A Trade of Blood

Robert Jackson Bennett

Aug 2026 · Ana and Din Mysteries Book 3 · Sold by Del Rey

About this ebook

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man’s innocence and confront a terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards.

“Wildly imaginative, sometimes pointed, often hair-raising, and very entertaining, a series that has been a hit with everyone I’ve recommended it to.”—Laura Miller, Slate

The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos.

As Ana investigates—her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears—she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers.

Ratings and reviews

4.2 This one took a great direction because it's personal to Din. The location and the people of these "farms" - slaughterhouses - are home to him, and he will work alongside his sister. The middle is extremely slow and diminishes the enthusiasm, but the end parts with a surprising and revelatory confrontation. Ana's obnoxious and sob behavior contrasts with this case a lot because she is all facts and no empathy; I think it was on purpose to make Din explode, but it made me take a break from re

Read it in one day. Very impressed with the characterization of Ana and Din. Love the banter and intrigue. Wish there was a dozen books to pore through already.

love this series. the characters and plot do not disappoint

About the author

Robert Jackson Bennett is the author of the bestselling Ana and Din series, the first book of which, The Tainted Cup, won the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and was an Edgar Award finalist. Previously, his Founders Trilogy and his Divine Cities trilogy were both Hugo Award finalists in the Best Series category. His work has received the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Philip K. Dick Citation for Excellence, and has been shortlisted numerous times for the World Fantasy and Locus awards. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his family.