📚Review: A Power Unbound 📚

Happy Belated Book Birthday, @FreyaMarske! 🥳 I’m obsessed with your books! 🤭

By: Freya Marske
Published: November 7, 2023

Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorne, would love a quiet, comfortable, and safe life without magic. Unfortunately, there’s a looming threat of a dark ritual hanging over every magician in Britain. He’s living in a puzzle box of a magical townhouse in London with our fantastic cast of characters, trying to track down the final piece of the Last Contract before their enemies do the same. Enter Alan Ross, cagey and argumentative - he hates all of the unearned power Jack has and his unique talents are needed for this mission.

😍😲🥵🫣😩😮😮‍💨 <- basically my facial reactions during this book!

Now, this is the third and final book in The Last Binding trilogy. As always, I’ll keep this as spoiler free as possible.

Jack and Alan might be my favorite pairing from these books (eek, sorry Robin & Edwin, I still love you two lots). I just loved their banter and chemistry. The spice is spicyyyyyy this time around - even more so than the other two books, which is really saying something! 🥵

This book has the same charm and adventure of the other two. I loved seeing the whole cast of characters working together to fight against evil doers. It was so clever to see everyone’s unique abilities come into play. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked our new…older 😉…character and thought they shed light on so many questions I had floating about.

I often am left unsatisfied with trilogy endings, but that is not the case here! This really is one of my favorite series ever and I’m sad I don’t have the next book in the series to look forward to. Thankfully, there’s more coming from this author soon!

Verdict: Really Loved 🥰

Thank you SO much for the #gifted ARC, @TorDotComPub and @FreyaMarske! ❤️

This series, The Last Binding, has always been a story about power, wrapped inside a bit of pretty fantasy romance and steeped in the verbal byplay of a comedy of manners. But at the heart of all the fluff and froth, of which there has been a delicious amount, is a core of cold, hard steel.

The question has always been whose, whose power, whose needs, who decides who are the many and who are the few, and who gets to wield all the power at the foundation of British magic.

Because there really is a crisis coming, not just to British magic but to the world as a whole. That crisis, based on timing, is World War I. So the looming threat on the horizon is all too real. The problem is that too many at the pinnacle of power have decided that they are the only people capable of wielding that power, and that anyone who stands in their way is to be cut down. Permanently – and all too often with malice aforethought.

That they’ll frankly be doing their enemy’s work for them doesn’t occur to any of them. That no one has had even a thought to how the power was intended to be held and wielded doesn’t even cross their minds.

But it does cross the minds of our ragtag group of, let’s call them questioners of whether any ends justify the means that are being gone to. Especially as ALL of them have been the victims of those means in one way or another.

A Power Unbound begins by answering the questions raised early in A Marvellous Light, the questions about how and why Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn, lost his magic and his twin sister in the first place. The questions about just how long this nefarious plot has been going on, and just how early it sunk to its terrible depths.

Depths which are displayed on the grandest stage possible for all the magical world to see, as no one bats an eye as long as they get to keep their own power. But magic itself has a say, and it has finally found agents through whom it can be said.

Their world will never be the same. Nor should it be.

Escape Rating B: I am all over the map about this story, because it is such a wild mixture of historical fantasy, power tripping and political shenanigans, mystery, romance and comedy of manners. Whether any reader will fall in love with the series probably depends on which parts of the melange they are in this thing for.

Which is where all the reading mileage is going to end up varying. A LOT.

I got into the first book, A Marvellous Light, for the magical and political skullduggery. It begins as a murder mystery and then dives into the murky depths of magic and politics and starts the whole series on its meditations about power and its ultimate corruption. A marvelous queer romance also occurs during the course of that story, but it never took a backseat to the magic and the mystery.

But the balancing act between the romance and the magical mystery tour started to tip in the second book in the series. I did enjoy A Restless Truth for its shipboard antics and the way it moved the search for the Last Contract two steps forward and one step back, but it felt a bit like the romance got a bit in the way of the parts of the story I was there for.

From my perspective, A Power Unbound got a bit too bound up in the romance between Jack and Alan for the first half of the book. A reader who is in this series for its romances will probably feel a lot differently, but for this reader it felt like the story was spinning its wheels in endless setup as Jack and Alan teetered on the knife edge of ‘will they, won’t they’. In the first half of the story the romance was at the center of the story rather than the magical mystery political pot boiling over and scalding our entire band of heroes, and I had hoped for the reverse.

At about the halfway point, which is where I switched from audio to text because I needed the story to just get on with it, the pace picked up, the amount of feces hitting the oscillating device increased dramatically, the plots on both sides got ever more convoluted, Murphy’s Law rained all over everyone, and the whole thing galloped towards an epic conclusion that was not quite the one that anyone expected but was absolutely perfect as a way of bringing the runaway plot train to a satisfying stop.

(For anyone considering the audio, the narrator did an excellent job, I just wanted the whole thing to move along faster than audio naturally or even unnaturally does. I do listen to audio because I love the voices. Mickey Mouse’s voice is another thing entirely – although it would have been hilarious for the sex scenes, it would absolutely have set the wrong tone.)

I find myself back at my earlier statement. How much a reader will love A Power Unbound will depend on which parts of the story that reader is here after. If you’re here for the romance, this one is a delight. If you’re here for the magical power and politics contest, the second half is fantastic but the romance-centered first half gets in the way of figuring out all of the whos and why they done what they done. (The whos are mostly obvious, but the whys are considerably less so.)

No matter which side of that divide you fall on, anyone who has fallen for this marvelous cast of sinners with the occasional saintly impulse will be thrilled by the epic, world-shattering ending!

APower Unbound is the impressive and satisfying conclusion to Freya Marske’s Edwardian gaslamp fantasy romance trilogy, the Last Binding.

Each book in the series follows a new main couple, with previous couples appearing as secondary characters. Marske keeps the momentum going by maintaining a continuous plot arc across all three books. Brought together by love – and a shared hatred for despotism – our cast of characters includes both magicians and the non-magical. In this final book of the trilogy, we follow Jack Hawthorn and Alan Ross as they try one last time to prevent evil-doers from using ancient fae magic to steal the powers of every magician in England.

I was delighted to learn that A Power Unbound would follow Hawthorn and Ross because I loved their antagonist dynamic in previous books. An English Lord and a socialist working class Italian? Uh, yeah, sign me up. I’ve been quite pleased to find a few working class protagonists in historical fantasy lately, which is something that I’d really love to see more of. Hawthorn masks his emotional wounds with a studied air of aloofness while Alan hides his insecurities behind a veneer of cavalier self-deprecation and cutting remarks. Their verbal sparring was delicious and added a certain sizzle to their chemistry.

Markse has created an intriguing magic system that has two branches: the first is the mainstream magic, which relies heavily on the concept of legal contracts and the second, which is an underground approach that relies on a person’s connection to the land. This land magic is usually connected to someone’s inheritance of an estate, and so Jack’s relationship to his family seat – and his family – features heavily in this story. We finally learn the circumstances of how he lost his magic…and how his twin sister lost her life. I was really moved by his story of healing from grief and reconnecting with the land of the living. There may have been some dust in the air at a few key moments.

As you can imagine from their backstories, It’s not all fun and games with these characters. I’m pleased to report that Marske treats their difference in stations with care and sensitivity (and a little spiciness, too). Alan is the first truly working class protagonist of the series so far, providing some much needed class commentary on the ease of life for the upper classes. His desperation to survive and help his family also amped up the intensity, creating higher stakes for the gang as they try to build a more equal world for everyone – magical or not.

In my opinion, this series is best enjoyed through audiobooks. The deadpan, so-dry-you-might-miss-it humour is highlighted beautifully through strong voice acting. Josh Dylan, the narrator of A Power Unbound, delivers a performance that is by turns hysterical, sultry, and moving. My hat’s off to him – I’d gladly read another audiobook narrated by him.

The Last Binding trilogy delivers creativity, wit, and heart. Highly recommended.

Ending a trilogy must be really hard, especially with one as delightful as Marske's The Last Binding--a queer, magical and historical fiction series.

As a huge fan of A Marvellous Light, I wasn't sure how that book's low-key bully could keep my attention for an entire book, even with the bisexual representation. Marske was able to build the characters of Lord Hawthorne and Alan Ross in a way that kept me engaged in both their individual stories and how their paths crossed.

One part that didn't work for me was the role playing. It was interesting how this played into Alan's job, and in the name of sex positivity, (consenting adult) people should do as they please.

Previous characters in the series get a good amount of time in this novel, which is perfect to compete the mystery and see if the group can save magic and the world from those who want to control it for their own power.

How do you wrap up a sprawling trilogy spanning two continents, multiple narrators and romances, and a plot that threatens to unravel the basis of magical- and fae-history? With two characters who are complete and utter assholes and just so happen to have barely a thread of magic between the them to narrate the build up and final showdown, of course.

Roped into a plot to save all of magical society that he wants nothing to do with, Jack Hawthorn finds himself residing in an enchanted townhouse with Violet, Maud, Robin, and Edwin (our previous charming narrators) as they works to recover the pieces of The Last Contract and stop their enemies from getting their hands on it first. If they fail, those enemies will rewrite everything about what it means to have magic in late-1800s England (and the world). Which is when Alan Ross, thief, columnist, and secret porn-writer reenters Jack's life to be a right pain in his ass. Alan just wants money. And to be obnoxious. Unfortunately, he also seems to have the amazing ability to reflect magic - exactly what Jack and the others need. And he's exactly what Jack wants.

I don't even know where to start with my review. This entire book was so delightful on so many different levels.
In terms of wrapping up the plot, Freya Marske does so beautifully. Loose ends are tied up cleanly with the true notion that this is where we were going all along. Yes, of course this is always where we were headed from the very beginning of A Marvellous Light! Nothing seems rushed or out of place. And yet... I see those openings for a return to this version of England in the future. Or the past? A reader can hope.
More importantly, every lead character from the previous two books get their time to shine. Just because Jack and Alan take center stage as narrators for A Power Unbound doesn't mean that any of our previous leads get neglected. If anything, it's even nicer to see Edwin and Robin, or Maud and Violet, through their eyes for a change. The softness in Edwin and Robin's relationship, or the absolute filth that Maud and Violet are obviously getting up to behind closed doors, is all so much fun when told to us in Jack and Alan's dry wit. And the growing that each character does in this book is remarkable. Edwin in particular had me so proud, though I'll leave the complimenting up to Robin.

And, of course, I can't forget about Alan and Jack and their relationship. I'm normally pretty ambivalent on enemies to lovers, but the way that Marske builds up their dynamic is so wonderfully done. It's enemies to enemies-with-benefits to friends-with-benefits to "oh shit damn did I catch feelings?" in the best way possible. (And the level of spice is for sure on a different level from either of the two previous books! Woooo) The differences in their levels of power in the relationship is always acknowledged - to varying but always equally delightful effect. Their back-and-forths had me swooning one moment and cackling out loud the next.

I wouldn't have chosen anyone else to narrate the final book, because their dry humor and unique relationships with magic was what made them so perfect for the finale. We do finally get a revelation about Jack's backstory, and Alan's own history is a fun little puzzle to be revealed throughout the book.

Speaking of narrators: I had the pleasure of previewing this as an audiobook! PLEASE do yourself a favor and pick up the audio version, if only for the delight of hearing narrator Josh Dylan say "fuckity-buggerin'" with complete seriousness. He's perfect for this book.

I am sad to be leaving the world of The Last Binding behind, but I am so excited to see what Freya Marske comes up with yet. I have no doubt it will be equally as magical as this.

A Power Unbound is a fantastic closing to a brilliant series about magic, power, love, family, and second chances. When I read the first book in the series, A Marvellous Light, I really hated Jack, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel reading him as a main character. Yet, over the course of the trilogy, Jack has changed. This book explores his trauma, heartbreak, and loss, and pairs Jack with Alan, a reporter with an equally abrasive personality. These two have a highly contentious relationship, mostly stemming from Alan's hatred of the upper class and aristocrats. But they have more in common than Alan thinks, and he finds his loathing of Jack slowly shifting to something else.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the time spent with the characters. I was delighted to see more of Edwin, Robin, Violet, Maude, and Adelaide. The magical world building continues to deepen, this time drawing on more of the history with the Fae. Like the other books in the series, this one has generous helpings of spice, this time with kink and role play! I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narrator's performance. Overall, a splendid and entertaining historical fantasy sure to please lovers of magic and romance!

I was ambivalent about the first two books in the series, but I really loved this third installment. It builds out the story of Jack (Lord Hawthorn), who has managed to be the unlikely throughline for this trilogy. A third magical non-magical person is (re-)introduced, Alan from Book 2, and his voice as someone who grew up not just as a person without magic, but also without privilege, is unique.

This has absolutely been my favorite of the trilogy, and it was also my favorite narration of the trilogy. Each book has had a different narrator, and I think Josh Dylan, the second male narrator, did a fabulous job and was a good choice. Accent as an indicator of class is important in this one, and the narrator does a good job switching back and forth.

There are questions left open from the first book, and I hope there will be a follow-up series to answer those, but the main storyline is wrapped up with a satisfying conclusion.

AAHHHHHH!! I love this book!!! Lord Hawthrone and Alan Ross are so perfect!!

A Power Unbound is the third and final installment of The Last Binding Trilogy. Freya Marske's writing and pacing is perfection. This book features all the characters we have grown to love in the previous books, but focuses on the relationship between Hawthorne and Ross. Their banter and role playing with the underlying tenderness for one another is amazing. I highly recommend this book as well as the others in this trilogy. I am sad to see the story end, but can't wait to see what this author has in store for us next!

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for ARC of A Power Unbound by Freya Marske. #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Freya Marske for providing me the audio ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

A Power Unbound is the third and final installment in The Last Binding Trilogy, a series I did not get into until about halfway through the year. I managed to stumble on the first book on Kindle Unlimited and I fell utterly and hopelessly in love. Every detail, every character, everything about the book led me down and into this world Freya Marske captured in such beautiful writing.

After devouring the first two books, I could barely wait for the third, even though I knew it would be the end.

In A Power Unbound, Marske brings the story all together, uniting all of our main characters, as well as adding onto two characters whose points of view we never got in the first two books. It's a hefty weight, trying to manage the large cast, but Marske does it beautifully. Every moment we got with these characters made me so happy. I was giggling, laughing out loud, and screaming in the car listening to the audiobook. These characters are so fun, and it's so pleasing to see them come back together.

Our newest set of characters, Lord Hawthorn and Alan Ross, though, might just be my favorites. The way Marske has written them is just brilliant. They clash and blend together beautifully.

I'm so happy to have gotten to hear this amazing book. I wish I could stay in this universe forever, but all things must end. I'm so looking forward to what's next to come from Freya Marske!

Audio book details: The narrator for this book was very captivating to me. I loved all the voiced attributed to each character, and with such a large cast of characters, there was enough of a distinction that there was no question of dialogue. Some of the delivery was enough to make me laugh out loud! As someone who usually isn't a big audiobook person, I really loved this one!

Thank you again to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Freya Marske for this audio ARC.

This was a fabulous conclusion to the trilogy. It brought the mystery and conflict to a satisfying end and also provided a satisfying love story. I loved watching Jack and Alan learn more about each other and come to care for and rely on each other. I also loved watching their larger friend group interact because it was always highly entertaining. The villains were appropriately villanous, the plans were made and failed and remade several times, the action and suspense kept steadily increasing, and at the same time there were interludes for banter and tenderness. It makes me want to start the trilogy over again immediately.

I listened to the audio which was brilliantly done. All the character voices were unique and instantly recognizeable and believable. The performance was excellent and kept me immersed in the story. Highly recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

- this one blew me away!! The pacing, the plot, the way characters developed; it was all so well done! My only issue was that I wish we had more on Robin + Edwin and Maud + Violet, especially towards the end. At the same time, I loved Alan and Jack so much that I understand!
- the romance in this one is much darker, but I thought Marske was able to write it so well! The emotional tension between the two and the way they understood each other was so compelling!
- the ending omg. I won't say any spoilers, but I definitely could not put the book down for the last chunk! It was wild!!
- I love Jack's mom so much. She's not a major character, but the way Marske develops her is phenomenal.
- The grim...that is all...

Absolutely loved the Last Binding series from Freya Marske! This entire trilogy is easily one of my top reads of 2023 and I could barely contain myself waiting for the last installment. A Power Unbound was one of my top three most anticipated books of 2023 and it did not disappoint.

Fantastic. I've loved every book in the series and A Power Unbound delivers a beautiful, thoughtful, and satisfying conclusion. Needless to say, I am bereft. We got to see all our favorite characters from A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth in satisfying quantities while focusing on the incomparable Lord Hawthorne and Alan Ross. Their chemistry is insane. Their banter is hilarious. Their story is a must-read. Or in this case, a must listen-to.

I didn't listen to the other audiobooks in the series, but I'm glad I got the chance to listen to A Power Unbound. I sometimes get distracted by audiobooks, but the narrator's voice kept me engaged and added a depth to Hawthorne and Ross that I very much appreciated. There were a few times I lost the thread of who was speaking, as there is a subtle difference in the voices of different characters, but that is likely a me problem.

I don't want to talk too much about the plot except to say that every loose end is tied up and question answered in a conclusion that highlights the unique talents and qualities of the characters we've grown to love over the series. The relationships- romantic, platonic, familial- are truly the stars of the books, with a story that is always exciting and high stakes.

This left me with a tremendous book hangover, but I take comfort in knowing that I can revisit the series as often as I like- which I guarantee will be often. I can't recommend it enough.

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5)/5**
A perfectly magical ending to the Last Binding trilogy!

A Power Unbound picks up not long after the end of A Restless Truth to follow Lord Hawthorn (aka Jack Alston) as he finds himself drawn back into the magical world he has avoided for so long. Now living in a magical house with Maud and Violet—and begrudgingly working with his former lover Edwin and Edwin’s new partner Robin (who is also Maud’s brother)—their unlikely group works desperately to prevent a dangerous ritual that could steal magic from all of Britain’s magicians and give it to a select few. When the thief Alan Ross appears at their door offering his services, the group puts together a plan to find the last piece of the contract. Jack and Alan are both everything the other should hate—and yet, they find themselves unable to resist each other. As the plot unfolds and brings them back to Jack’s ancestral magical home—where all of his pain and avoidance of magic began—it’s a race to stop the ritual from happening before it’s too late for them all.

I have come to adore this queer historical fantasy/mystery series, and I was thrilled to see that Jack and Alan would take center stage in this final book. In addition to being perhaps the most suspenseful addition to the series, I think A Power Unbound is also potentially the sexiest of the series yet—the chemistry between Jack and Alan is incredible. I love the characters and world Marske has built, and I appreciate the ways that conversations about class and power are layered into this final book. I listened to the audiobook (as I did for the previous books in the series), and I thoroughly enjoyed the reader for this book—think they did a wonderful job bringing the story to life and would highly recommend this as a read or listen.

A Power Unbound is a phenomenal ending to The Last Binding trilogy, and I think fans of the series will not be disappointed. I love recommending this book to others because of the ways it intersects with so many genres, and I think there’s something for everyone here. I am sad to see the series end, but I hope to see more queer historical romance from Marske in the future!

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Freya Marske, and Macmillan Audio, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

4.5

Following in the trend of romance series, Freya Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy has a different romantic pairing as the dual point of view in each book. In this final installment, we follow Lord Hawthorn, who we met in the first book and then saw more of in the second book, and a writer in thief named Alan, who we met in the second book. But being the final installment in a fantasy trilogy, we also see a lot of the other two couples and there is a fine balance between the new relationship, the relationships from the previous books, and the plot elements of the entire trilogy. Overall, I think Freya Marske balances everything quite well. A Marvellous Light remains my favorite in the trilogy, but this was a very solid conclusion.

I don’t want to say too much because this is the final book in a series; however, I liked the romantic tension between Jack and Alan, and I loved the character growth of Jack throughout this series. In this book, we get to see so much of his backstory and see him come to terms with the grief that was touched on earlier in the series, and he really grows from a character that I did not like to someone I was rooting for.

I have mixed feelings on how the series ended as far as the macro plot, but at the same time I don’t see how it could’ve ended any other way, and I think upon reread I will love it. I truly loved this series and I can’t wait to see what Marske writes next.

As for the audiobook, each book in the trilogy is narrated by someone different and while I liked this narrator, he was my least favorite of the three. He did a decent job, but I don’t know if his voice matched the tone(s) I was expecting for these main characters.

The author’s voice is clear and wonderful. I was dragged along to every moment of the tumultuous journey, whether I wanted to go kicking and screaming or not. The characters are thorough and reflective. It’s easy to find a piece of yourself in them.

This was a great conclusion to The Last Binding trilogy! I’ve been hooked since the beginning and this book did not disappoint! I loved how different forms of magic were incorporated into the story and how the history of this world came into play. I can also see an opening for a spin-off series. Personally, I hope it happens! I love these books!

The whole crew, including Edwin, Robin, and Adalaide, are back and ready to defend the Last Contract no matter the consequences. I loved seeing all the main characters working together despite their different personalities. Edwin is still my favorite, but Jack’s mother is pretty awesome in her own right. I do wish we knew more about Addie. I’m hoping there might be some sort of spin-off series that involves her. There are a couple minor characters introduced in this book that could lead to something if the author chose to go in that direction.

Although the past main characters are in the story, this one focuses on a new couple. Jack and Alan are abrasive in a way that suits their individual personalities. At the same time, it’s clear that they eventually come to care for each other deeply. It was interesting to see their dynamic play out.

The audiobook is narrated by Josh Dylan. I enjoyed his performance and thought he did a great job bringing the story to life. I also appreciated the fun intro and outro music.

I should’ve waited to read the book but I was excited so I requested an audiobook ARC. Narration tends to make or break books imo and this didn’t work for me. One of the things I loved about A Marvelous Light was how vibrant each character was, I could clearly imagine their mannerisms and how they spoke. The high-class, primly accented narration stripped all that color from this book and made the whole thing feel very flat. I had a hard time keeping track of who was talking at any given time and nobody made any kind of impression on me, even characters I know I love. I spent a lot of time tuning out the audiobook just because the *way* things were being said bored me. I had a similar problem with A Restless Truth that was compounded by the fact that the characters were stuck on that damned boat. I regret listening to this when I likely would’ve liked it if I read it but as it is I found that this was neither memorable nor engaging.

I loved the first 2 books of this trilogy and A Power Unbound is a perfect way to wrap it up, as much as I wish I could continue to live in this world for longer. There were a couple twist I wasn't expecting and my jaw definitely dropped at least once! The narration was also fantastic. It's the perfect combo of historical fiction, fantasy, and spice and I cannot wait to see what Freya Marske releases next!

This is one of the first audiobooks I've ever really and truly enjoyed. I absolutely love Marske's writing. I've been following along with this series as it's been published, and it's such a good ending to the series. But very bittersweet. I can't wait to see what Marske does next.

Josh Dylan also did such a great job narrating this book, and I felt every emotion through his voice.