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oxfordcommas91's review
- 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
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.
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
aurora4847's review against another edition
- 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
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.theo_iwan's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
The romance is so sweet, I loved all the small details and the honest and tender-hearted love that the characters have for each other.
Well-written and great. This book is honestly just a perfect way to end “The Last Binding” series, though preferably it would never end.
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Infidelity, Rape, Slavery, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
abnormal_shadow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I started this book series like I start all the books i read: Bliond. I didnt know what i was getting into and i am happy to say that I had a wonderful experience with this book. The characters are all distinct and identifiable, all we it different interesting and complementing personalities. The twists that made me gasp the biggest gasps and the the loudest "omg nooooooooooo". Everyone seems to have this mutual queer understanding ang it thinks their entire friend group is astonishing. If I don't get to be the Addie in room with Violet, Maudie, Robion, Edwin, Alan and Jack, will I don't want the fucking group.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Racism, Torture, Religious bigotry, and War
Minor: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
carolined314's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Colonisation
Minor: Suicide and Alcohol
hannahrogers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Cursing and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
mrshays's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Self harm and Pregnancy
stardustandrockets's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
r0secaptain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Alcohol