Review of The Faithful Dark by Cate Baumer
Title: The Faithful Dark
Author: Cate Baumer.
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Gothic
Year Published: 2026
My Rating: 4.5/5
Blurb:
READERS LOVE BAUMER'S DARK WORLD . . . 🗡♰ 'Angels, demons, serial killers in a fantasy Vatican, so much beautifully written longing!' 🗡♰ 🗡♰ 'Would recommend for lovers of Ava Reid, Leigh Bardugo and Katherine Arden' 🗡♰ 🗡♰ 'I adored this book... It's such a great blend of fantasy and mystery, with a slow-burn romance that I am DEEPLY obsessed with. Couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks!' 🗡♰
'A twisty and beguiling gothic fantasy, lyrically written and tightly plotted . . . with one of my favourite villain-slash-anti-heroes of all time. You will be entranced by Baumer's darkly magical tale' AVA REID, #1 NYT bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
🗡♰ This is the city of miracles, but not everything miraculous is good 🗡♰
In a holy walled city where sin and sanctity are revealed through touch, Csilla - a girl born without a soul - is worth little to the Church that raised her. But when a series of murders corrodes the faithful magic that keep the city safe, the Church elders see a use for her she can assassinate their prime suspect, a heretic with divine heritage, without risking the stain of sin.
The heretic, however, makes Csilla a clear his name by helping him catch the real killer, and he'll use his angelic gifts to grant her very own soul. Meanwhile, ruthless Ilan, desperate to earn back his position as Church Inquisitor, sees the case as his chance at he'll bring in the murderer - or, failing that, Csilla and the heretic - and regain his title.
But as the death toll rises, and their hunt pits them against the all-powerful and callous Faith, Csilla finds herself torn. Will her salvation come at the cost of everything she believes in?
###Review:
The Faithful Dark is a gripping and mystical whodunit, packed with compelling characters and a pair of captivating mysteries. The novel is set in a city similar to Carcassonne, a fortified city in France. Its colossal and foreboding walls make the city feel claustrophobic and oppressive. This, combined with the cold and supercilious nature of the setting's religion, makes it apparent how the Vatican served as the inspiration for the setting.
The religion in this story is patently corrupt and oppressive; its senior members using members lower in the hierarchy as their instrument to persecute and mistreat the masses. With this in mind, all three characters have their personalities shaped by their faith.
Csilla is simply a ray of sunshine in a dark and corrupt world; she is a pious, warm and caring cat-lover (which gets her extra points for me) living in the shadow of religion. However, I found her overly trusting and naive, but I believe this is reasonable to assume that this is due to her upbringing by the church. She was born without a soul - which I found compelling enough in itself - and was subsequently abandoned and raised by the church. She was brought up to a be a healer, which taught her to be tender and benevolent, but also resilient. Furthermore, her indoctrination by the church made her wary and fearful about her lack of soul; thus she tried to be as close to what the Church thinks of as 'good' as she could. Since the soul reflects the 'clarity' of the soul in religious artefacts (blackness in the artefact equates to sin in the soul), Csilla had to be sure not to aggravate members of the Church and give them no ammunition to light their ire. Despite her indoctrination and pitiable start in life, she is kind and empathetic, to the contrary of her community who shun and ignore her.
One of the other main characters, Ilan, is one of the only people who takes an interest in Csilla for non-selfish reasons. I found him to be quite a complex character; he seems to use his morals as a compass, but his morals are complicated. I think, maybe, the term 'morally grey' may, for once, actually be useful and apt here! Despite his kindness and leniency towards Csilla, he can be a cruel and callous man - especially in his work. He, like many people in this world, has been indoctrinated by the Church, insofar as becoming an inquisitor for them. The Faithful Dark does not stray from the Violent and Terrifying Inquisitor trope. Ilan is a threatening and brutal torturer, using pain as a method to get information; mainly getting people to confess their sins. However, there might be a 'kindness' to this act? I think - I can't remember too clearly - that this absolves your sins and rids your soul of the black spots reflected in the artefact. With this, he patently believes that the ends justify the means; he always wants to do 'the right thing' and, interestingly, he trusts Csilla will do just that.
Our third main character is Mihály, though the book contains no chapters from his POV. He is seen as a threat to the faith by the members of the Church, as he preaches 'heresy' (a different view point) to the civilians of the city. Despite this, he is an Izir: a descendent of the angels. At the start of the novel he is a charming and amiable character, making him easy to love. However, as the novel goes on, it is clear that he is hiding something, something that could be nefarious in nature. It is clear that his intentions towards Csilla are anything but selfless, and his good character slowly tarnishes throughout the novel.
Ilan starts the as a foil for Mihály, as he is an agent of the Church, who seek to persecute Mihály. However, through Csilla's influence, he starts to work with them both in order to solve the mystery of the seemingly demonic murders that are happening in the city and to find a way to give Csilla a soul.
I found the mystical whodunit compelling in tandem with the engaging cast of characters. It constantly kept me engaged and on my toes; I felt like I couldn't trust any character because nobody was what they seemed. I enjoyed the world-building, the presence of an omnipotent Church felt claustrophobic and evoked empathetic feelings of fear for our protagonist, Csilla. Furthermore, I always enjoy a piece of fiction that incorporates angels and demons (looking at you, Constantine)! However, I found the start of the novel a bit confusing and found myself wishing for a glossary of terms (especially because I have ADHD and forget new terms very easily).
In essence, The Faithful Dark was an enthralling piece of fiction; a powerful critique of an omnipotent institution of religion and a reflection of its hypocrisy. The morality/magic system was stimulating and novel. It explored how the world would be if our sins were visible; a metaphor of religious guilt made manifest. Nonetheless, the novel also explored the positive aspects of religion, highlighting the importance of community and charity and how, through this, it is a tool of bolstering hope. I thoroughly enjoyed The Faithful Dark and can't wait for the sequel!