Concordia has existed in tentative peace for a thousand years, each province ruled by an animal (from Dragon up at the top down to the Fish at the bottom) and led by the one person in each province who holds a Blessing from the Goddess. This year the twelve descendants/heirs are voyaging to the Goddess’s Mountain so they can become the leaders of their provinces.
Ganymedes does not have a Blessing and he really doesn’t want to get on the ship to join the voyage. However, since he’s his father’s only legitimate child, he’s forced to join the eleven others. The atmosphere on the ship is terrible as they all seem to despise one another and their disdain for Ganymedes (Dee) is palpable. Then an important heir is found dead, and things take a turn for the worse when the body count climbs even higher.
I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, it’s supposed to be a fun locked room mystery but it definitely fell short for me. I lost my interest in the story quite early on and had to keep re-focusing on it which didn’t help with the enjoyment of it. So it’s 3 stars from me for this one.
Read for The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2026
Prompt 36: Award-winning book from last year
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
