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therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Another enjoyable entry in this series. I was delighted to meet Ross and Violet and get to know Maud and Hawthorn more in this volume. I enjoyed the first book a bit more, because the pacing was better, but I felt the character connections just as strongly and laughed out loud just as often with this. Super excited for the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Murder, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
beepbeep101's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Cursing, and Misogyny
Minor: Gun violence and Lesbophobia
motherofdogs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Racism
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
2.5
“Mrs. Sinclair says you look at the world and decide you can live with it or decide you can’t. And if you can’t, you decide what you’re prepared to do about it.”
➽ I liked A Marvellous Light, but A Restless Truth didn't really live up to it. It's a companion novel set in the same universe as the first book and follows Robin's sister Maud Blyth as she embarks on a cruise to New York. When the old woman she travels with is murdered, Maud finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. She enlists the help of charming Violet Debenham, a scandal magnet and grumpy Lord Hawthorn to find out who killed a fellow passenger. I liked Maud a lot and was glad that she got her own book, as I wanted to see more of her. She's not a magician, but due to her brother's visions, she's trying to prevent the Last Contract from falling into the wrong hands. Maud feels like she ows it to Robin to contribute something useful and is determined to salvage this terrible situation. I liked her stubborn nature and strong will, especially as she's surrounded by people with magical powers.
➽ The setting and premise were fantastic, but the execution left a lot to be desired. We barely explored the ship and stuck to the same places like the cabins or the dining hall. The mystery was so slow and boring, I don't think there were any interesting twists and turns. Most of the time it felt like the characters were walking in circles. Maud and her team would try something, it wouldn't work and then they'd start all over again. It felt very repetitive, as a lot of this book consists of characters just talking to each other and trying to make plans. The villains were so cartoonish and most side characters were indistinguishable. I feel like there were no high stakes or sense of danger, which took all the suspense out of the book. Maud is aware she's stuck on a ship with a murderer, but I wasn't really scared for her until the very end.
➽ I also wanted to like the romance more. I was initially excited as I loved the banter between Maud and Violet. The latter is a scandal magnet and doesn't care for her reputation, something that immediately draws in Maud. It was nice to read about Maud discovering her sexuality and coming to terms with what she wanted romantically. I just feel like we didn't get to know Violet beyond the basics. Her background story was told in an infodump in the middle of the book, but for the most part, I didn't understand Violet. She felt much less developed compared to Maud and more like a quirky trope than an actual person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Violence, Sexism, and Homophobia
rosemina2016's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Classism
grace_b_3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Sexual content, and Torture
lollymac's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Violence, Sexual content, and Misogyny
bootrat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had an excellent time with this book, it was great fun! But also touching and reflective as the characters grapple with their flaws and the challenges of letting somebody in and allowing yourself to have feelings for another person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Sexism
caelfind's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, and Violence
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I started this series (with A Marvellous Light), very recently. And it was SO good. Five stars. So I picked this second book up right away.
We're still in the same Edwardian England period/vibes, but our scope expands a bit, as the story follows Maud Blythe (Robin's younger sister) on a journey to find a piece of The Last Contract that was introduced in the first book. Maud has traveled to America to accompany an elderly lady, one of the secret society of lady magicians hiding the contract in parts, back to England. But, when the woman is killed and the piece of the contract goes missing, Maud is thrown into a much more dangerous, and scandalous, ocean liner adventure than originally expected. She teams up with Violet Debenham, a disgraced daughter of a noble family, traveling back to England to collect an inheritance after years spent performing in NYC. And they together recruit Lord Hawthorne (yes, the very same surly, rude, magic-less noble magician from the first novel), and a working class journalist/thief named Ross, to the cause. Facing down talking parrots (a whole menagerie, really), tons of magic, mediums and ghosts, deep conspiracies, and limited contacts/resources (they're on a boat!), these unlikely compatriots end up fighting for both their lives and the future of British magic. Oh, and of course, Violet introduces Muad to a whole new world of connection and pleasure that will change everything for them both.
Alright, this is a trope that is hit or miss for me, but the self-contained mystery/thriller aspect of this, everyone stuck on a boat together, worked really well here. There was, seriously, nonstop action. From ridiculous animal stampedes to breaking & entering to scandalous (and by that I mean, fantastic) steamy scenes to so many plans (that both work and, dramatically, hilariously, do not). On the whole, this story is a bit more fun/funny than the first. Not that there weren't lighter parts in the first, but this book just felt lighter. Even though the stakes were equally high, and the romance equally steamy/tender, the seriousness felt less immediate. I was entertained, on the edge of my seat, start to finish.
Same as the first, I loved the characters. Maud is maybe one of my favorite female MCs ever. She is plucky AF, so creative and (sneakily naively) persistent, and I was so into her “buoyant energy.” It reminded me, a bit, (in vibes, if considerably more planted in reality), of the friend character in Mortal Follies (whom I also loved). I always enjoy the trope of characters who cannot/won’t lie; the creativity in writing their evasion/word-smithing is one of my favorite things and having that central to Maud's character, and thus the book, was a highlight for me. Plus, the depth she had, that developed throughout, as far as her choosing to be good, even if that's not her first impulse, is such a beautiful lesson for us all. That it's within all our own power to do the same for ourselves is really touching. Violet was a great foil for Maud. I am always here for a lady who leans into a scandal. And her prickly self-protection is definitely relatable. They were super fun to read, and watch grow, together. Maud’s particular style of bravery (honestly and persistence, even when it could be embarrassing) and Violet’s own strength (self-assuredness, especially when flying in the face of social norms) are a heady combination for this female reader. And similar to the end of the first book, when they use those unique, not-expected-from-women skills, and the suppositions and assumptions of their "weaker" constitutions to get what they want, it was fantastic and hilarious. Let me just also say that I thought the couple new (or at least newly given dimension) characters, Hawthorne and Ross, really stood up well to such strong female leads. I was hoping (and have since looked ahead to confirm) that they are the final book pairing (romantically), because they're perfect, I can feel it. So excited for that!
The additional world-building that we got here, particularly related to the use of magic, was wonderful. Cradlespeak (using non-magically-imbued hand movements) to secretly converse/send messages is high class magical creativity. There was again some creative magic involvement in some of the steamy scenes. And altogether the expansion of the magical options (in sewing, in rings, anchored in objects, etc.), in parallel with the expansion of who is doing the magic and where (like what country) it’s being done, was great.
Finally, the ending. YES to all of it. The HEA and promise to grow is there, but so believable under the one week circumstances and with the mature agreement that more time is needed and trust has begun but cannot come all at once/right away, but that’s ok and doesn’t mean it’s not meant to be (nor does it mean they cannot pursue and compete separate dreams and tasks first)...OH it’s so good. I just, I don't even know how to describe how nuanced it was, and I was so impressed.
What a phenomenal second installment! It's a wonderful continuation, but with a uniqueness all its own. I am, quite simply, smitten with this series!
“...he'd never understand. He wasn't born a girl, let alone one of five. He’d never grown out of childhood feeling himself get taller and taller as the life expected of him grew smaller and smaller, until he could barely breathe for the confines of it.”
“…you look at the world and decide you can live with it or decide you can't. And if you can't, you decide what you're prepared to do about it.”
“The attention of one's audience was a ray of light. Performance was both protection and reward.”
“This stirring of a drowsy thing in her chest made of soft wax and the smell of honey.” (I love this description of heart flutters and falling in love.)
“But if I have to create myself every day, with every choice I make, then I want to make the choices I won't regret when I look back on my life at its end.”
“Liminal space was where the magic was done, but you couldn't hide in it forever. Sooner or later you set foot on dry land.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Murder, Classism, Violence, and Misogyny