#last binding trilogy

[hermitknut]

So I got an early copy of A Power Unbound (third in the Last Binding Trilogy, after A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth) and I won't spoil anything, obviously, but hot damn. Wow. That is a) how you end a trilogy and b) uhhh hot damn. Ahem.

I knew what the pairing was gonna be, and after the first two books I knew it would be good, but... look, I've gone from Hands of the Emperor to A Taste of Gold and Iron to A Power Unbound, and it's all about the power dynamic and the route to real, certain consent amidst complicated circumstances and everyone's personal baggage, and asfjhsdkjfhskdjfhsd. A Power Unbound doesn't deal with fealty the way A Taste of Gold and Iron does, but it does deal with loyalty and trust and what it means to have power and honestly, I'm a little obsessed.

If you haven't read A Marvellous Light yet, I highly recommend it (and the whole trilogy). Book one is about a gay edwardian magician and his non-magical counterpart and their investigation into a dangerous curse (and, ahem, each other); book two is a lesbian magician/non-magician pair conducting heist-like shenanigans on a cruise ship (the non-magician lesbian and the non-magician gay man are siblings, and the investigation and the shenanigans are related). Book three is another pair of queer men, who we stay with through the third act of the magical-danger-plot and also through them figuring each other out. The sex scenes are explicit and so is the emotional unravelling, I thoroughly enjoyed all three books and I can't wait for 3 to be out so I can talk to more people about it!!

[illiteraterabbit]

A Power Unbound - Freya Marske

★★★★★ (5/5)

Date Started: 10 February 2024 Date Finished: 16 February 2024

"The past could turn you into a strip of paper with a single side, so that comfort and vulnerability slid away down the invisible channels and couldn't be grasped."

Kind of funny to post only a review for the final book in a trilogy, but unfortunately this blog didn't exist when I read the first two, so consider this my personal review for the series overall. Note: It is going to be a glorious, glowing and raving review focusing on this third book overall as it is what primarily weighs on my mind. All three of these books are firm 5 star ratings in my heart of hearts, and I will not budge on the matter.

I'm already a well established fan of historical fantasy, so when I stumbled upon A Marvellous Light back when I still worked at Barnes and Noble it felt like a matter of fate. I was in love with the world from the start and knew I would read as many books as it took to get to the end of the overarching plot line. A Restless Truth enchanted me just as much as the first book, though in a completely new and different sort of way. It was refreshing and fun and left me in dire anticipation for the release of the final book of the trilogy.

And that brings us to A Power Unbound. A book hasn't stressed me out as much as this one did in ages. And I mean that in a good way, of course! The stakes felt appropriately high, and that meant they felt apocalyptic. It might seem impossible to weave a romance within the lines of a book of apocalyptic stakes, but Freya Marske absolutely managed it.

The violent, aggressive, off-putting love between Alan and Lord Hawthorne felt just as desperate as everything else. It was a force to be reckoned with, and it knocked me off my feet every chance it had. Robin and Edwin may still be my favorite couple, but the romance between Alan and Jack definitely felt the most satisfying. Maybe it's because it was at least partially stretched across two books - maybe it was just because it was so... Well, everything it was. I don't know, but I did love every second of it. I don't like to talk plot much when I review books, because I personally hate reading a glorified summary when I seek out other reviews, but I can tell you that this book wrapped up everything perfectly. The ending was satisfying in more ways than one, and the epilogue perfectly reminded me how much I loved every single character throughout this series. I could not recommend this series any more intensely. If you are searching for a wonderful queer fantasy, it's waiting for you here.

I can't wait to see what Freya Marske writes next. I promise I will be a dedicated reader for life.

And with that:

"I would take your heart between my ribs and guard it like my own. Is there any way I could make you believe it?"

[rainhorizons]

i am now realizing i should probably tab all of robin’s visions before reading the second and third book…

[wlwbookshelf]

A RESTLESS TRUTH - FREYA MARSKE Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ A Restless Truth is a magical read, perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery and a well-crafted romance. The relationship between Maud and Violet is endearing and relatable, and the setting is beautifully described, transporting you to another time and place. The mystery at the novel's heart is intriguing and engaging, keeping you guessing. Freya has a talent for weaving in enough elements of A Marvellous Light so that it feels like a sequel and gives an overarching plot but has a self-contained narrative. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, significantly differentiating characters!  I had to double-check if it was one or two narrators. Many thanks to Macmillan for an audiobook ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[lucky-numberme]

[ID: Selection of A Power Unbound that reads, "Despite the gulf between their lives, they had this in common: neither of them was given to trust. Both of them had been twisted up by the plain facts of their existence. The past could turn you into a strip of paper with a single side, so that comfort and vulnerability slid away down invisible channels and couldn't be grasped. Except, perhaps, if you bent your will towards unlearning your own history. If you let yourself soften and be porous. Even if only like this, in silence, and at an angle." End ID]

this fundamentally changed me as a person

[bbybmo]

edwin noticing robin’s reaction to the roman pamphlet is like an old-timey equivalent to edwin hearing the grindr notification from robin’s phone if you think about it and i found that quite funny they’re so unserious

[kiwim7]

alan ross watching the ocean from the lyric and such

heres the ref i used for the main pic

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

this is funnier to me that just posting the screenshots w the names you’re welcome

[transgaypiratesanta]

okay, don’t get me wrong, the romance in TLB books is absolutely top-tier, but I am also absolutely in love with the dynamic between Robin and Maud.

The Blyth siblings are some of my favourite characters of all time, because they are just so bloody great.

I would say that they were made for each other, but that would not be right. Rather, I think they made themselves perfect for the other.

their parents did nothing but lie, and so they themselves have decided to only tell the truth (especially to each other), even if it is hard.

they were not given regard by their parents unless they could force themselves to be noticed through rebellion (at least in Maud’s case) and so they love and care for each other even when they are apart. Maud goes to Edwin’s family home to see Robin, even though it took effort and she was scared and confused. Robin gave Maud transcriptions of his visions so she would not be alone on the boat, even if he could not be present.

their parents did not love them or think of them as anything worth much love, and so they love each other more than anything.

Continually, they make the conscious choice to be good to each other, because they are determined to be better than their parents. And I love them for it

[kaojenart]

Sketchy concepts for Alan And Jack from A Power Unbound! I love this series and miss these characters already!

[lavampira]

2024 reading recap

goal: 25 | total: 33

top 5 reads of the year:

vampires of el norte by isabel cañas

we could be so good by cat sebastian

a marvellous light (the last binding #1) by freya marske

heir of fire (throne of glass #3) by sarah j. maas

goth western by livali wyle

january

a psalm for the wild-built by becky chambers | ★★★

a prayer for the crown-shy by becky chambers | ★★★

the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon | ★★★★

february

house of hunger by alexis henderson | ★★★

the song of achilles by madeline miller (reread) | ★★★★★

circe by madeline miller | ★★★★

a dowry of blood by S.T. gibson | ★★★

march

april

may

goth western by livali wyle | ★★★★★

an education in malice by S.T. gibson | ★★★

june

what feasts at night by T. kingfisher | ★★★

a marvellous light by freya marske | ★★★★★

a restless truth by freya marske | ★★★★

a power unbound by freya marske | ★★★★

lavender house by lev ac rosen | ★★

july

the bell in the fog by lev ac rosen | ★★★

the other side of midnight by simone st. james | ★★

august

star wars: light of the jedi by charles soule | DNF

spellbound by allie therin | ★★★

starcrossed by allie therin | ★★★

wonderstruck by allie therin | ★★★

vampires of el norte by isabel cañas | ★★★★★

september

gods of jade and shadow by silvia moreno-garcia | ★★

bloom by delilah s. dawson | ★

october

one last stop by casey mcquiston | ★★★★

rough pages by lev ac rosen | ★★★

we could be so good by cat sebastian | ★★★★★

you should be so lucky by cat sebastian | ★★★★

in memoriam by alice winn | ★★★★

slippery creatures by kj charles | ★★

november

the seventh veil of salome by silvia moreno-garcia | ★★★

december

throne of glass by sarah j. maas | ★★★

crown of midnight by sarah j. maas | ★★★

heir of fire by sarah j. maas | ★★★★

queen of shadows by sarah j. maas | ★★★★

[espiricalesper]

robin, waving exhaustedly in the direction of maud and violet: they match each others freak to a degree that is dangerous to the public (common standards of modesty) (the world record of horniest human being) (my sanity)

[eklaize]

Hi, just wanted to say I've casually found your art of the captive prince on my dash and I love it. The characterisation, the composition, the light!!!!

Thank you for your work, it's amazing.

Thank you so much! That makes me very happy.😊 I started these fanarts a bit as a side project to just try new things and different subject matter with my art and it turned out I really like drawing these two characters.

[razberried]

sometimes i think about alan ross in a power unbound just sitting in a room with a group of people that has read his porn

[eeriewater]

a marvellous light fanart!

(this took 30 fucking hours)

[sinistergooseberries]

everyone reealllly just wants to fuck robin huh