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toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
I just think this series is so great and I thought this was a really nice conclusion to it. I absolutely love the worldbuilding and magic descriptions in this, loved seeing the characters from the other books again, and as expected, loved Jack and Alan's relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Cursing, Classism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Moderate: Rape, War, Alcohol, and Suicide
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity
cyberhavok's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
blewballoon's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
A strong conclusion to this series, I think. I was a little disappointed by the 2nd book in the series, but I enjoyed this one much more. My favorite element was the found family aspect, I was really happy to have the whole gang working together and seeing how the romances from the previous books were still thriving. Jack and Alan are fine, but I wasn't as captivated by their romance and character arcs as I was by Edwin and Robin. Edwin and Robin are hard to beat, though. I will say I didn't really care for the type of spicy scenes we had with Jack and Alan, so I zoned out for those. All of the books in the series were great as audiobooks, so I do recommend reading the series that way if you're interested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Sexual content
Moderate: Classism, Violence, Death, Murder, and Gun violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Infidelity
kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Violence, Suicide, Child death, Infidelity, and Murder
gondorgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Stalking, Vomit, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Classism, Alcohol, Cursing, Infidelity, and Bullying
loveyoulike's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
my favorite book in the series and definitely the best conclusion to this whole mystery as we could've ever gotten. marske's has truly outdone herself in terms of writing characters, relationships, mystery, tension, politics, and world-building. you can visibly see the improvements from the previous books, especially since most of the necessary world-building has been laid down so the focus on the story and developments take center stage. i very much love the character ross and how marske handled his class dilemma as it is often a very tricky road to balance.
however, my biggest problem from the whole series remains unsolved. marske tends to favor wordy writing that includes lots of dialogue and streams of thoughts, which works for introspective scenes and highlights of setting and character dynamics. which is fine on its own honestly, but the issue occurs when the action starts to happen and instead of an immersive flow, we still get stilted and convoluted descriptions that freeze scenes away from the overall picture. they take me out of the most important plot beats and complicate the pacing, especially when urgency is called for by the story.
nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable read (mostly thanks to ross and jack). if i had to reread this series, i would 100% do it just to get to this book.
however, my biggest problem from the whole series remains unsolved. marske tends to favor wordy writing that includes lots of dialogue and streams of thoughts, which works for introspective scenes and highlights of setting and character dynamics. which is fine on its own honestly, but the issue occurs when the action starts to happen and instead of an immersive flow, we still get stilted and convoluted descriptions that freeze scenes away from the overall picture. they take me out of the most important plot beats and complicate the pacing, especially when urgency is called for by the story.
nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable read (mostly thanks to ross and jack). if i had to reread this series, i would 100% do it just to get to this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Classism and Chronic illness
Minor: Infidelity and Rape
onthesamepage's review against another edition
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? Yes
5.0
Tropes: hate to love, D/s, roleplay
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
I hoped I would have a good time with this book, but it was even better than I expected.
I want to talk a bit about the overarching plot first, because it's easy to ignore that part in favor of looking at this series as predominately romance. The plot and the magic system throughout the trilogy is fascinating. I really enjoyed following the story to its conclusion, and being reunited with the couples from the previous books as well made this one feel somehow cozy, even though the stakes are really high. I was also surprised by how it wrapped up (in a good way).
The inclusion of Robin, Edwin, Maud, and Violet, with small, romantic moments here and there, really made me happy. Robin and Edwin are still my favourite couple, and I loved the things they went through in this book. But Jack and Alan are a close second. Their dynamic just really works for me. They constantly get under each other's skin, have no qualms about being hard and brutally honest, and come together in what feels like a violent explosion. That naked honesty between them is what makes some of the events so interesting to follow. From the three couples, they are the ones who have the most work to do before they can find even footing, and a lot of that has to do with the discrepancy in their places in life.
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
I hoped I would have a good time with this book, but it was even better than I expected.
I want to talk a bit about the overarching plot first, because it's easy to ignore that part in favor of looking at this series as predominately romance. The plot and the magic system throughout the trilogy is fascinating. I really enjoyed following the story to its conclusion, and being reunited with the couples from the previous books as well made this one feel somehow cozy, even though the stakes are really high. I was also surprised by how it wrapped up (in a good way).
The inclusion of Robin, Edwin, Maud, and Violet, with small, romantic moments here and there, really made me happy. Robin and Edwin are still my favourite couple, and I loved the things they went through in this book. But Jack and Alan are a close second. Their dynamic just really works for me. They constantly get under each other's skin, have no qualms about being hard and brutally honest, and come together in what feels like a violent explosion. That naked honesty between them is what makes some of the events so interesting to follow. From the three couples, they are the ones who have the most work to do before they can find even footing, and a lot of that has to do with the discrepancy in their places in life.
I would write you into immortality. I would trap you in ink and wear the pages next to my skin until they fell apart. Kiss me until I know you. Kiss me until you know me, and unmake me, and love me anyway.
They're really compelling as their own characters, too. It's been obvious from the first book that Jack is carrying around some kind of baggage, and that he has done his best to withdraw from everyone around him. Now that he's back amongst magicians, and dealing with the people who caused the loss of his magic, he is forced to confront a lot of things he refused to deal with before.
Alan, on the other hand, has spent most of his life working (or hustling, really) to take care of his family, no matter what that took from him. He has also spent most of his life hiding. Whether it's his actual politics, the fact that he writes queer pornography on the side, his previous criminal activity, or that he is Italian—there are very few people who know, see, and accept all of him. And even though Jack does fully see him, it's hard for Alan to trust someone who, based on his status and on Alan's own experience, can fully ruin him without thinking twice about it. The moments where Jack finally earns bits of that trust are really sweet.
I also have to mention how much the author's writing just works for my brain. I found myself sinking effortlessly into the prose, and it made the reading experience such a delight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Grief
Moderate: Suicide and Chronic illness
Minor: Rape and Infidelity
amyalwaysbooked's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
After reading A Restless Truth I was eager to see both a conclusion to the plot of the Last Contract as well as see how Jack and Alan's relationship would build. I was not disappointed!
This was an excellent conclusion to the mysteries built up in the first two books of the trilogy. It brought the whole cast together, neatly tied up loose ends while also leaving the future up to the imagination of the reader in the most pleasant way possible.
Jack and Alan might be my favorite couple in the series as I do love a good love/hate relationship. The story never shied away from the power imbalance in their relationship. I think that Marske handled the conversations around it well. The fact that the two of them both enjoyed using that particular topic during sex played nicely as well. The line between bedroom fantasy and the reality of their situation was never blurred which I appreciated.
I also liked how Marske explored various queer relationships and how they might exist in a time when they could not be open in society. Without spoiling too much there is a marriage of convenience, not in the tropey "will-they-won't-they" sort of way, but in the way I imagine many queer people settled during the time. Overall there were a lot of frank conversations about the limitations of society at the time, and even in ways that our society still fails today. I appreciated the dose of realism amidst Marske's fantastical world.
This was an excellent conclusion to the mysteries built up in the first two books of the trilogy. It brought the whole cast together, neatly tied up loose ends while also leaving the future up to the imagination of the reader in the most pleasant way possible.
Jack and Alan might be my favorite couple in the series as I do love a good love/hate relationship. The story never shied away from the power imbalance in their relationship. I think that Marske handled the conversations around it well. The fact that the two of them both enjoyed using that particular topic during sex played nicely as well. The line between bedroom fantasy and the reality of their situation was never blurred which I appreciated.
I also liked how Marske explored various queer relationships and how they might exist in a time when they could not be open in society. Without spoiling too much there is a marriage of convenience, not in the tropey "will-they-won't-they" sort of way, but in the way I imagine many queer people settled during the time. Overall there were a lot of frank conversations about the limitations of society at the time, and even in ways that our society still fails today. I appreciated the dose of realism amidst Marske's fantastical world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Infidelity
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
Finishing out the trilogy, A POWER UNBOUND finally provides answers as to why Lord Hawthorn (Jack) lost his magic and his sister all those years ago. It wraps up the mysteries around the Last Contract, and while it doesn't contain any wholly new storylines, that's much less crucial for the end of a series. The way it approaches Jack and Alan's relationship it almost sufficient to stand on its own if necessary, though several delightful aspects (such as their first meeting and Alan's selling of pornography) are show in A RESTLESS TRUTH. Most aspects of Alan's life are introduced for the first time, as well as the specifics of Jack's. It's a strange balance that lets many details feel completely new even though the main characters and their current situation were set up in first two books. I've been hoping Jack would be a protagonist since he was first introduced as Lord Hawthorne in A MARVELLOUS LIGHT, so I was absolutely delighted to get my wish at last. They're very different narrators from any of the others, somehow continuing the pattern of one person having magic and the other not, but in a way I wasn't expecting.
The first chapter cements George as not only the detestable and power-hungry person shown into the earlier books, but truly vicious and uncaring in pursuit of his aims. There's something extra terrible in the way he destroyed Elsie and Jack's lives and then was so concerned with hiding what he'd done that he laid a secret-bind on both of them and didn't give a shit what became of them afterwards. Now, with a trail of the dead in George's wake, Jack and his strange new group of friends have one last chance to stop him once and for all.
Much of the magical worldbuilding was set up in the first two books, but there's a focus on class dynamics which is made possible by Alan's perspective when juxtaposed with the richer and titled members of the group. For all the Blythe's money troubles, they're on a vastly different scale than whether Alan's family will starve due to accident or injury. That perspective helps make obvious that the Last Contract was meant to accomplish something it's no longer really doing, and enables the group to come up with new solutions as things spin wildly out of control.
A POWER UNBOUND is (somehow) even sexier that A MARVELLOUS LIGHT and A RESTLESS TRUTH, or maybe this is just a sign that my tastes run closer to Alan's than any of the previous protagonists. Good sex scenes provide character development in addition to titillation. Great sex scenes are so seamlessly a part of character development that to skip them would be to miss something crucial, fervent, and deeply personal about the characters involved. Jack and Alan's relationship is one of playing with power dynamics and trusting that the other person won't cross any lines, that fantasies made flesh are a wonderful kind of vulnerability, and that consent can be withdrawn mid-scene. They get the thrill of fighting without being in true danger, though it takes a while for Alan to be sure enough of Lord Hawthorne that he can accept this vulnerability with Jack. For his part, Jack is enjoying the extra level of intimacy which comes from having unknowingly read Alan's work for years, now able to use that knowledge erotically and to devastating effect.
A POWER UNBOUND is a satisfying ending to a great trilogy. The epilogue is a perfect snapshot of everyone, I cackled at Alan's attempt at an interview after the big event. I'm eager for whatever Freya Marske writes next.
The first chapter cements George as not only the detestable and power-hungry person shown into the earlier books, but truly vicious and uncaring in pursuit of his aims. There's something extra terrible in the way he destroyed Elsie and Jack's lives and then was so concerned with hiding what he'd done that he laid a secret-bind on both of them and didn't give a shit what became of them afterwards. Now, with a trail of the dead in George's wake, Jack and his strange new group of friends have one last chance to stop him once and for all.
Much of the magical worldbuilding was set up in the first two books, but there's a focus on class dynamics which is made possible by Alan's perspective when juxtaposed with the richer and titled members of the group. For all the Blythe's money troubles, they're on a vastly different scale than whether Alan's family will starve due to accident or injury. That perspective helps make obvious that the Last Contract was meant to accomplish something it's no longer really doing, and enables the group to come up with new solutions as things spin wildly out of control.
A POWER UNBOUND is (somehow) even sexier that A MARVELLOUS LIGHT and A RESTLESS TRUTH, or maybe this is just a sign that my tastes run closer to Alan's than any of the previous protagonists. Good sex scenes provide character development in addition to titillation. Great sex scenes are so seamlessly a part of character development that to skip them would be to miss something crucial, fervent, and deeply personal about the characters involved. Jack and Alan's relationship is one of playing with power dynamics and trusting that the other person won't cross any lines, that fantasies made flesh are a wonderful kind of vulnerability, and that consent can be withdrawn mid-scene. They get the thrill of fighting without being in true danger, though it takes a while for Alan to be sure enough of Lord Hawthorne that he can accept this vulnerability with Jack. For his part, Jack is enjoying the extra level of intimacy which comes from having unknowingly read Alan's work for years, now able to use that knowledge erotically and to devastating effect.
A POWER UNBOUND is a satisfying ending to a great trilogy. The epilogue is a perfect snapshot of everyone, I cackled at Alan's attempt at an interview after the big event. I'm eager for whatever Freya Marske writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Blood, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Cursing
Moderate: Sexism, Suicide, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Minor: Rape, Gore, Vomit, Gun violence, Grief, Sexism, Racism, Infidelity, and War
kal517's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Death, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity