This book was chosen by my local indie bookstore for the romance bookclub. First of all, it's not a genre romance, full stop. There is no HEA/HFN at tThis book was chosen by my local indie bookstore for the romance bookclub. First of all, it's not a genre romance, full stop. There is no HEA/HFN at the end of this book (maybe there will be one at the end of the series, who knows), AND the romance is not central to the story. If the romance was removed or altered, such as really good friends or frenemies or sidekicks, it would not fundamentally change this story. So, not a genre romance.
I enjoyed the magic elements, the pace, the wide variety of characters of all genders and races and apparent backgrounds. I love having a strong female lead, women or female portrayed in positions they usually are not, such as midshipmen and sailors. The alternate world that closely resembles the UK and France; the history that closely resembles the Napoleonic era; spies, soldiers, pirates, and sailors throughout; Queen Charlotte! - all of this makes my history loving heart so happy. I'm such a fan of historical fiction and historical romance, and I'd firmly call this historical fantasy.
The magical elements are intriguing, nothing I've seen before. I also really like the discussions of using magic for good (or for evil), the Queen's position that doing nothing such that it cost lives is immoral. The balancing of when do you go to war and when do you not. A leader acknowledging that her decision may cost lives but she's determined to minimize that and prays it will not. These are real world concerns of real leaders. The story isn't bogged down with this, but it is addressed and not ignored. I really appreciate that.
Pacing is very good. The story moves along well, with good chapter breaks so if you need to stop, you can but you won't feel like you're missing something when you pick it back up again. That's great for read before bed readers. There are great moments of humor, much of it sarcasm and quick wit, which I especially appreciate it. We see Kit's thoughts and reactions and she has a brilliant dry wit that I love. It's not a comedy but these elements make the characters more real and help keep the story moving in the adventure-quick pace that I think a good fantasy story should be in.
Though it is not a romance, there are romantic elements and the growing friendship and attraction between Kit and Rian is a growing slow burn. There are no sexy times, only kisses, as they both fight the attraction for reasons varied from "my life is complicated" to "No way I'm giving up my indendence." And yet the Queen keeps throwing them together.
This is the first of a series but I'm seeing a lot of authors do adjacent series. I don't know if any of these characters appeared in other Neill books or not. If they did (and it does feel like there are stories about a few that are only referenced), I was still able to read along fine and not feel like I was in the middle of an unknown narrative. And if someone doesn't want to commit to a series, I think readers can still read this as a standalone and be fine not moving forward. The major villain conflict is not resolved but this episodic story is complete. And again, not a romance, no HEA/HFN. I'm interested enough that I would read subsequent books to see where this goes.
Recommended for those looking for historicals, fantasy readers, magic fans, readers who love to see strong female leads....more
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