This novella is the second in a series of married disaster detectives set in Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen universe, which I have not read but will probably get around to after reading these. Asmodeus is the goddamn worst and I love him so, so much. This second mystery interrupts an otherwise pleasant day of Thuan and Asmodeus babysitting his cousin's children when they stumble upon a gruesome scene: the ghost of a starved child inside a desecrated shrine who happens to be the only witness to an official's murder. The culprit will stop at nothing to silence her, and Thuan is forced to navigate solving the crime alongside a very, very long argument with his husband after he takes on feeding the ghost with his life force without consulting Thuan.

The second book improved on some things that I thought detracted from the first; it did a better job of introducing characters and concepts that might have been unfamiliar, but I'd hesitate to say it stands on its own even inside its own series. As much as I adored them, I was very confused on who Ai Nhi and Camille were to Thuan and Asmodeus, as I thought they were part of Thuan's cousin's children until I saw them referred to as their parental figures. I don't remember them being mentioned in the first book at all, but perhaps they're in the original series and I'm just not aware, so feel free to ignore me if you're a Dominion of the Fallen veteran and know what's going on. I also read the finished copy in order to evade some of the typos and errors in the ARC, but still saw some things like phrases being repeated very close together that took me out of the story. In some ways, it felt like the writing process itself had been rushed, and at times I felt the prose lost Thuan's voice.

All that aside, however, I did enjoy the mystery and I greatly enjoy Thuan and Asmodeus as characters. I also adored the introduction of Diem Chau and her ganging up on Thuan with Asmodeus... true queer culture right there. I also ate up every crumb of Thuan and Asmodeus fighting. If you love mess, look no further. I also enjoyed the themes surrounding the actual murder and [redacted culprit] getting what [redacted pronoun] deserved. I don't think I can give this higher than a 3.5, but I would still recommend if you're a fan of gays, ghosts, or fantasy. I think as long as you're willing to put some unaddressed aspects of the worldbuilding aside, this series can absolutely be read and enjoyed without reading the original trilogy. I know I did, and I'd love to see more of them!

This is the first time I've been less than completely satisfied with a tale from the Dominion of the Fallen universe: we don't learn anything new about the characters, nor do they experience any real growth, and I didn't find the mystery memorable. I'm always happy to spend time with Thuan and Asmodeus, but I wish there had been a bit more substance to this one.

The premise reads "an adventure full of kissing, sarcasm, and stabbing" and de Bodard weaves in each of these qualities with a flawless ease that only adds to this incredible book. Always on the lookout for books that offer characters that are flawed and incredible, a setting that is unique, and a plot that is the perfect amount of odd, and this book is all of those things.

The only "fault" of this book is that it is too short! But other than that, I can't complain!
It is atmospheric, with amazing characters and their relationship is something unique and special, and I loved it! With the first book in this series, I needed some time to immerse myself in this world fully, but with this second installment, I was right there with Asmodeus and Thuan. And their dynamics were what intrigued me most, even if there is a lot to appreciate in this story. It is delightful, and we have a mystery to solve, and some creepy atmosphere! It is a really nice reading if you are in need of something unique and with great chemistry!

I nearly DNF-ed this so many times, how did I manage to finish this book?

First, Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances is supposed to be a standalone. It really, really doesn’t read like it. At all. I was thrown into a universe I knew absolutely nothing about, but felt like I was expected to do so.

Thanks to that connecting to the characters – oh gods, so many characters – felt damn near impossible without the proper background knowledge. So I struggled on while trying to gather as much information as possible. Or tried to. Instead, I gathered a lot of unnecessary repetitions. Kindle pos. 379 tells us, Asmodeus and Thuan’s marriage is six years old. Kindle pos. 384 tells us again, they’ve been married for six years. THAT’S ON THE SAME DAMN PAGE! Are you fucking kidding me? I want to stress I read an ARC so I’m seriously hoping it got fixed before publication but I’m still wondering how those repetitions made it into the ARC.

Perhaps you’re able to sense the emotion I mostly felt while reading Aliette de Bodard’s book. It’s annoyance. I could rant on and on but I’ll stop it with this little ending thought: I wasted my time reading this queer paranormal romance and I’m especially disappointed because I was so excited about it! Vietnamese-inspired mythology meets fallen angels. What’s not to like?

Apparently a lot.

Once again Thuan and Asmodeus are visiting Thuan’s family and they proceed to solve a murder and help out a ghost that was found at the murder site but not the ghost of the murdered woman. The nice thing about this story is it is very self-contained, there is no need to have read the trilogy set in an alternate Paris with fallen angels.

This is a short novella, the second in a spin-off series that focus on this particular couple, Thuan and Asmodeus, characters that featured in another, bigger series. I read the first novella about them, but didn't read the original series. I feel like each one is self-containing, as far as the mystery and the main plot goes. All the relevant world-building is there too, but it's still obvious it's only a part of something much bigger. That's even more obvious if we take the romance, as we are clearly missing the origins of this couple. But I would say that it's easy, from the two novellas, to pick up on their dynamics and go with the flow. Even though they are married, I wouldn't say they're really an established couple yet, so we still get a lot of tension and animosity coming from them, which was fun. The best part of those novellas though, is the world-building. Vietnamese-inspired, but in an underwater Paris, with murder, political intrigue, and lots of fantasy elements. What a creative atmosphere!

The perfect balance of cozy domestic fantasy romance and high stakes murder mystery! While this can technically be read as a standalone, I immediately was so invested in Asmodeus and Thuan’s established romance in this novella that I tracked down the earlier books featuring these characters as soon as feasibly possible. Asmodeus and Thuan have my whole heart — I need all of the books about this delightful resigned/chaotic pair. Very much hoping we get additional novellas in this series, as this volume contained so many elements I love that it feels like a book written for me personally.

Ahoy there mateys! I love this author's work.  This is a standalone novella set in the Dominion of the Fallen world which takes place in Gothic devastated Paris. I have not read the trilogy and wasn't sure if I wanted to read it as it deals with the fall-out of a war in Heaven.  I was happy to get this eArc to see if the setting would work for me.  This story follows married couple Thuan (dragon prince) and Asmodeus (ruthless killer angel) who go on vacation to see Thuan's family.  What they find instead is a ghost from a forgotten shine who is the only witness to a murder.

I really loved the ghost story and murder aspects.  I also found much of the writing style to be lovely.  I even enjoyed the setting and some of the politics.  I was not a huge fan of Thuan and Asmodeus as a couple even though I liked them individually well enough.  They seem to have gotten together in an enemy to lovers trope.  Their relationship in this novella still felt very fraught and how they dealt with each other just made me uncomfortable.  They don't communicate well enough and I just didn't like them together.  I am not a fan of roller coaster relationships.  Shame because I liked the elements of this one. . . Oh and the bad guy was one-dimensional and the reason for the murder was silly.

In reading reviews of both the series and the other novella, it is clear that this world is one I will skip.  I will continue reading the delightful Xuya stories and I still want to read the Obsidian and Blood trilogy (which I own).  Arrrr!

Like the previous novella about this couple, it was a fun and engaging little mystery. As usual, my favourite parts were the various pieces of worldbuilding and the relationship between Thuan and Asmodeus was entertaining. It's refreshing to read about an already established, gay married couple! I especially enjoyed seeing a more soft side to Asmodeus, the ruthless one of the pair.

I was left abit disappointed though, as I kind of expected more? I don't know, it was a good time and I did enjoy the read, but there was just something missing. Maybe it needed to be longer, maybe I just didn't find the murder mystery as captivating as I wished, but either way, it was still a fun, quick read!

I actually started this series with the previous stand-alone, Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders. Asmodeus and Thuan’s dynamic is what inspired me to read the Dominion of the Fallen series from the beginning, so it was delightful to get another novella exploring dragon kingdom murder antics and their evolving relationship. For all that this is a story about hungry ghosts and murderous exorcists it’s also a story about love - who deserves it, wits many mani manifestations, and how different people show love in different ways. While Asmodeous’ deep attachment to the ghost child Lan was puzzling at first, his words near the end of the novel provide clarity into his connection to her and how it relates to his own insecurities. It was also interesting to see Thuan, usually the compassionate and moralistic member of the couple, be placed in a position where Asmodeous is looking out for the interests of someone who Thuan is not. I feel like we also got a truer portrait of Thuan’s anxieties, and how they are both a benefit and a burden. As usual, my complaints are mainly about descriptions of Asmodeous being almost comically one note (I rolled my eyes to the sky every time the smell of bergamot and orange or knives were mentioned) and at odds with the actual character development occurring. I also can’t fully fathom why Camille and Ai Nhi were sent along with Thuan and Asmodeous in the first place, besides allowing for some cute situations.

The unusual pair of bookish dragon Thuan and stabby Fallen angel Asmodeus are still in the Dragon Kingdom. The pair have two of the kids from Hawthorne with them: Ai Nhi and Camille. They have to keep the kids occupied during the day, and there are bedtime stories and cuddles at night. It’s a nicely domestic contrast to the actions usually performed by this dramatic pair. All is going well until the pair come across the ghost of a malnourished child, which leads them to a shrine of the Anemone Immortal, to whom political officials pray to for advancement within the Dragon court.

Asmodeus takes the ghost under his fiercely protective wing (no, pun not intended), though Thuan has major reservations about bringing a ghost into their circle, as hungry ghosts are dangerous, and even fatal to be around. But Asmodeus takes her in, all his protective urges aroused by the waif.

When they begin asking around to find out who could have starved a child to death, this leads to a massive attack by charms, and Asmodeus’ life tied to the fate of the ghost, leading to serious conflicts between him and Thuan, each butting heads against the other’s beliefs.

Attacks against the pair and their kids, bringing out the dangerous in both, even while Asmodeus imperils his life causing a rift between the pair.

I love this couple, and I love how even while under attack, they have to make sure the kids get enough sleep and comfort. They don’t get to stop being parents when dealing with persistent and very dangerous threats. And, their ways of approaching problems, as well as their own beliefs, cause much strife between them, imperilling them and their children. It’s interesting to watch two people slowly, really work out fundamental problems in their relationship, even while being powerfully attracted to one another and hurting.

The story moves well, and it’s a more of an action story than the politically-based first installment in this story. There’s lots of blood, lots of daggers, mysteriously appearing pots of tea, and a wonderful ex whose delight in violence amused Amodeus (and me). Thuan’s lovely, and his method of approaching problems through conversation instead of stabbiness actually proves surprisingly useful in the climax.

I dearly hope we get more adventures of this wonderful pair.

Thank you to Netgalley and to JABberwocky Literary Agency Inc. for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I still need to read the Dominion of the Fallen trilogy, of which the Dragons and Blades series is an offshoot. But I really enjoyed the first Dragons and Blades book, Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders, so this followup has been whispering my name for a month now and I decided to listen to that whisper.

Little did I know that it was the whisper of blades dragging across silk and piercing the hearts of everything they touched.

This charming little story starts out as a bit of a family tale. A dragon prince and his fallen angel spouse take their adopted children on a bit of a picnic. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to quell the restlessness that both the children and the fallen angel are all too frequently subject to.

It’s supposed to keep the children from wrecking any further destruction on the dragon palace that is destroying itself with rot and mold entirely too quickly as it is.

It’s supposed to keep the fallen angel from threatening, maiming or killing any of his husband’s imperial relatives. Or anyone else who might or might not deserve it.

It’s not supposed to turn into a ghost story. But then, Asmodeus the fallen angel isn’t supposed to adopt a ghost child, either.

The dragon prince Thuan sees a hungry ghost who might (most probably, will beyond a shadow of a doubt) either kill his husband or get his husband killed or both. Not that it will matter after the fact either way.

Asmodeus sees a child who died terribly and alone for reasons that should never have happened in the first place. The ghost child starved to death in an empire that is supposed to at least feed all of its people.

But when it comes to Thuan and Asmodeus, not even a ghost story is simply about a ghost. Because Asmodeus sees a child who witnessed a murder, even if that murder happened after the child became a ghost. And Asmodeus can’t let either the murder or the ghost child go.

Not even if he has to tether the ghost child to his own life. Not even if his husband is scared to death that the ghost child is either going to kill him or get him killed before any of them can figure out the mystery that started it all.

Escape Rating A-: As I said I still haven’t read Dominion of the Fallen, so I know I’m missing some stuff, but after Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders I figured I had enough background to be going on with. Not that I wouldn’t love more – because I always love more backstory – but this read like it followed directly from Of Dragons and that the original trilogy was a bit more distant both in time and place.

Or I was just looking forward to this and didn’t care about the backstory for a change.

One of the bits that fascinates me about this subseries is the setting. The imperial court that dragon prince Thuan came from is underwater and his people all seem to be shapeshifters – or shapeshifter-ish. Thuan is a dragon who appears human – except for the horns. That’s Thuan on the cover of Of Charms, which makes me even more certain that it’s Asmodeus on the cover of Of Dragons – even though Asmodeus is not the dragon of the pair.

I’m wandering because this story does so much in its rather short length.

What I started with was the underwater nature of the dragon’s imperial capital. One of the pervasive elements of the capital is that everything is rotting. Water, even water kept back by powerful magic, still manages to do the damage that water naturally does all the time and everywhere. It’s constantly somewhat damp and damp causes mold and rot and rotting things eventually disintegrate.

But the story of the ghost and the murder and the reasons why those things happened are also about rot. The child should not have died of starvation. The shrine where the child became that ghost and witnessed the murder is a shrine that should never have been neglected and fallen into disrepair. The worship that was supposed to occur at the shrine should not have fallen into dust and rumor. It’s all rot.

And the story here is about something rotten, and it’s not really about the ghost. It’s about the murder and the reasons for it. The resolution of that part of the story was all the more chilling because underneath all of the fantasy setting and characters, the reasons for the murder were all too human, much too possible, and entirely too familiar – not from fantasy but from real life and real tragedy and unfortunately, dammit, the real news.

Just as the motives for murder and even god-killing (would that be “deicide” or deity-cide?) were entirely familiar, the heart of the conflict that arises between Thuan and Asmodeus, feels equally familiar. What shakes their marriage is fear of losing each other’s respect, regard and affection. Some of the reasons it occurs may be fantasy, but the emotions at the heart of the story, and in their hearts, felt equally real.

A slice of life story that seems like it’s going to be eaten by a hungry ghost, but in the end is almost consumed by someone entirely human and all the more dangerous for that.

Aliette de Bodard’s Dragons and Blades is a spin-off mystery series set in the world of her Dominion of the Fallen series, and Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances is the second book. It’s a short novella that despite its length contains a nice little story. I haven’t read the first book, but I’m familiar with the world and was able to enjoy this one.

Thuan the dragon prince and his fallen angel husband Asmodeus are visiting the underwater world of Thuan’s dragon family. For some odd reason, in a palace full of servants, they’re made to look after a bunch of children. All goes well, until a ghost of a child joins in their play.

The child leads them to a body of a murdered woman. Asmodeus and Thuan want to investigate, but before they can even start, they’re attacked. Forced to flee, they seek out allies who can help with the investigation, and with the ghost child they’re now in charge of.

Alongside the mystery, Thuan and Asmodeus go through a marital crisis. Theirs is an arranged marriage that has grown to a real partnership, but things aren’t always easy. In the end, the relationship drama dominates the story, and the mystery is solved behind the scenes by a secondary character. The final showdown helps Thuan and Asmodeus work out their crisis too.

If you like charming little fantasy stories where the world and characters are at the front, this is for you, but don’t expect a great mystery. However, I recommend getting familiar with the world before picking this one up. You can read it as a stand-alone, but you’ll enjoy it more if you already know the setting.

A charming fantasy novella with Vietnamese influenced story elements set in a previously established universe, that is clear enough to understand without reading the others (I haven’t) but also enough to know you are probably missing some context. A dragon prince and his husband are on vacation and babysitting some young relatives when they discover a corpse and a hungry ghost who is the only witness. But someone is determined to silence the ghost and isn’t afraid of collateral casualties. Thuan and his ruthless husband are determined to get justice and protect their family even while experiencing some crisis in their own relationship.

There is a lot packed into this quick read but it is written well and the author handles all the parts without any elements suffering. The relationship between Thuan and his husband Asmodeus are central to this story. It is very sweet to see Asmodeus caring for the youngsters they are caring for. It is also interesting to see two very different personalities trying to work out their differences during a period of danger and action. And there is definitely a lot of satisfying action. The Vietnamese elements that influence some of the dangers that appear in story are not my usual encountered culprits and are refreshing to read.

I would be interested in reading more in this universe and discover the whole story between Thuan and his husband. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Myth: 4/5

I had not read any of the other books in this series, but saw that this story was standalone, and I completely agree. I was definitely able to jump right into this magical world and enjoy this novella. You could definitely tell that the characters have a rich history, but enough context was given on the page that you needn’t have read the previous works.

Thuan and Asmodeus have a delightful chemistry, filled with wry wit and sarcasm. Think of it as the protective partner trope, but instead of always leaping to each other’s defense, they cover their fear for their partner with sarcasm while letting them do what they were going to do. I loved it, and it worked super well with the story.

Magic: 4/5

As a novella in an established world, you get a taste for the magic and myth, but it definitely peaked my interest and I’ll likely want to go back and checkout some of the earlier works. Fallen angels, dragon shifters and an almost magical ability to have tea in any situation.

Overall: 4/5

I really enjoyed Thuan and Asmodeus’s story, even if I hopped into the middle of it. This story was definitely a standalone, a vacation turned adventure, where you get to see a lot of Thuan and Asmodeus’s relationship development with a dash of murder mystery and politics.

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances is another brilliant novella by award-winning author Aliette de Bodard. Anyone who has read her Dominion of the Fallen series loves the dark Gothic world of a war-torn Paris ruled by Fallen angels, and the Vietnamese dragons living under the Seine. The most memorable Fallen is the head of House Hawthorn, Asmodeus.

Ruthless, bloodthirsty, and feared by all, Asmodeus is the last character anyone expected to have a happy marriage. Yet his sweet, bookish husband, dragon prince Thuan, is clearly the love of Asmodeus’ life. The pair have undeniable chemistry, and their adventures are legendary.

In this novella, a holiday under the Seine turns disastrous when the ghost of a child stumbles upon the pair and begs for help. Asmodeus sees a child in need and is adamant about doing everything in his power to help it, while Thuan only sees a dangerous parasite that feeds on the living and wants nothing to do with the ghost. This difference of opinion threatens to tear their happy marriage apart. Meanwhile, someone powerful is hunting the ghost-child down, killing anyone in their way.

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances reimagines ghosts and their ties to the land of the living, making this ghost story far more gruesome and deadly. It’s everything we expect from a story involving Asmodeus. The addition of children adds a new dimension to the imposing Fallen, though, as we see Thuan and his husband take on the roles of uncles and babysitters, and see those ruthless qualities become the fierce protective ones needed in a caregiver when the children are under threat.

But don’t worry - no children are harmed in this story.

I read this as a stand-alone and had a great time! I have no prior knowledge of the book this follows after but I never felt like I needed it. There are certainly things I miss out on understanding fully, bit that only has me interested on reading the connected novels.
The murder mystery and hunt of the killer was really enjoyable to read. Following a married couple on this adventure was a nice departure from the usual partnerships of characters that are written about in plots like these.

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances is a delightful follow up to Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murder. This could be read as a standalone but prior knowledge of the events in the Dominion of the Fallen series would give a better reading experience.

The story finds Thuan and Asmodeus in the middle of a mystery involving a child ghost, a desecrated shrine, murders and a missing immortal deity while babysitting the children that Thuan's cousin asked him to take care of.

One of the strengths of this novella was the characters and their relationship with the murder mystery used as an excellent framing device to show how the two leads interact, show their deep love for each other and how they overcame the struggles and issues that came with opposing principles and lack of communication and how those experiences strengthen their relationship and help them grow individually.

I loved the cozy mystery vibe that the story gave and found the plot elements generally enjoyable. The world building was fantastic and the writer did a wonderful job of giving enough background information about Thuan and Asmodeus' history and the society they're navigating without being too overwhelming. The story was paced nicely and Aliette De Bodard's writing is fluid and created such a beautiful and amazing atmosphere throughout the story.

Overall, this was a funny, tense, engaging and satisfying novella with endearing characters. The fantasy world's unique and it excellently weaved various Western lore with that of Asian mythology. I'd definitely recommend this for people looking for a new fantasy story to read.

This would be 4.25 stars out of 4 stars for me.

Thaun and his husband Asmodeus are on vacation from their normal lives running House Hawthorn, babysitting their nieces and drinking lots of tea. Unfortunately, the discovery of both a murdered body and a ghost leads them into a hunt for a dangerous killer who is willing to destroy even the most sacred things and places. Spun of from the Dominion of the Fallen series, this novella is a neat story that really needs to context of its world to shine. The atmosphere of a decayed Vietnamese-style court in the depths of the Siene is cool, the love between the characters is palpable, but it doesn't add up to much in the end. Still a nice tidbit, though beware feeling the need to buy the entire series.