The Witness for the Dead
At once intimate and literally operatic, it's everything I love about Katherine Addison's writing, in ways I didn't know to expect. I loved it. - John Scalzi
Katherine Addison returns to the glittering world she created for her beloved novel, The Goblin Emperor, in this stand-alone sequel
When the young half-goblin emperor Maia sought to learn who had set the bombs that killed his father and half-brothers, he turned to an obscure resident of his father's Court, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara Celehar found the truth, though it did him no good to discover it. He lost his place as a retainer of his cousin the former Empress, and made far too many enemies among the many factions vying for power in the new Court. The favor of the Emperor is a dangerous coin.
Now Celehar lives in the city of Amalo, far from the Court though not exactly in exile. He has not escaped from politics, but his position gives him the ability to serve the common people of the city, which is his preference. He lives modestly, but his decency and fundamental honesty will not permit him to live quietly. As a Witness for the Dead, he can, sometimes, speak to the recently dead: see the last thing they saw, know the last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. It is his duty use that ability to resolve disputes, to ascertain the intent of the dead, to find the killers of the murdered.
Now Celehar's skills lead him out of the quiet and into a morass of treachery, murder, and injustice. No matter his own background with the imperial house, Celehar will stand with the commoners, and possibly find a light in the darkness.
Katherine Addison has created a fantastic world for these books - wide and deep and true.
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Katherine Addison
Katherine Addison is the literary voice behind The Goblin Emperor, a novel that has captured the imaginations of readers around the world with its intricately woven world-building and deeply human exploration of power, identity, and personal growth. Known for her rich prose and ability to craft complex, multi-layered characters, Addison has made her mark in the fantasy genre with works that are both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.
But Katherine Addison is not her only identity—she also writes under the name Sarah Monette, an accomplished author whose works in fantasy and horror have garnered widespread acclaim. With a writing career that spans multiple genres, Addison brings a distinct perspective to her stories, one shaped by a lifelong passion for literature, storytelling, and the exploration of the human condition through fantastical lenses.
The Cemeteries of Amalo
Katherine Addison returns to the epic world of The Goblin Emperor with the Cemeteries of Amalo series.
Set in the same fantasy world as her beloved novel, The Witness for the Dead begins this action-packed series that tells the story of a young half-goblin emperor Maria, who turns to the help of an obscure former court resident of kingdom, Celehar, a man now living humbly in exile, to learn the truth about his father’s murder.
The Cemeteries of Amalo consists of three books — considered a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
