Shadowscent

"Shadowscent is a duology set in an empire where scent defines everything—perfume is worth more than gold, prayers must be sent up with incense, and smell is queen of the five senses. Scent Keepers, revered by the people, serve as mediators between the gods and mortal rulers: ‘There’s as many myths and stories about Scent Keepers as there are feathers in their dresses.’ As with the other books I’ve chosen, this is a book where the gods feel very close, and myth intersects with reality. In terms of plot, The Darkest Bloom is a classic quest fantasy—the main characters have to collect various ingredients for an antidote to save the prince, who has been poisoned. It reads, to me, like it could be a tale from a long-fallen empire. “Tolkien does represent an era where fantasy was considered far more a male domain” P. M. Freestone has such a fine eye—and nose—for detail, and describes scent so evocatively throughout the series. They inspired me to think about it more in my own work. I actually went with them to a perfumer called 4160 Tuesdays in London to help design a perfume based on the black dakhai, the titular ‘darkest bloom’ and the most valuable flower in the world of Shadowscent . It was fascinating to learn more about the notes and ingredients that make up one perfume, how much each element costs, and so on."