Grade: B- / 3.5 stars

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is an enjoyable fantasy romance novel in which an arranged marriage provides the spark for murder, intrigue and political shenanigans. The worldbuilding is solid, with well-developed and detailed societal customs and hierarchies, the protagonists are likeable and the central romance is tender and drips with lots of lovely UST. On the downside, the book is at least a hundred and fifty pages too long, the pacing is stodgy in places, and the mystery is too drawn out and easily resolved.

When the story begins, Velasin vin Aaro, a nobleman of Ralia, is on his way home in response to a summons from his father. He has no idea what it’s about, and hopes word has not reached home of his more… disreputable exploits; namely that he beds men rather than women, something Ralian society considers a degenerate perversion. Travelling with him is his best friend and valet Markel (who is mute); left behind is his former lover, Lord Killic vin Lato, whom Velasin dumped after discovering him cheating – again.

Not long after his arrival, Velasin discovers why he’s been brought home. His father has arranged a marriage for him with the daughter of the Tiern (Lord) of Qi-Katai in Tithenia – and Velasin knows he has no alternative but to agree to the match. The Tithenai envoy is to arrive the next day, but before Velasin can think much about what’s to come, he’s stunned and angry to hear that Killic has followed him and is asking to see him. He tries wheedling his way back into Vel’s good graces with pretty words – and when those don’t work, he resorts to sex, and won’t take no for an answer. Be warned, the assault happens on the page (it’s hard to read, but so much of what follows is built around it, it would be impossible to remove it) – and stops only when they’re seen by Velasin’s father and the Tithenian envoy, who has arrived early. Wretched, humiliated, sick to his stomach Velasin watches as Killic is run off while he is left alone in utter disgrace.

The following morning, Velasin is summoned to his father’s presence and informed that the marriage is still to go ahead. He’s surprised to see that the envoy is “one of Tithena’s third-gender souls, called kemi…” whose existence “scandalised the Ralian court”, which is rigidly traditional about everything including gender roles and women’s rights (or lack thereof). Equally surprising is the envoy’s suggestion that instead of marrying the Tiern’s daughter, Velasin might marry his son without changing the terms of the contract. Velasin’s father is aghast at the idea of his son marrying a man, but agrees – then tells Vel he can never return home again.

Caethari Xai Aeduria is surprised to discover that he, rather than his sister, is to be married, but at least has a little time to get used to the idea while the Ralian convoy is en route to Qi-Katai. He’s curious about his future husband, but has been able to find out little about him, and really isn’t sure what he ought to feel or how he should act when they meet. That becomes of secondary importance once Velasin arrives, however; watching from the rooftop, Cae sees the convoy enter through the city gate, and then watches helplessly as someone in the crowd rushes at Velasin with a knife – which is deflected by Markel, who bears the brunt of the strike. Hurrying to the scene, Cae almost collides with a very dishevelled and worried Velasin, who is desperate to get to Markel’s side. It’s not exactly the way Cae had envisaged meeting his betrothed.

Even before Velasin arrived in Qi-Katai, there were signs of trouble when the caravan travelling from Ralia was attacked, leaving one guard dead and others injured. The attack at the city gate is followed by one on Cae’s father – all of them pointing to there being a deep-seated anti-Ralian sentiment at large and to someone intending to destabilise the already fragile relations between Ralia and Tithena.

I was looking forward to getting my teeth into a plot filled with conspiracies and court intrigue, but the mystery plot is fairly weak, little more than a series of events, one after the other, with no real escalation or building on what has gone before, and no real investigation. Vel and Cae ask questions, but are never given the time or opportunity to act on the answers as it seems that every time they come close to doing so, another character interrupts them and sends things off in a different direction or just continues the earlier conversation without reaching any conclusions. It’s too drawn out with little happening, and then, to add insult to injury, the reveal happens literally by accident when Velasin and Cae overhear the bad guys arguing and blaming each other for not doing things properly!

The romance is easily the best thing in the book, as Cae gently tries to help Velasin work through his trauma, offering friendship and understanding and not pushing for anything more. The way they move from being strangers to forging a tentative friendship, then from friendship to absolute trust and more is really well done, with great chemistry and lots of lingering touches and longing looks that build the romantic and sexual tension.

Grading A Strange and Stubborn Endurance was tough because while the plot leaves much to be desired, the romance is lovely, and there are many other things about the book that should be celebrated. I’ve mentioned the worldbuilding already – and within that, there’s excellent queer rep that includes prominent non-binary and trans characters and a welcoming society for all. Velasin’s bewilderment at becoming part of this society is well portrayed, too; having been brought up within the strict conventions of Ralia, he finds it hard to adjust to the fact that he no longer has to hide his sexuality or be surprised at the fact that people like him are treated with respect. He has no idea what is expected of him as Cae’s husband, and is struggling to un-learn many of the things he’s been brought up to believe. He’s a more well-developed character than Cae, who thinks of himself as a bluff soldier, good in combat, not so good when it comes to reading people and politicking. Fortunately, Cae proves to be very insightful and sensitive to the needs of others, intuiting almost at once that all is not well with Velasin and determining to help him however he can. I also liked watching him get turned on by his husband’s mind on those occasions where Velasin is able to cast off his self-doubt and desire for self-effacement, and reveal his true self – inquisitive, clever, observant, a charmer who is skilled at playing the courtier and navigating his way through layers of malice and misdirection. In fact, I wish we’d seen much more of that side of him, especially as part of his journey in this book is finding his way back to being the person he was before the assault and realising he doesn’t have to let it define him.

I really wish I could give A Strange and Stubborn Endurance a strong recommendation because of all the things it gets right, but the weakness of the plot really does drag it down and the slow pacing makes it difficult to invest in the outcome – especially when it seems that sometimes, even the characters themselves have forgotten about it! The final ten percent or so is terrific, and had the rest of the book been able to sustain that level of nail-biting tension, I’d be extolling its virtues. In the end, I’m going with a low B and qualified recommendation overall – a low C for the mystery and a high B for the romance, worldbuilding, characters and representation. I’d definitely read another fantasy romance from this author – here’s hoping for something tighter next time.

TW: sexual assault

I very much liked the premise of this book. It’s got fantasy, arranged marriage, fighting, political intrigued. All the elements of what should be a great story. I’m going to be honest: I didn’t make it farther than 25%.

It’s not because of the rather graphic on page sexual assault that definitely did NOT need to happen and definitely took my by surprise despite the content warning at the beginning of the book. No, the real reason was I was bored. Sure a lot of things happen. There’s several attempts at assassination but there was not much emotional follow through. A lot of random bits of information were thrown out about the world which made the world building very clunky and awkward. The dialogue was either very formal or far too casual for a high fantasy book and didn’t fit the genre.

I wanted to like it but it just fell flat for me and I had to sadly DNF before hitting the 50% mark.

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. Characters are wonderfully fleshed out, the romance is genuinely interesting and well-written, and the world and story is well-made. Complex and interesting.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance was absolutely beautiful. The pacing was perfect. The story was so lovely and I couldn't get enough. I highly recommend EVERYONE reading this.

First and foremost, if you like a love story, this is one of the best I’ve read in recent times. In this novel, Foz Meadows explores gender and sexual identity with ease, creating a world where there are intricate and beautiful relationships, caring and loving characters, intriguing magical elements, and intricate politics and intrigue. The novel is addictive and beautiful. 

What makes the love story shine in this fantasy novel is the level of detail to both characters, Velasin and Cae. Both characters are deep and complex. Vel struggles with accepting the relationship, with past events while Cae gives him honesty and caring. Both characters are engaging and incredibly easy to like. 

While I did make a guess as to who was trying to kill the alliance, the conclusion was also well written with enough surprises and intrigue to keep a reader engaged and the pace made me not want to put the book down once. I gulped down the novel. If you like a beautiful love story with a romance not set up in the typical fashion, then I highly recommend A Strange and Stubborn Endurance. It was an addictive and beautiful story.

A beautiful and lush fantasy filled with intrigue, passion and just the right sense of humour. I find I can’t put into words how much I loved this world, the descriptions of food and the author’s choices to celebrate kindness and embrace the difficult journey with finding acceptance. Please be mindful of triggers in this book as it deals with SA and the importance of consent.

(Please be sure to mind the content warnings in the author's note! This book definitely warrants them.)

Where to even start with this one? The worldbuilding is extremely well balanced, the main cast of characters are delightful and hilariously charming, and the <i>romance</i> at the center of it all...

You can really tell that this book was written by someone with a love of the craft, and a love of tropes - and I mean that in the best way possible. It's one thing to take a list of everyone's favorite romance tropes and cram them into a book in a way that only vaguely makes sense, but A STRANGE AND STUBBORN ENDURANCE manages to take it an order of magnitude further than that and spin something unique, original, and wholly beautiful. Just... it's so fun. I had a smile on my face for 95% of this book. It feels like a warm hug of acceptance and recovery and healing, a safe place where the bad things in the world still exist but aren't as pressingly important, a reminder of what's good and worthwhile in life. This has "comfort read" written all over it.

There are some weak spots - I would have liked to have seen the supporting cast of characters fleshed out a bit more, and the political intrigue that propels the plot forward felt a bit too tidily concluded. But honestly? I don't care about that. This book did exactly what I hoped it would and dragged me out of a reading slump. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it for days now, and that, I think, is a mark of something special.

I can't wait to read this one again.

(Special thanks to Tor Books for the recommendation and the ARC!)

This was a great read which is about a nobleman who must marry a princess until the kingdom realizes his sexuality and decide he can marry her brother instead where they both must not be allies. I haven't read many m/m books in my life but wanted to change that and was glad to see this book. I'm glad to have picked it up because the story was amazing and I enjoyed this epic fantasy. Meadows has an incredible writing style as they somehow knew how to balance all the world building, mystery, romance, magic and other themes into one. I do have to say that the pacing was a little slow for me so it was hard to get into in the beginning but once the drama starts, it's easier to get into.

So the main characters in this book are Vel and Cae whom I both enjoyed reading about. Both were enjoyable and likable characters with amazing character developments. Vel is the nobleman who almost destroyed his union until he learned he could marry Tithenai's brother, Cae. There were many side characters in this book a lot that I hated just because of the way they were written and they were a little hard to connect to. There is a lot of LGBTQ+ rep in this book which was great! But the romance guys was so cute and I enjoyed it a lot. It was healthier compared to other book relationships I have seen before and this was a forced marriage trope.

The ending was a hea but honestly could have been a tad better in my opinion. Nowadays I'm not a huge fan of the way books are ended so I think it's just me. I did have some minor problems with this book but I have to say that the author was incredible with balancing everything together in this amazing world. I would also like to mention that there is a lot of triggers in this book like self harm, rape, and homophobia. I do recommend reading this book especially those who want a good m/m fantasy

Truly, we are living in a golden age of queer fantasy. From continent-spanning epics and fairytale reimaginings to seemingly futuristic dystopias and worlds built on complex systems of magic, these are stories that run the gamut from thrillers to romance and everything in between. The best of the lot, however, are usually those that mix various genres and elements in a way that feels fresh and new or gives readers something they haven’t seen before.

And Foz Meadows’ new novel A Strange and Stubborn Endurance does exactly that, simultaneously offering readers a lush, fully realized fantasy adventure, a delicate exploration of healing and trauma, and an incredibly satisfying, sexy slow-burn romance. The book’s worldbuilding is rich and enticing, its supporting characters detailed and memorable, and the politically motivated intrigue at its center compelling. Yes, this is the sort of book that may take you the first 50 pages or so to settle into—Meadows drops readers directly into the story’s action and trusts that they’ll be able to both keep up and figure out the rules of the world they find themselves in—but once our two leads meet, the emotionally gripping bond between them will keep you turning pages as fast as possible.

This is one of my favorite things I've read in a very long time. Foz Meadows bewitched me entirely and all I know to say is thank you, may I please have another.

There are so many fantastic things about this book that are worthy of praise that I hardly know where to start. The worldbuilding is expansive enough to feel immersive, but straightforward enough that there's never a need for an infodump or excessive explanations. This lush world simply exists and allows the reader to find their way through it as the story progresses and I appreciate that Meadows trusts the reader enough to do that.

The pacing is so intricately balanced. I don't even know how Meadows did it. There's a ton of action and exciting reveals all paralleled by this slowly unravelling mystery and an even slower building romance. We jump from dangerous, fast-paced moments to tender, softer moments but it never feels jarring or out of place. I never wanted to put this book down because there was always something keeping me glued, even if that something wasn't always the same something.

But the thing that really kept me going through this book are the characters. Meadows crafts characters that you can't help but love and care for. I quickly fell for Vel and Cae both and was rooting for them, both in their individual challenges and as a pair. Their love is so precious and sweet and it's such a joy to witness it unfold on the page. I could read an entire book of them just being playful and sassy with one another and I promise I would rate it five stars. I also really enjoyed Markel and Vel's relationship. I feel like we don't get many books that explore incredibly close platonic male relationships (BFF soulmates??) and that was another beautiful, warm gift this book gives.

As much as I'm gushing about this amazing world and it's lovable characters, there's quite a bit of darkness in these pages as well. I commend Meadows for handling such sensitive topics with so much respect and tact. There are many things someone could find triggering in these pages, so I would absolutely recommend checking out content warnings if that is something you are concerned about. In addition to the traumas themselves, Meadows allows readers an intimate look into the aftereffects of trauma and the healing process that follows. We see the road to recovery and the moments when those damages rear their ugly heads. It's intimate and raw and feels terribly authentic. It's all handled incredibly well and I'm so glad I got to experience a book that represents mental health and trauma so tactfully and with so much hope.

I loved this book. Everything about it. I'm grateful I got to experience it and can't wait to read it again in the future. Although I'm very happy with how this concluded as a standalone, I would absolutely jump at the chance to revisit these characters should the author opt for a sequel.
A million stars, can't wait to recommend it widely.

I'll be thinking about this one for a long time to come.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Content Warnings: sexual assault, suicidal ideation, self-harm, animal death.

Well now wasnt this just a pleasant surprise. The first half and the last half were 5 stars for me but I found the middle dragged a bit so I did lower to 4 stars. However when I reread this book (and mark my word I will) I can almost guarantee my problems in the middle won’t be an issue and I’ll bump it to five stars.
This is definitely a heavy read and those trigger warnings are in there and very present. I’m talking within the first 30 pages so please make sure you will be okay before picking this one up.

What truly made this book for me was the two main characters relationship. I just love how sweet and gentle it was. Both characters were so well developed so it just felt really well balanced.

The world really interested me and I do love fantasy with political intrigue and this one had a ton of that!

I really had a great time and can totally understand the hype this one has been getting! I hope to read more from this world very soon

Thank you so much to Tor and Raincoast books for the early copy!

This felt like a bad fanfiction. And while I would have absolutely eaten this up as a fanfic about two of my favorite characters that I already have a deep knowledge and affection for, it does not work for characters that I'm just now meeting. Also, spoiler for the beginning, but big trigger warning for sexual assault/rape. It is a pretty graphic scene in the second chapter, and it's brought up over and over again. Also a trigger for attempted suicide. That threw me off for the longest time because I was not prepared for that awful scene. But the plot felt like it fell to the side at times (was there ever actually a plot besides "pining" that only lasts for like... a week? Not really), and there was so much repetition that I started rolling my eyes every time I heard "my... no, OUR rooms". This also felt like a book that REALLY tried to emphasize that gender roles don't need to exist (which I agree with 100%, but the amount of times this was repeated over a 500+ page book was overkill). There are better gay fantasy romance novels out there, and this isn't one of them.

dnf @ 12%

I ended up borrowing the audiobook from my library for this book because I was late reading it. I started off really enjoying it. I think had it not been for my current mental state, I would have really enjoyed this. The world seemed interesting. But the main character is raped and they are dealing with the emotional trauma that comes with something like that. I knew the content warnings and thought I was okay to read this, but I was not so I will be dnf'ing this. I might try it again in the future when I'm feeling better, but for now, I shall pause about two hours into the audiobook.

In dual first-person POV, A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows explores the impact of gender and sexual identity politics on the alliance of two kingdoms through the unexpected, arranged marriage between third son Velasin vin Aaro and warrior/soldier Caethari Aeduria. Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry anyone. However, his father informs him of his arranged betrothal/marriage to a neighboring Tithena young woman. After he’s assaulted, revealing his preference for men, Vel fears that he has let his family and kingdom down by potentially ruining the diplomatic union. His father plans to disown him, but the Tithenai envoy suggests that Vel marry the brother of his intended bride instead. While Caethari Aeduria knew any marriage of his would be political, he’s shocked when he’s suddenly betrothed to a man from Ralia, where relationships like theirs are forbidden.

An unknown faction proves their willingness to kill or hurt anyone to end Vel and Cae’s new alliance, leaving them no choice but to trust one another. Cae and Vel begin their marriage as uneasy allies, but as they work together to find out who is behind the plots to sabotage their alliance/marriage, they grow closer. As they learn more about each other and how to live as partners within their new reality, they discover love is the biggest risk of all—even greater than survival.

Meadows’ vivid description, detailed worldbuilding, fascinating characters, and intriguing and suspenseful plot make for a fast-paced, enjoyable read that sucks you in quickly. While Vel and Cae are complete opposites, they match each other nicely. Meadows deftly develops their relationship with sweet, humorous, intimate, emotional, and intellectual banter plus great chemistry. I really like how Vel and Cae learn that first impressions rarely show the whole of who people are or what situations appear to be at first glance. Cae helps Vel to heal the wounds from his past, and Vel helps Cae to broaden his worldview. Vel discovers that he has so much more to offer the world than he had always believed. The characters are complex and deftly developed.

Within the bounds of a well-constructed narrative that has several unexpected twists, making for a compelling underlying suspense plot, Meadows thoughtfully explores issues of sexual gender and identity, discrimination, prejudice, self-esteem, and sexism. A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is a thrilling, emotional, suspenseful, entertaining LGBTQ romance with a great blend of royal/political intrigue, light fantasy, magic, humor, and adventure.
CW: sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and self-harm

Advanced review copy provided by Tor Books via Netgalley for review.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Good and engaging story. There are trigger warnings for descriptions of sexual assault and abuse, which I appreciated, as a survivor. I will read more from this author.

This book has it all. I was initially worried about how I would feel due to the thoughtfully placed content warnings, but Foz Meadows has handled something very sensitive thoughtfully, and has written characters so thoughtful and vulnerable that I couldn't help but love them. This is amazing and I can't wait for more, a great reminder that healing need not be a solo endeavour.

This entire book is the epitome of a chef's kiss. I can't think of a single thing I cwould change in it. The dynamic between our two main characters, the very smart and insightful way of approaching trauma and discovering onesself (to go into detail, the way the trans character was introduced and brought up?! Phenomenal! I already described this to friends and customers as a fantastic rich and dynamic fantasy that everyone MUST get their hands on and read.

I had the opportunity to read A Strange and Stubborn Endurance as an e-arc while on vacation and I immediately pre-ordered when I finished, which speaks to how much I enjoyed it! Yes, there are some problems I had with it (more on that below), but all I want in books right now are queer political marriages and slow burn romances, and this had that in spades.

ASaSE follows Velasin, the son of a lord who is sent off, in disgrace, to another country for a political marriage. Very early into the book (~15-30 pages in) Vel is sexually assaulted by his ex and this event sets the trajectory of the book. Despite its dark start, and continued dark events, ASaSE is a story of healing with a central slow burn romance.

I enjoyed the pacing, the romantic plot, and the character development/healing journey. The balance between happy moments and the stark realities of dealing with past traumas and social conditioning was well-done. Moments went from sweet to dark at the snap of a finger, but it never felt forced or shocking, it felt realistic to Vel's triggers and the escalating events of the story. This was also mostly the same with moments that went from dark to light (though some didn't work for me) - with time skips, or the characters intentionally acting to bring lightness to a dark moment.

However, the book is lacking in the external plot. The murder mystery/political intrigue plot lacked substance. It does contribute to the romance and the pacing/romance beats, but it would need a lot more to stand on its own. There was too much wild goose chasing for me, particularly when our MCs could have solved the problem a lot earlier if they'd made any effort/been suspicious of literally anyone.

But honestly, until the end, I didn't really care about that because the characters' journeys and the romance were at the forefront of the story and both really worked for me.

I definitely recommend checking out A Strange and Stubborn Endurance!

CW: On page SA, suicidal ideation, self-harm, animal death, homophobia, violence

As the third son of a landed noble, Velasin vin Aaro has very few expectations for his future. In Ralia's homophobic society, Velasin has accepted that he will never marry and that his preference for the company of other men must remain a secret. When Velasin is unexpectedly summoned by his father for a visit, he's shocked to learn he's been betrothed at the behest of the King to a woman from a noble family in the neighboring country of Tithenai. Until recently the two nations have been at war. Both countries are looking to this marriage to strengthen relations and stabilize peace.

What Velasin doesn't expect is that the lover he has recently parted ways with would follow him to his father's estate. When Velasin refuses to leave with him, his lover sexually assaults him and to Velasin's even greater misfortune they are seen by the envoy from Tithenai who is arriving to escort him to his wedding. The envoy offers up the brother of his intended for the match instead, as Tithenai does not discriminate against same-sex relationships. Despite being terrified that he is heading from one assault straight to another, Velasin is forced to accept the new arrangement both to keep the alliance and because he has been exiled by his father.

Velasin's new intended is Caethari Aeduria, soldier and middle child of the Tiernan. Cae spent years riding against raiders against Ralia and earned the name the Wild Knife. With forces aligned against their marriage and danger closing in, Velasin and Cae must learn to rely on each other if they're going to track down the culprits and make their marriage work.

A Strong and Stubborn Endurance is a little bit mystery novel, a little bit fantasy novel, and a large bit romance novel. If you are not a fan of romance novel conventions or on page sexual assault and frequent discussions of said sexual assault, this is not the book for you. In all honesty I think the promo materials and ad copy for this book do not do enough to warn about the rape scene, so please believe me when I say it is explicit. It is also brought up throughout the rest of the book as Velasin processes his trauma, so it's not something you can simply skip over if this is triggering for you.

To be entirely honest, this wasn't the book for me, for multiple reasons. Part of that is personal preference. This book simply did not hit me right. But part of it is also execution issues.

The world building is interesting and the novel starts at a quick pace, but once it reaches the meat of the story it gets bogged down by a tangent heavy first person point of view. Velasin is not allowed a single unquestioned opinion, statement, or lack of prejudice. Each time this happens there is a lengthy story or reason given that derails the book, sometimes for pages on end. No minor character detail or story element is left without this examination. It's worst in Velasin's POV, but Caethari's also suffers from this same issue. While a little of this is helpful to establish a character, the constant use it did nothing but make reading a tedious affair. The total book clocks in at 544 pages but if the tangents had been reigned in it could easily have been a much tighter 350 pages.

My other major issue with the book was pacing. While some of this is obviously due to the aforementioned tangents, some of it was poor plotting. A lot of the main part of the book relies on incident after incident occurring at an incredibly wild rate, so much so that it started to feel less like part of the mystery and more like a stalling tactic to give a plausible amount of time for the romance to happen. Even the conclusion felt oddly rushed for how much had led into it, despite also feeling like reading it took one thousand years.

Then there was the romance element. While I'm not a huge romance reader, I do read them and enjoy them. I mention this because I want you to understand that I know what I'm talking about when I say some of the romance parts read like a bad self published Kindle Unlimited romance and the sex scenes were so overly described they became awkward. Beyond that, the pace set for Velasin and Cae's relationship development is bonkers. This is definitely a situation where your mileage may vary, but boy was it a deal breaker for me.

Having said all that, I do think there are great parts to this book. The characters were interesting and so was the world building. It's a diverse book which brought in influences from non-European cultures and reveled in them. Meadows also has a good eye for description which helps flesh out the world. I can't say I'd recommend it though.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this! Please note the huge trigger warning for rape, self harm and attempted suicide in this book. The on-page rape happens very early on and although I believe the topic is handled well and with care, it is graphic, sudden and is a large focus of the book (and this review).

The book follows Velasin, a closeted gay man, whose father has arranged for him to marry a girl from their neighbouring nation Tithena. An awful series of events leads to Velasin’s preference for men being exposed, but the Tithenai envoy is happy to offer up the girl’s brother for marriage instead. Not everyone, it seems, is happy about Velasin’s arrival in Tithenai and murder and mystery is soon afoot. First of all, I have discovered that I love queer arranged marriage plots and this has big Winter’s Orbit vibes, with its intricate world building, a focus on healing from trauma, and marriage for political purposes (although obviously more magic and less space).

The sexual violence at the start is harrowing and does come as a massive shock if you’re not expecting it. The book gets very dark, very quickly, so once again, please be careful when picking this up. The trauma is handled sensitively and with care, and seeing Velasin’s new husband Caethari support and help him through his recovery is emotional and really sweet. The care, respect and admiration that Cae shows Velasin is so tender and after the horror of the first chapters, watching their romance is unfold is a delight.

Markel, Velasin’s mute valet, is an absolute legend and deserves a Best Side Character award. The rest of the supporting cast are interesting and incredibly diverse, making for a rich and exciting fantasy world. The world building is excellent, and really interesting, especially with the contrast between Velasin’s very conservative country and Caethari’s very open one, which leads to a lot great discussions on gender. There’s great non-binary, trans and disability rep throughout the book, which is interwoven into the world building.

There’s lots of running around palaces discovering murders which gives the plot a good pace. Horses are also featured heavily, if you’re a former horse girl like me. The political mystery is intriguing and good fun, and does provide a contrast to the heavier and darker themes of trauma recovery, although at times these two storylines don’t feel like they intermesh properly. Whilst individually both are well written, one will typically get put on the back burner whilst the other takes centre stage, which occasionally means the tone and mood of some scenes feels off.

Overall, a beautifully crafted fantasy world with a great cast of characters, and a romance that is refreshingly full of healthy communication. Velasin and Caethari are likeable characters and the development of their relationship is gently paced, allowing for Velasin to heal and find himself again, whilst also letting the desire and chemistry to build between the two of them.