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serenae80's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
sophiesmallhands'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
5.0
The interplay between Robin (jock/sunshine) and Edwin (grumpy/intellectual) is magnificent in this book. You see them from their initial dislike of each other, to tentative trust, genuine friendship, and eventual romance. Edwin is shown to be a complex character early on – he is considered a relatively weak magician and scorned by his family, yet he has a strong sense of justice and academia. Robin could have easily been the stereotypical aristocratic jock who’s never encountered any hardship but throw in a complex relationship with his deceased parents and Freya really opened up his character.
I LOVED the magic system; developing spells around the game of Cat’s Cradle - and the way Freya used it to demonstrate Edwin’s handicap (needing physical string for spells) with summoning his power – it was so different from anything I’ve read before yet was oddly reminiscent of the academia associated the magic system in The Laws of Magic series by Michael Pryor (same era, also Aussie author = get around them!).
The plot was full of murder, mayhem, unresolved sexual tension (and then very resolved sexual tension; the spice in these books is definitely NOT PG rated kiddies) and lots of character bonding/comfort over the traumas from their respective families. Be aware that A LOT happens in the first few chapters in terms of major plot points and character introduction, so I’d recommend taking it slow to let it sink in.
The story is wrapped up nicely by the end but is also set up very well for the next book. I eagerly await the next instalment as well as re-reading this book over and over (hello new comfort read!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent, Death, and Homophobia
allisonwonderlandreads'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
THIS is what fantasy romance ought to be. After engaging in more than my fair share of ranting on the subject, I had a longer list of examples that displeased me than those I would champion. This one melds the two genres into something wonderful with an Edwardian-inspired backdrop and queer characters to pave the way.
In terms of fantasy, we have Robin, a civil servant uninitiated in magic, who is accidentally assigned as magical liaison and then promptly attacked and cursed on the street. We also have Edwin, the other half of the liaison pair, a magician with only a kernel of power to his name who prefers books and magical theory to any sort of company or risky behavior. The world-building comes through as things are explained to Robin, and I found it an effective tool for informing the reader without burying them. Edwardian manners and social structures are woven through expertly in all their pompous glory (see:vomit-inducing sexism, colonialism, rigid class structure, and laws that kept queer people in hiding). It has me primed with excitement to see how this series is going to let loose the hints of subversion that started to grow in this first outing.
Now, let's talk romance. You can look forward to these tropes: sunshine and grump, the brains and the brawn, and magician and normal potato human (I made that last one up, so sue me). All of those terms fail to fully sum up these characters, who are gifted with too many dimensions to be listed, classified, and discarded. It would be a disservice not to recognize Robin's areas of non-bookish intelligence on top of his general sportiness or not to see the seeds of Edwin's unhappiness and the way he cautiously inches towards the light once offered. Ultimately, it's a love story with "us against the world" vibes that were very endearing.
Both the good and bad feels hit hard and take no prisoners. All the big emotional pivots you expect in a romance plot somehow feel new and singular because of their emotional crafting, not just the latest iteration of a favored genre. Robin and Edwin left an imprint on me, and some minor characters hold a lot of promise that I hope will lead to full-fledged obsession on my part down the line.
Highly highly recommend it. Treat yourself to this decadent queer series opener ASAP. Thanks to Tordotcom for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, and Chronic illness
Minor: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Outing, and Racism
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