The Baron of Death

The Baron of Death (Luna #1) by Soren Lauritzen (Athena, 2013, 269pp.)

This fantasy story takes place in the fictional country of Midgaard, a land that includes sorcery, giants, and dwarves. Luna is human, a thief living by her wits alone—well, that and some nifty enhanced abilities, thanks to the dark elf blood in her family. The titular Baron of Death refers to a mysterious drug-baron in the north who makes himself rich from the production of a dangerously addictive drug called orkiljin. Luna joins a quest to stem the flow of the drug in her city, and destroy the hold the Baron has on the north. Luna is a funny, entertaining narrator à la Anita Blake, and while Lauritzen doesn’t exactly reinvent fantasy with his novel, he does put the genre’s props to good use. Recommended for any fan of fantasy.