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1437 reviews
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
MOST ARDENTLY is a retelling of Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, where Oliver is a trans boy whose family still thinks his name is Elizabeth. When he meets Darcy originally, Oliver is dressed as a girl and the other boy is very dismissive of him. A day or so later, he's at a local fair as himself and ends up spending the day with Darcy and Bingley. As the two sides of his life collide, soon he has to choose whether to declare himself or to let nefarious actors force the issue for him.
One of my favorite parts of this retelling is the way that it provides an explanation beyond plot convenience for Darcy to have inconsistent reactions to Oliver. Instead of Darcy being hot and cold to someone who seems to be the same person, his reactions around Oliver as a girl are impacted by getting to spend time with Oliver as a boy and maybe starting to fall for him. For those not familiar with the original story, this stands on its own and doesn't require any prior knowledge in order to make sense.
I enjoyed this as a retelling and as its own story, a great addition to the Remixed Classics series!
One of my favorite parts of this retelling is the way that it provides an explanation beyond plot convenience for Darcy to have inconsistent reactions to Oliver. Instead of Darcy being hot and cold to someone who seems to be the same person, his reactions around Oliver as a girl are impacted by getting to spend time with Oliver as a boy and maybe starting to fall for him. For those not familiar with the original story, this stands on its own and doesn't require any prior knowledge in order to make sense.
I enjoyed this as a retelling and as its own story, a great addition to the Remixed Classics series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Classism, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Minor: Death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse
Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While WAITING FOR THE FLOOD is technically a sequel to GLITTERLAND in the Spires Universe, if there were any overlapping characters I didn't notice them, and the stories are so far unconnected as far as I can tell. I loved the first third of WAITING FOR THE FLOOD and was a bit nervous for the remainder of the book when Edwin and Adam seemed to have reached a very happy place and a good equilibrium so early on. It turns out that the rest of the edition I read is filled with another novella, "Chasing the Light", which is a sequel to "Waiting for the Flood".
"Waiting for the Flood" follows Edwin, who is living in the house he'd shared with the partner of ten years who suddenly left him. Edwin hadn't seen it coming and thought they were happy, until, apparently, it turned out Marius hadn't been. Now, a flood is anticipated (the rain is already here), and a flood engineer named Adam is directing the emergency infrastructure efforts (sandbags, organizing people, telling everyone not to go through standing water, etc.). The story is themed around various rooms in Edwin's house, as conveyed through the chapter titles. Adam is steady and kind, patient with Edwin in the ways he needs it most (and several he hadn't realized were possible). Edwin has a stutter, and it frustrates his words (especially when he's stressed). He appreciates the way Adam (unlike his previous partner) gives him the space to talk, not rushing to fill the space with guesses at his words or cutting off his speech. I love their dynamic, and was frequently touched by the story.
"Chasing the Light" is a sequel novella from the perspective of Marius, the man who suddenly left Edwin after ten years together. It opens with Marius upset to see that his mother invited his ex and the ex's new boyfriend to Christmas. Frustrated and not able to express his feelings calmly, Marius takes a walk in the snow and slips next to the river, injuring himself. Leo finds him and lets him stay in his boat until he's ready to return to land, tending his injured ankle in the meantime. Their attraction is immediate, and they become intimate without waiting for Marius's ankle to heal. Marius has been the bad guy, the abrasive one, the one who can't just be happy for so long that the idea someone could like him as he is without trying to soften him is a strange one. Ultimately, he has to decide whether his time with Leo is just temporary, or if it could be the beginning of something new.
I love the way that "Chasing the Light" complements "Waiting for the Flood". In Flood, Marius is pretty unambiguously the bad guy, for all that Edwin has had trouble moving on from what they had. Edwin needs to heal and figure out how to be himself and not just someone that Marius left behind. By giving Marius's perspective in Light, it complicates the picture in a way that makes both stories better, creating a more detailed image of what happened, why, and what it means for both of them moving forward. It acknowledges that once you've been with someone for a decade, moving on isn't simple, and it doesn't require pretending that those years never happened.
The stories are wonderful and moving, and I'm so glad I got to read them together. I'm very much enjoying the Spires Universe, and I'll definitely read more as I can find them.
"Waiting for the Flood" follows Edwin, who is living in the house he'd shared with the partner of ten years who suddenly left him. Edwin hadn't seen it coming and thought they were happy, until, apparently, it turned out Marius hadn't been. Now, a flood is anticipated (the rain is already here), and a flood engineer named Adam is directing the emergency infrastructure efforts (sandbags, organizing people, telling everyone not to go through standing water, etc.). The story is themed around various rooms in Edwin's house, as conveyed through the chapter titles. Adam is steady and kind, patient with Edwin in the ways he needs it most (and several he hadn't realized were possible). Edwin has a stutter, and it frustrates his words (especially when he's stressed). He appreciates the way Adam (unlike his previous partner) gives him the space to talk, not rushing to fill the space with guesses at his words or cutting off his speech. I love their dynamic, and was frequently touched by the story.
"Chasing the Light" is a sequel novella from the perspective of Marius, the man who suddenly left Edwin after ten years together. It opens with Marius upset to see that his mother invited his ex and the ex's new boyfriend to Christmas. Frustrated and not able to express his feelings calmly, Marius takes a walk in the snow and slips next to the river, injuring himself. Leo finds him and lets him stay in his boat until he's ready to return to land, tending his injured ankle in the meantime. Their attraction is immediate, and they become intimate without waiting for Marius's ankle to heal. Marius has been the bad guy, the abrasive one, the one who can't just be happy for so long that the idea someone could like him as he is without trying to soften him is a strange one. Ultimately, he has to decide whether his time with Leo is just temporary, or if it could be the beginning of something new.
I love the way that "Chasing the Light" complements "Waiting for the Flood". In Flood, Marius is pretty unambiguously the bad guy, for all that Edwin has had trouble moving on from what they had. Edwin needs to heal and figure out how to be himself and not just someone that Marius left behind. By giving Marius's perspective in Light, it complicates the picture in a way that makes both stories better, creating a more detailed image of what happened, why, and what it means for both of them moving forward. It acknowledges that once you've been with someone for a decade, moving on isn't simple, and it doesn't require pretending that those years never happened.
The stories are wonderful and moving, and I'm so glad I got to read them together. I'm very much enjoying the Spires Universe, and I'll definitely read more as I can find them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is a fake-dating-turned-real-feelings story between two gay men who both need the appearance of a relationship long enough to get through some big upcoming events. A mutual friend pairs them up for their fake relationship, and somehow this fake boyfriend thing is one of the most stable relationships Luc has ever had.
This is the first book in a series, which slightly hints at the direction of the ending. The ending fits their relationship very well, and I like their overall dynamic. The ongoing status of their relationship is established for future books, and several major plot points are resolved. There are secondary plots related to each of their relationships with their parents. Luc's father walked out of his life twenty-five years ago, and has walked back into it with no warning and a declaration that he has cancer and would like to get to know Luc better. Luc's mother, who was also abandoned by Luc's father (her husband and musical collaborator), is supportive of any decision Luc might make, all the way from reconciliation to telling his father to go fuck himself. I adore Luc's mother, she's written very well and I love the audiobook performance for her. Oliver's parents only appear briefly, during the event for which he needed Luc as a fake boyfriend, but they cast a long shadow which has implications for later books.
The dung beetle charity and Luc's co-workers there are an endless source of exasperation and delight for me. Between his co-workers, his friends, and Oliver's friends, there are so many vibrant and specific people that it wasn't difficult for me to keep track of anyone. Normally I have trouble keeping track of characters (let alone their names) when the cast gets past five or so, but I had no issues here.
Things I love, in no particular order: Luc telling jokes to Alex, everything dung-beetle-related, Oliver being pedantic about law, Luc's friends, Bridget's publishing fiascos.
This is the first book in a series, which slightly hints at the direction of the ending. The ending fits their relationship very well, and I like their overall dynamic. The ongoing status of their relationship is established for future books, and several major plot points are resolved. There are secondary plots related to each of their relationships with their parents. Luc's father walked out of his life twenty-five years ago, and has walked back into it with no warning and a declaration that he has cancer and would like to get to know Luc better. Luc's mother, who was also abandoned by Luc's father (her husband and musical collaborator), is supportive of any decision Luc might make, all the way from reconciliation to telling his father to go fuck himself. I adore Luc's mother, she's written very well and I love the audiobook performance for her. Oliver's parents only appear briefly, during the event for which he needed Luc as a fake boyfriend, but they cast a long shadow which has implications for later books.
The dung beetle charity and Luc's co-workers there are an endless source of exasperation and delight for me. Between his co-workers, his friends, and Oliver's friends, there are so many vibrant and specific people that it wasn't difficult for me to keep track of anyone. Normally I have trouble keeping track of characters (let alone their names) when the cast gets past five or so, but I had no issues here.
Things I love, in no particular order: Luc telling jokes to Alex, everything dung-beetle-related, Oliver being pedantic about law, Luc's friends, Bridget's publishing fiascos.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Homophobia
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Body horror, Death of parent, Cancer, Racism, Child death, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, and Death
Glitterland by Alexis Hall
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ash Winters is frequently a mess and thinks he's unlovable. With BPD driving a mix of depression and anxiety, he's given up on actually feeling emotions and being interested in anyone longer than a one-night stand. Some guy from Essex was supposed to be such a one-night stand, it wasn't supposed to matter that he has a name (Darian), or that he is annoyingly upbeat, or that he's from Essex, because it was supposed to be over. But it's not. Ash runs into Darian again and wants that spark of some emotion again, because he's pretty sure it was a good emotion.
Ash and Darian genuinely work well together, I love how their relationship develops. Ash is just as much of an asshole by the end of the book as the start, but he's more sure of himself and more willing to take risks for Darian than it seems like he was for his other friends. Due to his high anxiety, "taking risks" includes, in this case, going to the store, spending the night in the same bed, and being emotionally vulnerable. Neither of them are people it's necessarily easy to be around (Ash moreso than Darian), and that shows up in many different ways.
The ending caught me off guard, especially the incident which precedes it. I was pleasantly surprised by how things end up, but the story lingers in an uncomfortable situation for far longer than I can normally handle reading. Part of what helped is the way the narrative had handled anxiety and tension up until that point, I had built up enough trust in the author that I was able to wait for how things shook out.
Ash and Darian genuinely work well together, I love how their relationship develops. Ash is just as much of an asshole by the end of the book as the start, but he's more sure of himself and more willing to take risks for Darian than it seems like he was for his other friends. Due to his high anxiety, "taking risks" includes, in this case, going to the store, spending the night in the same bed, and being emotionally vulnerable. Neither of them are people it's necessarily easy to be around (Ash moreso than Darian), and that shows up in many different ways.
The ending caught me off guard, especially the incident which precedes it. I was pleasantly surprised by how things end up, but the story lingers in an uncomfortable situation for far longer than I can normally handle reading. Part of what helped is the way the narrative had handled anxiety and tension up until that point, I had built up enough trust in the author that I was able to wait for how things shook out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Grief, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Biphobia, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide, Medical content, Death of parent, Death, Suicide attempt, and Medical trauma
World Running Down by Al Hess
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
It is wonderful and refreshing to read a story centering on autonomy and personhood which is deeply interested in erring on the side of expanding those definitions. WORLD RUNNING DOWN is about a trans man with body dysphoria, and an AI with android dysphoria. Valentine is a salvager, working with a partner (Ace) to try and do enough jobs to have the money for citizenship in Salt Lake City, where he can medically transition at last. Osric is an AI who was placed in an android body against his will, sent by his new employer to give Valentine and Ace a job: track down some stolen merchandise. The problems begin in earnest when it turns out the "merchandise" are android sex workers. Just as Osric is starting to get used to having a body, and maybe not mind so much that people assume he's non-sentient like the rest of the androids... it starts to look like maybe that's not an accurate way to describe them either. It's becoming increasingly obvious that the some (or perhaps all) of the androids are sentient, and they don't want to go back to being used and abused.
I appreciate how it's acknowledge specifically that the humans are fine with non-corporeal AI, and corporeal non-sentient androids, but they've tried to dodge the issue of "is a sentient android worthy of basic rights of personhood" by trying very hard to insist that there's no way the programming would let them have independent thought. They've basically avoided the issue rather than dealing with what it would mean if that ever happened. It turns out that the time is now, with Ace and Valentine having to decide whether it makes a difference that the objects they were sent to retrieve have their own ideas about what happens next.
The romance between Osric and Valentine is great, it's intimate without getting explicit. I especially appreciate this dynamic as both characters have complicated feelings about their own bodies, and avoiding specifics about parts seems to be a good storytelling decision here.
Things I love, in no particular order: Valentine in his new clothes; Osric figuring out his body; how Ace's transphobia is handled; the AI Stewards; the pirates.
It is wonderful and refreshing to read a story centering on autonomy and personhood which is deeply interested in erring on the side of expanding those definitions. WORLD RUNNING DOWN is about a trans man with body dysphoria, and an AI with android dysphoria. Valentine is a salvager, working with a partner (Ace) to try and do enough jobs to have the money for citizenship in Salt Lake City, where he can medically transition at last. Osric is an AI who was placed in an android body against his will, sent by his new employer to give Valentine and Ace a job: track down some stolen merchandise. The problems begin in earnest when it turns out the "merchandise" are android sex workers. Just as Osric is starting to get used to having a body, and maybe not mind so much that people assume he's non-sentient like the rest of the androids... it starts to look like maybe that's not an accurate way to describe them either. It's becoming increasingly obvious that the some (or perhaps all) of the androids are sentient, and they don't want to go back to being used and abused.
I appreciate how it's acknowledge specifically that the humans are fine with non-corporeal AI, and corporeal non-sentient androids, but they've tried to dodge the issue of "is a sentient android worthy of basic rights of personhood" by trying very hard to insist that there's no way the programming would let them have independent thought. They've basically avoided the issue rather than dealing with what it would mean if that ever happened. It turns out that the time is now, with Ace and Valentine having to decide whether it makes a difference that the objects they were sent to retrieve have their own ideas about what happens next.
The romance between Osric and Valentine is great, it's intimate without getting explicit. I especially appreciate this dynamic as both characters have complicated feelings about their own bodies, and avoiding specifics about parts seems to be a good storytelling decision here.
Things I love, in no particular order: Valentine in his new clothes; Osric figuring out his body; how Ace's transphobia is handled; the AI Stewards; the pirates.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Abandonment, Slavery, Sexual content, Trafficking, Transphobia, Violence, Dysphoria, Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Deadnaming, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, and Animal death
Slipping by Seanan McGuire
dark
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Child abuse, Death, Child death, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
Three Kings by Freydís Moon
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
**My recommendation has been pulled based on issues with the author. The original text of the review remains below.
-----
Poignant and sensual by turns, THREE KINGS is the story of a fishing captain and a male witch who open their marriage to a selkie.
Ethan and Peter have been trying for a baby, but Ethan is worried he might be infertile as a result of the desperate magic he used to bring Peter back from the dead three years ago. When Peter brings home a dead seal, Ethan is convinced it’s actually a selkie and brings it back to life as well. It turns out Ethan was right, and as Nico recovers in their care, the three of them start bonding.
I enjoyed this! It’s fully able to stand alone, though I would be interested in more stories in this setting or with these characters. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like it even though it deals with a topic (fertility) that I normally have zero interest in.
**My recommendation has been pulled based on issues with the author. The original text of the review remains below.
-----
Poignant and sensual by turns, THREE KINGS is the story of a fishing captain and a male witch who open their marriage to a selkie.
Ethan and Peter have been trying for a baby, but Ethan is worried he might be infertile as a result of the desperate magic he used to bring Peter back from the dead three years ago. When Peter brings home a dead seal, Ethan is convinced it’s actually a selkie and brings it back to life as well. It turns out Ethan was right, and as Nico recovers in their care, the three of them start bonding.
I enjoyed this! It’s fully able to stand alone, though I would be interested in more stories in this setting or with these characters. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like it even though it deals with a topic (fertility) that I normally have zero interest in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infertility, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical content, Animal death, Alcohol, and Drug use
Minor: Pregnancy, Blood, and Self harm
Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
**My recommendation has been pulled based on issues with the author. The original text of the review remains below.
-----
WOLF, WILLOW, WITCH is a strangely direct follow-up to HAUNT, HEART, HAVOC, while having different main characters, a pretty cool trick to manage. The "wolf" is Lincoln, the deceased ex-husband of Bishop from the first book. Tehlor is the Norse witch who helped them clear some of the other bothersome spirits out of the house. While Colin and Bishop are off on a cross-country exorcism trip, Tehlor seizes the opportunity to steal Lincoln's corpse and turn him into a magical sentry (not a familiar, she already has her rat for that).
I love how WOLF, WILLOW, WITCH tells a full story which give a much better sense of Lincoln in addition to showing Tehlor through her narration, provides answers to some of the unaddressed questions from HAUNT, HEART, HAVOC, and briefly introduces the protagonist for the next book. It seems like they don't completely deal with Haven, but they manage to change the course of the group's plans in ways that are likely to play out in the final book of the trilogy.
I rarely read books with an unabashed villain as one of the love interests without some effort to soften them. Lincoln is as close to that as I'm comfortable reading, and I'm fascinated by his and Tehlor's relationship. She's not "fixing" him, he's not really corrupting her, they're two people with intermittently compatible goals and a whole lot of enlightened self interest.
The scenes in Haven, the Catholic-ish cult, were deeply creepy. I used to be Christian and am familiar with the non-magical versions of many parts of those scenes, especially all the misogyny disguised as politeness.
This was great and I'm very excited to read how the series winds up!
**My recommendation has been pulled based on issues with the author. The original text of the review remains below.
-----
WOLF, WILLOW, WITCH is a strangely direct follow-up to HAUNT, HEART, HAVOC, while having different main characters, a pretty cool trick to manage. The "wolf" is Lincoln, the deceased ex-husband of Bishop from the first book. Tehlor is the Norse witch who helped them clear some of the other bothersome spirits out of the house. While Colin and Bishop are off on a cross-country exorcism trip, Tehlor seizes the opportunity to steal Lincoln's corpse and turn him into a magical sentry (not a familiar, she already has her rat for that).
I love how WOLF, WILLOW, WITCH tells a full story which give a much better sense of Lincoln in addition to showing Tehlor through her narration, provides answers to some of the unaddressed questions from HAUNT, HEART, HAVOC, and briefly introduces the protagonist for the next book. It seems like they don't completely deal with Haven, but they manage to change the course of the group's plans in ways that are likely to play out in the final book of the trilogy.
I rarely read books with an unabashed villain as one of the love interests without some effort to soften them. Lincoln is as close to that as I'm comfortable reading, and I'm fascinated by his and Tehlor's relationship. She's not "fixing" him, he's not really corrupting her, they're two people with intermittently compatible goals and a whole lot of enlightened self interest.
The scenes in Haven, the Catholic-ish cult, were deeply creepy. I used to be Christian and am familiar with the non-magical versions of many parts of those scenes, especially all the misogyny disguised as politeness.
This was great and I'm very excited to read how the series winds up!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Sexual content, Gun violence, Violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, and Cursing
Minor: Pregnancy, Self harm, Vomit, and Drug use
A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked the beginning, got frustrated in the middle, and didn't like the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Excrement, Violence, Death, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Gore, Domestic abuse, and War
The Forgotten Lyric by Carolina Cruz
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
THE FORGOTTEN LYRIC follows a bard and a former assassin who work together to try and solve the poisoning of a little girl.
Kennet is a former assassin who is using his extensive knowledge of murder to try and uncover the cause of a girl's coma and likely poisoning. This involves a lot of traveling, with only a few specific events occurring as he searches for answers. The focus is instead on his thoughts about and conversations with his traveling companion, Asa, as well as Kennet's memories of his murderous past. He was very good at being a killer for hire, until something happened that made him walk away from it all. By emphasizing who Kennet is now, the early focus is on him and Asa, and their acceptance of his complexity. Killing was his job, and now it (mostly) isn't. They end up with a third companion for a while, someone from Kennet's past whom he hurt deeply. Killing was something that this group of assassins did to other people, until it wasn't. That betrayal left the survivors devastated, and scattered the remains of the group. In that wake of that disaster, Kennet has tried to be a different person, staying away from the people he hurt so completely.
One of the things about forgiveness and redemption is that even if someone changes after doing harm, the people they hurt are under no obligation to accept them back. Trying to not hurt new people doesn't undo the previous pain. The various people involved have very different reactions to Kennet, as they were hurt in different ways. Asa, arriving long after the betrayal, has to choose how to relate to Kennet and how much to treat him on the basis of the person he clearly used to be (and makes no attempts to conceal).
At first, THE FORGOTTEN LYRIC seems like a stand-alone book which is only technically a sequel to THE UNWANTED PROPHET. This was borne out for the first two-thirds of the story, where the first part is focused on trying to save a poisoned child, and the second part is about the motivations, the aftermath, and the tangled past which got Kennet into this position. However, this changes in the final section when Kennet and Asa, at last, turn their attention to figuring out some mysteries related to the bard. Asa has the ability to influence people's emotions with a touch, and they are delighted when Kennet wants to help them figure out the source of this ability.
THE FORGOTTEN LYRIC introduces the possibility of a solution to something left ambiguous from THE UNWANTED PROPHET, but it seems as though the forthcoming conclusion to the trilogy will be the one to hold those answers. It could make sense to someone who started here and missed the first book, but the ending would make very little sense to someone in that position. The good news is that if someone made it all the way to the end before figuring out this was the middle volume of three, the references mostly avoid spoiling the events of THE UNWANTED PROPHET and it would still be satisfying to go back and catch up on those events.
Things I love, in no particular order: Asa's power, the ritual towards the end, the former priest of Gethin, how the backstory is revealed.
I was absorbed in the story and am excited to keep reading about these characters, as it seems clear from the ending that this isn't their final appearance.
THE FORGOTTEN LYRIC follows a bard and a former assassin who work together to try and solve the poisoning of a little girl.
Kennet is a former assassin who is using his extensive knowledge of murder to try and uncover the cause of a girl's coma and likely poisoning. This involves a lot of traveling, with only a few specific events occurring as he searches for answers. The focus is instead on his thoughts about and conversations with his traveling companion, Asa, as well as Kennet's memories of his murderous past. He was very good at being a killer for hire, until something happened that made him walk away from it all. By emphasizing who Kennet is now, the early focus is on him and Asa, and their acceptance of his complexity. Killing was his job, and now it (mostly) isn't. They end up with a third companion for a while, someone from Kennet's past whom he hurt deeply. Killing was something that this group of assassins did to other people, until it wasn't. That betrayal left the survivors devastated, and scattered the remains of the group. In that wake of that disaster, Kennet has tried to be a different person, staying away from the people he hurt so completely.
One of the things about forgiveness and redemption is that even if someone changes after doing harm, the people they hurt are under no obligation to accept them back. Trying to not hurt new people doesn't undo the previous pain. The various people involved have very different reactions to Kennet, as they were hurt in different ways. Asa, arriving long after the betrayal, has to choose how to relate to Kennet and how much to treat him on the basis of the person he clearly used to be (and makes no attempts to conceal).
At first, THE FORGOTTEN LYRIC seems like a stand-alone book which is only technically a sequel to THE UNWANTED PROPHET. This was borne out for the first two-thirds of the story, where the first part is focused on trying to save a poisoned child, and the second part is about the motivations, the aftermath, and the tangled past which got Kennet into this position. However, this changes in the final section when Kennet and Asa, at last, turn their attention to figuring out some mysteries related to the bard. Asa has the ability to influence people's emotions with a touch, and they are delighted when Kennet wants to help them figure out the source of this ability.
THE FORGOTTEN LYRIC introduces the possibility of a solution to something left ambiguous from THE UNWANTED PROPHET, but it seems as though the forthcoming conclusion to the trilogy will be the one to hold those answers. It could make sense to someone who started here and missed the first book, but the ending would make very little sense to someone in that position. The good news is that if someone made it all the way to the end before figuring out this was the middle volume of three, the references mostly avoid spoiling the events of THE UNWANTED PROPHET and it would still be satisfying to go back and catch up on those events.
Things I love, in no particular order: Asa's power, the ritual towards the end, the former priest of Gethin, how the backstory is revealed.
I was absorbed in the story and am excited to keep reading about these characters, as it seems clear from the ending that this isn't their final appearance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Torture, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Child death