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A review by jennieartemis
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
TL;DR: Complex and compelling love story about authenticity and pretence that can feel stifled by the actual magical plot ongoing
(eARC provided by Netgalley)
The romance of A Restless Truth clicked with me in a way its predecessor's didn't, and I don't think it's just because it's sapphic (although obviously I love that). I find the characters so complex and believable, particularly Violet, who is such a fascinating figure - although a part of me wonders if it'd have been even better if we didn't have her POV so we could be as confused and doubtful as Maud. Their relationship feels appropriate to the short timescale of the book, while also having real depth as they both work through what they want, with no easy answers. Even if I am not a huge fan of sex scenes, I do think these ones were compelling, realistic, and acted as clear points of development in the characters' arcs. My problem is that I wish this was just a fantasy romance (or even a non-fantasy romance): to me, the Last Contract plot is more hindrance than hook, and it makes this book so much longer than it needs to be. The villains can feel quite flat compared to the main cast, and I didn't love every time a new development happened which seemed only to prolong the plot. Half its length, and centred on the thematically and emotionally resonant tales of Maud and Violet, I think this could have been truly special; as it is though, I did like it more than I expected and I greatly respect the things it did well.
7/10 in personal rating system
(eARC provided by Netgalley)
The romance of A Restless Truth clicked with me in a way its predecessor's didn't, and I don't think it's just because it's sapphic (although obviously I love that). I find the characters so complex and believable, particularly Violet, who is such a fascinating figure - although a part of me wonders if it'd have been even better if we didn't have her POV so we could be as confused and doubtful as Maud. Their relationship feels appropriate to the short timescale of the book, while also having real depth as they both work through what they want, with no easy answers. Even if I am not a huge fan of sex scenes, I do think these ones were compelling, realistic, and acted as clear points of development in the characters' arcs. My problem is that I wish this was just a fantasy romance (or even a non-fantasy romance): to me, the Last Contract plot is more hindrance than hook, and it makes this book so much longer than it needs to be. The villains can feel quite flat compared to the main cast, and I didn't love every time a new development happened which seemed only to prolong the plot. Half its length, and centred on the thematically and emotionally resonant tales of Maud and Violet, I think this could have been truly special; as it is though, I did like it more than I expected and I greatly respect the things it did well.
7/10 in personal rating system