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sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Once again, Freya Marske knocks it out of the park with whipcrack humour, excellent pacing and characters that you grow extremely attached to very quickly. In this volume, we follow Maud, Robin Blyth’s younger sister, as she travels from the USA back to Great Britain on an ocean liner accompanied by an elderly woman with knowledge of one of the objects involved with the Last Binding – too bad she’s murdered before the 2nd chapter…
What follows is Maud “accidentally” recruiting a dream team of fellow shipmates to solve the crime: Alan, a young aspiring journalist with a penchant for stealing; Lord Hawthorn, who would like everyone to know he did NOT want to be involved with these people but somehow ends up showing up when they need him most every time; and finally Violet Debenham, an actress magician with a charming exterior and a steely interior (interestingly, the complete opposite of Edwin in AML).
This love story is more of a lust-at-first-sight but as I came to know both Violet and Maud better, I was able to become more invested in their romance. As Lord Hawthorne put it, Maud is a “ball of righteousness” – the world does not deserve her and she needs to be protected at all costs (just like dear Edwin uwu). The murder mystery combined with the chaotic/cosy/claustrophobic setting of the ship just really *hit* right and just like in AML, there are two climaxes. I can tell you now, I was not expecting the surprise villain and they were scary as shit!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Torture, and Toxic relationship
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
kaitlinlovesbooks'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Torture, Violence, Murder, and Death
aileron's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood, Classism, Sexism, Death of parent, and Misogyny
anna_wa's review against another edition
adventurous
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Stalking, Torture, Vomit, Cursing, Confinement, and Police brutality
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
ridesthesun's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
5.0
MY GIRLS MY GIRLLLLLSSSSSS !!!!!
This book was just so much fun. The magical hijinks, the murder mystery, the menagerie in the middle of the ocean.... It had so much. The character work, the setting, and the plot are all the definition of Colorful™️.
I'm so proud of Maud and all the honest effort she puts into being a good person, into being her OWN person. I love her I'm proud of her, I'm kissing her on the head. And VIOLET!! Layers and layers. I love her, I can't wait to see her continue to explore her own vulnerability.
And fuck this book for making me like Hawthorne. I thought it would be impossible and yet. Here we are.
This book was just so much fun. The magical hijinks, the murder mystery, the menagerie in the middle of the ocean.... It had so much. The character work, the setting, and the plot are all the definition of Colorful™️.
I'm so proud of Maud and all the honest effort she puts into being a good person, into being her OWN person. I love her I'm proud of her, I'm kissing her on the head. And VIOLET!! Layers and layers. I love her, I can't wait to see her continue to explore her own vulnerability.
And fuck this book for making me like Hawthorne. I thought it would be impossible and yet. Here we are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Torture, Confinement, Cursing, Violence, and Misogyny
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
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
a_modernstoryteller's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Racism
Definitely a new top favourite read of 2022!!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