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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
Too quaint for me. Skipped from chapter 9 to the ending and even the ending wasn’t interesting to me.
Maud starts out her adventure across the sea to protect Mrs. Navenby and an artifact in Mrs. Navenby’s possession. She is armed with a book of prophecies and her best intentions; unfortunately, on the first day of the voyage Mrs. Navenby is murdered and her possessions which are silver are all stolen. Maud sets out to do her best investigating, pulling in the aid of Violet Debenham, a concert hall actress who has just come into an unexpected large fortune from a rich relative, and the grudging assistance of Lord Hawthorn. There are other secrets afoot and more than one person is more than they seem, but Maud knows the fate of the magic in the world depends on her finding the artifact and keeping it away from the enemy. However, as she and Violet investigate together, they also are drawn to one another and soon the romance between them is palpable.
I liked the way characters were introduced; you get a clear sense of Elizabeth Navenby, even though she is on screen for such a short amount of time. Maud being described as wanting to be the kind of person who said ‘fuck’ instead of squeaking “oh my heavens” upon discovering a murdered body is both endearing and revealing at the same time. Hawthorn and Violet being introduced so close to past scandal is interesting; Violet being careless about constantly being a scandal and Hawthorn being just disinterested in the general opinion of people around him while also drawing scandal to his name neatly separate the way that they are characterized and how they react to a given situation. I liked that Alan goes through a few phases of introduction in the different contexts that we find him in.
The mystery element of the story is good, but it definitely does not seem solvable as a reader so if you’re in it to work out the clues and solve it before the characters do, you may be out of luck. For me, that works really well because I have a hard time with more traditional mysteries, so this more magical version which has twists and turns but with unexpected ways of solving problems is great.
It does get steamy at points, so I would definitely put this more towards New Adult, but I think an older teen audience should also be fine with the content. The romance does build nicely between Maud and Violet, and their chemistry is good. Violet’s general know-how and brashness gets her through a lot but she is also very guarded and Maud goes straight for the jugular in terms of getting her to be more trusting. Violet and Hawthorn have a more business-like demeanor with each other when it comes to intimacy.
The language used also and the social mores that were being followed vs. decidedly ignored also lent a really interesting perspective on the relationship between Maud and Violet (as well as others). The freedoms that were accessible to one or the other of them at different stages of the relationship were ones that I hadn’t quite considered contextually - the ease of women being close to one another and touching each other all the time during the time period really allowed for some subtlety of connection and what a touch might mean. I thought it was very interesting, and I think that it was handled well.
My curse struck once again, and I have started with book 2. Not having read book 1, I obviously don’t know what I missed but I enjoyed the series enough that I will probably be looking into it soon. I think the writing is clever, and dynamic. I will be curious to learn more about the adventures following the Forsythia Club’s escapades and subsequent efforts, and how the big bad will conclude.
I liked the way characters were introduced; you get a clear sense of Elizabeth Navenby, even though she is on screen for such a short amount of time. Maud being described as wanting to be the kind of person who said ‘fuck’ instead of squeaking “oh my heavens” upon discovering a murdered body is both endearing and revealing at the same time. Hawthorn and Violet being introduced so close to past scandal is interesting; Violet being careless about constantly being a scandal and Hawthorn being just disinterested in the general opinion of people around him while also drawing scandal to his name neatly separate the way that they are characterized and how they react to a given situation. I liked that Alan goes through a few phases of introduction in the different contexts that we find him in.
The mystery element of the story is good, but it definitely does not seem solvable as a reader so if you’re in it to work out the clues and solve it before the characters do, you may be out of luck. For me, that works really well because I have a hard time with more traditional mysteries, so this more magical version which has twists and turns but with unexpected ways of solving problems is great.
It does get steamy at points, so I would definitely put this more towards New Adult, but I think an older teen audience should also be fine with the content. The romance does build nicely between Maud and Violet, and their chemistry is good. Violet’s general know-how and brashness gets her through a lot but she is also very guarded and Maud goes straight for the jugular in terms of getting her to be more trusting. Violet and Hawthorn have a more business-like demeanor with each other when it comes to intimacy.
The language used also and the social mores that were being followed vs. decidedly ignored also lent a really interesting perspective on the relationship between Maud and Violet (as well as others). The freedoms that were accessible to one or the other of them at different stages of the relationship were ones that I hadn’t quite considered contextually - the ease of women being close to one another and touching each other all the time during the time period really allowed for some subtlety of connection and what a touch might mean. I thought it was very interesting, and I think that it was handled well.
My curse struck once again, and I have started with book 2. Not having read book 1, I obviously don’t know what I missed but I enjoyed the series enough that I will probably be looking into it soon. I think the writing is clever, and dynamic. I will be curious to learn more about the adventures following the Forsythia Club’s escapades and subsequent efforts, and how the big bad will conclude.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Just delightful. Murder mystery on a cruise with a cast of lovable characters who got quite a lot of depth in a short time. Also very much a queer found family. And it included discussions of class and social inequality! One of the things that annoys me in historical romance/romantasy is how it is mostly set in aristocratic circles and any lower class characters tend to be one-dimensional and the realities of most people's lives are ignored in favour of romantisation of some noble in his pretty manor. Sure, it's a fantasy and you don't want to spend that considering how lavish dinners and balls are possible and what kind of exploitation they require; entertainment does not always have to consider inequality or plot a communist revolution and I enjoy a silly little escapism just as much as the next person. But it's nice to have a duke/whatever his title was be confronted with his lifestyle by someone who is not a caricature of a working class Union leader who has more personality than just being angry about wealth distribution.
Some scenes felt less tense than they should be and in general while the stakes were theoretically high I didn't get a sense of urgency from the characters who treated the whole thing like a fun little adventure during their boring trip (until the end), but I didn't mind much.
Some scenes felt less tense than they should be and in general while the stakes were theoretically high I didn't get a sense of urgency from the characters who treated the whole thing like a fun little adventure during their boring trip (until the end), but I didn't mind much.
A Restless Truth, the exciting second book in Freya Marske's The Last Binding trilogy, is even better than the first and reads well as either a follow up or a stand alone.
Maud Blyth, the intrepid younger sister of [b:A Marvellous Light|53217284|A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1)|Freya Marske|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634067514l/53217284._SY75_.jpg|80535939] protagonist Robin Blyth, gets caught up in a murder mystery aboard a transatlantic ocean liner in her quest to protect the remaining pieces of the Last Contract and falls for fellow passenger and adventurer, magician Violet Debenham.
Since the characters in book 1 make few appearances and the back story is sufficiently explained - parceled out bit by bit at the necessary moments - this book stands on its own, and can be read and enjoyed without having read the first book. Compared to book 1, the focus is more on the adventure than on the romance. Both books feature strong character development and world building. I absolutely love the way magic works in both books, and the way that Marske expands on the mechanics of magic in this book, adding magical traditions from other parts of the world that work differently than British magic.
The audiobook is well done. Overall an enjoyable experience.
Thank you NetGalley for the preview audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Maud Blyth, the intrepid younger sister of [b:A Marvellous Light|53217284|A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1)|Freya Marske|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634067514l/53217284._SY75_.jpg|80535939] protagonist Robin Blyth, gets caught up in a murder mystery aboard a transatlantic ocean liner in her quest to protect the remaining pieces of the Last Contract and falls for fellow passenger and adventurer, magician Violet Debenham.
Since the characters in book 1 make few appearances and the back story is sufficiently explained - parceled out bit by bit at the necessary moments - this book stands on its own, and can be read and enjoyed without having read the first book. Compared to book 1, the focus is more on the adventure than on the romance. Both books feature strong character development and world building. I absolutely love the way magic works in both books, and the way that Marske expands on the mechanics of magic in this book, adding magical traditions from other parts of the world that work differently than British magic.
The audiobook is well done. Overall an enjoyable experience.
Thank you NetGalley for the preview audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The twisty plot and excellent character interactions from A Marvellous Light continue in this volume despite the fact that the focus has changed from Robin and Edwin to Robin's sister, Maud. Maud volunteered to travel to America to escort the owner of another piece of the Contract, but things start off poorly when the elderly magician is murdered and get even more dangerous from there. It's a plot that keeps you guessing and is full of magical surprises.
Maud also meets Violet Debenham, Lord Hawthorn, and Alan Ross, three very different people with very different reasons for helping Maud. The best parts of the book are the interaction when all four people are together and it shows that Marske is best when giving her characters a reason to banter.
Also, extra love to Marske for the lovely little glimpse at the adorableness that is Robin and Edwin together. Those couple of sentences toward the end were the cherry on top of this great story.
I do think that you need to have read the first book in the series to fully understand all that's going on. A big part of the plot is the fact that no one actually seems to fully understand all that's going on, but I don't think the reader is supposed to be as out of the loop.
Maud also meets Violet Debenham, Lord Hawthorn, and Alan Ross, three very different people with very different reasons for helping Maud. The best parts of the book are the interaction when all four people are together and it shows that Marske is best when giving her characters a reason to banter.
Also, extra love to Marske for the lovely little glimpse at the adorableness that is Robin and Edwin together. Those couple of sentences toward the end were the cherry on top of this great story.
I do think that you need to have read the first book in the series to fully understand all that's going on. A big part of the plot is the fact that no one actually seems to fully understand all that's going on, but I don't think the reader is supposed to be as out of the loop.
mysterious
medium-paced
Using the conventions of a murder mystery set in a manor and a tight timeline, Freya Marske brings Robin's younger sister Maud Blythe to centre stage in this follow-up to her first book.
Maud is helping her brother Robin by posing as a companion to an elderly woman on a ship returning to Britain from New York City. Mrs. Navenby is murdered by magic, and Maud immediately realizes that the murderer is aboard and in possession of the dead woman's silver hand mirror and hairbrush. Maud knows why various magicians were targeting this elderly woman (and one in book one): she was in possession of item(s) making up the Contract between the Fae and magicians.
Maud decides to investigate, though she's never done anything like this before, and engages the acerbic Lord Hawthorne, who is also on board, as well as an actor/magician, Violet Debenham. Violet is returning to England after working for years in the U.S. She's heading home to claim a fortune left to her by Lady Enid Blackwood.
As Maud and Violet work together, interrogating passengers and crew, the two women develop feelings for each other, and have several steamy encounters, while also trying to figure out who killed Mrs. Navenby.
Maud emerges as a really interesting character, and I’m so glad Marske brought her to the forefront in this book. In fact, I enjoyed this book much more than book one, partly because I understood the stakes already, and partly because I liked Maud more than Robin.
Maud develops interesting detective and other useful skills that will probably come in handy in book three, as there are still several magicians eager to steal the Contract away from the nobodies (i.e., women performing unconventional magic) who have been safeguarding the objects for years. I also liked how well Marske handled the developing relationship between Maud and Violet. I dearly hope these two feature in the next book in this series.
Maud is helping her brother Robin by posing as a companion to an elderly woman on a ship returning to Britain from New York City. Mrs. Navenby is murdered by magic, and Maud immediately realizes that the murderer is aboard and in possession of the dead woman's silver hand mirror and hairbrush. Maud knows why various magicians were targeting this elderly woman (and one in book one): she was in possession of item(s) making up the Contract between the Fae and magicians.
Maud decides to investigate, though she's never done anything like this before, and engages the acerbic Lord Hawthorne, who is also on board, as well as an actor/magician, Violet Debenham. Violet is returning to England after working for years in the U.S. She's heading home to claim a fortune left to her by Lady Enid Blackwood.
As Maud and Violet work together, interrogating passengers and crew, the two women develop feelings for each other, and have several steamy encounters, while also trying to figure out who killed Mrs. Navenby.
Maud emerges as a really interesting character, and I’m so glad Marske brought her to the forefront in this book. In fact, I enjoyed this book much more than book one, partly because I understood the stakes already, and partly because I liked Maud more than Robin.
Maud develops interesting detective and other useful skills that will probably come in handy in book three, as there are still several magicians eager to steal the Contract away from the nobodies (i.e., women performing unconventional magic) who have been safeguarding the objects for years. I also liked how well Marske handled the developing relationship between Maud and Violet. I dearly hope these two feature in the next book in this series.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Police brutality, Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes