I would like to thank the author for an advance copy of this novella in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Pitt Norton Publishing

Published – 2/12

Price – £12.99 hardback £0.99 Kindle eBook

High Mistress Talia is a hell-raising socialite with a murky past. But she has a bright future. Beautiful, rich, and a virtuoso harpist, she’s betrothed to the Count of Brecht. In short, she has it all. Or so it would seem.

Marla Holst is the new lady’s maid, but never has the ‘help’ been so unhelpful. Marla, real name Mist, has only one mission: to stop the high mistress’s marriage. By any means necessary.

But complications abound. Talia’s disturbed daughter, a girl who can see into the future, is cursed with the stigma of a devil-worshipping father. The count’s father, the Duke of Rizak, is a recluse, too afraid of assassins to show his face. And all the nobility want to do is duel.

Meanwhile, the highlight of the season—a recital of the famous ‘Cursed Symphony,’ draws ever closer.

The assassin in fantasy has a long tradition in fantasy. They are a great way to add tension; remove characters provide motivation to characters or even be the lead character. We like the tension of the potential death to come, the scheming of the perfect crime and the thrill, of the escape. In Shaun Paul Steven’s novella Servant of the Lesser Good we have of this making an intriguing read.

We quickly know things aren’t going right when we meet a young woman ties to a bed asking for help and a woman named Mist is unable to help. We soon find that is because Mist is replacing her in an interview for the position of maidservant for High Mistress Talia harpist and is very soon to be married in a new political alliance. Mist though has murder in her sights for the Network she serves; and a mission needs to be completed. But facing suspicious guards, Talia’s strange daughter who can tell the future and the strange effect of the drug Mist is taking all pose dangers to the mission and the would-be assassin.

What I enjoyed about his story is that it very much focuses on the mission. It is not a story concerned with the epic vistas instead it’s Mist against the city of Kandar. Mist is focused, skilled at deception and not afraid to take risks such as a strange drug that gives her rather strange experiences. What interests me is the motivation for this crime is not really up for debate. Mist will see this job through they’re not new at this game they will kill their target unless someone gets lucky and stops her. The tension instead comes from the reader asking is will Mist be uncovered? We find this ultra-calm professional so competent we end up willing her to succeed in murdering someone! The story is very much grimdark there are no heroes here and one plot strand is an innocent maid Mist’s employers framed in order for a vacancy to appear. Everything n this story is a shade of grey; it’s a bold move as there isn’t anyone to really root for as nearly everyone seems to be self-involved but as the story develops, we do see a few qualms about the innocent pawns that fall into the game but is that enough to make Mist human is up for debate.

A few niggles for me in the story. There isn’t really much explanation of the politics and the mysterious Network that Mist serves until quite late on so why this is all going on feels a little contrived. This makes the final reveal a little bit of an anti-climax as we’ve no idea who these people are. There is also a slight magical McGuffin that in the ends does very little. The pace also feels a little slow in places as we await the big event. However, the finale is quite unique for fantasy, and we eventually see a number of plot points all come together in the manner of the best crime stories.

Servants of the Lesser Good is a fun read that those who like their fantasy grim and dark should respond well to. Worth a look!