The first in this series, The Tainted Cup , was superb - and Robert Jackson Bennett has come up with an equal in its sequel. Though labelled fantasy, for me this is definitely science fiction (there is no magic involved), crossed with a complex murder mystery involving a heady mix of political intrigue. As with its predecessor, the narrator, Din is a young assistant investigator, relatively recently started in his first position in the legal arm of their empire. His enhancements as an engraver are slightly reminiscent of a mentat in Dune, giving him perfect recall and leading to surprising sword fighting abilities. His boss, Ana, is more complex - a combination of Mycroft Holmes from the modern-day set Sherlock TV show and Judge Dee from van Gulik's remarkable books. Except she wears a blindfold most of the time and swears a lot more.  We learn more about Ana's abilities and why she is so strange in a story that takes the central characters to a location on the edge of the empi...