Enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story more than anything else. It was lots of fun following the clues, especially when there wasn't immediately a clear answer to why each event was happening. The romance was sweet and usually understated, which I prefer. Pacing could improve? Interesting world-building.

This book blew all of my expectations out of the water.

I picked it up on a whim; as someone who doesn't read fantasy often but wants to try, the idea of a mlm arranged marriage story sounded like a ton of fun. Please believe me when I tell you this book is anything but fun; it's gritty, and emotional, and grabs you and won't let go until the mystery is solved. Seeing the main couple, Vel and Cae, learn to trust and support each other through the unimaginable was beautiful. Their relationship was artfully done, and will be a balm to queer people who long for healthy relationships in their media.

It hurts to drop a star level, but I will say this; the names (and the convention of honorifics used in the book) were absolutely dizzying. As someone who doesn't often have to deal with fantasy names, I ended up needing a list on my phone to keep track of everyone. Also, please heed the CW; it's not kidding about what's to come in the book.

Overall a really wonderful story, I hope we see more of this world.

*Content Warning* : Rape/Sexual Assault; Murder

Summary: Velasin vin Aaro has grown up the son of the leader of Ralia, a country that heavily demonizes his true nature: being a gay man. He has kept this secret between himself (and his lover) for his entire life, and as a result his father arranges his marriage to the daughter of Tithenai's ruler, a neighboring country. When his secret is revealed through an extremely traumatic event, Velasin's family is ready to disown him. Instead, the Tithenai envoy has a different solution: for Velasin to instead marry the son of Tithenai's ruler, Caethari. When Velasin's life is threatened, the two band together to find the culprit. And maybe, along the way, find love in one another.

Things I liked: The relationship between Cae and Vel, the Political Intrigue and learning about the two countries differences, LGBTQ+ Representation (including specifically Bisexuality Rep), and the Mystery of who'd behind the threats (and attempts).

Things that I thought could have been better: More background of Ralia from other's perspectives.

I would also like to note that my rating is heavily impacted by the extent of how triggered I was from the Rape/Sexual Assault theme. The author did an excellent job of making sure the reader was warned about the scene, but it was still more graphic than I was anticipating. Readers who are triggered by such themes are heavily warned.

The romance created by Meadows is sweet and charming, where we watch the characters grow closer and closer as the story progresses. The mutual affection and attraction was delightfully well done, and I was excited each time we saw their relationship progress. The mystery element is well thought out, with enough clues along the way that readers may catch on earlier on so long as they are paying attention - my favorite kind of mystery. The highlight of this book, however, is the incorporation of sign language. Featuring a prominant side character with mutism, the story does more than give a few scenes here and there with mentions of sign language. We see glimpses into the culture of sign language, like how every person receives a different gesture that is not necessarily their name but is a shorthand for them as an individual. Characters are fleshed out based on their behaviour around this character, andd their efforts to learn his language. I thought this was an incredibly strong aspect of the book.

Elsewhere, however, the book has flaws. The plot felt a little off-kilter, and didn't build naturally. I enjoyed the romance, but it sometimes felt like the author over-prioritized it, or at least didn't map it out cleanly and instead we get action scenes that lose momentum due to vignettes of their romance. The villain reveal - while their were some circumstancial clues - felt a little flat because we knew so little about them beforehand. The emotional motivations were not established until afterward, and by then I did not feel invested.

That said, this was definitely an enjoyable read. I really appreciated the inclusion of content warnings at the beginning of the book. The twist at the end is small but so meaningful and poignant that I groaned aloud for the characters. I enjoyed this book, I just wish it had been plotted out better.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is the story of an arranged marriage within a fantasy world that has a small amount of magics and a lot of political turmoil. The tone of the book and its writing style make it the perfect next read for fans of Alexis Hall's historical romance books or Everina Maxwell's Winter's Orbit.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance follows two main characters: Velasin, the third son of a noble from Ralia, and Caethari, the only son of the leader in Tithena. The writer does something interesting with the perspectives for these two main characters. Velasin's point of view chapters are told in first person, while Cae's are told in third person. It was a shift that allowed for less confusion between POV switches, but it did kind of baffle my mind once I realized that's what was happening. Velasin, as the first person POV, is very hard on himself and has experienced a trauma early on in the book, while Cae is a soldier who doesn't really want to rule and would rather leave that task to his sisters.

Now, my big complaint with this book is the writing style. It's just too darn dry. It's a very formal style. Though I did get used to it eventually, it's easier to get attached to the characters, in my opinion, when it's not written like an Austen novel or an old-time fantasy book. This style also made following some of the logic in the plot-based discussions very difficult. Like when everyone was trying to figure out why someone was attacking a certain group of people. My brain fried trying to keep track of their discussion. Also, some terminology could have been more organically introduced, like the terms for royalty and regular people (tiern and ren, if you were curious).

Another gripe for this book is that major revelations happened pretty early on, making the story rather anticlimactic in the first half. It left little tension between the two main characters that would've been better served if it remained in place a while longer. However, about halfway through the book, Cae and Velasin's relationship turned into a cuter, more awkward domestic arranged marriage. So while I was hoping for more romantic tension, secrets, and pining, the awkwardness was adorable at times. I felt very much like Markel, Velasin's friend, in those instances, smiling at the pair. Oh, and speaking of Markel, there's deaf representation as well as queer representation in the book. I'd hope by now that every fantasy would have this sort of real-world representation in their stories, but alas, that's not always the case. So it's fantastic to see here. And the terminology for titles and gender identities was clever too, though it did get confusing trying to juggle all of them. I think this book could've benefited from a breakdown of terms in the frontmatter.

Okay, so I'm not done griping. I do have to say, that it's just weird that there were no bodyguards assigned to any of the royals. In fact, a lot of the plot developments in terms of the assassin storyline just didn't make sense. Why did the father (the ruler), just let his son and his husband roam around without any kind of protection? And the characters are also weirdly naive considering a murder spree is going on. They're all "Oh, let's just go visit the shop by ourselves, surely nothing bad will happen!" And perhaps the weirdest development of all, the Tithenai people are very lackadaisical about killing. "Ope someone's been stabbed. Oh, well, let's party!"

Other than some naivety, the ending of this book was fun and dramatic. I suspected pretty early on who was responsible for everything, but it all played out in a twisty manner that had me flipping pages fairly quickly.

All in all, A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, is a good book for fans of political maneuvering, diverse characters, and good representation. I wouldn't suggest the book for all romantasy readers though, as it is a dry tale. But I think some readers who have an appreciation for that old-time fantasy feel will really enjoy this one.

3 stars

*Note: I received a NetGalley ARC of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Strong world-building. Well-developed characters. An exploration of two contrasting cultures' attitudes toward LGBQT+ individuals. All of this makes Velasin and Caethari's slow burn relationship fascinating to read about. There is plenty of action and intrigue, and some surprising plot twists that make this a wonderful page turner of a story. (Confession: I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish the story). The two main characters start out with a lot of doubt about the other, but each one has strengths that the other one lacks and it's so very satisfying to see them grow stronger because of their partner. This is well worth the read.

gosh, i wish i could read this book for the first time again.

this was a fantastically written book that makes queerness something to celebrate, along with addressing sensitive issues like s*xual assault, trauma, and mental illnesses. the discussions surrounding these topics were nuanced and at the same time, felt accessible.

Despite being a long book, I breezed through the story as it held my interest till the end. It’s part fantasy, part romance (M/M), part mystery, and overall just a really good story. I loved the LGBTQ inclusion and the world building was spectacular.

There are mentions of sexual assault, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, so keep that in mind if you’re considering this book. The author does include an author’s note warning of this at the beginning of the book, which I really appreciated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC for review.

Thank you to Tor Books, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will release July 26, 2022.

Velasin vin Aaro is a third son, and never expected that his father would betroth him—without his permission, no less—to a girl from Tithena. However, after Vel is assaulted and his father and the Tithenai envoy accidentally witness it, thei suggest Velasin marry the girl’s brother, instead. This doesn’t make things any easier, though, as Vel is under attack from the moment he sets foot on the road to Tithena, resulting in a series of attacks meant to destabilize the political alliance, his new clan, and his relationship with Caethari, Vel’s husband, leaving the two no choice but to investigate and learn to trust each other.

Wow, did I love this. I am extremely choosy when it comes to reading adult SFF because the writing style doesn’t always jive with my brain/reading style (which is… fast…), but I knew from the moment I read the summary of this book that I was going to read it no matter how dense it was or how long it took me.

The book has two great, and I would argue, equal strengths. The first is the world building, of course: the two main countries that the reader is introduced to through the narrative, Ralia and Tithena, are quite distinct in terms of their customs, perception of gender and sexuality (and the treatment of those who don’t conform to expectations), titles, and politics. Because of this, part of the healing theme of the story leans towards Velasin pinpointing and recognizing the parts of his Ralian upbringing that have damaged his conception of himself and others, and it’s made clear that while it will by no means be a quick process, he will work to unlearn those lessons. The other is Velasin’s willingness to build relationships. His friendship with Markel and his slow but steady steps towards trusting Cae feel so genuine, and I love the interactions between all of them—the way Caethari treats Velasin with such care in particular. I also appreciate that the perspective shifts between Vel and Cae didn’t come every other chapter but after much longer segments; it felt very grounding and really enabled me to get to know each character at a longer stretch rather than piecemeal.

As I mentioned briefly above, emotional healing is a huge aspect of this book, and one that I thought the author handled extraordinarily well given the enormity of the assault that Velasin endures near the very beginning of the novel (make sure you pay attention the trigger warnings listed by the author!) and how the recovery from that moment therefore needed to be threaded throughout the whole book. Of course it happens maybe a bit faster than it would in real life, but we are working with a condensed timeline, after all, and everyone heals at different speeds. Velasin’s gradual confidence in Caethari also made for an incredible slow burn, so there’s that, too. Finally, I really like the reasoning behind the attacker’s motivations and how it’s a bit of an examination of the consequences of being too limited in vision and how quickly things can go from casual ignorance to a much more destructive neglect.

While the beginning was a little rocky—as it took a while for major set pieces of the book to slot into place—and the bulk of the narrative altered in speed (both in terms of the focus of the action, as we swung from marriage gathering preparations to a murder investigation, as well as the perspective shifts and the accompanying emotional states of the characters)—I actually loved the reveal and ending for its abruptness and near-serendipity. It actually felt like a realistic ending given the circumstances, and I thought the author really did a great job of pulling it off.

And now that it’s over, I’m a bit sad that I won’t have Vel, Cae, and their banter to return to tomorrow. (You know what would be really fun? Another book of Vel investigating more. He’s quite good at it.)

Injury, healing, self worth, politics, mystery, romance this one has it all. In a time when mental health is at the forefront A STRANGE AND STUBBORN ENDURANCE is a reassurance that healing and recovery are possible. Foz Meadows has created an entirely believable world and characters that are extremely relatable. A great read I didn't want to put down until the end.
#AStrangeandStubbornEndurance#NetGalley

Vel never planned to marry, so when one of this older brother's dies, leaving his father to fulfill an arranged marriage with a woman from a neighboring country, he's caught off guard. When his preference for men is revealed (something that's not accepted in his country, but is in the other), he fears he's ruined everything, until the envoy offers a solution: Vel can marry his former betrothed's brother instead. Cae meanwhile figured he'd always end up in an arranged marriage, just not like this. Throw in some attempted murder and a mystery to solve, and you have the makings of a good political fantasy plot. I liked the plot, though it was often secondary to the characters and their development. This is very much a character driven book, with Vel and Cae switching povs throughout. I liked both characters, and their relationship was realistic and progressed well. I do want to say any potential readers need to absolutely pay attention to the content warnings, as the content mentioned is fairly graphic and prevalent throughout, though the focus is on healing and working through trauma. There is a graphic assault scene basically right at the beginning of the book, and it is discussed, though not always in detail, at various points throughout the story. While I was not a fan of how this event was integrated into the plot, I do think the author handled this and the character's reaction and trauma in a respectful manner. While there are dark moments, most of the plot is focused on moving on and how Vel and Cae eventually come together. Because i'm probably one of the few people that reads romance novels for the plot, I can't really speak to the steamier bits, but I thought the plot was well done, and the conclusion was interesting and satisfying.

I enjoyed the characters, world-building, and overall plot of a Strange and Stubborn Endurance. The story was a refreshing new take on political marriages becoming happily ever afters. While I liked much of what was written, a few points diminished my enjoyment. The timeline was not always clear and in the end, I was surprised to realize how little time had passed between the two central characters' first meeting and the conclusion of the book. Given the events at the beginning of the book, the quick evolution seemed a stretch even for an entirely fictional scenario. I also found the response to trauma off-putting, but not because the trauma occurred to set the main plot in motion, or that the character's response was changeable. I found it off-putting because it confused the purpose of the story, it often read like the main focus of the story should be overcoming trauma, but the story was also heavily focused on intrigue and romance. Mixed together there wasn't a main driving force and the switching between threw me off at times.

If I have to give this book a rating based off of the actual plot it would probably be a four star however this book gets a one star bump because of the overwhelming amount of queer representation. The main characters themselves are gay and bisexual. There are a multitude of non-binary characters as well as trans character and sapphic characters. Additionally there is a main character that uses sign language which I thought was really cool.

Pros

The arranged marriage to reluctant allies to lovers is the perfect unfolding of a relationship. I think the way past trauma was handled was very well done. The pace of this book was excellent. I wasn’t really bored at any point.

Cons

The political intrigue and actual “gotcha” moment did feel a little convoluted right at the end. If one less layer of the scheme existed I think it would’ve been a tighter story. I did not love the switching between first person and third person narration. Lastly I wish the magic system hadn’t felt like such an afterthought especially a catchall way for the author to write themselves out of one particular plot issue.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and a Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

And honestly? Vel and Cae are my new favourites. I need ALL the fanart stat! ❤️

Seriously though: Foz Meadows offers us a stunning and insightful portrayal of an intensely personal journey towards self-acceptance and love through Velasin, and particularly through the development of his connection with Caethari—and the world in which they find the safe space to do so? Chef’s Kiss. Perfection. Tithena serves as the ideal, giving us a kingdom wherein all gender identities and sexual orientations are openly recognized and accepted (though this is counterbalanced by a rather toxic and entirely heteronormative/patriarchal society in neighbouring Ralia).

AND intermixed throughout and driving the action forward? All the murder and mayhem and political intrigue any action-craving reader could desire.

That said, Velasin and Caethari and the relationships built by them, through them, and around them are truly the beating heart of this story—the reasons I cared and felt invested as a reader. These are also the reasons I willingly trudged through some dark and difficult moments; and while I ultimately found this to be a poignant and hopeful tale, I absolutely discourage anyone from reading without first taking into account the author’s own notes and content warnings.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Came for the queer love story and Tristram Shandy-style prose, stayed for the intense courtly intrigue, murder mystery, and lush world building.

Fabulous read and a lovely treatment of one's journey when they are allowed to live their truth played out against a back drop that rivals some of the fantasy political drama. Foz Meadows takes the reader through a lovely, funny, suspenseful journey, and handles Velasin's growth from a man hiding in plain sight in a society that refuses to see him, to a man confident, loved, and able to love with a deft hand. This entire novel was a delight, at times heart-breaking, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and at other's full on nail biting.

The publishers blurb said if you like Winters Orbit you will like this. That is why I picked it up and I would agree with it. Definitely got some dark parks but the love story is very sweet. There is some great world building.

Well, that was a DELIGHT.
A world that felt fully realised, with societies, magic, classes and genders - and all the prejudices and peccadilloes that go along with them - and a mystery around which all the characters moved and interacted.
A very human story, and an unabashed love story, it nonetheless deals with issues around power, parental neglect - or at least ignorance, cruelty and ambition in a way that never feels forced or supplemental to the main characters as they navigate arranged marriage and a traumatic past.
Best, it reads like the very best sort of fanfic, as if the author found these characters and fell in love with them and had to write their own story starring them because they just couldn't stop thinking about them. For those in doubt, this is Very High Praise.

The third son who is sent into an arranged marriage to the princess of a neighboring kingdom finds himself in a terrible tragic and compromising situation that has him exiled from his home and sent to marry his betroth’s brother instead, now he must navigate assassination attempts, trauma and pstd from the event he suffered, and finding the strength to reclaim himself, body and mind, as well as opening himself up to a second chance at love. The story follows Velasin vin Aaaro, the third son who never intended to inherit his family title, and was content to live his secret life until he is called home and told by his father he is going to be sent into an arranged marriage (or rather forced into one). Velasin is hiding a secret, he is gay, and in his land, though it is not illegal, it is highly frowned upon, he has been keeping it a secret his entire life. However upon his return home, his ex-lover comes seeking him out only to assault him against his will, and they are discovered by not only his father but the envoy sent by his betrothed. His father is enraged and exiles him, Velasin is shattered and the only option he has is to go through with the marriage. The envoy offers a new solution: Vel will marry his former intended’s brother instead, as in their land it is not illegal to love anyone regardless of gender. Vel is to wed Caethari Aeduria. Caethari is a soldier and never expected himself to be married so soon, he knew he would end up in a political marriage, just not this one. Both Vel and Caethari are new to each other but will find that they have to come together if they want to make it out alive as an unknown faction is unhappy with their marriage and many assassination attempts will ensue. As their new alliances grows Vel and Caethari will grow and heal together, they will be friends, and slowly fall in love with one another. This was a story about survival, about healing, and about love, be it platonic ( I’m looking at you Markel you sweet man), family, or lovers. This was an absolutely beautiful story that had me staying up until 4am to finish reading it because i couldn’t put it down! It explores gender, identity, and self worth, and the romance and friendship in this book was AMAZING, I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK ENOUGH! Seriously the writing and storyline were perfection and I fell in love with Vel and Cae, they were both so sweet, funny, and just strong. So please, do pick up this book and add it to your tbr!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Wow! A Strange and Stubborn Endurance honestly blew me away! This was hands down one of THE BEST books I've read all year (and I've read 65 so I've got a pretty good sample size). It was everything I could ask for in an arranged marriage plot: slow burn, queer representation, magic, mystery, court intrigues, and that's just the tip of the iceberg! The banter alone was exceptional, not to mention the tender budding relationship and steamy chemistry! The world-building fascinated me, I was engrossed in the story from the onset. Meadows has true talent, and I hope this isn't the end of Vel and Cae's adventures. I kept watching my percentage read dwindle while wishing it would never end.

Foz Meadows, I hope you know what you're doing next because I am expecting great things from you!

Please note: there are some trigger warnings for this book, including sexual assault and suicidal ideation. Please be sure to respect the trigger warnings and take care of yourselves!

Special thanks to Tor Books for drawing my attention to this delightful story! I received an advanced copy and have compiled an honest review in return!

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance was an enjoyable read with romance, action, and a touch of magic. I did think that this book would be more centered on the romance aspect, though, and there were more politic-dealings and and ever-changing murder plots then I thought there would be. The book started out quickly jumping right into the story which I loved, but after the first few chapters, it got a bit slow and condensed, picking back up at the ending. The names in the book be they of place or person and title were rather complex and could be a bit confusing at times when it came to following the plot and not mixing up characters. Additionally, I did find the antagonist reveal at the end to be a bit odd as it was rather sprung upon the reader. I believe also that by the end of the book, the reader is not meant to like Cae's sister, Laecia, any longer (if ever) but I found that despite the circumstances, I rather liked her and enjoyed her more then I had before. I felt as though I could feel her pain quite clearly and even found myself rooting for her in a sense. Apart from this, I thought that Cae and Vel's love story was beautiful and lovely to read about.