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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
This should actually be more like a 2.5 rating (c’mon Goodreads! Give us half stars!). I loved the prose at the beginning of the book and was into the story. But the murder mystery was solved way too quickly and everything else dragged on.
I struggled with this book. I liked parts of it, and was invested in the characters, but still found myself losing interest several times. I'm curious enough I might borrow the next book, but I won't be in a rush.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Goddamn it, I love this series so much. This one took a bit to get into, and honestly I wasn’t super looking forward to Maud’s story— I didn’t particularly like her (or Hawthorn!) after book one, and honestly I was pulling for a book for Adelaide Morrissey. That said, this book changed my mind. Maud and Hawthorn are still clearly the same characters from A Marvellous Light, neither of them have huge personality shifts, but time spent with them and the development throughout the book have endeared them both to me. Violet is a delightful addition and I cannot wait to see more of Alan Ross in the next book. The scenes with the four of them are definite high points here, and the porn-dramatization scene had me cackling.
Marske expands on her worldbuilding here in ways I didn’t even realize was lacking in the first one. We get a much better sense of the magical world and how it all works, and what the Last Contract even IS. Some of the mystery I figured out, but even still, the turns were satisfying.
Aysha Kala does an amazing job with the audio. A few of her female characters end up sounding similar, but she kills it with the accents, and Violet’s English-American mashup especially. Definitely going to look out for more audios by her.
Immediately starting up the next book, hoping for more of ALL the characters now that we’re back in England.
Marske expands on her worldbuilding here in ways I didn’t even realize was lacking in the first one. We get a much better sense of the magical world and how it all works, and what the Last Contract even IS. Some of the mystery I figured out, but even still, the turns were satisfying.
Aysha Kala does an amazing job with the audio. A few of her female characters end up sounding similar, but she kills it with the accents, and Violet’s English-American mashup especially. Definitely going to look out for more audios by her.
Immediately starting up the next book, hoping for more of ALL the characters now that we’re back in England.
adventurous
mysterious
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
This sequel was excellent in all the best ways: expands the magical world, continues the high stakes drama and danger of the mission, and it pretty darn entertaining. Maud is a naïve yet also an in-real-life chaos demon seeking to help her brother find the second piece of the Contract, and Violet is an experienced magician seeking to scandalize herself as much as possible as she comes into a surprise inheritance, and Lord Hawthorn returns, very put-upon and rolling his eyes as he has to help both of them out of the trouble they constantly find themselves in, on a boat, with no escape in sight until they reach land!
Peak drama, hijinks, and spicy times ensue.
The stakes couldn't be higher as the story continues. Who knows what will happen in the 3rd book, but I have a feeling it going to be spicier, more of the magical world (I would love to see Edwin wield insane amounts of magic, as hinted in one of Robin's visions in the first book), and hopefully more of Edwin and Robin, who I love dearly and missed greatly in this book.
Peak drama, hijinks, and spicy times ensue.
The stakes couldn't be higher as the story continues. Who knows what will happen in the 3rd book, but I have a feeling it going to be spicier, more of the magical world (I would love to see Edwin wield insane amounts of magic, as hinted in one of Robin's visions in the first book), and hopefully more of Edwin and Robin, who I love dearly and missed greatly in this book.
Maud Blyth is helping her brother Robin find the one piece of the Last Contract. She is traveling back from America with Mrs. Navenby on a six day cruise, when Mrs. Navenby is killed and all her silver stolen. Maud knows she must find out who is responsible and recover the silver, and with the help of her brothers foreseeing powers, she has some clues as to whom she can turn to. Soon she finds herself befriending Violent Debenham, an actress who left for America under scandal, and Lord Hawthorn, a Lord from a magical family with no magic of his own. Will they be able to uncover the truth on the ship before they reach England? And will Maud learn more about herself from Violet?
An excellent historical-fantasy mystery/heist novel, that has lots of steamy gay romance. The world-building is excellent, the characters are fun and interesting, and it’s a page-turner to the end to see how it all resolves. The overarching plot of the series is very well-done, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.
An excellent historical-fantasy mystery/heist novel, that has lots of steamy gay romance. The world-building is excellent, the characters are fun and interesting, and it’s a page-turner to the end to see how it all resolves. The overarching plot of the series is very well-done, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.