The Orb of Cairado

by

eBook, 120 pages

English language

Published Jan. 31, 2025 by Subterranean Press.

ISBN:
978-1-64524-214-7
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(3 reviews)

Set in the world of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee The Goblin Emperor, The Orb of Cairado offers an unlikely hero in historian Ulcetha Zhorvena.

Five years ago, Ulcetha was studying at the University of Cairado, working his way toward becoming a scholar first-class in the Department of History. Then a prize artifact disappeared and Ulcetha, deftly framed, was kicked out. Now he works for a crooked importer, using his knowledge of elven history to write provenances for the fake artifacts Salathgarad sells.

When the airship Wisdom of Choharo explodes, killing the emperor and three of his four sons, it takes with it Ulcetha’s best friend, Mara Lilana. But Mara leaves behind a puzzle—the one thing Ulcetha can’t resist. And the puzzle leads Ulcetha back to the Department of History…and maybe the chance to clear his name.

2 editions

reviewed The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison

Need to reread

A disgraced historian who makes a living creating fake provenances discovers an intriguing puzzle.

The Orb of Cairado features a new protagonist, Ulcetha Zhorvena, a disgraced historian, and seems to be set around the time of The Goblin Emperor. A nice story, though short, and definitely in the same vein as the Thara Celehar books. For some reason I didn’t find it as engaging as the books featuring Celehar. I’ll be rereading it because I suspect my lack of engagement had little to do with the book itself.

reviewed The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison

The Orb of Cairado is yet another detective story set in the Goblin Emperor universe. It follows Ulcetha, a disgraced scholar whose best friend has just died in the same airship crash that starts off The Goblin Emperor.

The writing is typical of the series, although it's interesting to have a protagonist who's a bit more venal and self-serving than Maia and Celehar.

I wouldn't mind more Ulcetha stories, although I'm not sure how much more adventure lies in his future.

reviewed The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison

The Orb of Cairado

My bias is clear: I will read everything Katherine Addison writes, especially in the Goblin Emperor world. This is a short treasure-hunting novella backgrounded by elitist academia and complicated relationships. As always, her books are carried by her characters.

I love a book about treasure hunting where the titular treasure is found halfway through the book, but that's also not the end of the mystery.

I'm also going to steal this thought from one of my friends because I could not agree more: "I love the things that these books say about friendships, the different shapes both friendship and love can take (and that they're not mutually exclusive things; and that those two things can both exist in deeply healthy ways, absent sexual desire, etc. etc.)"

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