This was an atmospheric, expressive, eloquently written fantasy story with magic, ghosts, curses, music, and love. To be honest, I didn't fully grasp all the details about the curse and the magic, it was complex. I also felt like the characters barely knew each other and didn't quite believe they were so in love already. But everything seemed well thought-out, and the magic was interesting. The characters, the ones you were supposed to like at least, were good people. According to the author on Twitter, the main character is nonbinary AMAB intersex (he/him), which isn't explicitly stated with those words in the book but is discussed between characters. Overall, a bit hard for me to get into, but still an enjoyable story that fans of complex magic and atmospheric fantasy romance will enjoy.

I was super excited about reading this book but when I finally did get to it, I just didn't click with it. I am pretty sure it is an occasion of "it's not you, book, it's me". It wasn't a bad book, I just think it was not the best time/mood to read it when I did.

Mio is trapped, forced to serve his mother, a witch of considerable power. His own magic is bound to his ability to sing, and he has no choice but to do her bidding. When a stranger comes to his aid, Mio takes a chance and asks the man to stop him. By permanent means.

Rhodry has been intrigued by the amazing opera singer for years, and he recognizes Mio at once. But Rhodry is covered in his own curse, one that binds those to his house in death. And though he was brought back from the dead as a moon soul and now shares his body with Lord Orso and can transform into a bear, Rhodry does not kill for fun and won’t take Mio’s life. He knows he can’t save Mio either. But their paths are linked, and the only thing he can do is to take Mio to his home, despite the curse that has beset his land.

Mio and Rhodry connect on a deep level and their affection quickly grows to more. But there is much death that plagues the manor. The curse is insidious, and nothing Rhodry can do can stop it. As secrets are revealed and plans fail, it seems the only way Mio and Rhodry can end the suffering is in death.

Y’all, this book should have been right up my alley. Intricate world building, paranormal aspects at every turn, creative characters. Really, I should have loved it. But I hate to say that this book didn’t work for me, and it started out right off the bat.

I couldn’t get into the story. And that is largely, I think, due to a personal preference. While the writing is tight, lyrical, and should have been engaging, I had a lot of trouble with the lack of information. For the first quarter of the book or so, I was left wondering exactly what was going on. So much is not explained that it set a poor tone for me, and the book never quite recovered.

Things did get better as the story progressed. To a degree. About halfway through, the characters really started to shine and there was a ton more explanation. At last, things were making sense. And since this was, as I said, an intricate world, I was glad for it. But I felt like there was a lot of wasted time in there, when the reader could have been privy to information that would have made the storytelling easier to absorb. I really dislike feeling like I don’t know what’s going on. I’m admittedly, pretty well versed in things paranormal, but even my somewhat vast knowledge didn’t help here. And it wasn’t a help, either, that the author chose to use terms for at least one creature that were completely not what that creature was supposed to be. Yes, I’m being vague because I don’t want to give anything away. But I will say this: if you’re going to use a name for something that has a traditional and widely known definition, it doesn’t work to make it something wholly other.

The book wasn’t all bad. I liked both the MCs quite a bit. Rhodry, in particular, had a snarky sense of humor that worked well for his character. And both Rhodry and Mio were big hearted, kind men, who perhaps did not make the best choices in life. Or were forced into unsavory positions. But at their heart, they were good, and tried to do what was right. I liked them both, and I liked their love story, which was woven nicely into the, albeit admittedly jumbled, plot. There were also some incredibly creative points in the world building, especially where the moon souls and ghosts were concerned. But I really needed things explained more clearly, much earlier on.

On top of the paranormal happenings, there was a mystery to be solved. I had some major issues with this as well. The misdirection was predictable and not well played out. It could have worked better for me if there was solid reasoning behind everything. As it was, I was once again confused about some of the characters’ motivation. However, I will say that the ultimate bad guy was almost a surprise, and the final resolution was satisfying.

So there was a lot to unpack with this story. I wanted so much more from it than I got, and that was a let down for me. I would have definitely enjoyed it more had there been real and solid explanations for things, and if they had come much earlier in the book. There’s a fine line to walk when revealing information, and for me, the author erred too far on the side of caution. I would only cautiously recommend this book if you’re a true paranormal fan. As it is, I don’t think I’ll be reading more to this series.

This is incredibly spooky and magical and I absolutely loved the world building and the characters and it's all great when a shifter is like dang there goes another pair of pants

*~~*ARC kindly provided from the publisher/author to me for an honest review *~~*

Full review to come

5 stars

This book surprised me in so many ways!
There was so much magical aspects of it. Suspense and twist of the plot between created good chaos in this book.
At first I did not know how I feel about all this book, but soon after I began to understand better and imagine well. The characters are well build in the storyline.
This book was a total surprise for me because it covered everything in it. It reminded me of fairy tales, European tales. Suspense books, and much more.
It was a pleasant and very unexpectant read!

This book? This *book*. Reading it is like—the feeling you get when you’re going about your everyday business and somehow come face-to-face with a wild creature in the middle of a city.
It feels feral, impossibly magical, and surprising. Your palms sweat. Your eyes widen. You become afraid to blink, for fear of missing something. Your breath hitches in your throat, and does not seem to fill enough of your lungs. It dizzies you, and if you stand there long enough, you start to see lights and flashes at the edges of your vision. They may or may not be real…
This book is really fucking good, is what I’m trying to tell you.
It wil snare you in the second paragraph, with *her red witch’s eye a glowing carbuncle in the sun*. For a time you will have no idea what is going on, but it is dark and it is poetic and you are enchanted. Mio, our young and fragile soul who sings out people’s hidden secrets. Wry and aristocratic Rhody, dead and resurrected with the moonlit soul of a bear, who fights a constant battle with a great curse. Priests in azure chasubles, a war that left thousands of ghosts to trouble the living, a kind of magic that is fluid and artistic and deadly dangerous—to the soul as well as the body. Mio has done terrible things, and he carries that knowledge around like a burden. This is not an easy book, for all its beauty.
Nor is this book an unbalance of powers, as discussed above. Normally the character with greater power has committed the greater crime: your dragon shifters, your vampire lords, your immortal demigods and dethroned princes of Faerie. But it’s sensitive, artistic Mio who has sinned greatly, and is asking to be contained. To be killed, even, at least at the start. The rest of the book is a lengthy exploration of sins and revelations, and when we start revealing that the things wrong in Bedefyr are not precisely what the secret-keepers think, it was pure exhilaration. I could spend months teasing out all the thoughts I have about this. I could spend another thousand words talking about this book—how it’s a Gothic *and* a Little Mermaid variant *and* a shatteringly unique fantasy world with not one but *two* strong, distinctive character voices.

LORD OF THE LAST HEARTBEAT is the first book in the Sacred Dark series, and we focus on Mio and Rhodry. Both of these have secrets and 'powers' that have an effect on their lives. Mio no longer wants to 'help' his mother, but can't see a way out. Rhodry is intrigued by the younger man, but fears trying anything due to the curse he is living under.

What a fantastical world Ms Peterson has invented, with a hint of American Civil War era, coupled with the English Victorian period, this was a great combination of worlds. And yes, I realise I may have the time periods wrong, but that is what it reminded me of!

I loved how the story for both Rhodry and Mio came out slowly, the reader learning bits and pieces of it until it all fell together. Their relationship was the same way, a slow burner with temptation and resistance.

This was an intriguing tale, with plenty of mystery and misdirection thrown in. An amazing cast of characters helps to move the story along.

A wonderful start to the series, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Absolutely recommended by me.

I love fantasy novels. I love queer stories. Put them together and you've got yourself a book I cannot pass up.

Lord of the Last Heartbeat is the beautifully written debut novel of May Peterson. It centers on Mio, a gender queer boy whose mother teaches her young child to develop a psychic ability to destroy her political enemies.

"She showed me the muscle that held the shells together, and how the oysters would fight to keep from being opened, violated, their hearts taken out. She explained with a silken calm how it was simply a matter of breaking their resistance . . . With knife in hand, I trembled to open my little shell. Oyster meat was tastier and softer than almost any other kind, but I couldn't do it. I wiped a tear away so she wouldn't see."

Mio's psychic ability is strongest when singing, and he can sing to the heart of his target and make them crumble. But Mio is tired of tearing people apart, so he quietly slips a note pleading for help into Rhodry's hands before being summoned to sing to another of his mother's political enemies.

Eventually Rhodry is able to help Mio, and hosts Mio in his large and cursed estate. I shouldn't say any more for fear of spoilers.

This book appears to be the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. The world and lore the author has created is rich and vast and gorgeous.

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about this novel. On the one hand I loved the worldbuild. On the other hand it got very complicated in a confusing way towards the end.

So let's talk about what I liked. The characters! Mio is a precious cinnamon roll who needs so many hugs. His entrapped, entangled feelings when it came to his family was so palpable and relatable. That he just wants to live and love and be loved, but so much of the love he experiences is tangled up in his abilities and what he can do for them. Meanwhile Rhodry's entrapment is more of a physical and metaphysical nature. I enjoy characters with hero complexes who keep fucking up, so Rhodry was very much my jam. They bounce off each other beautifully.

Also the worldbuilding! I'd call this book weird fantasy, because it is a little weird and almost surreal? I never got an mmmmmm solid sense of the world. I can see it working for a lot of people, it just didn't quite work for me. That said, the magic system was fascinating, and the glimpse we got of the politics of the place was enticing.

Ultimately where the book fell short for me was the mystery. It was a bit too twisty? Twists are fun but you don't really need to keep adding twists for the sake of it. Also because the mystery was basically a closed room mystery, the worldbuild felt more like a taunt than anything else.

Mentioned in SBTB's anticipated New Releases: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2019/09/septembers-new-releases-5/

May Peterson’s debut novel, Lord of the Last Heartbeat is a queer, gothic, dark, fairytale fantasy m/m romance. I’m not going to try to summarize the plot, because you were either in at “queer, gothic, dark, fairytale fantasy m/m romance” or you were not. If you are so inclined, this would be a great October read.

One of the things Peterson does really well in this story is balance fantasy, romance and a ghost story. She drops you immediately into the fantasy world, doles out a lot of pining for the slow burn romance, and keeps the ghost story fraught with emotion. Peterson was at the very least inspired by Beauty and the Beast, though not exclusively. I also saw hints of The Little Mermaid. The purpose here is not to retell fairytales, but to use those tropes to explore trauma, sin, redemption and choice. Though there were a lot of familiar elements, Lord of the Last Heartbeat felt fresh and different.

Mio is a sorcerer, son of a powerful mafia witch, and an opera singer. Rhodry is cursed, undead, a bear shifter, and the lord of a manor filled with ghosts. Though it seems like there is a lot going on, it feels natural. Rhodry, as laden as he is with tragedy and death, is also delightfully funny.

I wished I could figure out how to smoke as a bear so I could delicately tap off ashes as I crushed things. Since I couldn’t be so dainty, I released a wave of roars, making the night flash. The soldiers abandoned their positions—loyalty could not suspend their mortality, or ward off the giant black bear that was reminding them of it.

Another element Peterson approaches differently is masculinity. The majority of mainstream m/m romances feature traditionally masculine men who just happen to be gay, or occasionally bi. They are men being men who love men. Mio is not in that traditionally masculine mold, and it is refreshing. Other than being smaller and softer, he is also not traditionally feminine. He is more androgynous, but not really defined, which is rare in m/m romance. Rhodry is more traditionally masculine – he does shift into a bear.

This year has been all about debut authors and new to me authors. Most of them have been fantastic and exciting. May Peterson isn’t necessarily better than the other amazing authors, but her voice is so individual. I hope she has a lot of readers. I am looking forward to reading more from her.

I got this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Violence, mind control, blood and mild (fantasy) gore, past infidelity, homophobia and anti-effeminacy

 

I wanted to read this book from the moment I saw it mentioned on Twitter, and I wanted to read it extra bad because I was sure this author would pull me into a whirlwind of lush prose and intricate worldbuilding. May Peterson has always had a way with words talking about real life things, why would it be different in fiction?


Reader, it wasn’t. I picked this up because I was dying to read this book with an non-binary AMAB intersex character who is also an opera singer and has very unique talents connected to his voice and how it affects others. Talents his mother wants to use to control the government and protect her own, but in ways that has Mio wanting to die or run so badly, he seeks help in the most unusual place. Namely with Rhodry, who is quite literally battling demons of his own, but still wants to keep Mio safe and preferably close to himself without getting him in danger. 


I really did get what I was looking for when I read this story. Intricate worldbuilding in a gothic fantasy novel, twists and turns I couldn’t have guessed - or did guess and then dismissed only to come back to it later - and a very sweet and gentle romance surrounded by a lot of danger, mysteries and magic. Especially the mystery has kept me on my toes, always guessing and fretting, enjoying the delicious angst and quiet moments that took turns pulling at my heartstrings. 


Not as well did the development of the romance work for me, mainly because there were some instantaneous feelings happening that had me trying to catch up while the plot continued to evolve. It still had me feeling all kinds of heartbreak and wonder in the end, so it wasn’t a big stumbling stone. One issue that did come up for me a couple of times, but particularly in the end of the book, was how the prose sometimes lost itself in descriptions and lushness so steep, I forgot what I was reading about originally. As much as I love my books to be wordy, maybe a little purple, rich and full of color and sensation, at some points the writing overpowered the plot in ways that made it hard to follow the things happening instead of getting lost in the very sensations that were meant to enhance, not overwhelm. 


I had to go back a couple of times to reread passages that contained vital information and major plot twists and explanations, not because I wasn’t paying attention, but because the writing lacked sharpness and contour in order to have the lushness make worldbuilding, plot points and happenings clearer to me instead of blurry. And some things still ended up confusing me or feeling like they were left without coming full circle. Part of that could have also been this being a first book in a series though, so I’m not judging, just feeling.


All in all this was a very strong debut by an author with a great voice and incredibly lush and descriptive prose that is gentle and to die for at the same time. I am definitely looking forward to reading more in this series and more by this author.

<i>Content warnings for fantasy violence, suicide, mind control, and homophobia.</i>

What a ride!

The good:

- We have nonbinary protagonist Mio (he/him pronouns) and immortal Rhodry (male) together as a couple, written by a nonbinary author. Hell yes.

- There's a major power imbalance between the two, but it's handled with care. Rhodry checks in with Mio often, makes sure he doesn't feel forced in any way, and backs out of some situations where he fears consent may not be freely given, even if only in part.

- The relationship is incredibly sweet overall. I'm a fan of these two.

- There's more than the romance, though - a lot of plot is going on. The world is vaguely European and teeming with fantasy elements. There are mages and moon souls, ghosts and bear shifters. Political machinations? Yup. Family drama? You bet. A pivotal scene that takes place at an opera house? Check!

- The happy for now ending satisfies and excitement looms on the horizon.

The not-so-good:

- Worldbuilding is easier, I think, when you start with a small scene and expand out in the world. Here the world starts kinda big and focuses down on events in a single house over time. It's jumping in the deep end, and I'm not sure it's the most successful.

- The fantasy elements feel like a hodge podge that don't quite gel together, at least not in this first book. I can see it working on a series level, but having so many supernatural beasties from the start is a lot to take in.

- There's a bit of talk about dying to be with someone, which makes sense in a world where ghosts are real, I guess, but it may still rub you wrong if you're not into it.

It took me a while to wrap my head around the plot and characters, but once I was immersed I couldn't put the book down. I'm super curious to see where Peterson takes the story next now that the worldbuilding and important relationships have been fleshed out.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Title: Lord of the Last Heartbeat
Author: May Peterson
Rating: 3 stars
Rep: non-binary intersex MC (stated by the author) Mio goes by "he/him" pronouns throughout the book.
Trigger warnings: attempted assault, gore, violence, gruesome deaths, murder, descriptions of the aftermath of war, suicidal thoughts, suicide, cheating, grief, PTSD, transphobia, mafia. 



"The Lord of the Last Heartbeat" has been on my radar for months now after I saw the authors twitter post about their upcoming book. It sounded like something I would absolutely love, so as soon as I saw it on NetGalley I instantly hit request.  I am gutted it ended up not being for me, but I am very glad I decided to give this a go! 



THE WRITING

Unfortunately, I really didn't gel with the writing style. I know a lot of people will absolutely love it, but it wasn't for me. It felt very convoluted and complicated. The writing seemed so...poetic and flowery, which is not something I usually like, but I know a lot of people love. 

However, I loved that this book was dual POV between Mio and Rhodry. I love dual perspective books so this worked really well for me and I definitely think it worked for strengthening the characters' development and their relationship too.


PLOT

While I really enjoyed the first half, the second half was so confusing and all over the place to me. I struggled to understand what was happening, who, why, what, when... 

Even the twists and turns didn't register because I was so thoroughly confused. The plot was extremely complex and intricate, especially around the 80% mark.

One thing I did love was the Beauty and the Beast vibes! A very pleasant surprise as I adore that fairytale.


ROMANCE

On the whole, I really enjoyed the romance. For me, it was definitely boarding on insta-love, with Mio confessing his love for Rhodry 30% in. Things moved very fast, especially for Mio, but that didn't really bother me.

On Rhodry's part, the power dynamic was a huge problem for him (as it should be). I was very glad to see them talk it out and try to understand where each other were at in terms of their feelings etc. Communication is key and one of my most hated tropes is "miscommunication", things that are so easily fixed with just sitting down and talking.

Mio had a lot of conflicting feelings too, he didn't think he deserved love because of who he is and because of all the stuff he has had to do in the past on his mothers bidding. 

I definitely got emotional when Rhodry asked Mio about what pronouns he feels comfortable with. That whole conversation was super important and I loved it!


CHARACTERS

Rhodry (moon-soul)
Carefree manner, witty and slightly strange, I really loved Rhodry! A character with a deep, sad past and a curse over his head. 

Mio (Mage) 
Gentle, soft and kind with the voice of an angel, but with a lot of inner conflicts that he faces throughout the book. I did feel like Mio sat on the sidelines at times and let other people fix his problems. 

The main & side characters definitely felt very distinctive, each with their own personality traits which I really loved. 


WORLD BUILDING

The world-building confused me quite a bit. As soon as I thought I "grasped" the mechanics of this world, something else would be added in and it completely throw me off. 


OVERALL

I absolutely loved the concept, the characters were amazing and the romance too, but the plot and world-building just didn't work for me personally. I would still 100% recommend checking this out if you like diverse characters, unique storylines and fantasy romance!

The prose of this really didn't do it for me, especially during the sex scenes, but this very well might be a "me" problem. This might be a great book for somebody who enjoys romance written in the first person and flowery prose more than I do. Not a bad book by any standard.

This was an interesting debut queer fantasy. There is intricate world building and strong romance but I also had some issues with the story and some aspects of the romance made me uneasy, so I ended up with mixed feelings about it.

As preface I want to say that this book has strong horror elements and as someone who is not a horror fan in general, it was difficult to read at times.

The characters are involved in a sort of house murder mystery that kept me captivated throughout the story but at the same it was too closed in the house only and I missed seeing more of the world outside.

Both MCs and the supporting characters well complex, with good and bad qualities. The story explored different relationships - familial bonds, friendships, relations between spouses,between a master and his servants.

As a woman I am hypersensitive to the representation of women in m/m romance. The misogyny in it is far too common and it’s something I pay extra attention to. For a while I was worried this would be the case here, and I'm still not sure how well it was handled. We see women being both supervillains but also ones who are strong and chivalrous and do a lot of good.

I say this is a m/m fantasy romance but one of the MCs doesn’t identify as a man, he is intersex as far as I understand, and prefers he/his pronouns and likes the word "boy" for himself. I'm not really qualify to comment on that representation, so I'm just mentioning it as an element of the story.

I admit that the way the magic and curses worked in the story felt too complicated for me and I couldn’t always keep up with it. I would have appreciated a bit more clarity on the magic aspects of the story but that could be a me thing rather than a specific fault of the book.

There is a definite HEA ending though some aspect of the romance didn't quite work for me. There was a sense of obligation and paying back, a certain imbalance as to the positions of the MCs which was never properly addressed in my opinion.

Overall, it's an interesting book but it didn't quite work for me.

CWs: Violence, queerphobia, manipulation, mind control

One of the predominant markers of an author’s success in drawing me into the fantasy they set out to create is to build a lush and vibrant setting out of the whole cloth of their imagination, and then translate that through rich descriptions and the complex layering of both characters and storyline. Lord of the Last Heartbeat is not only May Peterson’s debut novel, but it is an impressive debut that showcases her talent for commingling romance with a variety of complex external forces which influence everything they touch. Rarely, if ever, for the good.

The building up of Mio Gianbellicci’s character as the proverbial Siren who sings his victims’ secrets up from the depths of their minds so his crime-lord mother can compel them into servitude is not only unique but shapes Mio’s character as well. When he passes Lord Rhodry Bedefyr a note begging to be stopped, it is neither random nor without consequence that Mio selected Rhodry to put an end to his existence. Mio can no longer bear the heartache and emotional burden of acting as little more than a useful pawn in his mother’s political power-grab, and so he gives in to the desperation that death is his only means of escaping Serafina’s cold and ruthless clutches. That this meeting between the boy with the voice of an angel and the foreign dignitary who also happens to be a moon soul (a werebear in more familiar terms) sets the stage for everything that happens after. When Mio ultimately discovers the courage within himself to defy his mother’s demands and affect his escape, it’s through his defection and Rhodry’s rescuing him that allows Mio to encounter the true shape and breadth of his own magic. But he does so in silence, which ushers in another of the several things I embraced in this book—the concepts of sacrifice and purification.

House Bedefyr is a down-the-rabbit-hole, dangerous and deadly Wonderland of a ghost-scape, and I loved every moment the story spent here. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, isolated, and yet there are yawning holes in the fabric of its reality that allows readers to see deeper into Peterson’s imagination. The esoterica of the household is encompassed within regrets, secrets, and the betrayals of its inhabitants, and in the menace to those who cross its thresholds. The battle for possession of Mio and his magic comes to the fore as readers meet the otherworldly characters who make up the cast of friend or foe, those roles being delineated fully as the danger crests and the story reaches its apex. The romance that blossoms between Mio and Rhodry is, for Rhodry, a bit of “I loved you before I even knew you” thanks to Mio’s soulful voice. There is a virtue and innocence to it which offsets the age gap and the imbalance of power displayed in the beginning. That balance is met and narrowed further along as Mio grows into his skin. And, as a side note, I appreciated the clear intent of Mio’s name and how it meant something different for his mother and Rhodry. Mio, Mine, was the difference between possession and passion when spoken by the two people who meant very different things to Mio himself.

Lord of the Last Hearbeat gives lovers of spec fic plenty to feast on. It’s also a book that requires the reader’s absolute and undivided attention from beginning to end, as the author begins her weaving and layering early and continues it consistently throughout. The villains are superbly villainous, the heroes and heroines are supremely virtuous, the battle lines are clearly drawn and intensely defended, and the suspense is meted out alongside the heartache and romance and redemption in a polished prose one doesn’t often find in a debut. With the hefty task of the setup behind her now, I look forward to seeing what the author has to serve up in book two.

Reviewed by Lisa

This is a sweeping romantic fantasy novel that drew me in immediately. Like, page 1, I was already saying to myself “yep, good book”. The world and its magic immediately springs to life. Set in a fantasy-historical Europian locale, I was sucked in and almost late to work one day because I wouldn’t put the book down. The style is lush and poetic, honestly moreso than I usually go for, but (aside from a few times when the vocabulary got in its own way) this is just a style preference, and I found it easy to lose myself to it.

The main pairing, Mio and Rhodry, are drawn to each other deliciously while being kept just far enough apart for long enough to let the sexual tension really crank up. I want to call the main pairing pure, because it really felt that way to me, but I don’t want it to sound like I mean it’s not sexual (because it is – and the sex scene in the book is just. Nnngh. Perfect). More like, their eyes meet across a crowded room and they connect and I believe, for a brief moment, in true love at first sight. Mio is a delicate, non-binary* opera singer, and Rhodry is a huge immortal bear shifter and it works!! And not just because I’m really into a size difference either!

So it really is good, but…there had to be a but if it didn’t hit an A grade and for me it was the confusion of an ending. The endgame seemed to start early, but then drew out through a series of successive reveals and conclusions that turn out not to be right after all (it was him! her! Magic!) and explanations of increasingly detailed magical rules governing ghosts and curses that I just couldn’t follow. But it did bring it home in the end – because when I missed a leap of logic, the emotion was always strong enough to carry the point through.

Lord of the Last Heartbeat by May Peterson was the second debut book and author I had on my reading list this week. This one is set in a fantasy world full of magic and the supernatural, complicated politics and a mystery that I didn’t have a clue how was going to turn out until the big reveal.

Honestly, the writing here is gorgeous. Absolutely brilliant. And it definitely kept me reading through the rather confusing beginning when I had no idea what was going on. The author kind of throws readers right in amid a confusing mesh of magical politics, paranormal beings, and death curses. It took me a few chapters in to really get a grip on the main plot and each character’s place within it.

I enjoyed the main characters and their relationship. There is a rather huge power imbalance between them, which I don’t always enjoy in my romance, but I feel like it was handled gently and with a great deal of respect here. There are also frank discussions of gender and sexuality that were handled very well. Mio and Rhodry have this soft, quiet love for each other, full of respect and understanding, that had me believing in their HEA.

Now that I am familiar with this world I feel confident my next read by this author will go more smoothly. I’m eager to find out.

Final grade- B-