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cassielaj's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I liked this even more than book one. It does a great job of continuing the overall story while introducing a totally new plot and mostly new cast. I am a sucker for any kind of locked-room/contained mystery, so the ship setting was a blast. Maud is a lovely, endearing protagonist, and Violet is a complete riot with a complex back story and emotional background. I was skeptical about Hawthorn’s increased role in the plot, but I ended up liking him a lot. Ready to start book 3!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Classism and Confinement
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
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
Middle books so often feel meandering in a trilogy, and Marske's decision to make this a confined, liminal story, existing entirely on a ship crossing the Atlantic, really worked for me. I loved the attention to detail on the ocean liner, which made this setting feel so vivid and unique. I loved the concept - murder mystery on an ocean liner with a cobbled together crew of vigilantes - and enjoyed the moments of true eccentricity (The actual menagerie?! The jewelry thief and circulating erotica?!).
The romance is very realist cally built and ends in a way that feels authentic for these characters, who each need more time to determine their own futures and identity individually as well. I loved Violet's high-walled heart and Maude's steadiness and vulnerability. I think some readers will want a romance arc that feels more conplete and more familiar, as we had in book one, but I didn't mind this personally.
The expanded magic system!! I loved exploring illusions, as well as American approaches to magic, and I LOVED cradle speak. Learning more about the Forsythia Club adds even more to the world-building and our understanding of the magic system, and I loved how much of the origin story we get in this installment.
Marske's writing is, as always, stunning, and I loved the audio production and narration for this book. There were lines that stayed with me, even as I listened - a feeling of cold water poured between bones, a voice searching for a bruise to press, music that sounds as though someone had passed their hand across velvet, the wrong way and then the right way. I just love Marske's writing.
The romance is very realist cally built and ends in a way that feels authentic for these characters, who each need more time to determine their own futures and identity individually as well. I loved Violet's high-walled heart and Maude's steadiness and vulnerability. I think some readers will want a romance arc that feels more conplete and more familiar, as we had in book one, but I didn't mind this personally.
The expanded magic system!! I loved exploring illusions, as well as American approaches to magic, and I LOVED cradle speak. Learning more about the Forsythia Club adds even more to the world-building and our understanding of the magic system, and I loved how much of the origin story we get in this installment.
Marske's writing is, as always, stunning, and I loved the audio production and narration for this book. There were lines that stayed with me, even as I listened - a feeling of cold water poured between bones, a voice searching for a bruise to press, music that sounds as though someone had passed their hand across velvet, the wrong way and then the right way. I just love Marske's writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Death, Murder, and Confinement
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
I fell in love with Maud from the first book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her character in this one, finding out more of her past, what makes her tick, her strengths, her weaknesses, her absolutely crazy adventures. This one made me laugh so many times. And where I once disliked Jack from the first book, I fell hard for him in this one too, as he begrudgingly became close to Maud. Cinnamon roll heart, that one, even if he tries to come off as aloof and uncaring.
The blurb wasn't kidding when this one said it was like Knives Out, and the twists are turns were an absolute delight along with Maud and Violet's antics on the ship. Highly recommend this one for those wanting to read more historical fiction sapphics!
The blurb wasn't kidding when this one said it was like Knives Out, and the twists are turns were an absolute delight along with Maud and Violet's antics on the ship. Highly recommend this one for those wanting to read more historical fiction sapphics!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Confinement
ramakn22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Classism, and Alcohol
kers_tin's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Confinement, Blood, Sexual content, Violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexism, and Death
offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Alcohol, and Kidnapping
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
azrah786's review against another edition
4.5
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, torture, injury, death, murder, grief, misogyny, sexism, classism, confinement, kidnapping, alcohol, sexual harassment, sexual content
--
Full of magical mayhem, a swashbuckling sapphic romance and a marvelling murder mystery, A Restless Truth is a brilliant sequel to Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light.
This second instalment follows Maud Blyth - sister to previous MC Robin – who gets tangled up in a murder investigation aboard a ship that is taking her home from America when the very person she has found to help Robin and Edwin with The Last Contract situation ends up dead.
I absolutely loved that Maud was the lead protagonist and got her own romantic adventure in this book as I really liked her character from the moment we met her in book 1. The rest of the newly introduced characters were also a really fun bunch. Hawthorn is a character I couldn’t remember well from book 1 (I probably should have done a reread) but I’m really glad he got pulled in for the shenanigans as it made the central murder mystery all the more amusing. Honestly the humour in this and the banter between the characters was great! Violet, I took a little longer to fully warm to but I loved everything she stood for.
I feel like the romance in this second book though just as steamy felt a lot more like a side plot. It was balanced well with the rest of the main plot points however, I feel like the whodunnit storyline and direction of the series as a whole became a lot more apparent and took the limelight.
Nevertheless, alongside the highly entertaining mystery I really enjoyed that we got to see more elements of the magic system and learn more about the history of it all and The Last Contract. It brought the whole conspiracy that started in the first book to a nice place to be continued and concluded in the final book of the trilogy and I’m excited to see who is going to be the lead!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
CW: violence, blood, torture, injury, death, murder, grief, misogyny, sexism, classism, confinement, kidnapping, alcohol, sexual harassment, sexual content
--
Full of magical mayhem, a swashbuckling sapphic romance and a marvelling murder mystery, A Restless Truth is a brilliant sequel to Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light.
This second instalment follows Maud Blyth - sister to previous MC Robin – who gets tangled up in a murder investigation aboard a ship that is taking her home from America when the very person she has found to help Robin and Edwin with The Last Contract situation ends up dead.
I absolutely loved that Maud was the lead protagonist and got her own romantic adventure in this book as I really liked her character from the moment we met her in book 1. The rest of the newly introduced characters were also a really fun bunch. Hawthorn is a character I couldn’t remember well from book 1 (I probably should have done a reread) but I’m really glad he got pulled in for the shenanigans as it made the central murder mystery all the more amusing. Honestly the humour in this and the banter between the characters was great! Violet, I took a little longer to fully warm to but I loved everything she stood for.
I feel like the romance in this second book though just as steamy felt a lot more like a side plot. It was balanced well with the rest of the main plot points however, I feel like the whodunnit storyline and direction of the series as a whole became a lot more apparent and took the limelight.
Nevertheless, alongside the highly entertaining mystery I really enjoyed that we got to see more elements of the magic system and learn more about the history of it all and The Last Contract. It brought the whole conspiracy that started in the first book to a nice place to be continued and concluded in the final book of the trilogy and I’m excited to see who is going to be the lead!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Grief, Misogyny, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Classism, and Alcohol