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oxfordcommas91's review
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
Freya Marske gave her readers a satisfying and thoughtful conclusion to "The Last Binding" trilogy in A Power Unbound. This book reminded me what I loved about A Marvellous Light and what I felt was so sadly and sorely lacking with A Restless Truth.
Marske certainly has a formula - in this installment, we get a dual POV from Hawthorne ("Jack") and Ross ("Alan"), but we see entirely new and more complex sides of both of these men who were originally introduced as fairly one dimensional to us in the first and second books, respectively. We learn in book one that Hawthorne is non-magicalafter the tragic loss of his sister due to suicide years prior, and he's removed himself entirely from the magical community despite being the heir to one of the most powerful magical families in England. His character is involved in all three books but it's not until Power Unbound do we learn more about his history and motives, which deepens his character arc and allows us to fully unlock more of the story behind the last contract, as well.
As always, our two POV's are also the main romance arc - and I think Freya really hit her stride with the Hawthorne/Ross pairing. The chemistry and the tension between them was sizzling from the start - and I was particularly interested in the power dynamic element of their relationship and how Marske leveraged it as part of the ... spice in this novel. I think this type of dynamic has to be done carefully, and she did it in a way that felt hot while also still remaining respectful.
One of the best parts of the book for me (and also, ironically, why it got a 4.5 and not a 5 star from me...) was the fact that we had the whole cast of characters together in this novel. While it was a ton of fun to watch them team up and leverage their collective brains, magic, and power, I felt like there were lots of opportunities for the author to give us more thoughtful "peeks" into the established relationships between the characters. We spent so much time on Hawthorne & Ross that I was disappointed by the fact that it felt like we were skipping over other pivotal moments happening to other characters along the way! Despite Edwin being the "brains" behind the operation, there was so little in the way of character development on his end and I felt that we could have made some selective cuts to where Hawthorne and Ross interacted in favor of glimpses of the other relationships.
As always, there were moments that felt a bit slow in this book and I wish that an editor could have tightened up some of the lulls in the story so it built towards a more rapid conclusion, but that may be just my preference for more rapid pacing in a fantasy.
Freya overall delivered a home run for me with this neat conclusion to a thoughtful and intriguing premise for a trilogy. I liked the uniqueness of what she did here and her commitment to found family, LGBTQ+ relationships/characters, and discussions of power and class.
Marske certainly has a formula - in this installment, we get a dual POV from Hawthorne ("Jack") and Ross ("Alan"), but we see entirely new and more complex sides of both of these men who were originally introduced as fairly one dimensional to us in the first and second books, respectively. We learn in book one that Hawthorne is non-magical
As always, our two POV's are also the main romance arc - and I think Freya really hit her stride with the Hawthorne/Ross pairing. The chemistry and the tension between them was sizzling from the start - and I was particularly interested in the power dynamic element of their relationship and how Marske leveraged it as part of the ... spice in this novel. I think this type of dynamic has to be done carefully, and she did it in a way that felt hot while also still remaining respectful.
One of the best parts of the book for me (and also, ironically, why it got a 4.5 and not a 5 star from me...) was the fact that we had the whole cast of characters together in this novel. While it was a ton of fun to watch them team up and leverage their collective brains, magic, and power, I felt like there were lots of opportunities for the author to give us more thoughtful "peeks" into the established relationships between the characters. We spent so much time on Hawthorne & Ross that I was disappointed by the fact that it felt like we were skipping over other pivotal moments happening to other characters along the way! Despite Edwin being the "brains" behind the operation, there was so little in the way of character development on his end and I felt that we could have made some selective cuts to where Hawthorne and Ross interacted in favor of glimpses of the other relationships.
As always, there were moments that felt a bit slow in this book and I wish that an editor could have tightened up some of the lulls in the story so it built towards a more rapid conclusion, but that may be just my preference for more rapid pacing in a fantasy.
Freya overall delivered a home run for me with this neat conclusion to a thoughtful and intriguing premise for a trilogy. I liked the uniqueness of what she did here and her commitment to found family, LGBTQ+ relationships/characters, and discussions of power and class.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Outing, and Abandonment
christcooper'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
as an abject hater of enemies-to-lovers, i was very pleasantly surprised by how much i loved this book! the relationship of conflict between the main characters isn’t what i expected when faced with the trope and struck a balance often missed when it comes to tormenting one another while still having an underlying respect for consent. excellent read, beautifully written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide and Classism
Minor: Rape and Pregnancy
bekacrook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A satisfying but unexpected end to the trilogy. The level of magic and knowledge culminated in this last book and it really twisted what they knew of magic and how it worked. As usual, the story surrounding the Last Contract didn't quite go the way I thought it would, or the way the characters planned but I liked the spontaneity and need for them to think on their feet frequently throughout the story. It added a new element and kept the story from becoming predictable.
Jack and Alan were an interesting combination but I liked how different their dynamic was to the others. There were a few small moments of tenderness between them which showed their feelings better than words would have and suited their personalities. They definitely liked to argue and challenge each other but it made sense with their contrasting backgrounds.
Honestly, just an interesting and unique series that never quite went the way I thought it would. The characters were all individuals but fit well together as a group and they all developed and grew slowly into what they needed to be.
Jack and Alan were an interesting combination but I liked how different their dynamic was to the others. There were a few small moments of tenderness between them which showed their feelings better than words would have and suited their personalities. They definitely liked to argue and challenge each other but it made sense with their contrasting backgrounds.
Honestly, just an interesting and unique series that never quite went the way I thought it would. The characters were all individuals but fit well together as a group and they all developed and grew slowly into what they needed to be.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Murder
zonnestraal's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
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
4.0
A satisfying ending to the trilogy. At the ending there were some minor inconsistenties, which bothered me a little. But all in all I enjoyed it very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Murder
havenraven23's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Murder
aurora4847'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A brilliant end to the trilogy that leaves room for future stories in the world. Alan and Jack's dynamic was so fun to experience, and the culmination of the search for the Last Contract pieces was just as exciting as the previous installments. An all-round good time
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Vomit, and Police brutality
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
There are discussions of a person who died by suicide, but the act itself is not described in detail. There are multiple sex scenes that involve role-playing, power imbalances, and consensual non-consent. These are not thoroughly negotiated as a real-life BDSM scene would be, but there is no doubt that all parties consent and there is a defined safe word.shadowspinner's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Homophobia and Sexism
sephiefoxx'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? Yes
4.5
“I would take your heart between my ribs and guard it like my own. Is there any way I can make you believe it?”
For fans of:
- Queer romance with a dash of magic
- Arguing for arguments sake
- Found family
What a perfect end to this wonderful series. After finishing ‘A Restless Truth’, I was excited to learn that the final book would follow Jack and Alan. Especially after Alan wormed his way into my heart throughout the course of the second book. And I was not disappointed.
I adored this book, it really brought me the same joy that I felt when reading the first book back in 2022. Alan and Jack were so perfectly matched for each other romantically, sexually, and in personality. Their arguments, squabbles, and need to pick fights with each other leading to many a wonderful scene.
I also loved the way that the characters and couples from throughout the series (I was very happy to have Robin and Edwin back on the page) came together at last to resolve the overarching conflict. A messy, queer found family trying to save magic while also trying to navigate their own issues and relationships. It just filled me with joy.
I love this series, and this finale was as strong, if not stronger than its beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, and Pregnancy
abditoryalive's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
"How and why are different questions. And I think the words you're looking for are educated above my station."
"And here I was going to call you a workhouse brat with delusions of vocabulary"
🫖 dialogue, and banter phenomenal , with a variety of found family characters. Marske continuously nails both hilarious and steamy scenes.
🫖I adore magic houses with their own personalities (and house bees). Perfectly whimsical
🫖 initially I wasn’t excited to learn that Hawthorn would be the MMC but he really grew on me.
🫖 Historical queers
🫖 Overall worth reading the entire series.
🪫 Left with many questions
🪫 I hated Alan’s betrayal and resolution, forgiven all too quickly to sit right
🪫I didn’t love the last instalment as much as the first two. Something about the ending felt unfinished, or the political undertones I’m not sure, despite thinking it over for a few days.
"And here I was going to call you a workhouse brat with delusions of vocabulary"
🫖 dialogue, and banter phenomenal , with a variety of found family characters. Marske continuously nails both hilarious and steamy scenes.
🫖I adore magic houses with their own personalities (and house bees). Perfectly whimsical
🫖 initially I wasn’t excited to learn that Hawthorn would be the MMC but he really grew on me.
🫖 Historical queers
🫖 Overall worth reading the entire series.
🪫 Left with many questions
🪫
🪫I didn’t love the last instalment as much as the first two. Something about the ending felt unfinished, or the political undertones I’m not sure, despite thinking it over for a few days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Grief
terranstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Brilliant. This trilogy is out of this world, but this book especially so. I’m completely obsessed with how it all came together in the end.
(And out of all the series’ protagonists, Jack and Alan are, without a doubt, my favorites.)
(And out of all the series’ protagonists, Jack and Alan are, without a doubt, my favorites.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder