Heaven's Graveyard, by Grace Curtis

Heaven's Graveyard is a science-fantasy novel written by Grace Curtis, published by DAW Books. A standalone set in the same world as Idolfire (I think it's enjoyable without reading Idolfire, but I think there's a bit of extra juice if you've already done) with a murder mystery plot that also focuses on the love around historical research and archeology, a neurodivergent (probably) main character, and that knows how to play with the scope to create an engaging and always interesting plot.

The world is on the brink of another war between the powers that rule it, but archeologist Cod couldn't care less about the latest news. She's happy in obscurity, cataloging relics in Asha and searching for clues that prove the existence of the mythical Aleya Ana-Ulai, a lifelong obsession. When her old mentor summons her to her old home, Palgaro, with what might be the discovery of a lifetime, the ruins of Nivela, she can't hide the discovery; but once she arrives there, she will find herself in a complicated situation, as her old mentor has just died, and Nivela's ruins discovery might hide something that threatens to tip the balance of the world.

I absolutely loved how Curtis decided to portray Cod, how we get a main character that is so neurodivergent coded, how it reflects in certain moments of her past and how she has made of certain of those passions the job of her life; but there's space for much nuance inside this character, and partly I think it's captured by how the romance with Sparrow charms her. The whole Sparrow's arc is brilliant, but I cannot talk much about it if I want to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.
The rest of the cast is a bit overshadowed by the sheer force of those two characters, but they still fit perfectly into the roles we need them to play in the plot.

Returning to this world 2000 years after the events of Idolfire was certainly an experience, watching how the characters from the previous book became a legend and how the progress has changed the shape of the society; it felt quite coherent, almost natural the contrast between both books. 
The pacing was in a nice spot, despite feeling too slow at the start, as we are introduced to Cod and before she reaches Palgaro, but once the mystery is unleashed, we don't stop until the end.

I really enjoyed Heaven's Graveyard, being this a great science-fantasy murder mystery story that conquests your heart through the characterization; it can be enjoyed as a standalone, but I would recommend reading Idolfire before it. Another remarkable novel by Grace Curtis!