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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
freya marske can we talk? our horny asses would be such good friends i'm certain of it
aboard an ocean liner, maud serves as mrs navenby companion. but when she finds mrs navenby dead, maud is left with a parrot, a ship full of suspects, & violet debenham—magician, actress, scandal. together they continue what was started in a marvellous light: solve a murder & put together pieces of the last contract, or risk a plot that threatens every magician.
it's no secret that aml is one of my fave debuts & a fave book. when you love a book this much, moving on is hard. you keep looking over your shoulder, at what you’ve left ashore. perhaps that’s why i put off reading a restless truth: i expected to yearn for robin & edwin the whole time. & of course i did.
but as i packed for my own cruise, i knew it was time to take the plunge. i had to go with maud & violet. to give myself the chance to fall in love with them while i, too, dramatically pranced around a ship crossing a sea.
& fall in love, i did.
part of it was the immersion. the fun of reading about hijinks & mischief in staterooms, decks, & dining halls. feeling like if i closed my eyes, that world could’ve fit over mine like a magic trick.
the larger part: this is freya marske’s world. home to my favorite magic system, one of cradles & leylines &...magical rope bondage? (freya can we talk?)
somewhere along the way, after rereads & subconsciously mulling over the threads behind each spell & cradle, this world has become a comfort. it happened so naturally, blink & you miss it that i barely realized. how good it felt to come back, to learn more its possibilities, limitations, & manipulation of intent.
& intent there was within these pages, woven into every word & act, so carefully thoughtful & lush. with women who wield their femininity like the power it is, defiant & bold, a sharp tongue & sharper wit.
but turns out all the awards actually go to hawthorn who needs a break from the worst babysitting job ever.
y’know who would love this book? fuckin' benoit blanc.
& if i wailed whenever robin & edwin were mentioned that’s between me & god.
i'm forever in a love spiral over that forearm hussy.
“maud blyth. you are a terror and should not be allowed to run loose in the world.”
aboard an ocean liner, maud serves as mrs navenby companion. but when she finds mrs navenby dead, maud is left with a parrot, a ship full of suspects, & violet debenham—magician, actress, scandal. together they continue what was started in a marvellous light: solve a murder & put together pieces of the last contract, or risk a plot that threatens every magician.
it's no secret that aml is one of my fave debuts & a fave book. when you love a book this much, moving on is hard. you keep looking over your shoulder, at what you’ve left ashore. perhaps that’s why i put off reading a restless truth: i expected to yearn for robin & edwin the whole time. & of course i did.
but as i packed for my own cruise, i knew it was time to take the plunge. i had to go with maud & violet. to give myself the chance to fall in love with them while i, too, dramatically pranced around a ship crossing a sea.
& fall in love, i did.
part of it was the immersion. the fun of reading about hijinks & mischief in staterooms, decks, & dining halls. feeling like if i closed my eyes, that world could’ve fit over mine like a magic trick.
the larger part: this is freya marske’s world. home to my favorite magic system, one of cradles & leylines &...magical rope bondage? (freya can we talk?)
somewhere along the way, after rereads & subconsciously mulling over the threads behind each spell & cradle, this world has become a comfort. it happened so naturally, blink & you miss it that i barely realized. how good it felt to come back, to learn more its possibilities, limitations, & manipulation of intent.
& intent there was within these pages, woven into every word & act, so carefully thoughtful & lush. with women who wield their femininity like the power it is, defiant & bold, a sharp tongue & sharper wit.
but turns out all the awards actually go to hawthorn who needs a break from the worst babysitting job ever.
y’know who would love this book? fuckin' benoit blanc.
& if i wailed whenever robin & edwin were mentioned that’s between me & god.
i'm forever in a love spiral over that forearm hussy.
Finalllllllly. I thought I’d never get through this one.
I absolutely loved “A Marvellous Light,” which was the first installment of The Last Binding trilogy. Edwin and Robin were characters I really cared about and sympathized with the personal struggles they had to overcome.
Maud and Violet, the heroines in this story, ….not so much. After reading just under 400 pages, I feel I still can’t really tell you much about Violet and most of Maud’s backstory is in the first book (which isn’t much to go on). The girls don’t seem to have much chemistry at all beyond the I’m experienced in life/I’m inexperienced and want you to show me all the things vibe. I didn’t really care what happened to either of them or if their relationship survived beyond the ship voyage.
As for the mystery plot line- it’s reaaaaaallly slow moving. Not much happens and it’s a lot of sitting around in rooms talking in circles without making any progress towards uncovering the truth. Then a locket comes in to play to serve as a convenient plot device and adds even more boring exposition.
It’s bad when I feel like I can describe the whole plot of a book in a couple minutes. When I love a book I remember so many details about it and want to share everything. There wasn’t anything memorable about this one, so I will likely see how reviews are for the final trilogy installment before diving straight into it.
I absolutely loved “A Marvellous Light,” which was the first installment of The Last Binding trilogy. Edwin and Robin were characters I really cared about and sympathized with the personal struggles they had to overcome.
Maud and Violet, the heroines in this story, ….not so much. After reading just under 400 pages, I feel I still can’t really tell you much about Violet and most of Maud’s backstory is in the first book (which isn’t much to go on). The girls don’t seem to have much chemistry at all beyond the I’m experienced in life/I’m inexperienced and want you to show me all the things vibe. I didn’t really care what happened to either of them or if their relationship survived beyond the ship voyage.
As for the mystery plot line- it’s reaaaaaallly slow moving. Not much happens and it’s a lot of sitting around in rooms talking in circles without making any progress towards uncovering the truth. Then a locket comes in to play to serve as a convenient plot device and adds even more boring exposition.
It’s bad when I feel like I can describe the whole plot of a book in a couple minutes. When I love a book I remember so many details about it and want to share everything. There wasn’t anything memorable about this one, so I will likely see how reviews are for the final trilogy installment before diving straight into it.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
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
I liked the locked-door murder set on a ship. The magic was playful and the atmosphere was cool. I wasn’t gone on the romance, it felt like a pairing of convenience instead of passion
Great setting, lovely characters, i just think it's one of those books who would have way better pacing if they were a few pages shorter.
adventurous
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
I truly enjoyed the first book in this series, due in large part to the chemistry between the characters. This follow up lacked that chemistry. I wish there weren't any romance element at all - the premise is a classic "whodunit" set up, and it worked out well enough in that regard. Maybe I just don't get Maude's character - smart and gusty yet virginal and naive? Also her motivations throughout the book are that she's just morally a good person who loves her brother and hates her mom. That's it. I just don't think she was fleshed out in a believable way. Violet's character makes about as much sense. I don't think Maude and Violet work super well as a couple. I was surprised to be delighted by the first book, and then surprised to be disappointed by this one.
I didn't *quite* enjoy this as much as book one, but it was still a good time. This series has a great tone to it. I feel like the main characters didn't quite capture me in this one, but I really enjoyed the team aspect and am excited for the next book.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really like the first book of the series and absolutely adore the general plot, but the main characters of this one did not catch me as much. The way the female protagonists character is depicted is kinda annoying to me due to the sheer naivety of her...
All in all I still enjoyed listening to it and am exited for the next book!
Especially since the main characters of that one are my favorit "side characters" in this one!
All in all I still enjoyed listening to it and am exited for the next book!
Especially since the main characters of that one are my favorit "side characters" in this one!