The Jupiter Knife

By: D.J. Butler, Aaron Michael Ritchey

Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies

Even ghosts need help from a Cunning Man.

Hiram and his son Michael are dowsing a well in Eastern Utah when they hear a cry of help from the ghost of a small boy, torn to pieces by wild animals. Before they can even begin to look into that tragedy, however, a prosperous local rancher is murdered right before their eyes.

In an attempt to both help the ghost and find the killer, Hiram and Michael must navigate an eccentric cast of characters that includes failed bank robbers, a seductive fortune-teller, an inept sheriff, a crazy prospector, and a preacher with an apocalyptic grudge against the Roosevelt administration.

The mystery, however, isn't just in the hearts of men. There's an astrological puzzle that Michael, now his father's apprentice, must solve. Meanwhile, the murderer is moving slowly against Hiram and Michael, forcing them into a trap from which there is no escape.

©2021 D. J. Butler and Aaron Michael Ritchey (P)2021 Tantor

Even Better

I loved The Cunning Man, the characters, the setting, the mystery. I loved it so much I jumped right into this one and listened to it straight through. The Jupiter Knife continued on the magic, added to it with astrology, tied it into another mystery and as impossible as it may seem, the sequel was even better than the original. This is now my favorite series. The combination of history, magic, and mystery are phenomenal.

Another great new style Fantasy story.

It's rare for a sequel to match or exceed the original, but this one had me hooked and guessing right to the final page. I devoured it in one breathless sitting.

Great sequel!

This was a great sequel to The Cunning Man. It did a great job building on the previous story, and I like how Michael played a bigger role this time.

The best of wizards?

Hiram Woolley looks to alleviate the suffering around him from the Great Depression, but he has very atypical methods. As a Mormon he sees service as an act for God, but the line between the work of God and work of folk magic is not as clear as many would hope. Through the use of charms, prayers, and other divining methods Hiram tries to solve a series of murders that are plaguing a small town in Utah.

Some people call it magic, he prefers to call himself a “cunning man”. This sequel to the first book from Butler and Ritchie is equally bizarre, thought provoking and entertaining.

Hiram’s step son, Michael becomes even more of a main character and adds an interesting dynamic to the story as he struggles with his own agnosticism.

Hiram is the most overtly religious character Ive read about this year (with the exception of maybe Patera Silk from Book of the Long Sun by Wolfe) so the atheist or witchy type won’t like him. He frequently prays, seeks God’s will, and says his charms and power won’t work if he’s in a state of sin. And yet, his folk magic is realistic enough that many people of faith will be very uncomfortable with that too. He observes astrology, uses magic that he calls divination and frequently uses power that some would call occult. Yet it’s distinctly not power or contact with demons, and it’s not to seek personal pleasure or ambition. It sits in this weird liminal space that the witchy type might love but faith people may be uncomfortable with.

So the point is these are odd books. They’re fun, likely brilliant and I’ve enjoyed them, but I don’t know who the audience is! Mormons with a fascination with folk magic?

In all fairness, Hiram’s not always comfortable with his powers either, but he constantly tries to do the right thing. He’s one of the most conscience driven and morally upright protagonists I’ve read. This is one of the best representations of faith you’ll read in a fantasy novel. If you’re ok with frequent scripture drops (and you should be) and you want to see magic that isn’t systematized in a stupid way (as is all too common) then these books are worth the read. They’re very well paced and will give you a lot to think about.

I can promise you, this is unlike anything you’ve read in a genre that’s often known for just recycling the same thing over and over again.

Thanks to Baen for providing a review copy. I can’t wait for book three.