Dealing in Shadows by Adir Zagury

Dealing in Shadows: Bonds and Costs is the first book in Adir Zagury's fantasy series, and it offers one of the most original premises I have encountered in the genre. In the empire of Caeli Porta, magic is inherited through noble bloodlines, yet it can also be drawn out of a person and sold as an "extract". Every transfer costs the giver years of life, and every powerful heir costs a mother dearly in childbirth. This single idea shapes the economy and the social order of the empire, and it gives the novel a moral weight that stays with the reader long after each scene ends.

The protagonist, Carter Black, is a refreshing choice for a fantasy hero. He is a merchant and a smuggler, and he approaches every problem as a negotiation. His deals are sealed in blood on split gold coins under the eye of Auspicis, the god of prosperity. Though he does not take anything by force, much of his wealth comes from the desperation of others, which is what you want in a protagonist: someone who reflects the real world rather than a goody-two-shoes. The novel invites the reader to ask whether a deal struck out of need can ever be truly fair. One early scene, in which an ageing lord surrenders his blessing in exchange for his children's future, is one such example, and its consequences return to test Carter in ways I did not anticipate.

Zagury's worldbuilding is detailed and confident. The pantheon is woven into everyday oaths and rituals, and the journey north takes the reader from the towering stone pillars of Koka to the floating platforms of Alta. The flashback chapters, which follow a young Carter across the sea with his family, form the emotional heart of the novel and explain a great deal about the man he becomes. They are beautifully written and stayed with me. As the story moves into open rebellion against the crown, the author introduces an inventive turn in the magic system that shifts the balance of power entirely, and the battles that follow are tense and well staged.

Readers may initially find it strange that characters hold their power, and even physical goods, inside their own bodies. A hollower can carry a ship's entire water supply, and a hydro lord can sell water to the thirsty at whatever price he chooses. Once the concept becomes familiar, however, it proves to be one of the most inventive aspects of the novel. The blessings work as a metaphor for wealth and privilege in our own world. They pass down through a small number of powerful families, and the cost of producing them falls on others.

Zagury opens the novel with a reflection on monopolies, and that idea runs through the whole story. The empire's laws exist to keep power where it already sits. The crown claims a share of every tree and makes it a crime for any commoner to own a blessing. In one town, the price of smelting is set so high that the mine closes and the people starve. Seen through Carter's eyes as a trader, inequality becomes a question of who controls access to resources and who enforces that control. The novel is equally wary of anyone who would seize that power by force in the name of fairness, leaving the reader to consider what a just society might look like.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Alina, a shapeshifter who has escaped a cruel noble House, has a moving arc as she learns to rely on those around her, while Tanji, Ash, Spar and the inventor Wes each leave a lasting impression. King Pygmalion is a particularly well-drawn antagonist, a man whose sincere belief in order makes him all the more dangerous.

At first, I found that many of the names sound alike, which can become confusing when a reader is holding twenty or thirty characters in mind at once. As the story unfolded, however, I began to wonder whether some of these echoes were deliberate. Mark and Marbh stand on the same side of the rebellion, yet they could hardly be further apart: Marbh is an innocent who longs to play his part, while Mark is a brutal man willing to sacrifice whoever stands in the way of his cause. Carter's father, Sapan, and the rebel general Spar are both fathers and leaders who live by a strict code. Ash, a pyro and a fiercely protective mother, shares her name with Asherah, the goddess of fertility and birth, a fitting echo in a world where every blessed child comes at a cost to its mother. Whether intended or not, these pairings add another layer for attentive readers to uncover.

Dealing in Shadows is an ambitious novel, with a large cast, high stakes, a story that spans a great distance and a vast amount of worldbuilding. That ambition is the reason for my rating, although the complexity is uneven. Some events feel rushed, while others linger a little too long, such as Ash's training with the new weapons. Past the first third of the book, new characters and factions arrive in quick succession, and I often found myself losing track of who was who. It is telling that the flashback chapters, which stay with one family in one place, were the ones I enjoyed most. Even so, the final quarter builds to a gripping climax with two skilfully foreshadowed twists.

Under the noise of war, I also found myself wondering whether the novel draws on biblical stories. Carter is the son of Hagar, a mother without noble standing, while his half-brother Rahav is the heir born to their father's noble wife, a pairing that recalls Ishmael and Isaac. The novel returns again and again to settlement and the loss of land, and it shows the rebellion divided between moderates and hardliners who share a cause yet disagree sharply on how far they will go to win it. Whether or not Zagury intended these echoes, they give the story a depth that rewards reflection.

Readers should be aware that the book contains strong violence and some coarse language.

Dealing in Shadows is an ambitious debut that rewards close reading. Fans of intricate magic systems and political fantasy with a strong moral core will find a great deal to enjoy, and I look forward to seeing where Zagury takes Carter next.