The Lychford Collection 1 suggests a larger canvas, and I tend to pause for books that hint at a world bigger than the marketing copy can comfortably summarize.
Paul Cornell is working in f11 science fiction & fantasy, which means I want more than ornamental scale. I want memory in the setting, pressure in the institutions, and stakes that feel earned rather than proclaimed.
If this one delivers that, it belongs with the books that reward patience instead of merely filling it. That is the real test in this lane. Tor Publishing Group has it listed for 29-Dec-2025.