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The Rostikov Legacy (Malykant Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 326 ratings

Detective. Judge. Executioner.

In an icy, Victorianesque world, a harsh god rules, and He has one law: a life for a life.

Konrad Savast is the Malykant: detective, judge and executioner in one. It's kill and be killed in Konrad's world, and
his unhappy duty to mete out his Master's implacable justice.

The body of an aristocrat lies in the mist-shrouded reaches of the Bone Forest. Her killer has signed their own death warrant; but first, Konrad must learn
who could have wanted the delightful Lady Rostikova dead...

With a pair of bloodthirsty ghosts to assist him, Konrad will hunt her ladyship's killer the length and breadth of the city — and stop at nothing to finally bring them down.

The supernatural meets classic murder mystery in this tale of dark justice, deduction and black magic.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0075ODXTO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Digital Services (February 3, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 3, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2381 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 98 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 326 ratings

About the author

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Charlotte E. English
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English both by name and nationality, Charlotte hasn’t permitted emigration to the Netherlands to damage her essential Britishness. She writes colourful fantasy novels over copious quantities of tea, and rarely misses an opportunity to apologise for something. Spanning the spectrum from light to dark, her works include the Draykon Series, Modern Magick, The Malykant Mysteries and the Tales of Aylfenhame.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
326 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story interesting and enjoyable. They describe the book as a delightful, enjoyable read that holds their interest. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters, especially the main female character. The dark tone with a blend of dark justice and subtle magics is appreciated. Overall, customers praise the writing quality as fantastic and the book as a quick read worth their time.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

16 customers mention "Story length"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story length. They find the mix of fantasy, mystery, intrigue, and romance interesting and enjoyable. The writing is fantastic and the storyline is great. Readers describe the book as a good mystery read with a newish paranormal plot that's different from the usual murder mysteries.

"...I like how things evolve very naturally. There was no long winded backstory, but we received wonderful hints that there is more to our main..." Read more

"I rnjoyed The Rostikov Legacy. Good plot. The characters were well developed and they kept my interest...." Read more

"The premise is something new, the characters are interesting, the writing is fantastic, the story line is great...." Read more

"...This is one of those cases. Very interesting!" Read more

14 customers mention "Readability"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it enjoyable and interesting, with fluid writing that keeps them engaged until the end. Readers recommend the book as worth reading and a gem.

"...While I don’t think it was earth-shattering, it certainly held my interest and was smooth enough that I didn’t get hung up on verbiage or the prose...." Read more

"...Good plot. The characters were well developed and they kept my interest. I would recommend this book as worth the time you invest to read it." Read more

"...Highly recommended read." Read more

"...but given the novella length, it's understandable, and it's enjoyable regardless. It definitely made me want to read the next one in the series." Read more

8 customers mention "Character development"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters interesting and the main female character delightful.

"...The main female character is another delight. She’s not afraid and challenges Konrad’s secrecy...." Read more

"I rnjoyed The Rostikov Legacy. Good plot. The characters were well developed and they kept my interest...." Read more

"The premise is something new, the characters are interesting, the writing is fantastic, the story line is great...." Read more

"I truly loved this book! The characters develop expertly, the dialogue is very well written, and the lore is wonderfully original!..." Read more

6 customers mention "Dark tone"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's dark tone with spirits, gods, poisons, and aristocrats. They find it an engaging read with a wonderful blend of dark justice and subtle magic. The tone is great with just the right amount of humor to keep it entertaining.

"...Even the tone of the book is great, with just the right amount of humor to keep it from being too dark...." Read more

"I liked this tale, dark as it was, a sort of detective story...." Read more

"Very dark with spirits, gods, poisons, aristocrats, rich, and empowered. Two murders to restore a woman to what should have been her inherited place...." Read more

"...At least the first book! It is very dark but so dark to be off putting." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find the writing fantastic and the storyline engaging. The book is described as a quick read that is worth their time.

"...For me, the writing was fluid and kept me in my beloved reading trance...." Read more

"...premise is something new, the characters are interesting, the writing is fantastic, the story line is great...." Read more

"...The characters develop expertly, the dialogue is very well written, and the lore is wonderfully original!..." Read more

"...I must say, I really enjoyed it. It was short but we'll written and edited...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2014
    So this was extremely short, but absolutely delightful. There was a melancholy tone to English’s writing that ensnared me rather quickly. Given that and the fact the main character acts on behalf of Death is pretty nifty. This reads primarily as a mystery with a nice dose of fantasy. I found the balance wonderful.

    The world is slowly revealed. I like how things evolve very naturally. There was no long winded backstory, but we received wonderful hints that there is more to our main character and world than what we were provided.

    Konrad’s ability with the ethereal plane, his two ghostly type servants, and his connection with the God of Death make him a fun character to follow. Except for one short chapter, we’re in his PoV. It kept me close to him and his quiet personality, creating a nice connection to him rather quickly. We’ve just gotten a glimpse into Konrad’s life—which is part servant to the God of Death and part aristocrat, a combination I enjoyed—and there is a promise of much more to come in future books. I must say, I’m already hooked and plan on reading the next book very soon. Since they are short, it makes them great reads to fit in between my longer ones, something light to whisk me away from reality for a short time.

    The main female character is another delight. She’s not afraid and challenges Konrad’s secrecy. She gets herself in a world of trouble and I was happy to see her try to work her way out of it instead of tumbling into a ball of tears. I actually found her to be extremely interesting. There’s a quirkiness to her that adds some good depth to her character.

    I would have liked a bit more description on some of the sensations Konrad was feeling. Some scenes seemed a bit glossed over in that aspect. Otherwise, I had a good picture in my head and was along for the ride. I read it in one evening. Once I got a quarter way into it, there was no chance I was putting it down. Things moved at a wonderful speed. Since we’re learning about Konrad, the God of Death, and the city with each scene, it made them more important and held my attention. Again, the benefit of not doing back story.

    For me, the writing was fluid and kept me in my beloved reading trance. While I don’t think it was earth-shattering, it certainly held my interest and was smooth enough that I didn’t get hung up on verbiage or the prose. My only complaint is one I had a book or two ago: single quotations vs double. It’s just taxing on my eyes. However, this is the third book I’ve read like this, so I guess I just need to get over it.

    So overall, I recommend this book. Especially if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining read.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2019
    I rnjoyed The Rostikov Legacy. Good plot. The characters were well developed and they kept my interest. I would recommend this book as worth the time you invest to read it.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2018
    A novella about the agent of a god of vengeance in a Victorian world. Fast paced with few surprises. A driven central figure with a mysterious back story can be very interesting, but here the limitations of the character are so extreme that I can’t see much room for growth.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2019
    The premise is something new, the characters are interesting, the writing is fantastic, the story line is great. Even the tone of the book is great, with just the right amount of humor to keep it from being too dark. I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
    The Rostikov Legacy
    By Charlotte E. English
    Konrad is a Malykant who is a servant who obeys a powerful being, his boss. His bosses scary and demanded Konrad, as acting as the Malykant, to be judge, jury, and executioner for murders/serious crimes.
    This is one of those cases. Very interesting!
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2019
    I truly loved this book! The characters develop expertly, the dialogue is very well written, and the lore is wonderfully original! Can’t stress enough how engrossed I am in the lore of this cruel and cold world. My new favorite series.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2012
    This book is a great story for fans of works like Ravenloft. It takes place in the dreary countryside in a world filled with assassins and poison dealers. The concept of the Malykant is interesting. It shows how no one can really escape from their evil deeds even when they try outwitting everyone else. Highly recommended read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2019
    I liked this tale, dark as it was, a sort of detective story.
    A murder has been committed.
    We follow the trail along with the protagonist, a loner who has a dark, secret past. He has two public personae, or rather one public and one secret, the one in which he goes after evil.

Top reviews from other countries

  • heather
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved loved this book
    Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2019
    Great book.
  • Sue Roebuck
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2018
    Having read five books of the Modern Magick series, I thought I'd wait a little to get book 6 (savour the wait - because I love every one of those books) and try out Ms. English's Malykant Mysteries series. This is so very different to Modern Magick but no less enjoyable. Ms. English is adept at creating worlds, making them believable to the reader without going into huge chunks of detail. She just gets on with the job and tells the story. In this case, the main character, Konrad, is the Malykant - he solves murder mysteries for the great Malyk - the God of Death, who, let me tell you, you never want to meet. What is so brilliant is that Konrad is not a very likeable character. He takes ribs from murdered people, and he's pretty cold. Except he's not. There's warmth in there, there's friendship and I think he's very fond of his serpents. A great murder mystery set in a world that is very different to our own. I recommend it.
  • AA Lee
    4.0 out of 5 stars Nate Garrett + Markhat = Great Fantasy Detective
    Reviewed in Canada on May 7, 2021
    Konrad Savast is Nathaniel Garrett in a Victorian era as a cleric (in the D&D sense), not a sorcerer with the attitude and the detecting skills of Markhat (of Frank Tuttle's imagination). This hit all the right buttons - strange magics, Victorian mores, conflicted anti-hero, would-be companion/sidekick, head-scratching puzzles. If you like detective murder mysteries set in a fantasy world, you need to read this. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys "The Angel of the Crows" by Katherine Addison or Dan Willis' 1920s-esque private detective books.
  • Carole Nesbitt
    4.0 out of 5 stars Unusual but good story line
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2013
    Enjoyed all three shortish stories in this series and although unusual reading, there were good story lines in each book, including this one. Not a lot of slaughter, blood and gore as in some other books within the fantasy/magical topic range, which I find a little distasteful and rather unnecessary to be truthful.

    Having read a number of stories/books by Charlotte E. English, which I have enjoyed very much, I would be happy to download more onto my Kindle.

    Would definitely recommend this book to others who like this type of read.
  • Julia Royce
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fun
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2018
    Like her other books, this was fun and fast. This is a new world to me so not quite as well realised as the others, but has lots of potential! I shall read more of this series.

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