Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
From World Fantasy Award-winning author K.J. Parker comes a devilishly clever tale of murder, intrigue, and existential crisis.
Not even the Church of the Invincible Sun is invincible – and somebody has to do its dirty work. Enter Sister Svangerd and her accompanying priest, both first-rate practitioners. Their mission is simple: to make a meddlesome princess disappear (permanently).
To get to her, they must attend the legendary Ecumenical Council, the once-in-a-century convening of the greatest spiritual minds the world has to offer. But when they arrive, they find instead a den of villainy that would make the most hardened criminal blush.
To complicate matters further, it appears that some people who were definitely grim reapered might be not quite dead after all. What began as a little assassination is about to escalate into a theological debate with terrifying consequences for everyone.
My Review
Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead is weird, philosophical, dryly funny, and deeply character-driven. In other words, it’s extremely my thing. Set in a world that feels medieval but slowly reveals itself to be far in the future of a collapsed empire, the story blends politics, religion, mystery, and morality into something that feels both intellectual and entertaining.
Much of the book unfolds through the internal monologue of its narrator, an atheist scribe obsessed with books and religion more as societal institutions than actual beliefs. And while that won’t work for every reader, I found it super fascinating. This is a book about the eternal battle between Good and Evil, framed less as an action-packed quest and more as an academic debate, all with assassins, scrolls, walkers, and long, thoughtful digressions along the way. Overall, I loved it, and I’m very excited to continue the series!
THE GOOD:
- THe writing style is genuinely funny, with dry, witty humor and a wonderfully understated hero.
- The combination of politics and religion feels fresh, clever, and satirical instead of heavy-handed.
- The central pairing is excellent: Sister Svangerd, a deeply religious nun with a penchant for weapons and killing, alongside Desiderius, an atheist, book-obsessed, master document forger and scribe, makes for an unlikely but perfectly matched duo.
- The book is packed with compelling mysteries that kept me turning pages constantly! The rosewood box and its scrolls, the murdered princess, the mysterious short man and his colleagues, and the unsettling walkers all kept me on the edge of my seat.
- The vague history of a long-gone science- and technology-based empire lurking beneath the religious present is super fascinating.
- Strong, distinctive narrative voice…very academic, very opinionated, very intentional.
- Sister Svangerd is a delight whenever she’s on the page.
- Philosophical, weird, and confident in its own strangeness.
THE NOT-AS-GOOD:
- Despite her name being in the title, Sister Svangerd doesn’t get as much dialogue or on-page action as I would’ve liked (especially because she’s such a standout and mysterious character).
- I struggled at times to keep track of names and who was who.
- Some of the internal logic can be difficult to follow on first pass, and the prose can ramble quite a bit before tying back to an earlier point.
THE NEUTRAL:
- The story is very character-driven, with the plot largely unfolding through internal thoughts rather than dialogue or action.
- The academic tone won’t work for everyone (although I really enjoyed it!).
- The prose style rewards patience…this is not a book for readers with short attention spans or a strong aversion to philosophical tangents.
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead is weird, thoughtful, funny, and deeply engaging. This won’t be for everyone, but if it is for you, you’re really going to love it!
PERFECT FOR:
- Readers who enjoy philosophical fantasy with dry, academic humor
- Fans of odd pairings and unlikely duos with great chemistry
- Readers interested in religion, politics, and morality explored through satire
- Fans of character-driven stories that prioritize voice and internal monologue
- Readers who enjoy slow-burn mysteries layered with worldbuilding
