Kirkus Style Review: A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Atmospheric, action-packed, and clever, A Restless Truth by Freya Marske is the second installment in her Last Binding series. Maud Blyth follows in the footsteps of her brother Robin, one of the main characters in the preceding book A Marvellous Light, as she dips her toes into the unexpected mystery she encounters aboard the Lyric, a White Star luxury line ship. 

When Maud’s elderly traveling companion is killed on the journey from New York to England, Maud suspects it is the work of magicians whose goal is to unite the separated parts of a magical contract, with the intention of using that contract for nefarious purposes. Together with the help of a scandal-ridden actress/magician from New York named Violet, an erotica-peddling thief named Ross, and an extremely reluctant peer of the realm, Lord Hawthorn, Maud must comb the massive ship to find the killer (or killers). Determined not to disappoint her brother Robin and his partner Edwin, the non-magical Maud uses her relentless perseverance to find the truth, thrilling in the subterfuge, magic, and menagerie in which she finds herself. Along the way, she explores her budding attraction to Violet, a woman reluctant to share more of herself than necessary, though the two come together before long.

Marske, who set a high bar with A Marvellous Light, manages to follow through in this sequel. The story is confined to the ship, but the lush descriptions of its decor, fixtures, and accompanying lifestyle bring a sense of atmosphere that draws in a reader and brings to mind The Titanic. Marske’s lush writing also shows itself in the handful of sex scenes between Maud and Violet, vividly portraying the attraction shared between the two.

Ultimately, although A Restless Truth is relatively narrow in focus when compared to the first book in The Last Binding series, it nevertheless builds upon the magic first seen in A Marvellous Light. The final book in the trilogy, A Power Unbound, is due for release in November of 2023, and will follow two new main characters: Ross and Lord Hawthorn, whose at-odds relationship sets a tension in this book that will likely draw readers in for the final installment.