I’m so sorry it took me so long to read this!
The story is about a young baronet, Robin Blyth, who takes on a mysterious commission within the British government, not realising that he is expected to be the point of liaison between his world and the magical one. Given that he doesn’t know that magical society exists until he meets Edwin Courcey, his sexy-but-hostile magical colleague, this proves a challenge to say the least. Robin and Edwin find themselves thrown together in some dangerous situations…and working to uncover a plot that threatens the very existence of magical society.
There was loads I loved about this book – the Edwardian England setting is glorious and I enjoyed being whisked between the country estates, manor houses, government offices, libraries and even a hedge maze. The plot moves at quite a pace which means there’s never a dull moment and the magical world is well-explained. As I don’t read much in this genre, it was appreciated that I could grow my understanding of the magic propping up this alternative view of Edwardian England alongside the equally clueless Robin!
I also loved the will-they-won’t-they, opposites attract romance that simmers between Robin and Edwin – there’s some serious sexual tension going on for a lot of the book. Both men are appealing characters – although I found the bookish, awkward, spiky Edwin much more relateable than the more jolly and sociable Robin – this probably says more about me than them!
Around the two central figures, there is an extended cast of lively and interesting characters. I particularly liked Robin’s sister, a young woman desperately pushing against the restrictions of Edwardian high society. Edwin’s family were amazingly awful, but in an entertaining way, and I really enjoyed the twisted Battleships-style game on the boating lake…with some magical enhancements. There are some lovely humorous moments throughout the novel and these serve to balance the genuine tension and peril.
I also listened to the audiobook read by David Thorpe. I thought it was really well narrated and entertaining, even if I had to listen to a lot of it well out of the earshot of my kids. The voices for the different characters really helped me follow the story, but the ‘magic hands’ scene properly made me blush!
Overall, I’d recommend this to lovers of fantasy novels rooted in the real world – there’s tonnes to enjoy in the (slightly idealised) historical setting as well as the magical elements. The angsty, sexy romance between the two men is gorgeously realised and set against a wider, high-stakes plot – something I look forward to following in the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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Header photo by Rohan Makhecha on Unsplash
I’ve seen this book around on the book community on social media but haven’t picked it up yet. But now I want to even more! It sounds like a really great read!