Scan barcode
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
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
emilo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Classism, and Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Lesbophobia
18soft_green's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4/5
I enjoyed this story though not as much as I enjoyed the first book. It was funny, the plot was entertaining enough, the characters were complex for the most part.
I like that the story centers the feminine characters without making it a girlboss situation and actually shows some of the toxicity with that mindset while still supporting women's agency. I also really loved how it showed that women are important and strong even though society doesn't give them the freedom to be independent. I didn't like how Maud and Violet's relationship starts but I think that's just a preference.
Violet is an interesting character but also one of my least favorite types of characters. Her independent woman with no deep feelings performance is exhausting but that's kind of the point. Maud is fun except her innocence felt kind of forced. But then again, this is the 19th century where women legit didn't get to learn about sex and stuff until after they were married. I love Hawthorn and am curious about Ross.
The sex scenes were awesome! I like how realistic they were about the mechanics of sex and dialogue, the jokes and awkwardness. I like how Maud was new to it but excited and interested so we got a whole scene in safety. I like how the scene was hot but not in a fantastical way and descriptive while also being practical. I love Marske's writing style so much! It's so difficult to find a sapphic story that's smutty but not written for men or perfect the act but is also intimate.
I didn't like how the story kind of particularizes Maud and Robin like their individuality and personness is something that runs in the family and they're just saints among humans but it doesn't go too over the top with it. Maybe that's just because that's how people treat my family so I want to smash it instead of observing that it's just art depicting life? Idk, it's weird.
4/5 Like this story, would recommend
I enjoyed this story though not as much as I enjoyed the first book. It was funny, the plot was entertaining enough, the characters were complex for the most part.
I like that the story centers the feminine characters without making it a girlboss situation and actually shows some of the toxicity with that mindset while still supporting women's agency. I also really loved how it showed that women are important and strong even though society doesn't give them the freedom to be independent. I didn't like how Maud and Violet's relationship starts but I think that's just a preference.
Violet is an interesting character but also one of my least favorite types of characters. Her independent woman with no deep feelings performance is exhausting but that's kind of the point. Maud is fun except her innocence felt kind of forced. But then again, this is the 19th century where women legit didn't get to learn about sex and stuff until after they were married. I love Hawthorn and am curious about Ross.
The sex scenes were awesome! I like how realistic they were about the mechanics of sex and dialogue, the jokes and awkwardness. I like how Maud was new to it but excited and interested so we got a whole scene in safety. I like how the scene was hot but not in a fantastical way and descriptive while also being practical. I love Marske's writing style so much! It's so difficult to find a sapphic story that's smutty but not written for men or perfect the act but is also intimate.
I didn't like how the story kind of particularizes Maud and Robin like their individuality and personness is something that runs in the family and they're just saints among humans but it doesn't go too over the top with it. Maybe that's just because that's how people treat my family so I want to smash it instead of observing that it's just art depicting life? Idk, it's weird.
4/5 Like this story, would recommend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gaslighting, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Stalking
Minor: Body shaming, Grief, Blood, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Police brutality, and Sexism
imds's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Classism, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexism, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Lesbophobia, Murder, Police brutality, and Confinement
Minor: Death of parent
wilybooklover's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
While this didn’t quite live up to the first book for me, I still found it gorgeously enchanting. Freya Marske’s prose is as lush and evocative as ever. Sometimes beautiful prose can get in the way of the narrative and leave the reader (at least, this reader) confused about what’s actually going on, but this was eminently readable.
I’ve found that many sapphic romances are lacking in the tension and sexiness that you find in other romances — not so in this book! This book was delightfully horny. Violet and Maud are both deeply flawed and almost mirror images of each other, in a way; where Maud is naive on the surface and unwaveringly strong inside, Violet is confident and sophisticated on the outside but soft and scared on the inside. I especially loved Violet’s characterisation: how she used illusion and artifice as a shield, how she was all defensive sharp edges whenever someone tried to get close to the real Violet, which in turn made it all the sweeter when she dropped those defences and let Maud in. Their story ends on a very satisfactory HFN note that felt right for the characters and their short acquaintance.
While I missed the magical houses and murderous mazes of the first book, I did enjoy the ship setting, and I thought the magical world and its rules were deftly expanded. The reveal at 50%, that Maud is a medium was a really fun addition and took me by genuine surprise. The mystery was fun and engaging, mostly due to the hijinks and banter of Maud’s assembled group of investigators but also in part to some very creepy villains. The comparison to Knives Out was a very apt one.
I think (hope!) that the next book will feature Hawthorn and Ross, because they both made fantastic side characters in this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Torture, Sexism, Confinement, and Misogyny
Minor: Homophobia, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
patricktreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
4.25
I have been wanting to read this series for a while now, and am super thankful for NetGalley/Macmillan allowing me an audio ARC.
I will start off with I really enjoyed this story as an individual. I was not expecting it to be different characters than the first, but I think it worked well. Even though it's a series, it now has a more anthology feel. I appreciated the growth in the two characters that had a larger role in this installment along with the new introductions. I think there are a couple of parts that could have been slightly tweaked but It was still good. I also enjoyed the certain comedic aspects spread throughout.
In regards to the narration, I think Aysha Kala did an absolutely amazing job. The voices and characters were distinct and unique, and the acting was chef's kiss. I would absolutely listen to any other work that Aysha narrates.
I can confidently say that I would absolutely recommend this book and series to others.
I will start off with I really enjoyed this story as an individual. I was not expecting it to be different characters than the first, but I think it worked well. Even though it's a series, it now has a more anthology feel. I appreciated the growth in the two characters that had a larger role in this installment along with the new introductions. I think there are a couple of parts that could have been slightly tweaked but It was still good. I also enjoyed the certain comedic aspects spread throughout.
In regards to the narration, I think Aysha Kala did an absolutely amazing job. The voices and characters were distinct and unique, and the acting was chef's kiss. I would absolutely listen to any other work that Aysha narrates.
I can confidently say that I would absolutely recommend this book and series to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Classism, Torture, Alcohol, Biphobia, Grief, and Death
More...