Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

In Stefano Blackwood's The Cube of Dominium: Beneath the Veils of Power, years after a brief encounter between Napoleon Bonaparte and a tavern worker named Anne Blanchet, a girl named Claire grows up carrying a silver pendant given to her mother before Napoleon departed for war. The pendant attracts the attention of men who believe it unlocks a secret safe built for Napoleon by the scientist Gerard Moreau. When Claire is kidnapped by agents serving the nobleman Mortimer du Udille, her grandmother Violet and Gerard’s family begin a pursuit across France to rescue her. Their efforts reveal that the pendant is part of a key connected to a hidden artifact whose origins reach far beyond Napoleon’s lifetime. As rival forces search for the same object, Claire is drawn into a conflict that links her family history with a secret known to only a few people.

Stefano Blackwood's Beneath the Veils of Power is a detailed historical novel, with a uniquely brilliant vision-and-destiny fantasy plot device. Claire is the fully fleshed out central character in this, and is absolutely a protagonist we want to root for. She is not the typical damsel in distress, and I love that Blackwood gives her full strength and agency, even in captivity and pursuit. She experiences massive losses and is not just going to let that drop. I also really like Elena, who is equally developed, commanding ships and crews made up of people she's rescued. To have one female heroine is excellent; to have multiple ones is a testament to Blackwood's skill as a writer. This extends to the fantastic visual settings and landscapes, from the Rouen tower with guarded doors and narrow stone windows overlooking the courtyard, to the harbor at Le Havre, where sailors load supplies and prepare a vessel for departure. Well written and deeply immersive, this is a great read, and I'm excited to see where the author takes us next in the series.