The Ministry of Cinders

About this book

In the soot-choked Protectorate of Albion in 1899, the oppressive Ministry of Iron strictly controls history, banning all artifacts and texts from the 'Old World'. Thaddeus Finch is a ruthlessly pragmatic Ministry censor who supplements his meager rations by smuggling contraband relics to wealthy buyers. Driven solely by survival, Finch cares nothing for the rebellion brewing in the shadows. However, when an underground leader blackmails him into securing a dangerous cache of forbidden archives, Finch becomes reluctantly entangled in a plot to overthrow the Ministry. The story unfolds through a non-linear mosaic of Finch's hidden diary entries from 1898, intercepted rebel missives, a compromised doctor's clinical notes, and present-day 1899 interrogation transcripts led by the relentless Inspector Malachi Thorne. As Thorne attempts to break Finch in the present, the fragmented documents reveal a web of betrayal, shifting loyalties, and the terrible price of preserving human identity. Without ever portraying Finch as a traditional savior, the novel explores how a self-serving man accidentally ignites a spark that changes the course of a dystopian empire.

Book details

Genres:

Historical Fiction, Dystopian, Thriller

Language:

en

Published:

2026-06-06

Content rating:

PG-13