The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinsom

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why aren’t there any fantasy books with forensic accountant protagonists?”. Well this 2015 release will satisfy that need. As a young girl Baru is recruited to attend a school of the Imperial Republic of Falcrest (aka The Masquerade from the masks worn by its officials). If successful she will join the ranks of its civil service. Baru is a savant and distinguishes herself. But Falcrest has assimilated her homeland and killed one of her fathers for his “unhygienic” sexual relationship and she vows to bring down the republic from the inside. With her formidable math skills, she is dispatched to the province of Aurdwynn as Imperial Accountant of Aurdwynn. Aurdwynn comprises 13 duchies and culturally resembles feudal 15th/16th century Europe. She initially thinks of this posting as an insult to her abilities but soon realizes it is a step toward her goal of bringing down the Imperial Republic. If you think that auditing financial records sounds dry and boring, you’d be wrong.

Baru is a well developed and sometimes likeable character. She is unafraid to exercise her power and her methods are often brutal and with disregard for the people involved. Her single-minded aim of taking over the Republic is always foremost in her plans.

Besides accounting, this book has everything you’d want in a fantasy (for me at least): strong female protagonist, politics, power struggles, intrigue, treachery, betrayal, sacrifice, and really terrific battle scenes. The Imperial Republic’s brutal enforcement of heteronormativity is also threaded throughout the story.

Baru is playing the long game so we aren’t entirely sure she’s headed but the story is never boring or confusing. There are 2 more books in the series available which I will be reading and I think a 4th is in the works.

This is a well written, exciting story with an interesting plot and compelling characters, a couple of which you might actually like. Baru is not someone I would want to be on the wrong side of and being her friend is as dangerous as being her enemy. I still rooted for her.