Death on the Caldera by Emily Paxman

Book Review

Sarah Deeming

Davina, Kellen, and Morel Linde are travelling incognito by the cross-continental train from Balter to the kingdom of Halgyr before their father dies, so Kellen can assume the position of king. However, an incident on the train derails them and leaves the travellers stranded, cut off from civilisation with little hope for rescue. But their problems don’t end there. Someone is killing the other passengers, luggage is stolen, and there are rumours that a witch is behind all the bad things that have befallen the party.

But the crash triggered Davina’s latent witch abilities, and she can’t remember the events leading up to the collision or immediately after. Could Davina have been responsible for the crash? And who is murdering passengers? As paranoia towards women grows among the survivors, Kellen, the future Halgyr king, must get to the bottom of the situation before people get too paranoid and attack his sister.

Death on the Caldera is a charming whodunnit with roots in Murder on the Orient Express. Set in a fantasy Victorian-esque world, we are immersed in a world of magic, witches, and colonial expansion. There are numerous different magic systems in place. The witches have a goddess they pray to. The Halgyrc uses mist, a scent-based system to befuddle and enchant. The Balterians have volchemistry, a science based around rocks and minerals found in volcanic regions. There are also different gods depending on the believer’s nation. As the Balterians claim other people’s lands for their own expansion, tension between the various people on the train escalates, and these differences become more pronounced as the troubles continue.

The relationship between the siblings is realistic, tender, but tricky. Davina, as the youngest and only female, faces pampered neglect; she is a princess, but in her opinion, no one really cares about her. This grants her considerable freedom due to her limited role in her country’s succession; however, she also feels a sense of lack of freedom, as she believes no one truly cares about her actions. Kellen is the oldest with all the responsibilities that go with it. He knows things the others don’t, and the weight of his future lies heavily on him. He knows stuff about Davina that she doesn’t, like the fact that she is a witch, and in trying to do what he thinks is best for her, he makes more mistakes. I found their awkward, loving, yet angry relationship compelling, which gave me a greater emotional attachment to them.

The pacing is excellent, with secrets revealed and new questions developing throughout, keeping the reader guessing about the connections between events and whether some of the thefts and murders are coincidences or opportunistic acts during the disaster. The ending was a mix of surprises and expected revelations, all within the believable realm of the story being told.

Death on the Caldera is an absolute gem of a story. Well-written, well-paced, full of memorable characters and a clearly visualised world. The ending was strong, and while there is the possibility that Paxman could create more from her universe, it works fantastically as a stand-alone piece. And to top it off, how excellent this book is, it is the author’s debut novel, which has put Emily Paxman on my list of authors to look out for. This is a truly enjoyable story and perfect for anyone who enjoys urban fantasy and murder mysteries.