scijessreads

Sharing a book series I finished earlier this year, the Last Binding trilogy by Freya Marske. Book 1 is A Marvelous Light. Book 2 is A Restless Truth. Book 3 is A Power Unbound. They shoudl be read in order, because while each couple has a complete story, the overall story takes place over – and involves – all three books. But the commitment to the series is worth it.

In Book 1 (my personal favorite), we meet Edwin and Robin as they unwittingly cross paths due to a magical murder and some misunderstandings. The magic system and world here, a version of London at the turn of the century, was vividly cast and easy to fall into. There was a surprising amount of danger and violence in the magic here, giving much more weight to an already heady story about thirsts for power and family legacies. And I wanted to wrap Edwin up in a giant hug. 

For Book 2, we follow Maud on a journey by boat for the next phase of the quest to save the magical world. On board, we meet Violet and come back into contact with Lord Hawthorne and a sharp reporter that get entwined in their misadventures. This is a “bottle episode” on a boat, but isn’t lacking for the thrill of adventure as we continue to solve our main mystery. 

In Book 3, with Alain and Jack, I loved the class conversations, the sharp banter, and how well they just worked together despite everything (or maybe because of everything). It was also fun to finally see the overarching plot points come to a head, and how everyone fared as a result. Nefarious power is going to nefarious power, no matter the situation. 

This whole series was an overall delight to read. A great mix of humor and heart and a little bit of tense thrill. I definitely recommend it if you love historical fantasy, magic societies, queer romance, and a good ol’ murder-y mystery.