Freshly graduated Master Physician Narsi Lif-Tahm has left his home in Anacleto and journeyed to the imposing royal capitol of Cieloalta intent upon keeping the youthful oath he made to a troubled writer. But in the decade since Narsi gave his pledge, Atreau Vediya, has grown from an anonymous delinquent to a man renowned for penning bawdy operas and engaging in scandalous affairs. What Narsi―and …
What Narsi―and most of the larger world―cannot know is the secret role Atreau plays as spymaster for the Duke of Rauma.
After the Cadeleonian royal bishop launches an unprovoked attack against the witches in neighboring Labara, Atreau will require every resource he can lay his hands upon to avert a war. A physician is exactly what he needs. But with a relentless assassin hunting the city and ancient magic waking, Atreau fears that his actions could cost more than his own honor. The price of peace could be his friends’ lives.
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What I Think: Welcome to a world of intrigue and secrets. Where beauty is cruel and the revered, pure evil. The world-building in this tale is so complete that I found myself wondering how long it must have taken Mme. Gina to put this creation together.
The reaction to the brown skin of the Haldiim is a great depiction of what people of color have had to endure through the ages. It’s hilarious yet sad. Sadder yet when you remember that people of color still live under similar conditions. For Narsi’s sake, I pray that he does magnificent things that show his light to the world to prove that light shines in spite, or perhaps even more so, of his mind and the color of skin doesn’t count!
The title couldn’t be more perfect because as the story thickens, it becomes restless, making me feel like I’d stepped into a maze needing to be straightened out. But the scheming and deceit are glorious, as this war is fought with chess moves where the wrong step will cost the life of you or your loved ones.
Narsi is drawn almost unwittingly into Veldiya’s schemes and becomes even more enamored with the man. This man who seems to live a double life: one as an indulgent pleasure seeker, the other as a spy and fixer to the Duke. This man who steps away from Narsi no matter how he offers himself and yet, can’t seem to stay away. And, of course, death begins to encircle them, drawing ever closer to home. Yet, Narsi shows the stuff he is made of, keeping a level head in the most fatal of situations. He has the mind of a doctor and the heart of a warrior as he calmly wades into Vediya’s world, barely blinking an eye and accepting his fate even as he fights for others.
The flashes of emotion and romance against this dark background make them stand out in stark relief, showing the human tenacious spirit that’s capable of great emotion in the midst of nothing that would or could inspire such. The characters are magnificent and colorful, matching each other as they learn to stride grey lines, become knights or give in to their evil. Even the women are not left behind as they are woven into this vibrant tapestry, every inch as deadly and sharp as their male counterparts, perhaps even more so because they have a subtle underhandedness that only the deadliest of their enemies can match.
Even the holy fathers take sides and Narsi’s guardian delivers a speech so true and beautiful that it would satisfy atheist and creationist alike. Narsi is nothing if not resourceful and to see his quick mind at work is delightful. As I get to know the main characters in this game, he takes on more life and depth, becoming ever more real. And oh, the dance of courtship, the process of getting to know someone you like makes me ache for it is lost in our current times where desire is slaked as easily as thirst yet lacks depth!
But this cliff-hanger business leads to only one very important question – when is the sequel coming out? I need it yesterday!
Verdict? A beautiful beginning to a tale that sucks you in and leaves you craving more!
I would rate this 4 stars.
I thought this was a standalone, but apparently it would have been helpful to read the Lord of White Hell and the Champion of the Scarlet Wolf duologies first. The world-building is amazingly detailed, yet I still feel like I might have had a rounder view of this universe if I read those first, as there are several characters from those books included in this one and they are written in linear time. Things about the court intrigues, neighboring countries, power struggles between church and state, all the differnet types of religious beliefs, and the use of magic obviously all have more background than I was privy to here. While the plot is always easy to follow, the explanations about the magic are not–until the second half. All of the sudden the magic is explained, the emotional connection I wanted kicks in, and the book really comes alive, which saved this story for me. I am left wondering if maybe I would have felt more emotionally attached from the beginning if I had read the other four books? The writing style for the first half is removed, like an observer focused on the main plot and moving about chess pieces. While there is clever dialogue and witty banter, the author never lets them succumb to passion or deeper emotions that the reader can actually sit with and let breathe. Then again, maybe that is because of the constant explanations of past events, but recaps are entirely necessary for this to work.
The story is told from four points of view: Narsi, Atreau, Ariz, and Fedeles. Narsi is a great character, a genuinely kind, clever, brave and warmhearted physician. Atreau the charming rake and novelist, but that deflects from what he is really doing as a spymaster. Ariz is the tragic tale, living under compulsion and being made to do things he doesn’t want to do. Fedeles as the Duke of Rauma is treading a fine line of facing his fears and past traumas to become the hero everyone needs. Although these main leads are all male, there are many strong females characters in this book and the cast is large and diverse. Clara and Oasia are the most intriguing, rich, intelligence, three dimensional female roles I’ve read in secondary characters in a long time. Everyone has various shades of grey as many are not whom they seem on the surface, even Narsi takes to subterfuge with ease. The characters are what bring this to life–why I even cared about all the plots and subplots. Honestly though, more than rooting for them individually, I was rooting for good to win over evil and for anyone to have even a dash of happiness. Just like real life, there is racism, sexism, homophobia, religious zeal, and xenophobia. In the end, it’s about averting a war. The corruption, greed, torture, assassinations, servitude…they are what you would expect from the rich and powerful. There is nothing fast about this book; it’s all slowly built brick by brick. That’s not to say that no action happens, but the pacing is slowed by the world-building–even though this all takes place in a week, it feels much longer. Suddenly everything happens at once and it’s over.
If you are wanting an m/m romance, this may not hold your interest. If you want a complex, painstakingly detailed, queer renaissance type high fantasy novel with a tangle of multiple plots and slow burn, fairly chaste romantic pairings, then you might like to try this book. This is also going to be a duology, so be aware this doesn’t end here. Right now I am frustrated on many levels. While I acknowledge the first half was neccessary, I didn’t love it and was getting bored. After the second half, I am completely sucked in and want to read the next book right now this minute. I am also sad that reading this might have ruined the four previous books for me, because I will know what happens as I believe this duology is the end of the series.
14 July 2019
I sit here in wonder and self-recrimination. I did my biannual re-read of The Lord of the White Hell and Champion of the Scarlett Wolf back in November or December. Now I’m wishing I had done it even more recently. But, that’s not my biggest concern. My biggest regret is that now I have to anxiously await volume two of this wonderful duology.
It is now approximately thirteen years since the events of the Lord of the White Hell duology. In this, our MCs from the Sagrada Academy and the Hellions are Fedeles Quemanor, Atreau Vediyu, Father Timoteo Grunito, and several guest appearances and/or mentions of other notables from the previous two duologies.
We are introduced to several new and important characters, one of which could possibly have been in TLOTWH, but I just can’t remember. Arg!! I feel like Atreau now. Of course, political intrigues play a major role in the story, and danger and betrayal lurk around every corner. We are in Cadeleon now, so there is no longer magic involved, right? RIGHT…Blessings, spells, and holding people in thrall abound throughout the city; some with the aim of protection, others with greed and sadistic domination as their motivation. And, unfortunately, the internal battle still wages within Fedeles regarding the true motivations of his shadow that remains after his own soul was released from being enthralled.
Spies, assassins, corruption, and greed run rampant in the streets of Cieloalta in this first volume of Master of Restless Shadows. But with critical thinkers, and the aid of the ‘enemy,’ I am so very much looking forward to getting my hands on the second volume as soon as I possibly can!
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and I am leaving my honest review. *