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okevamae's review against another edition
5.0
Sir Robin Blyth is not thrilled about his new job as liaison between the British government and a secret magic society. Firstly, because he was named to the job as punishment for his late parents’ actions. Secondly, because the representative from the magical side, Edwin Courcy, seems to despise him. And thirdly, because he didn’t even know magic existed until his first day on the job. Before he knows it, he’s embroiled in a magical power struggle against a shadowy enemy who has placed a dangerous curse on him, with no one but Edwin to turn to for help.
The last couple of books I read were pretty heavy, so I was looking for something a little lighter to read, and the promise of historical romance + magic + mystery seemed to fit the bill. I’ll just take a moment to note that while it has an entertaining plot and magic system, this book is heavy on the romance, with quite a bit of smut involved. (If the porn-y type of romance novels are not your thing, you might not enjoy this book, although it’s easy enough to skip these scenes if you want.) Edwin and Robin are an adorable couple, and I loved the way the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers dynamic played out between them. But beyond their cuteness, they are well suited to one another, with their talents, abilities and personalities complementing each other well.
The magic system is very interesting and well thought out. Also, it’s interesting to see a magic-practitioner protagonist who’s at the lowest end of the power spectrum. Edwin was born with very little power, and his expertise in the technical side of magic is hard-earned through study. It’s far more common in fantasy for a magical protagonist to be some kind of prodigy, and I like that this book subverts that trope.
Representation: Two gay men are the protagonists and the focus of the romance, and one of the main side characters is a highly capable woman of color. (I liked Adelaide Morrissey quite a bit and I hope she has a bigger part in the next book!)
CW: Graphic sex, and a background environment of homophobia accurate to the time period. Also, one scene involving torture in the first chapter.
I received an ARC of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The last couple of books I read were pretty heavy, so I was looking for something a little lighter to read, and the promise of historical romance + magic + mystery seemed to fit the bill. I’ll just take a moment to note that while it has an entertaining plot and magic system, this book is heavy on the romance, with quite a bit of smut involved. (If the porn-y type of romance novels are not your thing, you might not enjoy this book, although it’s easy enough to skip these scenes if you want.) Edwin and Robin are an adorable couple, and I loved the way the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers dynamic played out between them. But beyond their cuteness, they are well suited to one another, with their talents, abilities and personalities complementing each other well.
The magic system is very interesting and well thought out. Also, it’s interesting to see a magic-practitioner protagonist who’s at the lowest end of the power spectrum. Edwin was born with very little power, and his expertise in the technical side of magic is hard-earned through study. It’s far more common in fantasy for a magical protagonist to be some kind of prodigy, and I like that this book subverts that trope.
Representation: Two gay men are the protagonists and the focus of the romance, and one of the main side characters is a highly capable woman of color. (I liked Adelaide Morrissey quite a bit and I hope she has a bigger part in the next book!)
CW: Graphic sex, and a background environment of homophobia accurate to the time period. Also, one scene involving torture in the first chapter.
I received an ARC of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
callylines's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-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
3.0
It absolutely CRAWLED the first two-thirds of the book, which was disappointing because I had really been looking forward to reading this book. The intimate moments and system of magic were well done, but the writing was often flowery for no reason which felt forced and trite. I suspected it was by a writer who grew up writing fic because of that and the cardboard cut-out characters, and was right.
chilipenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Do not listen to the audiobook! I listened to most of it for a series of long car rides and really couldn't stand the choices made for character voices and personalities. I swore the only way I was going to be happy with this book was if I finished reading the hardcopy, which I did.
A criticism for the book itself was how unfortunate and unnecessary it was that Edwin is outright said to be unattractive and not likely to be anyone's type. Along with that, Robin doesn't really go into why he is attracted to Edwin in a way that makes up for it. There is no explanation of traits that Edwin has above any other regular person that Robin likes. It's more because he's the only other tolerable man in the story and is exotic because he knows magic. I don't need a sexy rival jousting for Robin's affections trope, but I wanted something more meaningful in the reason for their fondness. There are plenty of cute parts and they are a lovely couple that I do care about. However, it starts off like the author is saying "this is a story about an objectively unattractive man and the guy who loves him anyway". For both queer people and those of us without socially standardized good looks, that's a shallow, thoughtless message to present for your queer MC. Just describe him factually and let the reader decide what they find attractive. Overcoming "ugliness" and getting the only other thoughtful, heroic suitor in the story because he's the only viable option is not what I'm here for.
Praise goes to near everything else. I had to overcome a strong distaste for the dialog and choices made in the audiobook version. But kudos for a limited magic system that doesn't make a lot of overpowered antagonists that are meant to be overcome as the main plot. It's still there a bit, and the feeling of helplessness comes up a lot. But there are still limits to the system and resources available to those with less power that makes the threats more reasonable and less like they escaped impossible scenarios just because the story needed them to. I think there are still story opportunities for the "powerless" to outwit the powerful in more creative ways which I hope to see in the sequels.
The sexy parts are fine. They are so few in number and spread out so much (no pun intended) that I caught myself realizing/remembering "oh, this is one of those stories that is going to mention c**k". But it's really inconsequential and just adds more to the "I like them as a couple, they're cute, and it makes sense to write about the full relationship experience" than anything super passionate or raunchy. I personally could have done with more, but the author does play more with the emotional risk of "going all the way" than physical risk or sexual intrigue, and I can appreciate that for everything else that made these characters the way they are. I don't know anything about the author's own preferences, but I'm going to expect more from any sapphic relationships in future stories given what I am assuming, for the time being, to be her own experiences.
A criticism for the book itself was how unfortunate and unnecessary it was that Edwin is outright said to be unattractive and not likely to be anyone's type. Along with that, Robin doesn't really go into why he is attracted to Edwin in a way that makes up for it. There is no explanation of traits that Edwin has above any other regular person that Robin likes. It's more because he's the only other tolerable man in the story and is exotic because he knows magic. I don't need a sexy rival jousting for Robin's affections trope, but I wanted something more meaningful in the reason for their fondness. There are plenty of cute parts and they are a lovely couple that I do care about. However, it starts off like the author is saying "this is a story about an objectively unattractive man and the guy who loves him anyway". For both queer people and those of us without socially standardized good looks, that's a shallow, thoughtless message to present for your queer MC. Just describe him factually and let the reader decide what they find attractive. Overcoming "ugliness" and getting the only other thoughtful, heroic suitor in the story because he's the only viable option is not what I'm here for.
Praise goes to near everything else. I had to overcome a strong distaste for the dialog and choices made in the audiobook version. But kudos for a limited magic system that doesn't make a lot of overpowered antagonists that are meant to be overcome as the main plot. It's still there a bit, and the feeling of helplessness comes up a lot. But there are still limits to the system and resources available to those with less power that makes the threats more reasonable and less like they escaped impossible scenarios just because the story needed them to. I think there are still story opportunities for the "powerless" to outwit the powerful in more creative ways which I hope to see in the sequels.
The sexy parts are fine. They are so few in number and spread out so much (no pun intended) that I caught myself realizing/remembering "oh, this is one of those stories that is going to mention c**k". But it's really inconsequential and just adds more to the "I like them as a couple, they're cute, and it makes sense to write about the full relationship experience" than anything super passionate or raunchy. I personally could have done with more, but the author does play more with the emotional risk of "going all the way" than physical risk or sexual intrigue, and I can appreciate that for everything else that made these characters the way they are. I don't know anything about the author's own preferences, but I'm going to expect more from any sapphic relationships in future stories given what I am assuming, for the time being, to be her own experiences.
ethias's review against another edition
5.0
Delightful and full of love! I loved the overarching theme of consent throughout the book. I really enjoyed the relationship they built over the course of the story. I liked the balance of plot and romance, and the plot itself was very engaging.
jacehan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
lilmonkey29's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
rainbowthani's review against another edition
adventurous
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
toucanpie's review against another edition
This has been on my TBR forever, but after Beth Woolsey raved about it it moved up to the top. Jordan bought me a copy in Cynthiana, at The Next Chapter and I read it over the next 3 days. It was a delight. I adored everything about it. Magic. Sweet boys. London. Mystery. All the good things.
santersgrotto's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.5