A Restless Truth is a compelling and thought-provoking work that challenges readers to engage with complex themes and grapple with the elusive nature of reality. It is a book that rewards patience and intellectual curiosity, offering a unique and unsettling reading experience that lingers in the mind long after the final page. If you are drawn to philosophical fiction that pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling, "A Restless Truth" is a worthy addition to your reading list.

It was great to be back in Marske's magical Edwardian world and to have Maud Blyth continue where Robin and Edwin left off in regards to the dangers that are facing magical society in England and those who are attempting to protect magical secrets at all costs.

Unfortunately, while the mystery was fairly entertaining, A RESTLESS TRUTH is missing the magical (for lack of a better word) chemistry that Marske gave us in the first book of this series. I never really bought the romance between Maude and Violet... and honestly think the story would have been better without it. The romance between Robin and Edwin was so well done, it was a little odd that what hit so well in the first book was a fumble in the second.

That being said, I enjoyed it enough to want to finish this series and will read A POWER UNBOUND when it comes out.

Aysha Kala does a good job with the audiobook narration, though I have the same complaint as I did with the audiobook of A MARVELLOUS LIGHT... that there isn't enough of a difference in voices between the two POVs to make it easy to determine who is who when listening when Violet is not speaking in an American accent.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I read A Marvelous Light and I loved it so I knew I would love this book as well. It was a little overly complicated at times - I had to stop and go back a couple of times as there were so many details, characters, and hijinks but I believe that was so well written. It was clever, cheeky, and a fun ride. It was energetic, entertaining, and a full on romp! I would recommend this one.

I really loved the narrator audio for this book. The writing was really well done! It was a nice historical/magical realism. The strong female characters were really great. I loved how the discovery of sexuality was woven into this story. It really helped the story a bit. I wish the setting changed in some capacity. This just felt odd to me - I don't know why! It felt like it dragged on because of this and it fell flat in that respect. Still hope to read more from this author in the future! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review!

A fantastically fun adventure on the sea. The two main heroines may not be star crossed lovers, but they manage to find a delightful romance who might bloom into more once on the land. The side kicks are also brilliant, and I am so happy the next book is all about them! This series has surprised me in more than one aspect. It is intriguing, the characters are delightful, the plot keeps ever moving, and it makes me come back for more with every book. I really like Freya's writing, and I am going to devour the next book as well.

A RESTLESS TRUTH is the second book in Freya Marske's THE LAST BINDING trilogy and follows Robin's sister, Maud Blyth. While aboard the RMS Lyric, sailing from America to England, Maud's travelling companion is mysteriously murder and Maud is intent to solve the case. Enlisting the help of fellow passenger, Violet Debenham, who appears to be a cautionary tale on two feet, the two set out to solve the murder and come one step closer to solving the mystery of the last contract, which her brother Robin and his partner, Edwin, first discovered in book one (A Marvellous Light).

I have been waiting for this sequel and, now that I have devoured the audiobook, I can say it was well worth the wait. The narration is spot on (though Violet's American accent is grating - which it is supposed to be!). I look forward to book three, though I wish the series would go on and on.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC.

I loved A Marvellous Light and loved A Restless Truth just as much. Marske packs so much into this book—a murder mystery on a BOAT, sapphic romance, magic—and does it so well. This book is beautifully written, sexy, and fun. The magic is interesting but fairly easy to understand. I have been listening to some of this on audio and it was just fantastic--I could listen to the narrator all day! If you like beautifully rendered, queer, madcap, Edwardian Era novels, these are fantastic examples.

A gorgeous, sapphic follow-up to Marke's delightful A Marvellous Light that sets the stage for the trilogy's undoubtedly thrilling conclusion.

A Restless Truth is a magical read, perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery and a well-crafted romance. The relationship between Maud and Violet is endearing and relatable, and the setting is beautifully described, transporting you to another time and place.

The mystery at the novel's heart is intriguing and engaging, keeping you guessing. Freya has a talent for weaving in enough elements of A Marvellous Light so that it feels like a sequel and gives an overarching plot but has a self-contained narrative.

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, significantly differentiating characters! I had to double-check if it was one or two narrators.

Many thanks to Macmillan for an audiobook ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This one didn't captivate me from the get go (and it was less spicy than A Marvelous Light), but it was still very enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio!
I absolutely adore this continuation of the series. I think the author did a fantastic job of setting up the characters and the atmosphere. I love when books revisit characters from the previous book! I read an absolutely adored a marvelous light and I'm very excited to say that the second book lives up to the excellence of the first.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

I could not get into this book, which is a shame because it was pitched as a sapphic whodunit; honestly, I was bored of the mystery and lost track of it at one point because it felt irrelevant. I didn't find any of the character particularly likeable or well developed, and that's a problem when the author needs me to believe that these two women are attracted to one another. If I'm being honest, it really felt like the author wrote up the spicy scenes first and then slacked when it came to developing an actual relationship because it just wasn't there for me.

I loved this so much. It was much steamier than I was expecting, but I feel like Marske writes so well, that even for someone who isn't a big fan of steam, this one works. It also made me realize just how much I love a book that takes place on a boat.

A Restless Truth, the exciting second book in Freya Marske's The Last Binding trilogy, is even better than the first and reads well as either a follow up or a stand alone.

Maud Blyth, the intrepid younger sister of A Marvellous Light's protagonist Robin Blyth, gets caught up in a murder mystery aboard a transatlantic ocean liner in her quest to protect the remaining pieces of the Last Contract and falls for fellow passenger and adventurer, magician Violet Debenham.

Since the characters in book 1 make few appearances and the back story is sufficiently explained - parceled out bit by bit at the necessary moments - this book stands on its own, and can be read and enjoyed without having read the first book. Compared to book 1, the focus is more on the adventure than on the romance. Both books feature strong character development and world building. I absolutely love the way magic works in both books, and the way that Marske expands on the mechanics of magic in this book, adding magical traditions from other parts of the world that work differently than British magic.

The audiobook is well done. Overall an enjoyable experience.

Sometimes a book has all the right pieces and still doesn't turn out good. It's not bad, it's not good, it's just meh.

Really excellent follow up to A Marvelous Light. I'm very much looking forward to the next installment! The author's writing style sets the stage and time period perfectly. Her writing is never overshadowed by her world-building, which I feel can often happen with fantasy books. The narrator does an excellent job with all the character's voices, convincingly voicing gender, age and attitude. The locked-room setting aboard ship added to the adventure and the characters were all well developed and I'd like to see more of them. For those interested in the romance aspect of the story, the author does not shy away from steamy scenes.

I have been wanting to read this series for a while now, and am super thankful for NetGalley/Macmillan allowing me an audio ARC.

I will start off with I really enjoyed this story as an individual. I was not expecting it to be different characters than the first, but I think it worked well. Even though it's a series, it now has a more anthology feel. I appreciated the growth in the two characters that had a larger role in this installment along with the new introductions. I think there are a couple of parts that could have been slightly tweaked but It was still good. I also enjoyed the certain comedic aspects spread throughout.

In regards to the narration, I think Aysha Kala did an absolutely amazing job. The voices and characters were distinct and unique, and the acting was chef's kiss. I would absolutely listen to any other work that Aysha narrates.

I can confidently say that I would absolutely recommend this book and series to others.

A Restless Truth is a historical fiction LGBTQ mystery set aboard an ocean liner and featuring Maude Blyth, whose brother Robin was one of the MC's in the previous story in this series. I thought this book would be a bit more of a continuation of the previous book, but it could easily be enjoyed without reading A Marvellous Light. I am now solidly a Freya Marske fan and cannot wait for additional titles in this series.

Maude was sent to America to retrieve both a magician and her powerful magical item, but her companion is found murdered in their cabin after they've barely left port. In her efforts to identify the magical item and the murderer, Maude befriends a menagerie of passengers, forming her own Scooby gang to snoop and perform investigations. This was a fun story, with the appearance of one grumpy aristocrat from A Marvellous Light (I do love grumpy aristocrats) whose sole purpose seems to be the foil for the other characters needling.

This one didn't pull my heartstrings as much as A Marvellous Light, but it was more of an ensemble cast so it didn't feel as intimate. I hope there are more to come in this series, and specifically would like to see the grumpy aristocrat find his own HEA.

The audio narration was wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of this!

I loved the first one and couldn’t wait to dive back into this world, after a reread refresher for my terrible memory. Maud is excellent and I really enjoyed seeing an all new setting and character set, while maintaining the vibes from the first book. I’m hoping there’s a third book with Lord Hawthorne as the love interest!

A good, sometimes silly, whodunnit perfect for people looking for just a quick little mystery novel to read on a rainy day---nothing astounding about it, but it's fun, and it's easy, and it's sapphic! which is always a win.