This author's just not for me it seems. The audiobook narrator was alright and captured the same tone as the narration in A Marvellous Light, which is a notable feat considering we follow a different set of characters this time.

As for what didn't work for me in terms of the story - while I liked Violet, I found the back and forth between her and Maud to be tedious. It felt like a rehash of the last book but with different characters as the main couple. For me, the writing style is a large contributor to why I found finishing this book a chore I'd rather forget about despite the setting having everything going for it (murder mystery vibes and all). This is great news for people who loved the first book's style and tone because A Restless Truth is very consistent with that. However, for those on the fence about this series, it can be tiring.

I really enjoyed the audio version of this book, as well as the e-book version. I was able to read as I listened, which is my favorite experience.

I read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Marske's first book, 'A Marvellous Light,' earlier this year. Though it is not COMPLETELY imperative to have read that one first, the newest edition to the series will provide spoilers to book one.

I loved Violet and Maud and their gang our vigilantes! I also quite enjoyed the setting. Unfortunately there were times I felt the book was slow, and moments I was bored. Overall, it was enjoyable and I do suggest this book.

3 stars

Maud has to protect a magical artifact from some Very Bad Dudes on board a transatlantic voyage. There are shenanigans, betrayals, magical revelations, & a sexy vaudeville singer. This is a decent followup to the first in the series, but I didn’t like it quite as much as the first. Neither MC is particularly compelling, & their romance felt rushed.

[What I liked:]

•I had long looked forward to reading this second book in the Last Binding trilogy! It was nice to spend more time with Maud’s character. She comes across as naive & idealistic, but is clever enough to learn from her mistakes & strategize a way forward.

•Embroidery magic is so cool! That was the best part of the story tbh.

•The elderly woman who Maud was accompanying (sorry, no idea how to spell her name since I listened to the audiobook) was sassy & interesting. Too bad she died right away & we didn’t get more of her perspective & commentary. I liked her better than either Maud or Violet.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Besides Maud discovering her heretofore unknown gift, & a few tidbits about the Forsythia Club’s history, we don’t get to learn much more about the system of magic, the scope of the evil plot, etc. I had been hoping for more world building.

•Maud & Violet are sweet together, but since this book takes place over the course of days their budding relationship doesn’t have much time or room to develop. Some aspects of their chemistry felt a bit rushed.

•Also, while both MCs are likable enough, they weren’t too intriguing. Maud is Very Nice & Violet is hardened & cynical. They both get a bit of character growth, especially Violet, but not that much. Tbh, Ross & his lordship are much more interesting characters (I have a sneaking suspicion book 3 will be about Ross/Hawthorn…)

•Yeah, I’m disappointed there wasn’t screen time for Edwin & Robin. Even more so since they probably would’ve added the world building details I was hoping for.

CW: murder, torture, sexism, infidelity, homophobia

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I enjoyed this book! I'm not sure if I liked it quite as much as A Marvellous Light, but I did like it.

In this one we have Robin's sister, Maud, and the book starts with a murder while on a transatlantic voyage by ship. There is a lot to like with this, as there is magic and the continuation of the investigation that Robin and Edwin started in the first book in the series, as well as the murder investigation. This isn't a book that you can read as a standalone, you need to have read A Marvellous Light first, otherwise you will be pretty out of your depths when it comes to the magic system, the ongoing story, and the characters.

The main couple in this book are Maud and Violet, and I loved them. Maud is exploring her sexuality and figuring out what she likes, which may involve being a wee bit bossy, and I am totally here for it. I liked how they communicated and how their relationship developed over the course of the voyage, and I liked how Violet called out things that would normally be overlooked/ignored in an insta-love sort of situation, which this was.

Definitely enjoyed this one and absolutely cannot wait for the third book!!!

ARC provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

A Restless Truth is the second installment of Freya Marske’s Last Binding series, begun last year with her debut novel, A Marvellous Light. The latter was one of my favorite books of 2021, and hit a perfect balance between a serious, well-developed fantasy plot and impeccably crafted erotic romance. Naturally, the sequel was highly anticipated, and had a lot to live up to.

I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook ARC from the publisher. Aysha Kala’s narration was lovely, and was especially effective in the scenes where one of the characters was channeling the ghost of another character! Kala did a great job of developing voices for each character, and I especially liked her sardonic Lord Hawthorne voice.

In this book, the story leaves previous main characters Robin and Edwin behind in England, and follows Robin’s sister Maud, who is traveling on an ocean liner from New York to England when her traveling companion, Mrs. Navenby, is murdered. In her efforts to discover and thwart the culprits, Maud recruits a really excellent cast of characters: the mysterious and many-layered actress Violet, the cynical and prickly Lord Hawthorn, and the calculating but likeable Ross. It’s this group that provides some of the best scenes as they scheme together in Hawthorne’s cabin. This central cast of complicated by ultimately likeable characters was one of the things I liked the most about this book.

I also appreciated learning the backstory of the Forsythia Club, the group of four women (including Mrs. Navenby) who, decades previous, used their hard-won scholarship to find the artifacts of the Last Binding, but ultimately decided to hide them when they realized how they might be misused. In the changing world of the early 1900’s, Maud and Violet’s circumstances are further elucidated by the backdrop of this history of women magicians with whom they have unexpected personal connections. There is also a lot of good magical worldbuilding, both having to do with the activities of the Club and with the magical knowledge of Violet and Hawthorne.

Maud and Violet are both strong and likeable characters in their own ways. Maud’s sexual awakening in the midst of all the turmoil was well-written, and I like their romance, despite it not being as satisfyingly head-over-heels as the romance in book 1. That’s OK because it makes much more sense for these characters—they are quite young, in the midst of a crazy murderous plot, and Violet especially is running from a lot of trauma that has left her guarding her heart. It was interesting how Marske held off on letting even the reader know much about what Violet is running away from until the very end of the book; I’m intrigued to see how that information will come to light in the next installment.

Now I’m going to complain about a few things: 1. The pacing was sometimes laggy and uneven, especially at the start. 2. The ship setting was underutilized to the point that it basically was the same as them being stuck on an island or in a castle or something. Cruise ships are really creepy in both tropey and non-tropey ways and I think that could have been instrumentalized to imbue a more atmospheric and creepy effect. As it was, the setting just made things feel repetitive and confined at times. 3. Dorian the African Grey parrot was criminally underutilized as a character and could have been written much more convincingly—African Greys are some of the most mercurial and intelligent parrots! I didn’t much like how he was just moved around like a piece of furniture most of the time.

All in all, it didn’t blow me away as much as the first book but it was a very solid sequel and I am very excited for book 3 (A Power Unbound) which I am PRAYING is going to be about Ross & Hawthorne having a romance, PLEASE. I am so intrigued to learn more about both of them! I reread A Marvellous Light after finishing this and was really surprised at how many of Robin’s visions reference things that happen in this book, and some that haven’t happened yet at all!

Lord, I loved this. The sex scenes were SEXY! Maud discoveri g her sexuality was so relatable it was AMAZING! I loved all that this was.

Read the first book in this series from illumicrate and absolutely loved it. This book was no different except it was even better because I could listen to an audiobook. Freya is such an amazing story teller that keeps you sucked in and has you wanting to read more. I highly recommend reading this book as it is amazing.

This is a sequel/companion so I don't want to give anything about that first book away. I will say i love these books. They are fun and magical and they are hella queer which I absolutely adore. Both books also feature a main character with a chronic illnesses which is always great rep to see in fantasy. I will also say I liked this book a bit better than the first one but that is just my personal bias. Both of these books are definitely worth a read!

OMG this was everything I wanted and more! I had a long stretch with no 5 star reviews and then this book popped up and wow am I glad I requested it. I had not read the first book and did not know about the series but I saw that it was queer fantasy so I couldn't pass it up. Now I am obsessed, obvs. I went back and read A Marvellous Truth and then went and put it on display so that it could circulate more - I need more people to read this series so I can gush with them about it! The prose is so vivid and immersive and I really fell for all of the characters. The romance is very steamy and also featured really great examples of passion with clear consent and I am totally here for that! I feel like this book could stand alone if needed, I mean it pulled me into the series. It drops enough information about the world at large and the magic system and the character's histories that I felt pretty caught up and then just enjoyed the ride. I also loved the narrator, Aysha Kala. She had wonderful voices and accents and her inflection and emotion was so compelling. My only complaint is that even if I go back and reread these books (which I am 100% going to do) I am still going to have to wait a bit for the third book.

First off, let’s talk about that cover. Isn’t it pretty? I swear the cover got me on A Marvelous Light too.

Ok so this story picks up in The Last Binding series with us now following Robin’s sister, Maude. She had gone undercover at his behest to pass on news of a death and go digging for more information.

Instead the person she’s meant to watch and learn info from, dies on the first day at sea. From there she’s caught up in sleuthing trying to figure out the murderer and their motives.

All while exploring a new part of herself and dabbling in love.

Lots of action, intrigue and steamy bits.

This second book in The Last Binding duology sees Robin’s sister, Maud, aboard an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic with the owner of one of the pieces of The Last Contract, but, well, someone else on the ship wants that piece. And Maud’s elderly companion? She ends up dead.

This historical fantasy novel serves up mystery, murder, magic, and sapphic romance all in a delightful package. And once Maud begins connecting with others on board and forms her own group of co-conspirators, things start picking up the pace. I enjoyed the interactions of the unlikely group of allies, watching Maud and Violet bring down metaphorical walls together, and the twists and turns along the way.

I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed Aysha Kala’s pleasant narration. Kala’s varying accents, inflections, and intonations made it easy to keep track of which character is speaking, and her performance easily conjured up the different scenes for me.

I received an advance version of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

I really love these books. This one started off a little slow for me, but when it got going it was entertaining. I liked the characters - Hawthorne especially. I have a thing for disdainful aristocrats. I loved Maude and Victoria's relationship and banter. I can't wait to see what the third book brings.

After reading A Marvellous Light earlier this year and tremendously enjoying it, I was excited but apprehensive for this book. Maud was the least interesting character to me from the first book but I trusted Marske to have a thrilling, action-filled plot for her. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I thought I would.

A Restless Truth is a murder mystery set on a tran-Atlantic voyage. Maud Blythe meets the mysterious woman from Robin’s visions, Violet Debenham. Together with Violet and Lord Hawthorne, Maud seeks to locate a piece of The Last Contract and ensure it stays out of the hands of the killers on board.

This book suffered from serious pacing issues, the first half has the characters chasing dead ends and making zero progress on uncovering either the murderers or the contract piece. A lot of time is spent standing around talking and too little time is spend doing. The characters also felt very flat, Edwin and Mrs. Morrissey stood out in the first book because there was so much more to them than meets the eye, they were complicated characters with depth. Maud and Violet on the other hand, are flat and two-dimensional, they boil down to Maud is good and Violet is a contrarian. There’s not sufficient development to make either character stand out or feel like a real person. That makes their relationship lack chemistry, I couldn’t understand why they would find each other intriguing.

I think a big part of my struggles were due to listening rather than reading this book. The narrator didn’t work for me and kept me from engaging with the book. It was hard to find the characters anything but generic and uninteresting when they all sounded generic and uninteresting. Even the action scenes came across as mild-mannered and low stakes which really pulled me out of whatever was happening

2.5 ⭐️

It’s so slow!!! I was very tempted to DNF multiple times but I was cleaning and wanted to half pay attention to a book, but that’s the only reason I was able to finish. I had the same issues with this book as I did the first; it is incredibly slow and I often enjoy slow books as you are able to stay in the world and really get immersed but with both of these books I often found myself checking to see when it would end. As well as the passing comments that are bordering on harmful, if not just harmful, I am aware it’s set in the past but some of the comments were a bit much and don’t add to the plot in any way which again lead me to wanting to DNF the book. I’m happy to have read it once to know what other people are talking about when discussing this series but I don’t think I will be continuing with the third book when it is released

CW/TW
Sexual content, Murder, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Body horror, Racism, Transphobia, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

Lighter in tone than A Marvellous Light, with ample humor and delicious banter between the two FMCs. The supporting cast (including the ghost of the woman murdered in the first chapter!) is fantastic and I loved that the book feels like a bottle episode of television since they're all on a ship voyage together. The main mystery is a continuation of the thread in the first book, but I didn't remember much of that plot and didn't find myself lost at all. I believe this one is higher heat, too. Overall this is a delightful read and if you like queer historical fantasy I highly recommend it.

Audio notes: It took me a while to sort things out because the narrator doesn't really use different voices for the two female leads' POVs, but once I fell into the book I could pick out the slight American accent one character has. Aysha Kala did a great job with the humor and madcap schemes, and I enjoyed her inflection in the somber scenes as well. Overall, the narration was well done, but I do think the book would have benefited from dual narration.

I'm going to be honest: I started A Marvellous Light before starting this book, but I finished this one first because audiobooks are my go-to right now, so I may have been missing a few things. However, even though the pacing of this book felt a little off, it was still overall VERY enjoyable. I didn't realize there would be quite so much smut (I thought it was more mystery than it was romance), but that wasn't a detractor to the story and can be skipped if you really want to avoid it. Maud is very relatable and quirky and sweet, and Violet is a wonderful romantic interest.

This is more of a 3.5/5 instead of just a solid 3 because I really did have a fun time, I just found myself having a few moments of getting confused and getting a bit bored. Overall, definitely a fun read if you're into: boats, ghosts, transatlantic travel, mystery, romance, and strong, sapphic characters.

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Full disclosure, historical romance is not REALLY my genre but I will say that this sequel felt like SO MUCH MORE than a historical romance. I enjoyed this spin off even more than book 1. We have a complete scenic change. Our story takes place on a ship filled with murder, thievery, scheming magicians, and (of course) romance. We have some characters we've previously met and some new ones that are wonderful editions to this mystery.

The audiobook narrator is perfect and I highly recommend listening if you've been debating picking this one up! I can't wait to see what this series holds in the next installment.

A Restless Truth will be released November 1st and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for sharing an arc with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I loved this follow-up to A Marvellous Light!

I found the magic system easier to follow in this book. I liked the way rings were introduced as a slight variation practiced in America. It made the magic feel more real, the way a language has different dialects based on location or cultural groups.

I missed Robin and Edwin in this story, but I understand why they couldn’t be more involved while Maude was on an ocean liner from America back to England. However, I loved the small ways that they were still involved. Robin gave Maude a notebook full of all the visions he had that might involve her voyage. Edwin’s love language is knowledge and it’s clear that he’s spent the last several months expounding on all the magical theory Maude could stand to listen to. Even though they let Maude go off on her own adventure, both Robin and Edwin care about her very much and tried to do what they could to help her succeed.

The audiobook is narrated by Aysha Kala. She did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Even though the narrative flips between POV chapters for both main characters, I never had any trouble figuring out if the current perspective was Maude or Violet. The story has for several accents, which were all well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

Oooohhh this was so good! I wish I reread the first one before jumping in but I couldn't wait. I love these new characters and the locked-room like mystery. So many layers and such a good continuation from the first boon. I can't wait for the next installment - and to purchase a complete set when it's finished.

✨ Review ✨ A Restless Truth by Freya Marske; Narrated by Aysha Kala

The second book in the series following A Marvelous Light, this book does not disappoint! Following Robin's sister Maud on a ship across the ocean, more magic and shenanigans ensue in what's essentially a (really big) locked door mystery. Maud joins up with the team of the dashing Violet Debenham, a magician and illusionist extraordinaire, Lord Hawthorne, a big of a rake who's lost his magic (and who had made a short appearance in book 1), and Rossi, a ship employee, petty jewel thief, and pornographic pamphlet purveyor. This wild team comes together to seek out a stolen piece of the Last Contract.

Wrapped up in this beautiful magical system and with a fabulous blooming romance between Maud and Violet, this book is such a fun read. Mixing romance and magic and mystery and historic ocean liner gloriousness, I loved reading this. The first half to two thirds of this was on par to be a 5-star read for me, but the last third dragged a bit. Aside from this pacing issue, the book was a delight of a read. If you loved the first book, you'll enjoy this one too! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

(the role of Mrs. Navenby and the scene in which the team was acting out pamphlets together were two favorite moments in this book for sure!)

Freya Marske - I stan.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.25)
Genre: f/f romance, historical mystery + magic
Location: ocean liner between the US and England
Pub Date: November 1, 2022

Read this if you like:
⭕️ historical mystery + magic
⭕️ a glamorous ocean liner setting
⭕️ flirty f/f romances
⭕️ a ragtag team of sleuths

Thanks to Tor, Macmillan Audio and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!