Content warnings: lots of death, murder, blood, forced marriage/pregnancy (off page and in the distant past), threats of sexual assault
Summary [courtesy of Goodreads]: A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead: In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception. Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she can’t fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul. Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heart—if she doesn’t betray them first.
This book is SOOOOOO GOOD. It’s full of furious women who use all of the power and magic at their disposal to utterly break apart the patriarchal systems that literally undergird their society. We have Rovan, the much touted pansexual, polyamorous bloodmage main character, whose rage breaks the bonds of magic as her world knows it, setting her down a path that takes “burn it all down” to new levels. We also have Lydea, the lesbian bloodmage PRINCESS, whose quick tongue and razor-sharp mind provide a great pairing for Rovan. We have Ivrilos, the ghost-guard who Rovan falls for (and yes, this part is classically cliched YA, but Strickland does manage to bleed new sparks from this old, blunt stone). And, finally, we have my absolute favorite character, Japha, the non-binary, asexual, royal bloodmage whose sardonic wit and excellent fashion sense anchor the queer-platonic relationship they develop with Rovan and Lydea. I loved this trio (and put up with the quartet when Ivrilos gets added), and I loved the almost immediate loyalty they had for each other. Yes, there is miscommunication and minor, accidental betrayal here and there, which makes some of the plot machinations tedious, particularly in the build-up to the climax, but in the end their ties prove to be resilient (thank god).
SPOILER TERRITORY
I do wish this were a duology instead of a stand-alone, since I think the ending wrapped up WAY too quickly (I was 30 pages from the end convinced it would end on a cliffhanger, and it just…did not).
But, despite many fake-outs that seem to destroy any chance at Rovan’s happiness or even her friends’ continued existence, this book has a happily-ever-after that had me SOBBING.
Love live angry girls and enbys!!