last binding trilogy sickening. wdym book series could have a full cast of 7 queers this whole time. wdym there are multiple gay sex scenes in every book. wdym the houses are sentient. wdym the british magic system adds another layer to the already unfair sociopolitical hierarchy and the characters' relationships with magic ties to their status as queer outsiders who both reject and are rejected by traditional power and status? wdym that shit's based on cat's cradle?? wdym edwin courcey is autistic and robin blyth has magical chronic pain and violet debenham is a pathological liar? and jack alston has chronic pain and magic ptsd and alanzo rossi is poor and catholic and maud blyth is the most beautiful most perfect girl in the world whom i would go to war for? wdym ADELAIDE MORRISSEY IS ALSO A MAGNIFICENT CHARACTER IN THIS ALREADY STACKED CAST??? wdym they're ALL. GAY??
anyway i finished that shit in a week and now there's no more so yeah. i am sickened
I'm reading Swordcrossed by Freya Marske, because duh (and also bc I love the Last Binding series) and the entire concept of this book sounds so cool and normal for fantasy and then you start reading it and the main character is a disaster human and the love interest is a slut and I just love it so much
So I got an early copy of A Power Unbound (third in the Last Binding Trilogy, after A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth) and I won't spoil anything, obviously, but hot damn. Wow. That is a) how you end a trilogy and b) uhhh hot damn. Ahem.
I knew what the pairing was gonna be, and after the first two books I knew it would be good, but... look, I've gone from Hands of the Emperor to A Taste of Gold and Iron to A Power Unbound, and it's all about the power dynamic and the route to real, certain consent amidst complicated circumstances and everyone's personal baggage, and asfjhsdkjfhskdjfhsd. A Power Unbound doesn't deal with fealty the way A Taste of Gold and Iron does, but it does deal with loyalty and trust and what it means to have power and honestly, I'm a little obsessed.
If you haven't read A Marvellous Light yet, I highly recommend it (and the whole trilogy). Book one is about a gay edwardian magician and his non-magical counterpart and their investigation into a dangerous curse (and, ahem, each other); book two is a lesbian magician/non-magician pair conducting heist-like shenanigans on a cruise ship (the non-magician lesbian and the non-magician gay man are siblings, and the investigation and the shenanigans are related). Book three is another pair of queer men, who we stay with through the third act of the magical-danger-plot and also through them figuring each other out. The sex scenes are explicit and so is the emotional unravelling, I thoroughly enjoyed all three books and I can't wait for 3 to be out so I can talk to more people about it!!
Date Started: 10 February 2024
Date Finished: 16 February 2024
"The past could turn you into a strip of paper with a single side, so that comfort and vulnerability slid away down the invisible channels and couldn't be grasped."
Kind of funny to post only a review for the final book in a trilogy, but unfortunately this blog didn't exist when I read the first two, so consider this my personal review for the series overall. Note: It is going to be a glorious, glowing and raving review focusing on this third book overall as it is what primarily weighs on my mind. All three of these books are firm 5 star ratings in my heart of hearts, and I will not budge on the matter.
I'm already a well established fan of historical fantasy, so when I stumbled upon A Marvellous Light back when I still worked at Barnes and Noble it felt like a matter of fate. I was in love with the world from the start and knew I would read as many books as it took to get to the end of the overarching plot line. A Restless Truth enchanted me just as much as the first book, though in a completely new and different sort of way. It was refreshing and fun and left me in dire anticipation for the release of the final book of the trilogy.
And that brings us to A Power Unbound. A book hasn't stressed me out as much as this one did in ages. And I mean that in a good way, of course! The stakes felt appropriately high, and that meant they felt apocalyptic. It might seem impossible to weave a romance within the lines of a book of apocalyptic stakes, but Freya Marske absolutely managed it.
The violent, aggressive, off-putting love between Alan and Lord Hawthorne felt just as desperate as everything else. It was a force to be reckoned with, and it knocked me off my feet every chance it had. Robin and Edwin may still be my favorite couple, but the romance between Alan and Jack definitely felt the most satisfying. Maybe it's because it was at least partially stretched across two books - maybe it was just because it was so... Well, everything it was. I don't know, but I did love every second of it.
I don't like to talk plot much when I review books, because I personally hate reading a glorified summary when I seek out other reviews, but I can tell you that this book wrapped up everything perfectly. The ending was satisfying in more ways than one, and the epilogue perfectly reminded me how much I loved every single character throughout this series.
I could not recommend this series any more intensely. If you are searching for a wonderful queer fantasy, it's waiting for you here.
I can't wait to see what Freya Marske writes next. I promise I will be a dedicated reader for life.
And with that:
"I would take your heart between my ribs and guard it like my own. Is there any way I could make you believe it?"
A RESTLESS TRUTH - FREYA MARSKE
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
A Restless Truth is a magical read, perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery and a well-crafted romance. The relationship between Maud and Violet is endearing and relatable, and the setting is beautifully described, transporting you to another time and place.
The mystery at the novel's heart is intriguing and engaging, keeping you guessing. Freya has a talent for weaving in enough elements of A Marvellous Light so that it feels like a sequel and gives an overarching plot but has a self-contained narrative.
The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, significantly differentiating characters! I had to double-check if it was one or two narrators.
Many thanks to Macmillan for an audiobook ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
“I didn’t come running all this way for your condolences,” Adelaide huffs. “I would like something a little more substantial.”
Robert’s brow furrows. “Substantial…?”
“Sir Robert Blyth, I’d like to propose a marriage.”
If Adelaide could bottle up Robert’s surprise, she’s absolutely certain she could make a killing. Unfortunately, she’s no magician; the power of it all is reserved just for her, in this moment, and will live on only in her memory.
(In which Miss Morrissey settles her own affairs, seeing as no one else sees fit to leave things as they are.)
