The Faithful Dark (The Brilliant Soul #1), by Cate Baumer

The Faithful Dark is the first book in the dark fantasy series The Brilliant Soul, written by Cate Baumer, published by Hodderscape. An excellent murder mystery story set in a fantasy city inspired by the Vatican, sparkled with some political intrigue, that is propelled by its fascinating main cast, and how it is also used to explore concepts such as faith and belonging, all in a queer normative world.

Csilla, born without a soul, is little more than a tool to the Church that raised her; when a string of murders starts corroding the magic that protects the city, the elders send her to assassinate a heretic with divine heritage (an Izir, descendant of the angels), thinking that she won't stain a soul she doesn't have. However, Mihaly, the heretic, offers her what she craved most: a soul gifted by his angelic powers in exchange for helping him clear his name by capturing the actual murderer. A quest that will take to examine her faith in a new light, putting her against the Church, questioning all that she believes in.
Meanwhile, Ilan, desperate to recover his status as Inquisitor, sees the case as the way to regain his status; if he fails to bring the murderer, at least he will have Csilla and Mihaly.

Csilla is a brilliant character, a complex and well-developed one that grows through the plot; she starts being a naïve and kind person, with strong beliefs in the teachings that the Faith has given her. Being born without a soul, she will always be outside of the Church, so we can see how Mihaly's offering is the perfect one to attract her. She never loses that kindness that characterizes her, but we can see how, through her mistakes, she's being forged into a more secure person, even questioning Faith's dogmas. Her character's arc is one of the highlights of the book.
Ilan is a character that provokes conflicting feelings in me: I can understand his motivations and even cheer when he's trying to protect Csilla and the own city, but there's also a fanaticism component that I never could get behind, being unnecessary cruel at some points (which in reality makes sense if you take in account his position in the Church).
In a secondary role, Mihaly is also an interesting examination of how even selfishness can be used in good ways, or in order to achieve noble goals.

The worldbuilding is another of the highlights, as Baumer has created a lush and rich setting taking the Vatican as inspiration; a city built around the Church and the Faith, which becomes the place where the mystery is happening. I was fascinated by all the details Baumer describes in the novel, transporting the reader to the walled city.
The pacing is well balanced, relatively slow at the first third or so of the book, setting up the scene to let the story flow.

The Faithful Dark is an excellent novel, a perfect choice if you are looking for a dark Gothic fantasy with superb character development and a murder mystery at the center of everything. Can't wait to see how Cate Baumer concludes The Brilliant Soul duology!