Member Reviews
Marske does it again! The Last Binding series is one of the smartest examples of fantasy in a long time and A Power Unbound pulls its weight as the third act in this trilogy. The magic is fearsome and flawless, the stakes are high, and the passion is piping hot.
A wonderful wrap-up to the trilogy, and so glad the two main characters were Jack and Alan. I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers and this did not disappoint.
The conclusion makes me wish for another series, taking place after this one because the ending changes everything, and of course I always want more queer magic romance in my life. The world that Freya Marske as built for this story is very captivating, and how the characters grow and change while learning about themselves and each other makes them very endearing. Even if their favorite form of communication may be arguing and being mean. *Side eyes Jack Alston*
The book has some great lines, and I have to hold myself back from just reading them aloud to my spouse all the time. I think the plot also keeps you on your toes as even though we get each characters POV back and forth, doesn't mean we're getting the full truth of things either. Which I love.
If you were a fan of the first two books, then you'll definitely enjoy this one. And if you haven't read the series yet, no better time to start reading it than now!
The third book in The Last Binding trilogy definitely brought the adventure to an exciting and very sexy conclusion. The previous two books introduced us to the characters and their magical dilemma, as well as some sexual awakenings. Like the other books in the trilogy, A Power Unbound is a hell of a lot of fun and, whew! a lot of steaminess.
Lord Hawthorn has been the grumbly money and title that helped get this team of magical lovers out of many tight places (and at least two of them into tight places!) Finally in A Power Unbound we not only learn his story but see him meet his match in a commoner journalist and anonymous steamy fiction writer. Alan played his part in the adventure of the previous book, but in this third tale, he becomes not only a critical part of the plan but helps Lord Hawthorn open up in ways no one else can. It just so happens that Lord Hawthorn is also a big fan of the sexy stories Alan has been writing for years - most of which happen between a titled aristocrat and a lowly thief or stable boy. The two play out fantasies while doing their best to find the third piece of the fae magic before it falls into the wrong hands.
A bitter sweet conclusion only because the stories were so much fun that leaving these colorful characters is hard to do, but an utterly enjoyable, very well written, and fulfilling finish.
A Power Unbound by Freya Marske is the perfect book for a very specific person and that person is me. The third book in The Last Binding series follows the famously surly magicless rune expert, Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn, and the equally sharp dogged reporter Alan Ross (a.k.a Alanso Rossi) as they find and protect the last item in the Last Contract. After getting pulled into protecting the Last Contract on a particularly deadly cruse, Jack now finds himself living with Maud Blyth and Violet Debenham in the magical puzzle box that holds the final piece. It has been years since his twin sister’s death and the subsequent loss of his magic, but he is willing to become a part of the magical world if it means stopping a dangerous ritual that threatens British magicians everywhere. Bad luck has it that Alan also finds himself involved in all this Last Contract business. As a low-class Italian-British man with an impressive mind and an even more impressive pen, Alan hasn’t known a day he wasn’t angrily fighting to keep his family warm and fed. He will write for conservative newspapers, publish gay erotic pamphlets, and do whatever else he has to to keep it that way. He will even use his skills at repelling magic for magical lords and ladies who are willing to pay him for his help. That means he has to be in close contact with Jack, a man he hates, on a near-daily basis. Their relationship becomes filled with questions of power and trust and attraction as they continue to work toward the shared goal of keeping the people they care about safe.
As a quick aside, unlike many fantasy romance series, this book simply cannot be read out of order. You could valiantly try but I would bet you would quickly be lost. The long plot building in the prior two books comes to a glorious clash in the third book. All the stakes, political conflicts, and interpersonal connections form a delicate but deadly web as Jack and Alan work with their allies to uncover the truth.
There is something cutting about Alan and Jack’s POV in this series. They are constantly arguing with each other as a way of interacting with the world and each other. Their class differences are at the crux of the tension in their relationship, but at the heart of it, Jack proves he will always be too kind to ever take advantage of that difference. Alan’s fears of persecution related to their class difference is well founded, and the fact that he trusts Jack at all is a real feat. Their on-page relationship is full of power scenes ripped right from the pages of one of Jack’s favorite erotic pamphlet authors. It’s perhaps unsurprising then that I adored their relationship development and all the traded insults that landed like love bites.
The worldbuilding around the government and the way magic works in this world continues to impress me. The reader discovers the secrets of the magical world alongside the other more mundane clues and mysteries that threaten them all. When the fight comes to an end, it’s one queer, magician-filled found family against a world that is often punishingly cruel. That is all to say, read this series and read this book. Thank you Tordotcom for providing me with an earc for an honest review. A Power Unbound by Freya Marske is set to release November 7, 2023.
After reading A Restless Truth, *I* was restless ... for Hawthorn's book. Unfortunately, this didn't meet my expectations. I found that the magical run around in this series wasn't as gripping as I wanted it to be, and yet the book wasn't romantic enough to make up for it. There are so heavily potent lines that have stuck with me, but I simply didn't buy in as much as I wanted to.
5 stars
A solid conclusion to the trilogy that truly feels like a conclusion to the three-book fantasy macro plot, without sacrificing the new romance plot of this installment. Can I just say, I love one-sided hate-to-love? It’s so delicious when a character who has been bullheadedly insistent on despising another comes around to grudgingly admiring and even falling for them, when the other has been attracted to them from the start.
At the end of the previous book I had been hoping that we’d get Lord Hawthorne as a main character, and he lived up to my every expectation. Hawthorne and Alan’s chemistry is nicely sparking, and it helps that the two met previously in book two so that we have some pre-established good-natured animosity already simmering in between them. I quite like the way that the obvious power dynamic (wealthy aristocrat magician and poor nonmagical working man) is handled, and the ways in which both Alan and Hawthorne are shown to value equality in their relationships (if not always in their roleplay, which is kept healthily separate from their actual interactions). The sex scenes are excellent, and feel well balanced by the non-sexual sides of their relationship and, also, the main plot.
The macro plot gets really interesting in this final book, as we learn a lot more about the roots of British magic, the fae, and the relationship between magic and the land. Although this is a romance series, the conclusion to the macro-plot isn’t the neat and tidy happily-ever-after, back-to-the-status-quo I had half expected; sacrifice is required, and change, and it feels so well earned and deserved.
We also meet a fae character, who is fantastic.
A surprisingly serious-minded end to an often light and fluffy fantasy romance series, it loses none of the wit, charm, or steamy bedroom scenes that I liked in the earlier titles but is definitely my favorite of the three in terms of the fantasy plot structure and payoff. If you liked the first book in the series, keep going—I think you’ll be glad you did.
So magical, and an amazing end to the trilogy. Alan and Jack’s connection felt so real and, at times, poignant. The plot was well-paced and tied up any loose ends left from the previous books. Loved how previous main characters still got a lot of screen time in this book.
I would have liked more from the resolution, especially about how Jack and Alan’s relationships with their respective families develop (Jack and his father, Alan and his mother etc). Even without much detail on that front, however, it was still definitely enjoyable and satisfying.
And the smut, of course. *vibrating at an unimaginable frequency*
This book is a fitting end to The Last Binding trilogy. While it focuses on the main couple of Hawthorn and Ross, the main couples from the last two books are also heavily features with a lot of time spent together found family style.
The plot of this entry had the most power behind it of any of the books in the series, since there’s a lot to wrap up and mysteries to unravel. It also didn’t need to take the time to introduce as much new backstory or world building since most of the setup has been done. The whole thing does get a bit needlessly complex purely to get the ending in the right place and time for what the author wants to happen.
Overall, totally enjoyable, just maybe don’t try to think about the magic system too much.
I love this book- it's a wonderful ending to this fantastic trilogy. I gave it a 4.5 stars, just because my only point of frustration was in the resolution of the story. I wanted more from the ending, personally. I love the way things resolved for the characters, but what I really wanted was for the characters we got close to in this part of the story to have their due. I wanted Jack's mom to have more to do, and I want to know how things go down with Alan's family. He's obviously thriving professionally, but how does he settle things with his family? I really liked meeting his family, and we don't get much from them after a certain point. I would have liked a more solid, final ending, that feels like the beginning of the rest of their lives. That's what the previous protagonists' get, but we don't even get that much from Jack. Has he healed his relationship with his father? Is he residing full time on the estate now, or still doing political work in London? I just felt like with even a few more paragraphs I could have given this 5/5.
If you enjoyed the previous two books in Marske's series, you'll be very happy with this one. The plot is as decorative as the lovely covers - and that's totally fine. Marske's prose, the dynamics between the characters and the scorching-hot love scenes have always been the focus: they manage to be cerebral while blush inducing.
This is a satisfying end to the trilogy. Jack and Alan, who pretended they couldn’t stand each other during the last book aboard the Lyric, continue to pretend they can’t stand each other while on dry land. It’s increasingly difficult as their attraction grows. In between debauched wickedness in various drawing rooms, the fate of magic in England remains in the balance. With their trusty group of queers by their side, they must work together to stop a fascist plan to seize power. The magic system is great fun to learn about and the grinding bureaucracy that has grown up around it is a compelling ode to the idea that humans can make anything obtusely useless if they try hard enough.
Marske writes fantastically, as you will know if you've read the other two books in this series. Her magical England and Last Contract of magic both hooked me instantly and the characters only made me love these books more. Unlike romance series where the other couple sometimes disappear completely, I loved seeing more of Edwin and Robin alongside Jack and Alan in this one and Violet and Maud as well. The dynamics of love and friendship in these books have always rung true and getting to learn more about Jack's family also was satisfying after reading about him as a side character for two books. A very good conclusion to the series.
She did it!! Freya Marske absolutely landed the ending of this series, which is now 3/3 when it comes to truly excellent fantasy romance books. I've been intrigued by Lord Hawthorn ever since he turned up in the first book with a flashing neon sign above his head that said "my sad backstory will be disclosed in a future volume" and my excitement for that future volume grew IMMENSELY once Ross was introduced in the sequel. And I'm happy to say that having now read Hawthorn and Ross's book (or Jack and Alan, as they're called in their chapters, although that did take me a minute to get used to) I was absolutely not disappointed. Jack and Alan were great supporting characters and are even better as their own protagonists, from Jack slowly disclosing his backstory and learning to let people in, to Alan's unrelenting "eat the rich and fuck the landed gentry, oh no I didn't mean like THAT but Hawthorn is so hot" mentality, which was a nice breath of air after so many aristocratic points of view. As soon as the two of them had a scene where they were grouchily being forced to work together and trying not to acknowledge their mutual attraction, I was sold, and it just got better and better (there's one particular scene about how neither character is good at relying on other people but they've come to trust each other and it DID get me, I will not lie). Aside from Jack and Alan, it was also so FUN to have the all the supporting characters from this series all together, including Robin and Maud trying to make their respective partners get along, the return of Miss Morrissey, and some fun new side characters including Jack's mom, who is an absolute icon. Oh, and there are THREE magic houses in this book as well as magic BEES and a touch of courtroom drama and a party where everything goes horribly wrong and truly what else could you want in a book!! Basically, this was an utterly delightful and totally satisfying conclusion to a series that is now a favorite, and I can't wait to buy a copy when it comes out.
What a comeback! I was nervous about this novel after reading A Restless Truth (I just could not connect) but this story brought me right back into the world. I adore these characters and this amazing world Marske has created. Such a satisfying ending to the trilogy. Ross and Hawthorne won my heart and I’m a lifelong fan of Marske’s writing now.
This was such a great finale to the Last Binding series! Fans of the series will be happy with the conclusion and the romance between two characters introduced in the previous book in the series. Highly recommend for readers of fantasy romance, and romance fans in general will find a lot to love as well.
My actual rating of this book is 3.5 stars. I had a lot of fun with Hawthorn and Ross and their relationship. Their dynamic was fun and their intimate scenes were steamy. However, I found the actual plot to be a bit of a drag by this point in the series. I was a lot more interested in the smaller interpersonal dynamics than the overall point of the whole thing. Not the strongest end to a series, but I still had a good time with it.
The final installment of Freya Marske's Last Binding trilogy was exciting, stressful, and satisfying. I can't wait to have the finished physical copy so I can reread the entire trilogy completely. I cannot begin to express how much I love Alan Ross and Jack Alston's dynamic and journey together as the last contract completed and chaos ensued. I could easily read another 500 pages of this found-family, but l'm also happy to know that everyone is settled and safe.
God, I really love it when an author sticks the landing. I have been desperate to get my hands on this book and was SO excited when I got an ARC--but I was also worried. What if it didn't live up to my very lofty expectations. My worries were unfounded A Power Unbound is exciting, sexy, romantic and a dazzling conclusion to this trilogy.
A Restless Truth isolated the characters, and had them in a completely new environment, so it felt great to have our characters back in their country homes and had our main characters all working together to save magic. There are payoffs for things that had been built up since the first book and I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists. Fantasy romances can be a little loose on plot, but I really appreciated how Freya Marske managed to work the romances into the plot and have them pay each other off.
The romance though? The romance??? Oh my god. Jack and Alan are electric, it's actually crazy how much chemistry we have here. It's a completely different dynamic from either of the past two books, and takes enemies to lovers in some very sexy new directions. There was dialogue between them that was SO romantic it had me clawing at my face. The hookup scenes are maybe the best that I've ever read....Freya you really popped off with this one. I had to stop reading this one at work because it was a little overwhelming to be honest. If you miss Robin and Edwin/Maude and Violet both couples get LOTS of really cute moments here-- I was so happy to see my boys again.
If you haven't started this series yet, you can start now knowing it's worth it all the way through. If you were hyped for this book you should be even moreso now because this really slaps.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to Tor for an ARC copy.
This was a satisfying end to the trilogy. I'm glad a Restless Truth built up a framework from which to actually like Hawthorn going into this book since he wasn't likeable at all during the first book. Hawthorn is my favourite kind of asshole character who's actually capable of being nice once you knock down a few of the defensive walls. I really enjoyed Allen's continued presence, his "betrayal" and their romance even though their role play isn't to my particular taste.
I burned through this book in 2 days; the story moved pretty quickly since the first two had build up a lot already and it didn't have quite the drag in the middle that RT did. I like how everything came together, both the plot and the characters working together, the resolution to the problems they encountered, and the continued look at different magics.
I look forward to what Freya writes next.
3.5 stars
I definitely enjoyed this more than A Restless Truth, but A Marvelous Light is still, in my opinion, the strongest (and my favourite) of the trilogy.
Credit where credit is due: Freya Marske can write a damn good romance. I loved the interclass relationship in A Power Unbound; I appreciated that the novel didn't gloss over the class differences between Hawthorn and Ross, instead giving them the narrative space to discuss those differences meaningfully and openly. These two characters are different in some very notable ways, but they are also so similar, and I enjoyed seeing them not just navigate their differences, but also find a lot of common ground to draw them together. Another thing I appreciate about Marske's writing is the way she approaches sex scenes: they are sex scenes, to be sure, but they are also critical moments of character development, of intimacy, of trust--and she does both at the same time, and does them both with such a deft hand. (This is something that stood out to me not just in this novel, but in A Marvelous Light and A Restless Truth as well.)
That being said, there was just something missing in this novel for me. The plot feels slapdash, like we're rushing to the finish. And as much as I enjoyed the characters and their dynamic, I also feel like the arc of the romance as a whole was not quite as satisfying as I would've liked it to be. Even with all this in mind, though, I would happily read whatever else Freya Marske decided to release in the future. I love her writing, and I love her romances, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Thank you to Tor for providing me with an eARC of this via NetGalley!