THE AFTERWARD has a refreshing premise--what happens to the heroes after the completion of the legendary quest? And what if two characters on the quest fell in love but were unable to be together due to other obligations?

The world building and the characters are the definitive strong points of THE AFTERWARD. Time and care is taken to flesh out each character so that they are all well-rounded and believable. But the core of the novel is the delicate relationship between the two main characters: a thief and a knight.

However, the story’s structure works against the action of the novel, pulling readers between “before” and “after.” Essentially, The AFTERWARD attempts to cover both the legendary quest and the fallout, combining two books into one. Despite the stop and go storytelling, I fell in love with the characters and the world, devouring the book in one sitting.

The Afterward was an all-encompassing high fantasy read with great queer elements. The most powerful aspect of this story relied on its ability to properly structure a female-centric narrative and it delivered on that wholeheartedly. Johnston’s storytelling told a character-driven tale that deftly detailed the many after effects of war with a world where women held power and position—marrying painful journeys with the normalization of race, sexuality, and gender roles for its strong warrior women. The true innovative qualities of this story were as exciting as they were fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed falling into the world.

Told in both past and present viewpoints, the story of what brought the two women together was a richly detailed one. Olsa and Kalanthe’s relationship was filled with much to unpack, continuously providing fuel to the fire as their histories and connection progressed. The struggles and wants of every character—both lead and secondary—felt palpable and evocative, drawing on true feelings to tug at my emotions every step of the way. And though it felt a bit too dense at times, I’m still in awe at the depth and scope of the story that wanted to be told and how Johnston managed to capture it so well for someone who doesn’t often read high fantasy. The fact that I’m still thinking and exploring and admiring the pieces of The Afterward long after the final page has been turned is proof that it was a well written love story worthy of being devoured.