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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
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
I wasn't as interested in the plot or the love story in this book as in the last one, but I still enjoyed it immensely. I think I'll miss this weird little world when I'm finished the series.
It's not Harry-Potter-like at all.... but like... it is a little bit. With the secret society of british wizards. But. Why would I want less of that in my life???
It's not Harry-Potter-like at all.... but like... it is a little bit. With the secret society of british wizards. But. Why would I want less of that in my life???
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Took me awhile to get through this one. Still love the world, but Maud Blyth didn’t really pull me in as a character. Excited for the final book in the trilogy!