I’ve waited until I was done with the trilogy to review these books, to do a sort of overall review of the whole series and then an individual one. Because I do think this should be read as a trilogy even though they appear to be your typical stand-alone romances that share a world but can still be read on their own or out of order, this series has an strong overarching plot that builds up with a climax at the end of the third book that would make little sense without the other ones (or not as much), and with a lesser emotional impact for not knowing all the characters properly. There’s a main couple for each book with shared POVs but each book becomes more of an ensemble cast (with the third book couple having main supporting roles in the second book, and all couples + friends being very involved in the third). As someone who isn’t a lot into romances (or at least is very picky about them) this really is what won me over with this series. That and a good overarching magical mystery plot.

OVERALL REVIEW (scroll on to get the review for this book in particular): I *really* enjoyed the worldbuilding in this. I think Marske has an interesting magic system that’s both straightforward and easy to understand but whimsical and, well, magical in a way that was really pleasing to me. I especially liked the magic surrounding estates and the land, and how magicians would pledge themselves to their houses and lands and how those pacts and contracts would influence things. (trying not to spoil too much). Calling the way they would build spells between their cradling was a clever shortcut of being able to describe the magic without… having to constantly describe it in complicated ways. I also loved just the overarching plot in general, the mystery over the Last Contract, each new pieces of magic—seers, mediums, the fey—being added to it over the series to be used in the final conflict/climax of the series. I think the ending is a little messy and while I actually enjoyed a lot of what the author did with it, I did think she left a few things unanswered and perhaps a few messy holes and aftermath that she simply avoided by ending the series. Without spoiling things too much, the characters had a plan, things go awry as they are wont to do, and part of me wishes they could have gone with that plan all along, though I think what she did instead was also interesting.

I think overall, Marske had a very strong grip on her world and her characters. Her writing was solid and I enjoyed how well she knew her characters that you’d get distinctive visions of them through other character’s eyes. Their actions and choices always made sense to me based on what was built up.

One disappointment is that this series is VERY sexually explicit. Each book contain several long explicit sex scenes, and while I am no prude and I have read my share of porn AND I think the author is actually adept at writing it, I just found that I… didn’t care much for it. Used to be a time where it would have enhanced my reading experience, but now it just felt like it kept slowing down the pace of a plot I wanted to go back to, even though they did bring characterization and purpose to the relationships. This is more a me thing, than a book thing, I guess. It also means that I can never recommend this series to people who I don’t know have read queer erotica or explicit fanfiction before even if I know they would enjoy the romances and magical plot haha One could just skip them I guess.

THIS BOOK REVIEW: This is both Jack (Lord Hawthorn) and Alan’s story while also the conclusion of the Last Contract mystery. There is A LOT happening in this book and I think that for the most part Marske pulls it off. It’s more an ensemble book than the other two, which I personally prefer and love. It’s practically a found family story in a lot of its vibe which made me happy as well. Jack and Alan have perhaps the romantic dynamic that I liked the least BUT also I think the more interesting one. There’s a lot of power differential here. Marske tackles classism—Jack is a Lord, Alan is bottom middle class, who used to be homeless with strong opinions about that fact, and a frankly healthy and deserved hatred and disdain for the upper class. She also tackles sexual kink and roleplay, specifically non-consensual roleplay, which could be difficult for some, but I think that, for me, she did pull it off mostly well (I was never really irked by it even though it’s not really my thing). It seemed to fit with the characters, to make sense with established characterization and I was the most curious to see how these two would finally get together out of the three couples in these books. But I wouldn’t call it an enjoyable romance, so to speak, the way Robin and Edwin’s had been, for example.

There’s at least 2-3 plot twists I didn’t see coming (at least one of them should have occurred to me but didn’t). I was moved several times by some events. But… the book gets a little bloated due to all these things. There are ghosts, new magic, old magic, foiled plans, complex romantic and sexual relationships etc. And I think it’s overall well done, but did feel at times like it lacked the more narrow focus of the two previous books. And like I mentioned in the overall review, there are several questions that I found myself pondering after the final confrontation that I’m not sure were totally thought through. But it was an often exciting read. I think it’s a hard book (and perhaps series) to categorize because there’s too much outside plot for perhaps the romance lovers, and too much romance and sex for the magical plot lovers, but I think overall that I quite liked it. It was something different than I usually read in any case. I also really loved a lot of the side characters and honestly I just love loving side characters.