Thessa Kalou is facing the fact that she is supposed to get married but is unhappy with the man that has been chosen for her. Lokenn Mar Enae is on his way to New Montres to start his life over, but that's easier said than done. Corlis Andassi is an innkeeper with a surly aunt he can't let go of. Thessa, Lokenn, and Corlis meet during trying times. They don't know each other very well, but they soon realize their fate is entwined. They end up working together, but things don't always go according to plan... but sticking together is a must.
 
A Bad Place to Be a Hero by Jerry F. Westinger is an intense and thrilling read that will make it hard for you to put the book down. Westinger immerses the reader in the story with rich, vivid scenes and exquisite world-building. The tension slowly builds as each character faces obstacles in their lives that they have to sort out whether they like it or not. There is never a dull moment with them, and you are also wondering if they are going to figure it out.
 
The story moves at a smooth pace, and the author seamlessly moves from one character to the next. The chapters are told from the perspective of the characters, which is a pleasant treat because you get to know the characters and their reasons for their actions. In addition, the author has created many challenging situations for the characters to get out of, making this an unpredictable read that will have you wondering just how they will get out of this predicament.
 
The secondary characters are well thought out, such as Porla, the coach driver, Addie, the barmaid, and others add flare to the story. Most of the time, the lead characters are at odds with each other, but you don't mind because it's entertaining. It's hard to criticize a wonderfully written story rich in detail! I recommend A Bad Place to Be a Hero to all fantasy book lovers. This is a story many will love and enjoy.

This gritty mystery fantasy ticks a lot of my boxes, and the writing is effective and consistently *just right*

A Bad Place to Be a Hero is a fantasy mystery with a set of morally gray characters that will pull you in. The worldbuilding is extremely well done, so much so that it made me hope for future stories set in the same world at least, if not following the same characters. Even though the story primarily takes place in one city, you get a taste of many cultures and histories. The city itself is rather diverse, and each main character has a different country of origin. The author makes them distinct, likable but flawed characters and writes in multiple POVs, which really highlights their difference in judgment, perception, reasoning, history, and motivations. One character’s POV might reveal flaws lurking just beneath the traits you loved in another character.

Westinger approaches worldbuilding in a way I prefer: information and topics coming up naturally, with knowledge of the world being given through context. I realize it must be rather difficult to find this balance between info-dumping or being overly descriptive and leaving too many unanswered questions or only a vague understanding. Particularly when your world is rather complex, and there are many elements playing a factor in your story. Westinger has a compelling and complex world and story, but is able to keep this balance perfectly. 

This story seemed to pull on a few crime fiction themes, but it reminded me most of hardboiled fiction in a fantasy world. It’s dark and gritty, and set in a major city (though with limited magical technology). The main characters might not be strictly “good” themselves, but they have to expose even darker secrets of the city. I thoroughly enjoyed the way both the fantasy and the mystery were written!

Westinger was also effective with character development. We're given information again in a natural, well-balanced way and we see just enough of their motivations, inner obstacles, and personal growth. There's a great balance of conflict between characters and tension over the looming primary conflict, too.

If you think a mystery fantasy with a gritty feel sounds like it ticks a lot of your boxes, I think you'll love this!