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jemimah11's review against another edition
5.0
The second book in the Alpennia series focuses on the recently fallen Antuniet. After losing her brother to execution, her mother to suicide and her childhood home to confiscation, Antuniet Chazillen has left Alpennia in disgrace. While in exile, she vows to return again in triumph. But being a scientist at heart, her 'vengeance' is to gift Alpennia with a spectacular scientific discovery--which she intends to use to clear her family name and restore their honor.
Her path to success is no easy task. Battling crippling poverty, ostracization by society, the never-ending court intrigues, and a very distracting (and dangerous) attraction to her benefactress, the introverted, anti-social Antuniet must learn to navigate the confusing politics of her time, renew old friendships and build new ones, fall in love for the first time and still have time left over for crafting the perfect jewel. Phew! Busy girl ;) Which leaves her love interest Jeanne with not much to do except bring her lunch and dinner and occasionally help stir the cooking pot (of the jewels :). Jeanne is everything Antuniet is not--social butterfly, lover of women, event organizer par excellence, and in those days, possibly old enough to be Antuniet's mother!
In order to bring this highly unlikely pairing to fruition, the book spends a lot more time developing the romance (yey! for lesfic lovers) compared to the first book. Just imagine all the issues they need to overcome: workaholic vs party girl, introvert vs social butterfly, significant age-gap, multiple casual lovers, forbidden love, etc. etc. The relationship starts, sputters, picks up again, gets derailed, finally gains traction, only to run smack against 18th century mores. Huge angst-fest right there.
Behind the scenes, intrigue continues to dog the royal court of Alpennia. Rival princesses and their respective scions jostle for any advantage. Foreign interests continue their meddling ways, reaching out to both sides of the rivalry. Rumors, possible treason and assassination attempts abound and our ladies (including Margerit and Barbara from Book 1) find themselves caught in the crossfire.
There are occasional discussions of the esoteric details of alchemy as practiced by Antuniet (just as there were of visions and saints in the first book) that may cause non-geeks to zone out but alert readers will appreciate the careful attention to detail (e.g. precession shift over 200 years and distances from the equator of different cities causing inaccuracy in Antuniet's cooking 8-) )
The book features 4 POV characters in alternating chapters as Barbara and Margerit still play major roles in the book. Its amazing how the story flows effortlessly forward despite this structure. Romantic tension and kingdom intrigues weave seamlessly thoughout, culminating in a rousing climax (of the literary kind) in a melodramatic courtroom scene.
5.5 stars (5.0 for being as good as the first book + 0.5 stars for the angst) ;)
P.S. Re the lack of explicit sex -- I didn't miss it at all. The romance was just as powerful.
Her path to success is no easy task. Battling crippling poverty, ostracization by society, the never-ending court intrigues, and a very distracting (and dangerous) attraction to her benefactress, the introverted, anti-social Antuniet must learn to navigate the confusing politics of her time, renew old friendships and build new ones, fall in love for the first time and still have time left over for crafting the perfect jewel. Phew! Busy girl ;) Which leaves her love interest Jeanne with not much to do except bring her lunch and dinner and occasionally help stir the cooking pot (of the jewels :). Jeanne is everything Antuniet is not--social butterfly, lover of women, event organizer par excellence, and in those days, possibly old enough to be Antuniet's mother!
In order to bring this highly unlikely pairing to fruition, the book spends a lot more time developing the romance (yey! for lesfic lovers) compared to the first book. Just imagine all the issues they need to overcome: workaholic vs party girl, introvert vs social butterfly, significant age-gap, multiple casual lovers, forbidden love, etc. etc. The relationship starts, sputters, picks up again, gets derailed, finally gains traction, only to run smack against 18th century mores. Huge angst-fest right there.
Behind the scenes, intrigue continues to dog the royal court of Alpennia. Rival princesses and their respective scions jostle for any advantage. Foreign interests continue their meddling ways, reaching out to both sides of the rivalry. Rumors, possible treason and assassination attempts abound and our ladies (including Margerit and Barbara from Book 1) find themselves caught in the crossfire.
There are occasional discussions of the esoteric details of alchemy as practiced by Antuniet (just as there were of visions and saints in the first book) that may cause non-geeks to zone out but alert readers will appreciate the careful attention to detail (e.g. precession shift over 200 years and distances from the equator of different cities causing inaccuracy in Antuniet's cooking 8-) )
The book features 4 POV characters in alternating chapters as Barbara and Margerit still play major roles in the book. Its amazing how the story flows effortlessly forward despite this structure. Romantic tension and kingdom intrigues weave seamlessly thoughout, culminating in a rousing climax (of the literary kind) in a melodramatic courtroom scene.
5.5 stars (5.0 for being as good as the first book + 0.5 stars for the angst) ;)
P.S. Re the lack of explicit sex -- I didn't miss it at all. The romance was just as powerful.
cokimberly's review against another edition
4.0
Crossgenre read mixing historical fiction, romance and fantasy. Mystic Marriage has a satisfying, slow burn lesbian romance and a touch of intrigue. Fantasy elements come from alchemy and religous mysteries.
Characters and consequences from book one, Daughter of Mystery, feature heavily and this is definitely a sequel that requires reading its predecessor first. If you're looking for a well-written, but sedately paced story with authentic lesbian characters and relationships, this series is for you.
See also: Review for book one, Daughter of Mystery
Characters and consequences from book one, Daughter of Mystery, feature heavily and this is definitely a sequel that requires reading its predecessor first. If you're looking for a well-written, but sedately paced story with authentic lesbian characters and relationships, this series is for you.
See also: Review for book one, Daughter of Mystery
nisiedraws's review against another edition
4.0
This story runs long and is a little so but also very enjoyable and very rewarding! A GOOD BOOK
magicalwoodlands's review against another edition
5.0
Do you know when you don’t want a book to end? This is one of those for me. The characters are wonderful, the world lush, the conceits delicious. I hope she writes 10 more.
kaa's review against another edition
5.0
Another really lovely book. I adore the focus in this series on chosen and created family. The romance was again slow-paced and sweet, with great attention given to developing the characters and relationship. I think the author does a really good job of writing characters with distinct personalities, world-views, and values in a way that makes me emotionally invested in all of them (although I admit I was a less than thrilled with the way that Jeanne's previous flirtations were addressed). I really like the balance of romance and mystery/action in these books. The world-building is gorgeously detailed, and I think the way magic and religion have been combined is fascinating.
cait_s's review against another edition
3.0
I found the beginning, with it's obsession over redememption, and the tireless pursuit of a shadowy enemy, a little repetitive and slow. But once the characters started developing, and their relationship began, it got more interesting. Love seemed to follow alchemical breakthroughs, so both plots furthered side by side. Deeply flawed, but also well suited, the relationship showed a couple who were far from perfect, but we're very good for each other.
anotherqueerreading's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
caitibeth's review against another edition
5.0
Alchemist Antunient Challizen has one burning goal in life: to restore the honor of her family name after the treason of her brother and the suicide of her mother left her all alone in the world. Yet she has no resources, and a personality which most of the world finds difficult to like. How will she accomplish her great work, and is there a hope for her to find happiness along the way?
This is a great continuation of the series, using secondary characters from the first book and giving them their own story. Antuniet is a brilliant character, a difficult genius of the type that is rarely given a female form in fiction. Absolutely dedicated to her work, yet she might find that she has a heart after all...
I continue to greatly enjoy the imaginative worldbuilding and the richly-detailed fictional kingdom of Alpennia.
Also, despite being Antunient and Jeanne's tale, the novel also has plenty of Margerit and Barbara from the first book. :)
This is a great continuation of the series, using secondary characters from the first book and giving them their own story. Antuniet is a brilliant character, a difficult genius of the type that is rarely given a female form in fiction. Absolutely dedicated to her work, yet she might find that she has a heart after all...
I continue to greatly enjoy the imaginative worldbuilding and the richly-detailed fictional kingdom of Alpennia.
Also, despite being Antunient and Jeanne's tale, the novel also has plenty of Margerit and Barbara from the first book. :)
catboss's review against another edition
3.0
Decent! Nice follow-up to Daughter of Mystery, it expanded the world & mythology a bit while building new characters & expanding old. It had some major pacing problems, however, and the ending is uncharacteristically sloppy.
skycrane's review against another edition
5.0
I literally could not put this book down. I started it as soon as I finished the first one and read straight through till the end. My only complaint about Daughter of Mystery was that there wasn't enough of it, that it'd be nice to see more scenes developing some of the side characters. So I was delighted when The Mystic Marriage delivered on that.
There's a particular scene in this book, which is just lovely. Very dramatic and powerful: "This is my heart: it is what you see. I don’t know if it will come through the fire. But it’s yours, if you will have it." In general, I like how The Mystic Marriage has a different view of love, or tackles a different kind of love, than the first book. In Daughter of Mystery the love between Barbara and Margerit is miraculous. They were connected before their births, and divine providence saw them reunited as young women. In this book, love is something the characters work at, a project built slowly layer after layer, with setbacks and false starts that can only be overcome through patience and effort. I appreciate how the author ties the romance into the larger themes of the story.
There's a particular scene in this book, which is just lovely. Very dramatic and powerful: "This is my heart: it is what you see. I don’t know if it will come through the fire. But it’s yours, if you will have it." In general, I like how The Mystic Marriage has a different view of love, or tackles a different kind of love, than the first book. In Daughter of Mystery the love between Barbara and Margerit is miraculous. They were connected before their births, and divine providence saw them reunited as young women. In this book, love is something the characters work at, a project built slowly layer after layer, with setbacks and false starts that can only be overcome through patience and effort. I appreciate how the author ties the romance into the larger themes of the story.