u/purplelicious

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this Advanced Listening Copy (ALC) {bodies of Magic by Freya Marske}

Before I get into the actual review of the novel I have to mention that the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, is fantastic. At times I forgot that this was one voice actor as the character’s voices were so distinct and her male voices did not sound like a woman talking deep. And for a book like this, that has five characters and we jump from character to character, this was so well done.

But the audiobook comes with a caveat – there are many characters that are sometimes referred to by their first names or their last names, plus there are descriptions of anatomy and medical procedures. This book is a standalone, so there isn’t a lot of time to introduce each character and the reader is expected to pick it up as the story goes. Some readers may find it easier to keep track of characters in text.

This is my first Freya Marske novel although she has been recommended to me many times and has been sitting on my TBR list for a while. Because of the people who recommended her work, I expected an elevated level of story telling and writing for this genre and I have to say that this book met those expectations. I am almost disappointed that I experienced this as an audiobook because some of the writing was so good I wanted to spend more time with the prose on the page. And it would be so easy for this book to be caught up in medical terminology, or lengthy explanations of how the magic works which is quite unique.

At its core, this is a mystery novel. The story opens on the first morning of the final exams in the only medical academy in this world. These are practical exams, where 6 students are randomly selected to work as a team to diagnose and heal a real case, a different case each day for 5 days. If one student fails, they all fail. This is the culmination of five years of intense studies, lack of sleep, hours of study of both magic and practical anatomy and medicine, where graduation is merely another step in a long, arduous career path, where some mages are obligated to take foreign posts as part of their scholarship requirements, or to step up to positions dictated by parents and expectations, or merely to continue working long hours and grueling schedules for more experience. It seems like modern medical school and that’s no surprise as it turns out that Marske is a doctor. Her experience allows for a more intimate view into the lives and psychology of her characters.

Within this stressful environment we have our five students discover who they are working with, as they know each other over the last five years and have various bias and expectations of each others abilities. When they walk into the exam room, they find their 6th member, the most promising student of the academy, dead on the exam floor. Suicide? Burn out? The team has very little time to ponder this as the exam must continue. Despite the dead body on the floor they manage to pass their first exam.

It’s after the exam that some strange events occur that don’t seem to line up. The five students may not have been selected randomly and it appears that our dead student may have had something to do with it. And even though they are dealing with a myriad of intense emotions that normally come with the exams (and love, and grief, and anger and fear), they know they can do one thing – they are well trained in examinations and diagnoses. So, they get to work on figuring things out.

Along the way, they uncover secrets about each other and learn to work as a team, pull from a well of magic and knowledge that they didn’t know they were capable of and perhaps change the inevitable course of the next years of their lives, if not their entire lives.

On the surface this seems like a very YA novel. A group of young people about to move into the adult stage of their life and realizing what that sort of adulting entails – pushing against the expectations of one’s parents or the greater society, being rebellious in small ways, trying to get out of their crushing debt to society, idealistically wanting to bring change to the world, realizing that they will be held responsible for the mistakes of their youth and finding love. I hate these coming of age novels. Call me a cynical,grumpy, gen x old lady or whatever, the exuberance of youth does not appeal to me.

And yet, I did not have one instance of eye rolling throughout the entire book. Marske has written a coming of age novel for adults. The kids do not change the world or shove off the older generation. They don’t start a rebellion or even a following. They find a way to exist within their world, using the tools at hand to make a better life for everyone but most importantly they gain individual freedom by coming to terms with what life has to offer them. Maybe they will finish their bonded service to give back what they owe, but it’s only temporary. Even the relationships are dealt with in a mature fashion. No virgins or first loves, but the ability to look at someone and realize what you already have, or what you need is right there. I found the growth of our characters, over a five day period mind you, to be realistic and still carry a lot of weight emotionally. No tears were shed over romantic entanglements, which is my go to measure for romances, but this is not really a romance book – it’s a fantasy with a strong romantic sub plot. The author does not shy away from sex either. While we don’t spend a lot of time dwelling on our characters sexual lives, the scenes we do get are explicit. Our cast of characters are diverse in sexuality and gender norms, but this is not about discovery, the characters know who they are already, again a deviation from YA, which focuses on discovery and self acceptance.

A quick note on worldbuilding: Magic is something one is born with but not genetic. It is tied to the geographical region one is born in. So, healing mages are born to one region and so one realm is flush with healing mages, where other, more far flung realms are not. And, of course, healing costs money, the rich would like private mages to heal their wrinkles and reverse aging and the poor may get the basics, so may have to live with pain all their lives. Cities and regions that are far from the healing centre will sponsor mages for medical school in return for several years of work in remote locations, where the young talented mages feel isolated and return to the main healing city where they are revered and payed well. Families immigrate to the healing cities to have children with the wish that they inherit healing magic and can return to the lands of their parents to continue healing work there. And those born with healing magic by accident of birth are not given the choice as to what they would like to do with their magic – they are also forced into medical school because it’s expected and needed at a time when there is so much need. Added to that is the arrogance of the healers because they are so needed, and the unrest among the non healers, because they are untouchable in the eyes of the law. If you are not a healer, you are treated as a second class citizen, worse if you are a mage in another aspect of magic, that is required to support the healers, but treated as servants or worse.

Obviously this is a commentary on the current health care situation but it’s in the subtext, simmering under the surface of the actual story throughout. Marske never lectures or has characters make long commentaries about the injustice, which I’ve read in other books. The story is about our five students and the mystery of their murdered classmate.

I could not put this audiobook away, and while I tend to save audiobook listening for chores, or driving or other activities, I found myself chilling out on the coach listening to while my Kindle sat idly by, unused.

5/5 stars.

I picked up an audiobook from NetGalley because Shane East was the narrator, then discovered that it was book 3. This review is mostly about the third book {Ache of Chaos by Randi Garner} but I tried to review the series as a whole because it does not have a lot of traction in this sub and it absolutely should be a top read.

book one: {the goddess of by Randi Garner}

book two {Even in Death by Randi Garner}

the latest book was released on July 14, 2026.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the audiobook producer for the opportunity to read and review this Advanced Listening Copy (ALC).

This is the third book of a series (“The Fragile Divine”) that I had never crossed paths with until the audiobook popped up on my NetGalley feed. Because it was narrated by two of my favourite voice actors (Shane East and Lauren Horowitz) I requested it not caring that it was the 3rd of the series. It meant that I had to track down and read the first two books, and now I’m reviewing this book after the publication date – so it’s already out there! No waiting!

I did not write long reviews for the first two books, so I will try to incorporate those stories into this review, but the series starts with The Goddess of… and continues with Even in Death. Obviously you will need to read those books before this one, so consider this review an overview of the series so far.

in The Goddess of… we are introduced to Kaia, the eldest daughter of the high Goddess of the seas, a really nasty piece of work, but her father, the high god of nature is loving and compassionate and makes up for the brutality of her mother. Kaia has several brothers and sisters, whom she has various degrees of love and hatred for, depending on where they fall in their mother’s eyes. Kaia is being forced into a marriage she doesn’t want, so she makes a deal with the High God of Death and Curses for a chance at freedom…in exchange for a curse, to be named later. The first book is a fantastic mix of high fantasy and urban fantasy, with gods and witches and curses and prophecies, with a strong love story. I initially gave it 4/5 stars. A great book, but I did not know where the story was going next.

The second book Even in Death is a continuation of the overall story, but now we are focusing on another main couple. I love when fantasy books do this because romance stories are better in a standalone and fantasy books are better over a longer series – well the epic fantasy books work better this way so the world can be fully developed and we can build the conflict into something global. Changing the focus of the main characters also gives us a bigger cast which I prefer in an epic fantasy. This time our romance is between Naia’s beloved baby brother, Finnian, and his enemy/lover Cassian, the aforementioned God of Death and Curses. Naia and Ronin are still major characters, but we follow Finnian’s path as it intertwines with Cassian. The stakes are so much higher for their relationship and the storyline is relentless. I gave this a 4.25/ 5. The urban fantasy aspects of Gardner’s world are put aside as we spend more time in the land of the dead, we learn more about the realm of the gods and their hierarchy and how they came to be. Naia and Finnian’s father is featured heavily at the end of this novel, and his fate becomes the crux to the third novel, which is the novel that is the most recent release and the most heartbreaking, tear rending, epic story so far.

Ache of Chaos continues the story of the world altering conflict that has been building since book one. I’m going to attempt to describe the book without giving away any of the important plot points that occur in books one and two, as this series has been so underrated in the Romantasy communities where I spend most of my time and I have to assume that most people who read this review have not read any of this series.

The story continues with Naia and Finnian’s sister Marina – high goddess of shadows and darkness – who has spent the last 800 or so years trying to live up their mother’s expectations. Which means trying to recapture Naia and return her to her mother, and just a basic hatred for Finnian for his love of Naia and his vow to see his mother destroyed. Marina has done many hateful things on her mother’s behalf, although we learn that Marina is actually a broken woman, since she was a girl searching for the love of her father that she feels has abandoned her, and the approval of her mother which never comes. The reader spends most of book one and two dismissing Mirena as an evil unfeeling entity but in this book we learn so much more about her. She has finally seen her mother as the narcissistic monster she has always been and now carries regret and a soul aching loneliness with her. Gods have eternal life and cannot be killed. No matter what you do to their bodies, they will respawn. Depression without the sweet release of death for millenia, all Mirena feels is despair and emptiness. Meanwhile, Acacius – God of Chaos and Ruin – is seeking revenge for the death of his lover, whom he blames Mirena for so he searches her out in order to cause her as much pain and agony as possible, but the thing is, Mirena welcomes it, as punishment for all the terrible things she has done in her life She has also decided to protect her sister Naia with her life, as a vow to her father, as penance for her wrongs, even if Naia never forgives her. This is a book about regret and loss and failure, and about redemption, about family and parental love. I can’t tell you how much I cried during this book – both from heartbreak and from the cathartic release as Mirena finds her place among her kin, her friends and love with Acacius. I wanted to rate this book 5/5 (I’ll give it 5 stars on Netgalley) but settled on 4.75 because the epilogue gives a glimpse to the next couple, plus the high stakes conflict is still building and the threat is greater than ever. I need to leave room for the next books, but overall the series is 5/5

What I love about this series, beyond the writing, the visual landscapes, the characters that are so well rounded, the love stories and some fantastic spice, is that every book adds to this growing found family. Gardner never forgets the characters that we have grown to love in each book, they are not hidden away in their “happily ever after” stories. They may not feature on every page but they still have their essential part to play in this epic storyline. I love epic fantasy with grand landscapes and a large cast of characters, and now I get to experience it with some of my favourite bits of romance mixed in. I do not know why this series has not captured a larger audience when there are some very poor representations of fantasy in this genre.

I chose to listen to all three novels as audiobooks and the producers have done a top notch job in their choice of voice actors for all the characters. Whether one chooses to read or listen to these books, I think you will be as submersed in the world in either media.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. {The Golden Isle by Nora Nightingale}

ETA: the release date is 2026. I can't edit the title.

Sometimes I see comments from book reviewers that say they never read self published books because they have been burned too many times with poor writing, gaping plot holes and suspiciously AI like prose. And I totally get it, as I have read stuff that left me wondering if some writers have actually read any books before they started to write a book. But then I find an absolute masterpiece, creative, engaging, exciting new prospect from an indie or self-pub author that I can’t put it down, stay up to all hours to read, furious that I don’t know when the next book will come out (if it will at all, since there is very little support for authors to continue a series if the first book isn’t picked up because the “series isn’t finished”) and then I won’t shut up to anyone who will listen that they NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.

Once again, I have found another book you NEED TO READ. It shouldn’t be that hard to find the audience for this book. It’s a standalone, so if you have vowed to not read unfinished series you have no excuse here. Do you like yearning? This book has it. Spicy scenes that don’t call anything “decadent”, “satin wrapped steel” or other cringe worthy euphemisms? This book just gives you all the heat and none of the WTF. Do you like female friendships? Yes, Yes Yes. Do you hate info dumps or loosely described plot devices (“I quote world history facts when I’m anxious”)? You won’t find it here. Do you watch Love Island? Great, because the book is loosely based on a “couples on an island” reality show.

Narratively, we are introduced to our FMC Jude while she is on the boat that is ferrying the contestants to this magical isle. Jude is a “current reader” and a scion of a magical family that lives in one of the many realms that make up this fantasy world. Her family is not so politically powerful as some of the families in other realms, so for Jude to be selected as one of the participants for this “Season” is an incredible opportunity for her to connect with another family and make some political ties that will help her realm with trade and alliances. Jude has been coached to select, or to be chosen by some of the other lesser families that have representations on the island, but she is really drawn to Leo, a golden boy of the most powerful, rich and influential families in all the realms. I mean, he’s literally a golden boy, with the power of light, glowing like the sun, a power that wraps around him like a gold shield. Who wouldn’t be drawn to a princely figure like that? But he’s totally out of her league, totally incompatible with her magic and understandably there to make a match with another powerful family. Instead, she focuses on some of the other girls also on the same journey and connects right away with two of them.

One thing this book does so well is portray a real connection between the women, when the author has all the opportunity to make the women back stab and be nasty with each other because of the nature of the game. Even when there is a woman placed into the contest later on just to mess with Jude, they never turn into sniping harpies. The women never fight among themselves to win the attention of the men.

If you haven’t guessed already, for reasons Jude cannot understand Leo chooses Jude as a potential partner on day one. The Island is a magical island, so while there isn’t a “fated mates” theme, once couples pair up, the island reads them and decides whether the match is good. Basically the magic reads the potential of the bond and various challenges and interactions will have the old magic of the island deciding that the bond is worthy or has no future. At the first ceremony, the island creates bracelets for each couple that glows and connects them, with the magic of the bracelets growing as they spend more time together, or dimming to nothing if the bond breaks, or the island doesn’t see potential.

The author doesn’t spend a lot of time explaining why the world works this way but the magic doesn’t feel like a band aid to cover plot holes. When Jude explains how her magic feels and how it connects her to her realm, you can tell the author put a lot of thought and detail in the elemental magic. When she meets another contestant, sent to try to break her bond with Leo, he has a complementary magic to hers, and again, a lot of detail in how their magic would work together and create a strong alliance between families. It’s in conversations like this, that come across as casual and realistic but not extraneous, that we learn a bit more of the world and it’s magic and politics. As readers we never learn everything and that’s OK. It’s not important to the storyline.

The romance build up is top tier yearning and heart wrenching. Both Jude and Leo know that their bond makes no sense and is of no use to their families. While Jude’s family would benefit from the powerful alliance, she is afraid she would be swallowed up in the politics of Leo’s family with their interests always overwriting anything that her realm needs. And Leo is under intense pressure to pick the “right girl”. Luckily for the reader the author does not indulge in inner monologues and time wasting “slow burn” techniques. Obviously they can’t act on their physical impulses because there are cameras (scrying mirrors, actually) EVERYWHERE. The little touches and affections they can find for each other has to be enough. And there is enough action in the plot to keep it moving. While there are technically “trials” they are not the sort of physical competitions with winners and losers. The trials are there for the island’s magic to judge if they truly are right for each other. And there are enough subplots with the other couples on the island to keep from continuously wallowing in the “should we? we shouldn’t” coupling of Jude and Leo.

It’s not a spoiler to say this romance has a happy ending. But how it gets there is what makes the story. And if the final commitment of their love makes me cry then the romance has done its job. And yes, tears were flowing. Happy tears, happy heart.

I gave this 4.75 stars on Storygraph and rounding up to 5 stars on NetGalley. A truly excellent novel, that hits all the right notes for a romantasy. And once again, showing that there are some real gems being self published. I’ll take the bad ones for more like this.

I AM BEING BULLIED INTO POSTING THIS.

say something positive about Romantasy. or a RCJ poster. or a book. or just something nice about nice people.

for example I loved this comment so much I saved it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. {The Chosen One Con by Trudie Skies}

I picked this ARC on a whim because the blurb seemed fun and I think I need to always trust my vibes because I’ve had some great luck doing this. I had no idea that Trudie Skies was a former finalist for the SPFBO but after reading this novel it is obvious that they are a talented fantasy writer.

However, I picked this up because the blurb said something about a “reality show contest to decide the next Archon of the city” and I was sold at “reality show”. We are introduced to Max and Lyle, two teenagers who have a flirty age-appropriate relationship, living in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in a city run by “magic” that comes from crystals mined from the earth. Lyle has lost his family and home due to the city’s expansionist goals for more land and mining rights. He carries a very negative opinion of magic unlike Max, who has been obsessed with magic from a very early age and is on the cusp of starting his apprentice in one of the biggest potion companies in the city.

But, a minor’s strike and the subsequent crackdown causes a huge rupture in both their lives, they are separated, Lyle is arrested and carried off to work in the mines and Max loses his apprenticeship and his father, and barely escapes. Seven years later, Max is doing what he can to support himself and his sister and Lyle has returned to the city to work for a powerful mage but also as a spy for the rebels. When one of the Archons dies, the remaining archons decide to run a reality show and for various reasons, both Lyle and Max find themselves as competitors.

The plot has so many twists and turns that the moment you think the story is going in one direction, it takes a sudden left turn. Lyle and Max have never forgotten each other but their lives have taken them so far away from each other they are not sure if they can trust each other’s motives, even though they are drawn to each other as much as they were seven years ago. But Max’s love for magic and Lyle’s disgust for it may keep them apart even if they are ultimately hoping for the same outcome.

The characters of Max and Lyle have layers upon layers and the author takes risks by giving them flaws that stand in the way of them understanding each other’s journey to who they have become as young men. It is easy to feel irritation for Lyle because of his anger and singular goal to bring down the establishment, while it is also easy to dismiss Max as a drug addicted gad fly, willing to trade his morals for the opportunity for more magic. Neither point of view is an accurate portrayal of either character, they both have great depth and nuance of character that is exposed as they rekindle their feelings and friendship and love for each other.

The “magic” in this world is an interesting, well thought out system. I’ve read several novels recently that live in that late industrial age/ early era of technology, where “magic” stands in for the source of late 19th/ early 20th century innovation. The early worker’s rights compaigns, strikes and violence and unrest among the classes can be wielded well in the hands of a talented author, which we have here.

If you are looking for something to fill the space after {the foresaken prophecy by Stacey Macewan} you will find some similarities in the setting, but the stories are very different.

I highly recommend this book and gave it 4.25 stars in Storygraph. I look forward to the next part of the series!