Genre: Romantic Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, LGBTQIA Romance
My Review - 4.5 Stars
I was completely enamored with this story from page one. It’s clear Mio is in trouble, although we don’t know how or why. When he meets Rhodry and asks for help, I was drawn even further into Mio’s plight. He was so sweet and pure, so tangled up in what to do and how he might escape his mother Serafina. My heart went out to him and I could see why he was drawn to the strength Rhodry exuded. But Rhodry, a bear-soul, had troubles of his own thanks to a curse and I had no idea how the ghosts and demon might affect them all. All I knew was I was in their corner, desperate for things to work out, and I could not read this fast enough.
In addition to fascinating supernatural elements, this story explored identity and power dynamics in really interesting ways. One of Mio’s greatest strengths is his voice. It’s the one thing he’s really proud of and believes he’s best at. It’s also the source of his magic. After a showdown with his mother, he essentially loses his voice. The selective mutism impacted Mio in a variety of ways, leading him to learn “handspeak.” And this set the plot off in a new direction, full of interesting possibilities, especially when Mio discovers he can communicate with Rhodry’s ghost wife Eirlys, who cannot speak.
The reach of Serafina’s power was confusing a couple of times. As far as I understood, she needed to know someone’s secret in order to control them but she could not read minds, which is why she used Mio, who could then convey the secrets to her and she could take over from there. In at least two key instances, Mio did not reveal a secret and yet she was able to control someone anyway. This was used to great dramatic effect in the scene, I admit, but I kept wondering how she accomplished it when Mio was not complicit in her actions. Regardless, this confusion did not affect my enjoyment of this story.
I loved how this explored gender and sexuality through Mio, who is intersex, prefers he/him, and is okay with boy but not man. When Mio and Rhodry discuss his preferences, Rhodry responded to him with such kindness and acceptance. There’s awareness that not everyone is as accepting of either of them and there are references to homophobia but in Rhodry’s house, everyone is free to be who they are.
Rhodry and Mio’s love story is a slow burn but it’s effective. They have to deal with the threat of Serafina, as well as Rhodry’s curse. Rhodry has to wrestle with the power dynamics between them: not only is Rhodry wealthy, he’s also a great deal older than Mio and now serving as his protector. He wants to do right by Mio and be sure he’s not taking advantage of him. But once they finally act on their feelings, I swooned. They were so good to one another.
All in all, a wonderful debut from May Peterson. The side characters were incredible and I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series: Peterson says book two is about Tibario and his love interest, a transfem Witch from a rival family, and that Eirlys will get her own story as well.
CW: murder, violence, loss of voice, toxic parent, suicidal ideation and attempted suicide, grief and loss, past infidelity, references to homophobia, mind control
Synopsis
Stop me. Please.
Three words scrawled in bloodred wine. A note furtively passed into the hand of a handsome stranger. Only death can free Mio from his mother’s political schemes. He’s put his trust in the enigmatic Rhodry—an immortal moon soul with the power of the bear spirit—to put an end to it all.
But Rhodry cannot bring himself to kill Mio, whose spellbinding voice has the power to expose secrets from the darkest recesses of the heart and mind. Nor can he deny his attraction to the fair young sorcerer. So he spirits Mio away to his home, the only place he can keep him safe—if the curse that besieges the estate doesn’t destroy them both first.
In a world teeming with mages, ghosts and dark secrets, love blooms between the unlikely pair. But if they are to be strong enough to overcome the evil that draws ever nearer, Mio and Rhodry must first accept a happiness neither ever expected to find.
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