Better than the second, not as good as the first, but still a fantastic end to this historical fantasy trilogy!

Seeing a different type of affection and relationship depicted by Jack and Alan was at first, quite different than I’d have expected, but then felt refreshing at the same time. Among the heated scenes, which had some strong pillow talk, there were also hints of tenderness that surprised me.

As for the main arc, it was lovely to see all characters from both Books 1 & 2 unite for this adventure together. And I really welcomed getting to learn more about Jack and Alan’s backstories and personalities.

My heart is full, and I already know I’m going to miss this found family very much.

Following the fantastic A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth this third book in the trilogy is a thrilling ride that is at once a breathless adventure that I couldn't wait to find out what happens and on the other side is also a romance that develops and is a strong draw to the story as well. I think each side of the story was equally important because each side informed on the other and this made for a story that was equally thrilling in both the adventure side and on the romantic element. We catch up with all our favorites from the previous books but the focus is on Jack and the reporter Alan in this book. They are two interesting people and make an interesting couple, the dynamics are definitely interesting between them and so much about them and building a relationship from the mistrust of who they are, one a nobleman and the other a working class reporter. Such an adventure.

A Power Unbound is the third and final book in Freya Marske’s imaginative fantasy trilogy, The Last Binding, set in an alternative Edwardian England in which the existence of magic is carefully concealed from those who do not have it. Each book has followed a different couple to their HEA/HFN, but the plot is overarching, so I would suggest reading at least one of the other books before jumping into this one. (I confess I haven’t read book two, but I was able to follow this one without too much trouble.) There’s a lot riding on this final instalment; the author has to tie up all the plotlines, make sure the Bad Guys are defeated and write a believable romance for a new couple, and I’m pleased to be able to say that Freya Marske does all that with aplomb.

Note: There are spoilers for the earlier books in this review.

The trilogy’s plot revolves around the search for three magical items – a coin, a cup and a knife – that, together, are the physical symbol of the Last Contract, the bargain forged between humans and the fae which left magic in the hands of humans before the fae left the human world for good. The three items have been hidden separately, and in A Marvellous Light, Robin Blyth and Edwin Courcey discovered that someone was intent on finding them and using them to construct a spell that could draw every last drop of magical power from every magician in the land, and relocate it into the hands of a select few. Robin and Edwin were able to locate the coin, only to have it stolen from them by Edwin’s brother, Walter, who not only works for the organisation that governs magical society, but is also part of the plot to invoke the Last Contract. The plotline in book two concerned the search for the cup, which is now in the possession of Maud Blyth (Robin’s sister) and Violet Debenham, and this story kicks off with our heroes trying to work out where the knife may be hidden so they can get to it before their enemies do.

Since their shipboard adventures in A Restless Truth, Maud and Violet have set up home in Spinet House, the enchanted dwelling Violet has inherited, and have roped in Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn, (who was also on their voyage) to live there, too, as a kind of bodyguard. We met Jack in A Marvellous Light, when he came across as a bit of an arsehole; grumpy, broody and enigmatic, he wasn’t pleased at being asked for help after Robin was cursed and insisted he couldn’t help before showing Robin and Edwin the door. But he was telling the truth – after the death of his twin sister as the result of a magical experiment gone badly wrong (and which stole much of his own magic from him) Jack turned his back on the magical community and has, for the past sixteen years, lived the life of a ‘normal’ aristocrat. He wants nothing to do with magic, but has found himself reluctantly dragged back into its orbit courtesy of, first of all, Robin’s curse, and then becoming involved with Maud and Violet’s murder mystery aboard ship. And now, he’s in the thick of trying to keep the pieces of the Last Contract from being found by his cousin George – whom he holds responsible for his sister’s death - and Edwin’s brother, who want to use them to ‘siphon’ and redistribute magical power according to their own wishes.

And disagreeable as all that is, even more disagreeable is the involvement of journalist Alanzo Rossi – aka Alan Ross – whom Jack finds both maddeningly annoying and maddeningly attractive. Alan is Jack’s complete opposite, a working man from an Italian immigrant family who works hard for every scrap he gets and will do whatever needs to be done to keep his family safe, housed, and fed. As far as Alan is concerned, Lord Hawthorn is just another arrogant, overprivileged prick in a society full of them and he makes no bones about making Jack aware of exactly what he thinks of him. But right from the start, it’s clear that Alan is Jack’s match in wit and intelligence; their chemistry leaps off the page, their back-and-forth barbs and banter zing, and I loved their snarky dynamic. Thrown together to help prevent the destruction of the magical world while they strike sparks off each other and are not at all happy about it, it’s just a matter of time before all that lovely sexual tension boils over into some of the steamiest scenes of the series. Jack and Alan take their established power differential into the bedroom in a fully consensual way that absolutely works for them both, and I loved that they don’t stop sniping at each other even as it’s becoming clear to them that maybe there’s something more going on between them than just the slaking of mutual lust. I liked that the author addresses the class-differences between them head-on, and it was a delight to see these two strong, stubborn men learning to let each other in. Ms. Marske does a great job of using the sex scenes to illuminate moments of growing intimacy, trust and character development.

While Jack and Alan are the romantic focus of the story, the continuation of the plot is more of an ensemble affair, as they’re joined by the couples from the previous books – Edwin and Robin, Maud and Violet – and the redoubtable Miss Morrissey, all of whom have important parts to play in the story, and all of whom feel like fully fleshed-out individuals with their own weaknesses and strengths that are important to the story, rather than just a series of for-the-sake-of-it cameos. I really liked the found family aspect of the story, and watching Jack slowly allowing himself to make room for new relationships in his life as he comes to terms with the changes in his magical identity. The author builds the tension steadily throughout as the stakes become higher and the story takes a dark, dramatic turn before heading into a thrilling showdown which could change the magical world forever.

I really enjoyed the book, although there are a couple of things that pulled my final grade down just a little. The pacing, while generally swift, drags occasionally, and the climactic scene near the end has so much going on that I found it hard to keep track of it all, and it feels rushed. And there are some parts of the magic system that could have done with a bit more explanation and/or exploration.

Even so, A Power Unbound is a compelling combination of high-stakes, complex plot and snarky, sexy romance that provides a thrilling conclusion to The Last Binding series. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for whatever Freya Marske comes up with next.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hardcopy. All opinions provided are my own.

You absolutely have to start Freya Marske’s The Last Binding series from the beginning but if queer romantasy, lots of threads, & relatable, imperfect characters sounds good, have no fear: books 1 & 2 are out now & book 3, A Power Unbound, is out shortly.

A Power Unbound picks up where book 2 left off: with the group’s overarching aim—to prevent magic from being gathered/stolen & wielded by the unscrupulous in a tyrannical, violent power move—& with the leads, whom we saw in book 2 as secondary characters.

I have been so excited about this enemies to lovers pairing, mostly because the animosity was SEVERE & I couldn’t wait to watch arrogant Jack, a Lord, fall in particular.

There is a huge difference in class, status, wealth, & even size for the leads in this book, something one-half of the partnership, Alanzo, a journalist, repeatedly points out. It makes for heated & really interesting convos, as both men learn things aren’t quite as cut & dry as they expected & as Jack becomes more cognizant of his privilege & Alanzo’s lack thereof.

My fave moment is maybe unexpected to me—when a character unexpectedly extends grace & understanding instead of anger & judgment. (I can’t reveal more ).

This is such a bold, striking fantasy trilogy that basically clobbers you in a good way. There are moments when I was a bit confused or just had a hard time giving it the attention it demands but overall it’s a set of really great romantasy reads that gave me hours & hours of fun (these books are thick).

4.25⭐️. Out 11/07.

CWs: murder, blackmail, violence.

[ID: Jess’ white hand holds the book in front of a green tree with leaves turning reddish orange & a blue sky.]

A Marvellous Light, the first in Freya Marske's trilogy of queer Edwardian fantasy romances, was also my first ever review on Nerds of a Feather, lo those whole two years ago. It really doesn't feel that long at all, especially with regard to this series - three books across those two years is not to be sneezed at. And now we get to see the trilogy as a thing whole and complete, as well as go "ooh another book" and devour it whole (as I may or may not have done).

But I'll start with A Power Unbound simply as itself, rather than as the culmination of the series. As was teased relatively heavily before the book came out, it follows two characters we already knew - Lord Hawthorn, who has featured in both previous book, and Alan(zo) Ross(i) whom we met in the second installment - who had me tipping my head to one side and pulling a face when I found out. Because it is an... interesting pairing, to say the least. They have very different backgrounds, aims, pursuits, contexts, and, most critically, classes and they very much did not get on when last we met them. How... exactly is that going to work?

Well, the answer lies in a criticism I had of A Restless Truth, in fact. Where there, Marske dabbled briefly into examining the politics of the players in her world - peers and posh nearly all, bar one - but stopped short of actually interrogating it, here she's actually taken a full step into that thorny bush of problems. For all that romantasy in the style she's writing is relatively recently in vogue, she's also playing with tropes and settings that abound in non-magical romance stories, and one of those is, as she begins with, a set of characters who all come from the very upper echelons of society. Peerages everywhere. Can't walk through a room without stepping on a lord. And there's a lot to be said (and has been said by people who engage far more thoroughly with romance as a genre than I do) about what that means, when we fill our stories with only the tiniest percentage of the people in the world we're talking about. We get to play in beautiful settings - country manors with fashionable wallpaper and lovingly landscaped gardens - and gad about the country without needing to think of the cost, or the jobs our characters ought to be attending. But... it's a fiction, on top of the fiction we're already consuming. It hides behind it all the pain and suffering and struggle atop which those peers sit. And Marske does, in bits, pick up on this in her second book, without ever being fully willing to grasp the nettle.

But once you cast one of your two love interests as someone outside of that tiny circle of privilege, you do just have to go for it. And she does. And so she solves - to an extent (I'll come back to this) - her personality problem by making it explicitly somewhat political. Jack and Alan's relationship is entirely built on their respective places in the social hierarchy. It starts and ends with Alan being willing to tell Jack to his face that he's a rich bastard, and the reader having to sit with that, fully ponder it, as we get spelled out throughout the book what that truly means in a romantic relationship. What someone in Jack's position might take away from someone, the harm they could do. And what someone in Alan's might have to be willing to tolerate for the sake of simple survival.

And she lets it get incredibly messy.

Because these are two people for whom politics, sex, romance and conflict are all bundled together in a chaotic heap, with both of their coping mechanisms gearing towards bickering and sexual interests that intersect very very heavily with their contexts in life. And so, by focusing us on the politics upon which so much of this rests, she manages to create a very tight atmosphere and a palpable sexual tension that rockets you through the story... unless you pause to really think about it, that is.

Which is my "to an extent". For the duration of the book, especially if you read it in two hurried sittings, you can totally buy into what she's doing. You can enjoy the sniping and the sarcasm and the building heat of their interactions. It absolutely works. It ties in beautifully with a lot of what's happening in the world. But... when you come away from it after finishing the book, when you let it settle in your mind for a bit, you can't help but be convinced it won't last. That they don't really work together, at least not in the secure way the previous couples have. They're both, in and of themselves, really great characters, and their relationship developing is fascinating, but there's something not quite right about it, that feels like there's no chance it'll stand the test of time. Not so much happily ever after as happily for now.

But they are both great characters, individually, and for all that doubt, if you can focus purely on what happens in the book as it happens, it's an awful lot of fun. Their dynamic being such a confrontational one means there's a huge opportunity for banter and snark, and Marske does this exceptionally, while critically managing to stay on the right side of the line so neither of them says anything truly unforgiveable for the reader. They're assholes, but they're only assholes, not actually awful. This is particularly true for Hawthorn, who has been a sarcastic bastard throughout the series, and now gets to undermine that a little with his inner monologue, while continuing to be the same jackass we've known and loved throughout. For him, it was always going to be tricky trying to humanise him without overdoing it - yes, he's had some bad shit happen to him throughout his life, but if we push too hard into "actually he's all mushy on the inside", it ruins the fun. But she manages to tread the careful line both for the sake of his personality, and for allowing him to have genuine, traumatic life events while still having the narrative hold him somewhat accountable for his enormous privilege.

Alan though... Alan is just fascinating. There's a whole essay you could write about Alan and attraction and sex. The man has a lot going on. But in a story that is so wholly dominated by rich people and rich people problems, where he has to carry the entire weight of "so hey, remember the majority of the population isn't like this", he manages to do so while still being such a delight to read.

One of the ways in which his character - and his relationship with Jack - is resolved though is through the lens of sex, and this is where we start to see things veering off a little from the previous two... because there's a lot more sex, and a lot sooner, for the POV characters in this than previously. It makes sense in context - they're different people who are just much less het up about sex being the end point of a pre-existing romantic dynamic than other characters have been - but it gives the book a whole different pacing and vibe than what you might have expected going in. The sex is also rather less... vanilla. Which isn't to say it's a full kinkfest (it's really really not), but things have definitely kicked up a notch, even while looping back to some content we saw right from the beginning in book 1.

For me personally, this was a bit of a downside. Not because I don't think it ought to have been there - I think as a lens onto the characters it's incredibly useful and realistic, this is the relationship they would absolutely have - but simply because I am, in general, a massive sucker for pining. And neither of the two characters falling for one another here are capable of pining in any meaningful way. It's not in their nature. So if you love them, if you love how they relate, then it's a plus, because it is such an accurate, well-drawn reflection of them. But for me... it held the place of other things I'd have wanted to see more, even as I knew they made no sense. Preferences like this don't have to be logical.

But it is also emblematic a little of the series - where the first two are somewhat in lockstep in how they approach many things, the third takes a bit of a turn. It's more political, it's sexier, and it's more willing to look outside the bounds of the relationship that's happening and instead focus on a lot wider ramifications. Some of this was inevitable for the conclusion of a trilogy - we need that resolution to all the threads that have been teased out beforehand - but some of it does feel like it represents a true shift. It feels as though, in this book, Marske is interested in different things, different characters, different parts of her world, and while neither approach is better than the other, it's that change that feels a little... odd. Not bad, just unexpected.

That being said, there were some things that felt a little wedged in at the end that possibly could have done with a bit more work to make them fit. We gain a new character about two thirds of the way into the book, who changes an awful lot, who has an awful lot of information, and there simply isn't time to process most of it because we've got the crescendo of all the events of the series to deal with. Likewise, by getting to that crescendo, by getting all the information from various places that has to lock together to get us there, we get this sudden rush of all sorts of stuff that just never gets bedded down. The "other types of magic" that have been teased from book one, the things Flora Sutton was good at and that Edwin was so fascinated by, really needed fleshing out a bit more by the end of things. Not necessarily giving us answers, but defining the scope of the questions, would have been enough.

But this is often the way with trilogies, it's just disappointing when another one doesn't quite manage to land the ending. And it's most of the way there, it has most of the parts, we just have had so much time being able to acclimatise to new information through all the previous content that when we're deprived of that here, it feels all the worse for it. I'm hard-pressed to hold it against it too much though. I just had so much fun for so much of it, and for so much of the series, and the characters are so fun, and there's so much promise... I'm willing to forgive a little chaotic mess at the ending. It's not perfect, but it's still a great time, and without going into too much detail on exactly how it all goes down, I very much like the spirit of the choices made, even if not always the execution.

What I do think though, is that for all the changes in this entry into the series felt like a shift from what came before, maybe jarringly so, they're all good changes, they're things it's so worth exploring in stories like these, and I hope they speak to how future Marske books will go. Because the more I think about it, the more I would have loved this more thoughtful approach throughout the series - it's something so many fantasy/historical novels are sorely lacking, and there's so much more she could do with it, with time and maybe a new series or perspective character to play with. A whole series from someone like Alan Ross? Amazing. And so I keep my fingers crossed for more books from her, with more of this right from the start, so we can see how far she can run with it.

Three and a half stars, rounded down. I just didn't love this final book in the trilogy the way I did the first two. I love Robin and Edwin and so for a long time I didn't read the second one because it didn't feature them, but then I tried that one and loved it too! And Maud and Violet got added into my favorite character list. All four of them are here in the last book, but the central romance is Lord Hawthorn and Alan Ross from the previous book (Hawthorn is also a minor character in the first book) and six main characters is a lot when two of them are having their turn at a romance and all of them are trying to foil the plans of the antagonists. It's too many characters actually, I think. It felt crowded, and I wanted more time spent on details and point of views that we didn't get. I also admit that Jack and Alan are not my favorites, and I did not particularly care for their romance. The overarching plot ending was satisfying though, and Robin and Edwin and Maud and Violet were good to see. However I won't be rereading this one.

The third book of The Last Binding is here and I can't believe it's been almost two years since I first read A Marvelous Light. I think the first book will always be my favorite, but this one lived up to its predecessors and was a nice ending to the trilogy.

Jack and Alan have an entertaining begrudging allies to lovers relationship, with so much more emotion than either of them thought would come of it. We learn more of Jack's backstory in this one and there's a line in the start of the book about "sets wanting to remain together" that was simply heart wrenching as we learned more about Jack and his sister.

This book shows off more of the sentient house hold/magician owned land and it was so fun to see that play out with Spinnet House. I loved the epilogue and have a lot of feelings about it that I'll keep to myself for the sake of remaining spoiler free!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

Excellent.

Freya Marske concludes her Last Binding Trilogy with as much style as she began it in the previous books, A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth. A Power Unbound chronicles the growing intimacy between arrogant Jack Alston (Lord Hawthorn) and decidedly un-humble working-class writer Alan Ross as they and their friends work against a plot hatched by the Magical Assembly to steal power from all of Britain's magicians. Jack and Alan's relationship is fire founded on respect and trust, and is a brilliant conversation in counterpoint to the themes of power exchange and class disparity contained here. The system of magic Marske developed in the first book was enriched and expanded in the second, and here in the third she unfolds even more powerful revelations without it ever feeling convenient or unsupported. The characters we've known and loved in the two previous books get service beyond fan-candy cameos, and get to continue their journeys in ways both meaningful to them as people and in service to the plot and their world. A wonderful conclusion to a fantastic series. I can't wait to read what Freya Marske writes next.

Many thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC.

I have really enjoyed this whole series. The worldbuilding and magical system were interesting and unique. I definitely want to go back and reread them all in a row.

TBH Jack and Alan are my least favorite of the main couples across the three books, but I still found them quite charming. It was nice to spend some more time with Edwin and Robin (my real faves) and Maud and Violet. I had a little trouble keeping track of the plot over the three books, because I didn't reread the earlier books, but I didn't find that I particularly minded getting a little lost. I would call this book a little kinkier and plotier than the other two, but i definitely wasn't bothered by either of those things.

Very grateful to Netgalley for early access.

This Last Binding trilogy has been one of my favorites of late, and I can't wait for each of them to come out. I still love the first one best, but this is my second favorite of the series. I was disappointed that the second title wasn't about Lord Hawthorn's prickly seductiveness and the one to win him over, but I am so glad it was the subject of the finale. Not to give any spoilers, but I was glad it was a favored character from book 2 that won him over.

I think of the brand of magic Freya Marske had created here as lush, green English countryside magic, which just so happens to be my thing. All of my favorite characters from the previous two installments, except the ones who died - pour one out, reappear in this story. We finally see how and why Jack lost his magic and why he is so bitter.

I hope Freya continues to write series such as this, as I would definitely love to read more.

A Power Unbound serves up a fantastic ending for fans of Frya Marske's The Last Binding Trilogy. While the first volume centers on Edwin and Robin, and the second Maud and Violet, this time it is Lord Hawthorne (Jack) and unscrupulous journalist Alan Ross at the center of the romantic action. Along with Adelaide Morrissey (who really doesn't get enough page time and exploration and is a complete bass ass character- I'd like a whole book from here POV) this group must work together to find the final piece of the last binding before Edwin's brother acquires the pieces and all hell breaks loose.

This concluding installment does a lot of things right. Not only do we get to see the band all together and the found family continue to bond, the book is full of tense moments where I was on the edge of my seat to know what was going to happen next. We also get some real answers as to how all the events thus far relate to Lord Hawthorne's past, and we see his character grow as he heals from the wounds inflicted upon him by his own family. The last act is incredible and I finished the story quite satisfied.

The romance aspect of the book is also quite entertaining, and certainly spicy. Jack and Alan have a contentious but compelling relationship and even though Robin and Edwin will always be my favorite of the three pairings (and I wish we had more of them here too) the exploration of Jack and Alan's class difference added an interesting dynamic.

The only real weakness to the story is the pacing. As with Marske's previous books, when the plotting is moving it is fire, but when she slows down for characterization and spice much of the driving action of the story stalls. More so than in Marvelous Light and a Restless Truth, I felt the length and placement of the spicy scenes interrupted the momentum of the narrative, but that could just be a matter of personal taste. Whether Queer or Straight I tend to prefer a few pages here and there to a few chapters, so if your preferences is more the latter you may appreciate these pauses more than I did.


Overall this is a marvelous story and I will miss each of these characters. It's been a fun ride.

Thanks to Macmillan, Tor Audio, and Netgalley for early access to the audiobook in exchange for this review.

Great conclusion to a very unique series. The collective banter, love and chosen family was awesome.

"A Power Unbound," was a solid conclusion to the Last Binding trilogy, in which the we finally sort out the hunt for the pieces of the contract and, more importantly, make sure everyone is properly paired off for their happily every afters.
Sadly, I just didn't enjoy this, or the second installment nearly as much as the first book, A Marvellous Light, but it was a satisfying end to the series.
I really enjoyed the Jack's backstory, esp regarding his sister, I think I would have liked her very much!

Myth: 5/5

I just loved this! Bringing all the characters we’ve known and loved through the series together, but Marske focuses us on a new pair, Lord Hawthorn and Alan. Their romance was perfect, and the way that their stories were interwoven was so much fun. They also brought the overall story to a conclusion, so you got a bit more of the prior characters in this one, which I thought would make the book feel a little bulkier but definitely did not!

Magic: 5/5

The last contract is brought to bare, and decisions about the fate of magic are to be made. There was no one better to handle this part of the story than Jack and Allen.

Overall: 5/5

If you can’t tell, this was the conclusion I needed. It brought so much more depth to the magic system and it brought a natural conclusion to the world and characters, while also giving us a fresh new romance to dive into!

This is the third book in The Last Binging Series and it brings all of our protagonists together for one more magical crescendo. The Last Contract is still up for grabs and it is anyone's game. Will these unlikely allies work together or will the magic be lost forever?

All three of the books in this trilogy are fast paced and exciting, but at times a bit confusing with the vast number of characters to keep track of and all of their connections. Still, despite my inability to juggle so much it was an exciting and highly enjoyable book. The ending was wrapped up nice and I will forever love the LGBTQAI2+ characters and their wide variety of experiences.

If you love romance, fantasy, and mysteries, this book and book series are for you!

4.5 Stars

“A Power Unbound” is my favorite book in the "Last Binding" trilogy by a landslide. It is not even close. This book blows the other two out of the water.

I think there’s a lot of reasons for why that is. Primarily, this the big finale. This is what everything’s been leading up to. It’s an incredibly exciting conclusion. Furthermore, there’s an extremely strong element of found family in this last book because *all* of the characters and all the couples from the books before are coming together to complete this quest and to save the magical world, and it’s just a joy to see so much a love and friendship being shared between all of them.

I also just appreciate what this book is doing thematically—and again, to the series’ credit, that’s something that’s been building up over all three books. The story is exploring who deserves power, how do we decide who gets to have power and how much, should we get to choose in the first place, and is there a way to use power responsibly when we do have that access?

Something interesting about all three books is that they also always center at least one POV character who doesn't have magic, who knows nothing about this society or this world, but is still irrevocably effected by it. And I like how the series gives those characters prominence, importance, and value, and shows how even though they don’t have magic, they can still discover their own power within their own right.

Also, side note, this book is like way kinkier than the first two, and I deeply respect it for that.

There are just so many things in this third book that are absolutely up my alley. There’s a weird puzzle-box house where the rooms move around and contain magical secrets. There’s a heist plot line. There’s found family, like I said. There’s a great romance. I just really enjoyed this, and reading it made me think that if I were to re-read the first two books physically (as opposed to audio), I would enjoy them even more after having read this.

I don’t think this is a perfect trilogy by any means. Some parts of the magic system are definitely questionable. But regardless, I have to say: I'm so glad that I read this series if only to get to this tremendous finale. Would absolutely read more from Marske in the future!

A brilliant conclusion to one of the best historical fantasy trilogies I have read. I want many more stories about the Magicians of England.

I think this is my new favorite of the series. While I was reading the second book, I was already getting excited for Jack and Alan to have their own time to shine. A Power Unbound definitely has a more mature and darker feel to it than the last book. I was definitely hiding my screen a lot more from passerby's. It was nice getting a deeper look into the magic system that has been in place and the history behind it as well. Hawthorn will be going down as one of my favorite characters in fiction, the way he is so perfectly balanced and his motivations thought out. This book also made me tear up multiple times from the family interactions and the sharp grief they were experiencing. Overall, this book was the perfect ending to the series and I will miss this world dearly. For me, this was a 4.75/5, with only minor points off because at times I wanted more focus on Jack and Alan rather than the overarching plot lines to complete the story, but that was entirely my personal preference.

I must start by thanking both NetGalley as well as the publisher Tor for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Who holds the magic? Those in power? Those in love? The land? This is a wonderful conclusion to the truly magical The Last Binding trilogy, and it does not disappoint. 4.5 Stars

A spellbinding final installment of a wonderful series.

As always upon finishing a series, the feeling is bittersweet. Marske has written some truly incredible characters in this series and in this book, we follow Jack and Alan, as well as a group of familiar faces and some new ones, too.

After the death of Jack’s twin sister, he thought magic was gone from him and gone from his life entirely, but when something sinister is over all Britain’s magicians, he is regretfully pulled back in.

Faced with the possible loss of his family’s estate, Jack and a charismatic cast of characters, Alan, writer of some of Jack’s favorite guilty pleasures, he must figure out how to remedy this dark magical overtaking.

Alan and Jack do NOT like one another. The two actively despise each other, until Jack learns that Alan can give him something he secretly desires. The chemistry between these two men is simply chef’s kiss perfection.

This final book is fast paced when it really gets going and full of wtf moments, hardships and triumphs. I am sad this series is over, but this book was wonderful.