There are two types of fantasy (imo obviously). There's the here be dragons type with quests and elf maidens and magical artefacts, and then there's the type which wears their (often incredible) worldbuilding lightly, where despite the fact the protagonists are rarely actually human, the story could be transposed to a historical or contemporary or science fiction setting as an exploration of humanity, cleverly hidden by the fantasy element. The Witness of the Dead definitely falls into the second camp, its plot of a grieving outsider living far away from family and friends finding themselves making enemies as they investigate a mysterious death given new life and resonance by the beautifully realised world in which it's set.

In The Witness for the Dead we return to the world of the Goblin Emperor, but we are far away from the machinations of court. Thara Celehar has moved far away, to a small city where he attempts to live quietly and serve the people through his abilities as a Witness for the Dead and his position as prelate. But politics isn't always easy to evade and Celehar finds himself caught up in intrenal power struggles whilst trying to solve the mysterious deaths of two women for whom he has been called to witness whilst the politics he tries to evade impede his investigations while putting him in very real danger.

Like the Goblin Emperor this is a book that starts off seeeming slower than expected and then somehow absolutely absorbs you thanks to the beautifully written compelling character study of Celehar, through whose POV we witness this world and those who inhabit it. Highly highly recommended.

Overall Rating – 4/5

‘The Witness for the Dead’ is Katherine Addison’s next instalment in the Goblin Emperor universe we know and love, this time as a standalone novel following the already known character of Thara Celehar as he carries out his duties as an appointed Witness for the Dead. As a Witness for the Dead, Thara can communicate with the recently deceased and in turn, he helps to solve family disputes, murders and give the families of those grieving the closure they so desperately need.

Thara Celehar is a wonderful character and the world in which he finds himself in that Addison has created is delightful! There is a lot less political intrigue with this one, the true heart of the novel is a murder mystery as Thara finds himself as a witness for a young elven woman would was murdered and tossed into the river – It is his task to see that justice is given for her.

I will admit, I did not remember much of the Goblin Emporer, having been years since I read it! However, I did note that the same standard of world building seen in the previous instalment was not there, personally I think this worked for the story as the Goblin Emperor although beautifully written, was very heavy in this at times. As other reviewers have also mentioned, viewing this book as a sequel or direct continuation on the Goblin Emperor would be inaccurate as it really is its own thing and a wonderful thing at that.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read, I tanked through it in two sittings as I just wanted to know so badly what was going to happen with Thara and his role in ‘solving’ the murder – which is always a testament to the great writing of the author. Would love to read more books set in this universe, fingers crossed we will not have to wait long for some more!

Thank you so much to NetGallery and the publishers @rebellionpub for the advanced copy of the book.

Publication Date: 22nd Jul 2021

A murdered opera singer, the suspicious death of a newly-wed bride, and a family dispute over the desires of the deceased...

Thara Celehar is a Witness for the Dead, a rare type of magic-wielder who can read the spirits of the recently departed. The Witness for the Dead interweaves several different stories, all connected by Thara's involvement, in a dark and intricately imagined fantasy turned murder mystery.

Addison's concept is compelling and her world unique, with such in-depth world building that the city of Amalo feels truly authentic and tangible. Thara's world is really brought to life by descriptions packed with detail, none of which comes across as over-the-top: in fact, Addison's enchanting descriptions of the city are partly what drew me in so quickly to this novel. The only downside of the extensively-built world was that the information, at times, was overly confusing and overwhelming, and difficult to understand. Although I read and understood The Witness for the Dead mostly well enough without reading The Goblin Emperor first - and I do indeed think that you don't need to have read the first to enjoy the second, in this case, as it is a 'standalone sequel' - reading the first book in the instalment beforehand may be helpful when it comes to getting to grips with this world's lore.

Thara Celehar was an entertaining and 'human' (although, of course, he is not really human) protagonist whose thoughts often made me laugh, and he also adds some queer representation to the book. I enjoyed the unique characters with their little fantastical flares: the way they show emotions using their ears, for example, and small details such as their earrings were aspects that I really loved. I became especially fond of the vibrant character of the opera writer Iäna Pel-Thenhior, and only wish that we received more insight into his character and relationship with Thara. One of the downfalls of this book was that there seemed to be too many characters to keep track of, so apart from Thara himself there is little development and/or depth to many.

Many different things happened throughout Thara's story, so it is important to realise that the book is less about the plot itself and more to do with learning about Thara: understanding his character, his eagerness to help others, his fears and his resilience. At times it feels as if there are too many things happening and the original story seems to disappear, but the book is nevertheless enjoyable the whole way through and it's worth waiting for the stories to come together and make sense.

Despite sometimes having to struggle to keep up with lore and characters, Addison's book thoroughly drew me in and captured my imagination. It is beautifully written and very well thought out, and definitely worth a read; The Goblin Emperor is definitely high up on my reading list now, as I'm desperate to experience the world a little longer!

A welcome return to the world of the Goblin Emperor. The naïve, good-hearted Maia who was the hero of the Goblin Emperor was a gust of balmy Spring air in a genre where ruthless practicality can be commended above all else. And this new book follows a protagonist who is equally decent.

Thara Celehar was a character in the first book, who uncovered the plot that had killed the previous emperor and his heirs, leaving Maia the next-in-line to the throne. Part of the skills he used for this was his calling as a Witness for the Dead. Someone who can discern the last memories and thoughts of the recently dead. In this book, Thara, has left the Court behind and has become the Witness for the Dead for the city of Amalo. He lives modestly, and gets up each morning to go to his office and hear any petitions that require his assistance – a disputed will, a deceased sister whose resting place cannot be found, a woman found dead in a canal. It′s the drowned woman who is the main impetus of the story, since she did not fall into the water by accident.
In many ways this is a detective story, as Thara pieces together bits of information, through quiet persistence and a compassion for others which gives him insight into how people think. The world he moves through is richly detailed, from the complexities of putting on an opera, to the dangers of airship construction. As a reader I became very involved and familiar with his life; I ended up pleased when he was able to sleep without nightmares or get a good meal.
All his investigations weave in and out of each other, and there is a connecting theme of names and titles. Who you are in this world is so important that if you are buried without a gravestone you can rise as a ghoul to feast on the dead and the living.

I read this in one sitting, and then immediately went back and re-read it. It is perhaps not so stunning as The Goblin Emperor, which had the benefit of being the first in this world, but I would be delighted to read more of Thara′s life.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley.

Thara Celehar, the Witness for the Dead, is a middle-aged cleric in a kind of self-imposed exile from the Elven capital as a result of the enemies he made solving the previous emperor's assassination. Welcome to the world of The Goblin Emperor!

Celehar now 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 to use that ability to resolve disputes, to ascertain the intent of the dead, to find the killers of the murdered.

Celehar investigates the drowning of an opera diva and the poisoning of a mother-to-be. This is the second exposure to the world of The Goblin Emperor. The world-building offered is considerably rich with a depth of characterisation you come to expect from Katherine Addison.

Witness for the Dead is an immersive world full of complexities. Above all, it is brimming with atmosphere. In terms of the plot, it is a straightforward mystery in the vein of Sherlock Holmes. Full of the webs of murder, blackmail, and political intrigue as you are guided through this world by Celehar. And much like Holmes, using only his keen wits, his persistent Columbo like questioning skills, but most of all Celehar’s unfailing kindness and compassion, insecurity, and low self-esteem wins you over and shines throughout the story.

This is a superb and delightful reading experience. A beautifully crafted world. It’s comfortable and completely lush and gentle in a good way. It is a highly enjoyable read, one of my best books of 2021.

My thanks to both NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for the opportunity to review an e-arc.

The strapline mentions that this sequel is a standalone read – and I would endorse that. While I’m delighted to have read The Goblin Emperor for the sheer joy of having experienced such a layered, complex world – you definitely don’t need to have tucked into it in order to appreciate this one. Although there are a couple of apparently throwaway references that will especially resonate if you have read The Goblin Emperor.

The engine that drives this narrative is essentially a murder mystery. And as someone who can communicate with the dead, Celehar finds himself embroiled in a couple of investigations that start attracting unwelcome attention. In a world where an instinct for political niceties is a very useful survival trait, Celehar’s inconvenient tendency not to bend his moral compass to go with the flow gets him into a lot of trouble. As with The Goblin Emperor, The Witness for the Dead provides us with an engaging protagonist, who is on the outside and needs to tread carefully in order to get any kind of result.

Addison’s rich, detailed world of goblins and elves, where there are unspoken and unacknowledged frictions, is wonderfully portrayed. This isn’t a book you can speed through – the tricky names, the nuances and careful accretion of small, yet significant details meant that I had to slow right down and pay attention throughout. And even as I did so, I dreaded finishing this one, as reading it was an immersive, slow-burning delight that I didn’t want to end.

Of course, it’s all well and good building up a wonderful mystery that is freighted with plenty of tension and high stakes – but then, the denouement has to be sufficiently strong so that there isn’t that horrible sinking feeling of a fumbled ending that doesn’t live up to the thrill of the investigation. And fortunately, Addison delivers that, too, with a thoroughly satisfying finale that had me sighing with pleasure as I came to the end. All in all, this is a worthy addition to the series – and I’d pre-order another one of these in a heartbeat, which is something I very rarely do. Very highly recommended to fans of excellent fantasy. While I obtained an arc of The Witness for the Dead from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

The Witness for the Dead returns to the world we were first introduced to in the Goblin Emperor and a character we met in that first book, Thara Celehar, returns as the protagonist. I loved this book. I loved the mystery/crime elements and it was so good to be back in this world. The characters are so well written, the plot is compelling and the writing is fantastic. I highly recommend checking this book out.

I was so late to the Goblin Emperor party by now I’m absolutely addicted to Addison’s writing. This is more of a standalone set in the same world than a sequel, with a few characters from tGE making an appearance. The world building is stellar and the narrative is the kind you can just get lost in where words disappear and become images. This is part murder mystery, part fantasy, full of unforgettable characters, brilliant dialogue and beautiful description. Loved every second of it.