Freya Marske

I wondered how Freya Marske would continue Edwin and Robin’s story in A Restless Truth. It turns out that she doesn’t. Instead, she focuses on Maud Blyth, Robin’s sister, for a new adventure while still progressing the story of the mysterious Final Contract. Occurring on an ocean liner, Maud proves how much she is like her brother in her ability to get into trouble. Once she pairs up with Violet, shenanigans become the name of the game, as does the very real danger they uncover. As show more with the first book in the Last Binding series, the spice is hot, and the action is almost nonstop. Also, we get a few more answers. Most importantly though, Ms. Marske sets up the series for one hell of a finale. I, for one, cannot wait to see what she has in store for her readers. show less

I don’t love where this starts, but I adore where it ends up. Few authors can take us to T. Kingfisher heights, to Angela Carter heights, but Marske does in this lovely retelling. It’s hard for me to read fairy tales any more, knowing that you have to sit through the abuse to come to the triumph on the other side. This one was worth it.

Advanced Readers Copy provided by edelweiss.

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske, the third and final book in The Last Binding series, delves into the life of the mysterious and oh-so-prickly Lord Hawthorn, and it does not disappoint. Honestly, I believe it to be Ms. Marske's best novel to date. Jack Alston is not an easy character, but Ms. Marske makes him likable, sympathetic, and just a wee bit heroic. I never thought I would use these traits to describe Lord Jack, but here we are.

Two areas Ms. Marske handles with delicacy are Jack's show more peerage and his sexual preferences. Alan Ross may be his form of heroin, but the dynamics between the two are fraught with political tension as well as sexual. Alan is so angry towards the titled and entitled that he practically spits fire at his new friends. To Alan, Jack is everything he hates, which makes their physical relationship tricky.

Jack already exudes a natural dominance in everything he does and says. Because of who he is, Jack already has all the power in any relationship. Yet, Ms. Marske handles the dom/sub aspect of their mutual attraction with sensitivity. Sex scenes have come a long way over the decades, and Ms. Marske is one of the best at showing how consent and safe words are sexy.

While I admire how well Ms. Marske builds Jack's and Alan's relationship, I did struggle with the ending of The Last Binding series. I feel it is too anticlimactic, but now that I think about it, maybe that is the point. The theme of A Power Unbound is a few select people should not hold a majority of anything. Alan constantly preaches this idea to Jack and anyone else who will listen. Given this, I probably should have expected the resolution to the magical crisis.

In fact, I'm now beginning to think that A Power Unbound and the rest of the series are somewhat of a modern-day anti-capitalist/anti-monarchy manifesto. I don't know how I didn't see this before, but I like it. And if Ms. Marske meant for her series to have this message, I applaud her. She created a series that is fun, sexy, and engaging while also sneaking in a fantastic lesson about the importance of sharing with the less fortunate. show less

Robin Blyth and Edwin Courcey are thrown together by accident. Robin was thrust into his job as liaison by a civil servant who didn't like him very much, and Edwin has to break the news to him that magic exists and his job is to find odd things to pass on to magicians. Edwin had expected to find Reggie in his post, and now has a mystery on his hands when a group of people now think Robin can help them find a contract in his brand-new office and leave him with a curse on his arm.

This show more historical fantasy-mystery-romance in Edwardian London has a fascinating hidden magic system. Robin knows nothing of magic so conversations, primarily with Edwin and his family, allow readers to be introduced to the rules of this magical system. Robin is a fun character, with a kind and cheerful disposition. Edwin is a bit more curmudgeonly, prefers books to people, and has a habit of overexplaining things that he's fascinated by. I couldn't help but love both of them. The romance of reluctant allies to lovers gets quite steamy. But the real selling point for me was the assured writing style of this debut, with a lot of dry humor coming from the narration and dialog. The ending was satisfying while leaving threads open for book number 2 in the trilogy. show less