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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Enchantingly lush and brilliantly witty, Freya Marske’s spectacular continuation of magical historical fantasy, A Marvellous Light takes all the downton-esque, Edwardian charm of its predecessor and takes it to the open seas as Maud Blythe (Robin’s sister) sets sail aboard the H.M.S Lyric; solving murders, uncovering magical conspiracies and resisting the sizzling sexual tension that draws her to the dazzlingly beautiful (and just a tad scandalous) Violet Debenham.
The period detail was amazing and despite being set solely on board an ocean liner (and a White Star one at that) the setting never felt tedious or boring—the complete opposite in fact as I loved Marske’s richly descriptive and immersive prose.
The intimate nature of such a smaller, more focused setting also helped to delve into the characters’ at a faster pace and really helped to endear them to me. This was certainly the case for Hawthorn, who when first introduced in A Marvellous Light came off as an arrogant and selfish bully.
But his time with Maud and Violet—and his (reluctantly) helpful support really change my opinions of him. As did the simmering, flirtatious tension Hawthorn has with journalist Ross—their back and forth a were the perfect level of angst and I’m really hoping that they’ll both take centre stage in the next instalment.
I also loved getting to see more of Robin’s free-spirited and unconventional sister Maud, finally getting to experience the adventure she’d been craving in book 1. I enjoyed exploring Maud from a POV that wasn’t her brother and seeing her really come into her own as a character, relatively free from the stuffy expectations and pressures of a Baronet’s daughter/sister.
Violet likewise, was also a refreshing addition and I loved how much her larger than life personality and desire for scandal really brought Maud out of her shell. The romance between these two was soo swoon-worthy and just as steamy as its predecessor so do bear that in mind if you prefer cleaner/closed door romances.
The pacing was definitely alot quicker than A Marvellous Light and the tone was a lot lighter than I had anticipated given the murder mystery aspect, but I absolutely loved every second of it! The humour was outstanding and the cast of supporting characters was full of eccentric and utterly entertaining personalities that really helped me to fly through this at a record pace.
It’s a real whirlwind of a book and the action was definitely edge of your seat worthy (I truly couldn’t put it down) but it was the heartwarming essence of the characters and their complex emotions and that really stood out to me. Through Maud and Violet we get a glimpse of the stifling pressures and restrictions Edwardian society placed upon them.
Overall, an exhilarating LGBTQ+ infused tale of magic, murder and marvellously steamy romance that gave me delicious, Agatha Christie meets Titanic vibes that I couldn’t get enough of! If you’re partial to downton-esque historical fantasy then you are going to absolutely ADORE this. It is a sequel but there’s enough backstory that you could read this as a standalone—however I definitely recommend picking up the first book, A Marvellous Light as it’s just soo good!
Also, a massive thank you to Tor Books and Blackcrow PR for the stunning proof.
The period detail was amazing and despite being set solely on board an ocean liner (and a White Star one at that) the setting never felt tedious or boring—the complete opposite in fact as I loved Marske’s richly descriptive and immersive prose.
The intimate nature of such a smaller, more focused setting also helped to delve into the characters’ at a faster pace and really helped to endear them to me. This was certainly the case for Hawthorn, who when first introduced in A Marvellous Light came off as an arrogant and selfish bully.
But his time with Maud and Violet—and his (reluctantly) helpful support really change my opinions of him. As did the simmering, flirtatious tension Hawthorn has with journalist Ross—their back and forth a were the perfect level of angst and I’m really hoping that they’ll both take centre stage in the next instalment.
I also loved getting to see more of Robin’s free-spirited and unconventional sister Maud, finally getting to experience the adventure she’d been craving in book 1. I enjoyed exploring Maud from a POV that wasn’t her brother and seeing her really come into her own as a character, relatively free from the stuffy expectations and pressures of a Baronet’s daughter/sister.
Violet likewise, was also a refreshing addition and I loved how much her larger than life personality and desire for scandal really brought Maud out of her shell. The romance between these two was soo swoon-worthy and just as steamy as its predecessor so do bear that in mind if you prefer cleaner/closed door romances.
The pacing was definitely alot quicker than A Marvellous Light and the tone was a lot lighter than I had anticipated given the murder mystery aspect, but I absolutely loved every second of it! The humour was outstanding and the cast of supporting characters was full of eccentric and utterly entertaining personalities that really helped me to fly through this at a record pace.
It’s a real whirlwind of a book and the action was definitely edge of your seat worthy (I truly couldn’t put it down) but it was the heartwarming essence of the characters and their complex emotions and that really stood out to me. Through Maud and Violet we get a glimpse of the stifling pressures and restrictions Edwardian society placed upon them.
Overall, an exhilarating LGBTQ+ infused tale of magic, murder and marvellously steamy romance that gave me delicious, Agatha Christie meets Titanic vibes that I couldn’t get enough of! If you’re partial to downton-esque historical fantasy then you are going to absolutely ADORE this. It is a sequel but there’s enough backstory that you could read this as a standalone—however I definitely recommend picking up the first book, A Marvellous Light as it’s just soo good!
Also, a massive thank you to Tor Books and Blackcrow PR for the stunning proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Racism
Minor: Sexual harassment
rachratesreads'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
A Restless Truth - 9.5/10
Freya Marske has done it again in creating one of my favorite books of the year. A Restless Truth took all of A Marvelous Light’s best traits and somehow made them even better. This one is going to be a spoiler free review, HOWEVER if you haven’t read the first book in the series, there may be some spoilers for that one. You’ve been warned.
This book follows Maud, Robin’s younger sister, as she is traveling back to Britain with another keeper from the Contract (in the first book). Chaos ensues (as it does in all of my favorite books), and Maud finds herself having to find the hidden piece before it falls into the wrong hands. She seeks out the magician Violet and Hawthorn (from the first book) to accomplish this task.
There were so many moments in this that made me laugh, all of them surrounding a suitcase full of *SPOILER*. The romance was beautifully written and was balanced phenomenally with the plot. Seriously, this is what I want from fantasy romance. I want the plot and the worldbuilding to be just as important as the romance itself. It creates a more compelling story.
But that wasn’t the best part for me. In fact, it was Hawthorn. He was only a side character in this book, but he went from being the #1 most punchable character in book one to my favorite character in book 2. We start seeing why he was such an ass in the first book, and I love that in a character. He was also being set up to be a protagonist in the third book (imo) and if he isn’t, I’m actually going to be disappointed. (I’ll still read it. I’d read a car manual if it was written by Freya Marske, that’s the point we’re at).
Expect to see this in my top 10 books of 2022
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Murder
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thanks to Tor Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- A RESTLESS TRUTH was pitched as "lesbian Knives Out on a boat," and WOW does it deliver on that promise! I was so-so on the previous book in this series, A MARVELLOUS LIGHT, feeling that it never struck the right balance between the genres it was blending. This book does that beautifully, and puts at its heart a beautiful story about allowing yourself to be seen as you are.
- The mystery plot of this book is great fun, keeping it silly and surprising even with the high stakes.
- I think you can probably manage to read this book without having read the previous installment, but you'll be better off if you have, since this one doesn't really reexplain the magic system or the the larger ongoing story until well into the book.
- A RESTLESS TRUTH was pitched as "lesbian Knives Out on a boat," and WOW does it deliver on that promise! I was so-so on the previous book in this series, A MARVELLOUS LIGHT, feeling that it never struck the right balance between the genres it was blending. This book does that beautifully, and puts at its heart a beautiful story about allowing yourself to be seen as you are.
- The mystery plot of this book is great fun, keeping it silly and surprising even with the high stakes.
- I think you can probably manage to read this book without having read the previous installment, but you'll be better off if you have, since this one doesn't really reexplain the magic system or the the larger ongoing story until well into the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Cursing, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Confinement, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual content
purplepenning'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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Body horror, Classism, Death, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Vomit, and Racism
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Where to begin! A Marvellous Light was instantly one of my favorite books upon finishing it and when I went to find out more and found out its sequel was going to be about Robin's sister and sapphic? I was so incredibly excited. A Restless Truth already starts on an exciting leg, having left off with Robin and Edwin's unfinished business, and it was a ride all the way through to the end where I was waiting on edge to see how and when and if Maud would make it back to her brother successfully.
The way the characters discussed liminal spaces was something I personally enjoyed since it's one of my favorite words and type of spaces that can exist and I think it worked very well as the setting for this leg of The Last Binding's story.
And I know that something being described as "queer" used to have different connotations, but when Maud said something about a "queer feeling" it had me giggling at the double meaning. I also loved that there was a continual discussion of consent and not just limited to sex.
Even though the stories are about magic and fantasy, the way that Marske also makes the stories about families and the way people do things out of love or spite or a combination of both from their roots.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot this in my initial posting, but the parallel of Violet and Maud with Flora and Beth, I really loved that in a bittersweet way. The way that Flora and Beth didn’t have the chance that Violet and Maud might. Also as I’m typing this, there’s even the parallel in their names: Violet and Flora, oh my gosh, I love it.
The way the characters discussed liminal spaces was something I personally enjoyed since it's one of my favorite words and type of spaces that can exist and I think it worked very well as the setting for this leg of The Last Binding's story.
And I know that something being described as "queer" used to have different connotations, but when Maud said something about a "queer feeling" it had me giggling at the double meaning. I also loved that there was a continual discussion of consent and not just limited to sex.
Even though the stories are about magic and fantasy, the way that Marske also makes the stories about families and the way people do things out of love or spite or a combination of both from their roots.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot this in my initial posting, but the parallel of Violet and Maud with Flora and Beth, I really loved that in a bittersweet way. The way that Flora and Beth didn’t have the chance that Violet and Maud might. Also as I’m typing this, there’s even the parallel in their names: Violet and Flora, oh my gosh, I love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Blood, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Alcohol, Racism, and Sexual harassment
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