A review by x_chrissie_reads_x
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

 Description:

All aboard the Lyric
The ship that hosts the rich, the dazzling, a dead body…and a murderer.

The naive and slightly crazed Maud Blyth was prepared to have a great adventure aboard the Lyric, with a dirty-mouthed parrot and her so-called ‘employer’ Mrs. Navenby.  But when Maud finds a dead body splayed on the floor in their own blood, her excitement is dulled into dread.

Now she has to deal with a mystery that somehow pulled her into its grasp and the dangerous, yet magnificent magician, Violet Debenham. A girl trained for a scandalous act, Violet is one for secrets and trickery. 

Stuck on a ship headed toward England, and a murderous magician out for blood, Maud and Violet gather an unruly group; a ghost, a pornography collector, and a Lord with quite the attitude. 

Time’s running out as the voyage starts to reach its end. It is up to Maud, Violet and their group of witty members to find the magical object that is the last thing between the magicians and their end.

// My Review:

A witty and wanderlust voyage with hilarious characters that led the story with great humour. 

A Restless Truth was a whimsical read that was made even more splendid by Freya Marske’s writing. She has a hand of extreme talent, and wove clever metaphors into strikingly meaningful descriptions. The entire novel was interlaced with her skillful imaginations that brought the premise of A Restless Truth to fruition.

Maud Blyth’s soul is one of childlike curiosity and innocence. Her theatrics to charm her way into certain situations was extremely entertaining and made her story one to remember. Maud’s ventures into her own wants and desires, Violet being one of those aspirations, created a beautiful character to flower throughout the pages.

Violet Debenham on the other hand was the vivacious and scandalous partner, who was a complete flirt toward anyone who looked her way. Especially to Maud Blythe who tempted her like never before. She wove a sexy string into the storyline that left even the naughtiest person with a scathing blush. Violet was quite the audience pleaser who presented magic in fascinating ways.

The story was of intense adventure that led to the characters re-enacting a smutty scene from one of the many stolen erotic novels, to them breaking into warded cabins amongst the rich. Unique characters ranging from a stern ghost to Lord Hawthorn who prefers to stay in his own company, weaved with tantalizing moments between Violet and Maud, and tense situations with crazed magicians, made A Restless Truth feel like a fairytale adventure…

Rating: 4/5 

 Thank you to PanMacMillanSA for this reviewer copy!

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