On one of the many planes of the Pentagonal Dominion, priestess Calinthe trades in information, collecting valuable secrets for her demonic employer. Calinthe has a secret of her own: she's intersex, making her a target for the matriarchal slavers of the Ophidian Plane whose territory she must cross in her search for hidden knowledge. But thanks to her friend Zakuro's illusions, Calinthe presents as a woman—a comfortable, if furtive, existence in a world determined to bring her to heel.

But when, instead of a mere secret, the priestess uncovers an incalculably powerful artifact, Calinthe finds herself in a high-stakes negotiation with the same matriarchs who sought to enslave her. On the table: Calinthe's discovery, a charm powerful enough to transform a mortal into a god… against a secret so deadly it could quell all life on every plane of the dominion. If Calinthe plays her cards perfectly, she and Zakuro could escape Ophidia wealthier than either of them ever dreamed possible.

But if she plays them wrong… …she'll learn slavery in her pursuers' hands is a fate far worse than death.

An incredibly creative, if somewhat quirky, story, featuring some expansive world-building and a very unorthodox plot. I would have likely not found this story if I hadn’t known the author through shared Discord groups, but every once in a while, involvement with bookish communities does lead you towards these whimsical gems.

There was no single truth, but many nuanced truths. Truths steeped in trauma and poisoned by gendered lies.

The imaginative richness of the Pentagonal Dominion, in which the events of the story take place, is a key highlight. The complex fictional multi-planar setup exists parallel to our world, separated in space and time. It is very well thought out and covered in incredible detail right from the first chapter. If you don’t enjoy elaborate world-building, this is absolutely not the book for you. While the book does have many other merits, it is very clearly written to satisfy a deep thirst to craft fictional worlds, to the point that the element of discovery is woven into every step of the plot.

For much of the initial part, the plot progresses at a slow-ish pace while we explore the different planes of the Pentagonal Dominion, connected by portals. I loved many of the fantastical elements. This obviously includes the core aspects like the various forms of magic and their limitations, the many sapient species, the tentacled god who watches over everyone with his twenty thousand eyes, etc. but also the many subtler aspects that we only get a glance or two of, like Wilford’s sprawling library, the stream that loops through the planes, the kraken bartender etc. There are too many of those to enumerate here, but together they build up quite an immersive experience. Some of the things (like the game of eight questions, the summoning rituals) appear frivolous and random at first, but as the story progresses and you get into the nuances involved, they get interesting.

The many sentient species we see are biologically compatible to varying degrees, and this serves as a vehicle for exploration of various aspects of diversity, equity, and gender fluidity. All of those themes are deeply woven into the narrative, and it is clear that the story was written to serve these explorations, as opposed to them being bolted onto a plot that would otherwise be the same. The latter is unfortunately quite commonplace in the world of fiction.

For a while you may feel like a tourist, exploring the idyllic escapades to the point you may be led to forget that this is a dark fantasy novel. Sure, there is some violence (much of it muted in its presentation), we do get hints of slavery being commonplace, we are told of some military regime doing its thing in the background. But since we follow the journey of a protagonist who mostly wants to settle down and retire, the reader may be tricked into believing those darker bits will stay in the shadows, away from the primary storyline.

That lull is shattered rather jarringly in the later part of the book, when the story suddenly pivots, grabbing you by the throat and pulling you into darkness. I was surprised by how deep it went into slavery, along with bondage, forced intimacy, etc., in the last part of the book. The smattering of erotica throughout the book absolutely does not prepare you for what comes at the very end.

While the plot does take a backseat to the explorations early on, it does come together nicely in the second half, and the pace picks up.

Among the characters, I found Calinthe to be very relatable, Zakuro less so, but the contrast in their personalities works out well. The demon lord was quite unique and hilarious. The other characters serve their roles well. The japanese-themed matriarchy was just f*cked up.

All in all, a very unique story written by an author not afraid to make some radical departures from stereotypical storytelling. While certainly a book like this will not appeal to everyone, it can offer a refreshing experience to folks willing to step away from conventional norms and their own comfort zones.

She knew she wouldn’t get answers to these questions because secrets were the currency that fueled his abilities, and if she knew his secrets, he would become powerless. But I wasn’t selling rotten fruit; I was merely selling the promise of fruit from a tree I had yet to plant.