Title: The Lion’s Tusk
Author(s) Name(s): Robert Jackson Bennett
Published in: July, 2026
Why You Might Like This Book: Read this book if you enjoy
- fantasy fiction,
- whodunit murder mysteries,
- unsolved murders,
- mythology,
- magic,
- historical fiction,
- short fiction,
- revenge and motivation for crime,
- detective stories,
- fast-paced stories,
- short stories, and
- crime fiction.
Who Should Avoid This Book: Avoid this book if you are triggered by or dislike
- murder,
- death,
- mythological evil, and
- violence.
The Lion’s Tusk is a fantasy novella written by Robert Jackson Bennett. One of the first things you will notice is that the author’s writing style is distinct and his vocabulary rich and the narrative is also interesting. The story combines all the classic whodunit murder mystery elements and elements of fantasy like mythology and fictional history. Ana Dolabra is a brilliant investigator who specializes in historical myths, beasts, and magic. Along with her assistant Din, she solves crimes of the past.
One of the most lavish wedding parties ever seen until that point in time was thrown during the wedding of the eldest son of the Kartan gentryclan. The groom Caldor Kartan was tall, hansome, and charismatic, more like a fool, known for notorious activities like frolicking around with different women. The bride Naram Pharideh on the other hand was quite the opposite: bright and skilled in music, art and poetry, and her works were loved by one and all. Even though the occasion was a grand one for which hundreds of guests were invited, not all of them were pleased. Privan Daneh from the Daneh klan who saw himself as a suitable match for the bride, adored her, had tried to impress her for long, and was disappointed now that she would choose a fool like Caldor over him, Abbot Mabaq, who is said to have been offended by some mysterious word or action of Caldor when he was younger, and the imperial Captain Athymo who seemed to dislike Naram for some reason and was drunk as noted by many other guests that evening were three people who were notably displeased but there were also many others.
There were strange traditions that were practiced during this time, like ensuring that a couple engaged in sex as soon as the wedding happened, in front of the crowd, to ensure that the children birthed by the bride would undoubtedly be the children of that couple, or collecting and gifting relics like a lock of hair or a finger bone or clothing or accessories worn by or used by or were supposedly parts of great people from the past. Of all the gifts the couple received that day, Abbot Mabaq’s gift was the one that stood out and surprised one and all: a tusk from the head of the mythical leo-mastiza, a creature that supposedly lived in ancient times, one that people had begun to believe as just a myth, and so far, anyone who claimed to have found or owned a piece of the animal were all liars. The abbot confirmed that this object was indeed real but they must be aware that this relic would bring a lot of fortune for those who were pure at heart and would cause pain to those who strayed.
The next morning, a maid noticed that there was no response from either of them when she went up to their room and called Caldor. There were strange odours and sounds coming from within, so she forced the door open to find the couple being motionless, remaining seated on the mattress, with their body parts swollen, their flesh torn and their bones visible, with blood on the bed and insects buzzing everywhere in the room. The maid though said that that moment they were alive, not fully dead yet, and Captain Astazi Thama of the Imperial Iudex arrived at the scene and began his investigation. The Apoths told him, as inferred by the investigators documents and notes, that the lion’s tusk was actually a veosoar, a vile insect whose shell resembles a tusk, one that had become nearly extinct, and it is deadly as it can infect, break the flesh and enter the body, reproduce and multiply very soon, torture and kill those it chooses to feed on. But since only the groom and bride were targeted and the insect needs either sweat or other biological remains of a body for it choose that host, this couldn’t have been a natural event but pre-planned murder: someone had found the sweat of the couple and fed the veosoar for it to target them and kill them.
Despite all the detailed notes he had made, Thama either couldn’t or didn’t want to solve the crime, so after years of investigating, waiting, and pondering, he submits his report and the crime remains unsolved for centuries. And after all this time, Ana takes an interest in this case, and solves the same during a long ride with her assistant. The story is genuinely interesting and fast-paced, so if you are looking for a quick read in the fantasy genre which would also be fun to read, do check this out! This one’s definitely a page-turner.
