The Aztec empire is in a moment of crisis. The death of the Emperor begins not only the delicate process of choosing his successor but also a period of precarious balance among the powers that keep the empire alive. That’s because the Emperor has a major role thanks to his relationship with the gods.

The balance is made even more precarious when the High Priest of the Dead Acatl discovers that in the imperial palace a brutal murder was committed using a magic invocation. It’s just the beginning of a series of attacks against the court because Ceyaxochitl, one of the most powerful women of the empire, gets poisoned and there’s the suspicion of the Emperor’s widow’s involvement.

“Harbinger of the Storm” continues the fantasy series set in the Aztec empire with the High Priest of the Dead Acatl as its protagonist. In this fictional universe, religion with its blood rites hasn’t an origin in superstition but because the magic element and the gods were real.

Acatl became High Priest without having that ambition but only because the powerful Ceyaxochitl considered him useful in that role. Acatl someway closed in the comfort zone of his temple but the events of “Servant Of The Underworld” forced him to get out of that shell and handle the relationships within the imperial court.

The events of “Harbinger of the Storm” start about a year and a half after the previous novel and Acatl is adapting to the court life. He keeps on trying not to get involved in political struggles but a major event such as the death of the Emperor and the succession require his services.

The Obsidian And Blood series is a mix of mystery and fantasy with Acatl investigating crimes accomplished using magic. In “Harbinger of the Storm” there’s a murder that took place in the imperial palace, the first of a series of events that threaten to collapse the empire in the delicate moment of the succession.

In this novel, Aliette de Bodard brings us much more than in the first one within the Aztec Empire’s political mechanisms and even beyond considering the involvement of the Emperor of Texcoco and his sister, the Aztec Emperor’s widow. By her own admission, the author took some liberties in the development of the story’s political elements. We’re talking about a fantasy series set in a historical period not fully known so I think that’s an acceptable compromise.

On these foundations, Aliette de Bodard builds a story that skilfully mixes detective story, fantasy, and political intrigue. A major difficulty was made up of the management of the presence of characters who can use powerful magic and of various deities as well and in my opinion the author does it really well.

The greatest danger in this kind of story is the fact that, in theory, with such foundations you can do anything using supernatural means. You can commit any crime with the right invocation and for an investigator it’s possible to immediately discover the perpetrator, again with the right invocation. Aliette de Bodard managed to establish limits in the use of magic that have some plausibility allowing a plot development that makes sense.

When she wrote “Harbinger of the Storm”, Aliette de Bodard had a great knowledge of the setting and the characters of that fictional universe and in the novel gives the various elements a good balance. There are moments of discussion among characters and reflections by Acatl but also many moments of action with great twists so the pace tends to be fast.

Like the previous novel, “Harbinger of the Storm” is narrated in the first person by Acatl but the author develops the other important characters well. Many details are placed here and there helping the readers to better understand the exotic setting and the plot complexity.

The plot of “Harbinger of the Storm” is independent from that of “Servant Of The Underworld” so the second novel can be read even without having read the first. However, reading them both allows you to appreciate the protagonists’ evolution and in my opinion high quality. For these reasons, I recommend them to fans of the fantasy genre but also to mystery fans interested in exotic setting.