Beware ‘volchemistry’ and witchcraft
Death on the Caldera
by Emily Paxman
New York: Titan Books, 2025
$24.99 / 9781835411582
Reviewed by Zoe McKenna
*
Three undercover royals become detectives in the vein of Hercule Poirot in Emily Paxman’s novel, Death on the Caldera.
Mill Bay author Emily Paxman works as a writer and story developer for Wizard Games, an indie video game studio based in Victoria. She is also the author and illustrator of the Neptune Bay cartoon series. Death on the Caldera is her first book.
Siblings Kellen, Morel, and Davina Linde are travelling home to see their dying father, the king of Halgyr. Each reckons with their impending loss in their own way, though they must do so quietly, as their fellow passengers are unaware they’re sharing a carriage with soon-to-be monarchs. Tensions and decades-old arguments simmer between the trio until their bickering is brought to a screeching halt as their train derails. At first, the crash seems to be a freak accident. As the dust settles, Davina fears she may have been to blame. Davina realizes she wields a strange magic, one that had lain dormant for her whole life before finally spilling out in a violent eruption.
In the aftermath, uninjured passengers rally together to tend to the wounded and count the dead. Amongst the deceased is the train’s conductor, his throat cut. The passengers soon realize there’s a murderer in their midst. Before long, the death toll climbs and suspicions rise with it. Kellen, ever the leader, chooses to take charge of the investigation, though it does little to dissuade his fellow survivors that the Linde siblings might have had something to do with the crash, or even the grisly murders.
While Kellen, Morel, and Davina form the novel’s central cast, they are joined by many supporting characters, including a religious leader in training, an accomplished author, Kellen’s ex-lover, her daughter, and several stowaways. The train is full to bursting. Each character is lively and interesting, each with a backstory that peels back another layer of the world Paxman has created. As the murder investigation heightens, almost every character has some suspicion cast against them, and it seems no one on board is truly innocent. Though this contributes to the frantic sense of disorder that overtakes the train, it also makes it difficult to follow the various storylines. The more clues that surface, the more secondary and tertiary characters fade in and out of view to accommodate a swift-moving plot.
Paxman’s writing is often quite beautiful, though never overly flowery. While the core premise of a murder mystery—especially one wherein slashed throats are the modus operandi—the novel remains fun, and at times, even lighthearted.
Part of what helps Death on the Caldera evoke the cheeky fun of its inspiration, Murder on the Orient Express, so clearly is the historically inspired setting. Paxman creates an alternate universe late-nineteenth-century setting with social interactions and dialogue quirks reminiscent of England at that time. Though this may make the novel feel familiar, the once-volcanic landscape quickly reminds readers that all is not as it seems. The world-building is thoughtful and intricate, pulling together religious systems, political tensions, and social dynamics to illustrate the cultural divides between different regions and populations.
As part of this, Paxman details several distinct magic systems. Some are genetic, some are learned. Magic is broadly quite taboo, though some forms of magic are more socially acceptable and some countries are more open-minded than others. The magic systems and their social and cultural relevance help Paxman breathe even more life into her setting without the need for lengthy descriptions, as might be found in traditional high fantasy. The overlapping and intertwining types of magic are fascinating.
Still, the necessity of understanding how each unique system works and how they connect to the broader story (one magic system, “volchemistry,” stems from the power of long-ago erupted volcanoes) presents a significant challenge. This is especially true when it becomes clear that the magic and the mystery are inherently intertwined. For many crime novel fans, myself included, most of the thrill of a murder mystery is the whodunnit element. Readers pay close attention to clues and red herrings to try to piece the puzzle together before the novel’s detective. With Paxman’s many magic systems remaining quite obscure, readers would be hard-pressed to beat detective Kellen to the jump.
As the main story concludes, and the mystery is resolved, new plot threads come to light, and Paxman sets up for a sequel. This is perhaps the point at which the strain between crime and fantasy is clearest. Rather than the satisfactory ‘Bravo!’ of a mystery well-solved, the reader is asked to push tirelessly ahead. From beginning to end, there seems to be an ongoing battle to determine whether Death on the Caldera is a fantasy novel with mystery elements or a mystery novel with fantastical themes. It was never quite clear which won out.
Death on the Caldera is brimming with interesting plot lines, compelling characters, and beautiful world-building. When these elements are given room to breathe, they are truly wonderful to experience. Elsewhere, some of these brilliant ideas are stifled by competing attention, and the writing feels distracted by itself. Readers will need to decide whether they’re ready to go along for the ride.
*
Zoe McKenna received a MA from the UVic and a BA from VIU. Her research focuses on horror writing, with a focus on stories by women. She was the Assistant Editor of That Witch Whispers and her writing has also appeared in Black Cat, Malahat Review, and Quill & Quire. When not at her desk, Zoe can be found haunting local bookstores and hiking trails. Zoe gratefully acknowledges that she is a guest on the traditional territory of the Puneluxutth (Penelakut) Tribe and the hul’qumi’num speaking peoples. Find her on Twitter. [Editor’s note: Zoe McKenna’s recent reviews for BCR include Guojing, Deni Ellis Béchard, W.K. Shephard, Ron Prasad, Peter Darbyshire, Richard Van Camp, Nalo Hopkinson, Marcus Kliewer, Ivana Filipovich, Giselle Vriesen, and Scott Alexander.]
*
The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an online book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
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