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March 1, 2025
As the only heir to the historic and once-regal House Monterris, Lord Nicholas is destined for a marriage of convenience. Nic spends his time tinkering with automatons and conjuring, but the day finally arrives when his father summons him with news of Nic's impending marriage to Lady Leaf Serral. Marriage contracts require both families to be locked in the house together, and Nic meets his fianc�e for the first time when the Serrals come for the contract negotiations. To add salt to the wound, the Serrals have brought vowsmith Dashiell sa Vare with them to negotiate on their behalf--the same Dashiell sa Vare who Nic fell in love with a decade ago and has never forgotten. The dukedom is in dire financial straits, and much is at stake with Nic's betrothal. However, the contract becomes a matter of life and death as members of the betrothal parties are murdered one by one. Nic, Leaf, and Dashiell must work together to find the murderer before they become the next victims. VERDICT Ide's (Between the Dragons and Their Wrath, writing as Devin Madson) Regency-era fantasy is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy gothic settings, locked-room mysteries, and queer historical romance.--Maria Martin
Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2025
In an alternate Regency England where magic is embedded in the peerage system, Lord Nicholas Monterris has been called to perform his duty as heir. Despite knowing his son's sexuality, the Duke of Vale arranges a marriage between his son and Lady Leaf, the daughter of wealthy House Serral. To Nic's further exasperation, House Serrall's master vowsmith (essentially a lawyer with magical abilities) is his ex-flame Dashiell sa Vare, who has great magical abilities and even greater hair. When the two families join together for a customary but uneasily tense pre-marriage lock-in, the bodies start to fall. The first novel from Ide (a pseudonym for fantasy author Devin Madson) is a surprising blend of historical fiction and romantasy. Readers might struggle with the pacing and should not expect a fully fleshed-out magic system. Nonetheless, fans of historical genre-benders like Alexis Hall's Mortal Follies (2023) and Alexandra Rowland's Running Close to the Wind (2024) will appreciate this queer locked-room murder mystery with potentially nefarious automata, a roaming black figure without a face, and a forbidden romance.
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