I didn´t enjoy this book as much as the first one. It was a light fun read but I would have changed some things.

Maude rights! I love this adventurous (but at the same time) very intimate coming-of-age, sapphic novel. I LOVED A Marvellous Light, Edwin and Robin have my heart, and I loved getting glimpses of it, but this was such a great follow up. Freya Marske you will always be loved by me!

3.5 stars

I loved a Marvellous Light so I was thrilled to be invited back into Freya Marske's magical world. This time following Robin's younger sister Maud as they deal with the fall-out of the first book. We find Maud aboard a the HMS Lyric, ready to prove herself a valuable member of the team and desperate for adventure. When a woman is murdered Maud knows that she is in danger and her mission aboard in peril. Drawn to beautiful, enigmatic stranger Violet Maud must keep them safe and alive and work solve the mystery.

Unfortunately this is much weaker second outing and seems to stall on the idea of recreating this first book but with a Sapphic central relationship. And all that is good fun and funny and sexy and sweet, Violet and Maud representing a similar "opposites attract" relationship that we had with Robin and Edwin but isn't enough to make up for unexpected weaknesses in the plot, pacing and setting. The story takes an age to get gong despite the early murder and despite chases, deception and confrontation it can't muster the sense of any real action. The enclosed setting could have created an effective sense of claustrophobia, Maud and Violet hemmed in with unknown enemies, but it is rather dull. There's none of the contrast of the first book in surroundings or atmosphere. And with the extremely limited timeframe (about a week) the characters, although the strongest part of the book, aren't as developed or believable, the narrative just doesn't give them quite enough space to grow and the conflicts and resolutions are rushed and repeated to condense the relationship into one that can compete with Robin and Edwin's, but it never quite gets there.

I'll definitely read the next book because there is plenty to enjoy, but I find myself hoping that this is is second-book-syndrome and that we can return to the magic of the first

Sequel to A Marvellous Light (which I really enjoyed), A Restless Truth was one I hadn’t expected to come out so soon after the first book. This is another one that took a couple of attempts to get into, but again, once I did, I really enjoyed this.

I loved how the focus shifted to Maude in this one and you really get a chance to learn more about Robin’s little sister. I really enjoyed how Maude came into her own over the course of the novel and how she leans into her own charm and power. A Restless Truth also moves the story along quite nicely as well - there’s a little more lore and history in this and providing a little bit more context to the overarching storyline (sorry for being super vague - trying not spoil!) All in all, this was a really enjoyable entry in the series and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the series ends.

First book of 2023 and I really enjoyed it. I read the first book as part of a book club at work and couldn’t wait for the sequel to come out. I couldn’t read this book quick enough and looked forward to picking it back up.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A Marvellous Light was one of the books I really enjoyed last year so I was looking forward to the sequel.
I do enjoy a good historical fantasy, but I think this one missed the mark slightly. I liked that they followed a different set of MCs so it was kind of different than the first book but still similar in the style of writing and world building.

The publisher archived the ARC on Netgalley before I could download it to my kindle, leaving me unable to read or review the book.

I could not finish this book. I felt like the romance between the main characters was bland and thus the sex scenes were uninteresting. This book is set on a cruise ship, yet I kept forgetting where they were because they barely explored it.

I absolutely loved A Marvellous Light, and was worried that this one wouldn’t live up to my expectations, especially as it was based on different characters - albeit Robin’s sister. But I really didn’t need to worry. This was brilliant and I possibly loved it more than the first book. Would recommend this to everyone!

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Full of magical mayhem, a swashbuckling sapphic romance and a marvelling murder mystery, A Restless Truth is a brilliant sequel to Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light.

This second instalment follows Maud Blyth - sister to previous MC Robin – who gets tangled up in a murder investigation aboard a ship that is taking her home from America when the very person she has found to help Robin and Edwin with The Last Contract situation ends up dead.

I absolutely loved that Maud was the lead protagonist and got her own romantic adventure in this book as I really liked her character from the moment we met her in book 1. The rest of the newly introduced characters were also a really fun bunch. Hawthorn is a character I couldn’t remember well from book 1 (I probably should have done a reread) but I’m really glad he got pulled in for the shenanigans as it made the central murder mystery all the more amusing. Honestly the humour in this and the banter between the characters was great! Violet, I took a little longer to fully warm to but I loved everything she stood for.

I feel like the romance in this second book though just as steamy felt a lot more like a side plot. It was balanced well with the rest of the main plot points however, I feel like the whodunnit storyline and direction of the series as a whole became a lot more apparent and took the limelight.

Nevertheless, alongside the highly entertaining mystery I really enjoyed that we got to see more elements of the magic system and learn more about the history of it all and The Last Contract. It brought the whole conspiracy that started in the first book to a nice place to be continued and concluded in the final book of the trilogy and I’m excited to see who is going to be the lead!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor / Pan Macmillan for this advance copy.

This book was a wonderful slice of fantasy involving sexy, sapphic, sailors. I loved it! A Restless Truth follows Maud, Robin's sister, as she strives to find an adventure of her own. Which she surely does, aboard the White Star Line! This setting was gloriously claustrophobic, with everyone trapped upon the ship in great danger. I loved it, and I can't wait to see the conclusion to this series!

i read the first in this series a few weeks ago and enjoyed so i'm glad i picked up this one! more of the same clever funny writing with an insight into this magical world alongside our own. very here for the romance

An absolutely fantastic, gorgeous, amazing follow up to A Marvellous Light. I loved the story, especially the characters and the banter. We get more of the amazing world building and magic system, more romance and a brilliant cast of supporting characters. Want mystery, suspense and tension, a swoon worthy romance and magic, look no further than this series and Ike me you’ll be begging for the next book

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest opinion

I will admit that I was very apprehensive going into this book, for the simple reason that I absolutely adored the main characters of book one and I knew this was going to be a switch to a different lead couple. I really didn’t want to leave Robin and Edwin behind, and I couldn’t see how they could be taken out of the over-arching story without losing a lot of the charm that made me fall in love with A Marvellous Light. (If you want to see my glowing review of that, you can find it here.)

Of course, I needn’t have worried.

Yes, A Restless Truth is a very different book to its predecessor – there’s the glamorous transatlantic sea voyage, for a start, rather than the crumbling English country estates; there’s a cast with what seems at first to be very little overlap; and the tone is somewhat different – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t equally good, and built on the same bones of righteous anger, deep sensuality, and great emotional work! If you love the way that Freya Marske can absolutely skewer a character with their own background, and make your insides ache for them in the way you can see their soul in every move they make, then this will not disappoint. And the mystery (about which I obviously can’t say too much) is wonderful too – fun, action-packed, and intriguing enough to keep you flipping pages long into the night.

This feels to me like a sharper book overall, mostly thanks to the bitterness of its main cast – both Maud and Violet are pricklier, angrier, wielding their secrets and trauma like knives. A Marvellous Light often had me grinning or giggling at the dialogue between Robin and Edwin, or the situations they got into – not that there wasn’t also a hell of an emotional punch, but a lot of the first half of the book certainly felt more light-hearted, with its parties and magic, like KJ Charles meets PG Wodehouse. A Restless Truth, on the other hand, is KJ Charles meets Agatha Christie – everyone is more mistrustful, and the atmosphere feels ready to blow at any point. There are some funny moments for sure, but the edges of conversations are simply sharper. I absolutely adored the way Maud and Violet’s relationship developed, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not so much of a warm-and-fuzzy bond growing as a set of very jagged puzzle pieces clashing until they click. It’s also just as steamy as the first, and the chemistry is phenomenal!

I think if it’s been a while since you read A Marvellous Light, it’s definitely worth going back for a quick reread to refresh yourself about the overarching plot – while things are re-explained to catch you up, it’s good to have the knowledge of who everyone we’ve met before is and what they’re hunting for. Maud’s backstory, in particular, is stronger if you remember what Robin’s previously revealed about their family (and it’s fascinating to compare them as siblings – as I say, they couldn’t be more different, and yet they’re very realistically grown from the same trauma). While the romances appear to be fairly self-contained (and there’s a lovely cameo from our favourite guys at the very end!) the main plot is definitely building across the whole series, so don’t start here!

In a pinch, book one is still my favourite (what can I say, I love a country house party) – but this is an admirable follow-up and I’ll be continuing to recommend this series to every historical fantasy lover for a long time. It’s really just brilliant! Five out of five cats.

After loving A Marvellous Light to bits and pieces, so much so that I've read it thrice now, I sure had high expectations from this one too!
And it did meet them!! This book was everything I expected it to be and I enjoyed it a lot!
Highly recommended if you're looking for sapphic sea adventures and magical artifact hunts and more!!

Freya Marske's second volume in the Last Binding series, A Restless Truth is such a fun follow-up to A Marvellous Light.

I loved a Marvellous Light so there was no way I wasn't going to give the next book a read and I'm so glad I did. I haven't read many F/F romance books but I enjoyed this one a lot.

The story follows Maud Blythe on her journey back from New York aboard a trans-atlantic passanger ship. On it she encounters murder, magic, and the very exciting and alluring Violet Debenham. She also gets caught up in the mystery of the Last Binding and must try to uncover the murderer and a magical object.

I enjoyed how many interesting characters there were in this book and how they worked together. I didn't want to like Hawthorn but some how he has become my favourite, and along with Ross, the third book in this series will be fantastic!

I thoroughly enjoy reading Marske's writing, which is lyrical and sumptious. And the audio narration by Aysha Kala was absolutely wonderful and she did such an amazing job!

All in all, this has become a favourite series and I can't wait to get a hardcover copy of this to go along with my Marvellous Light one too!

Right from the first chapter, something was just a little off for me, and I found some difficulty in working out what that was. I have a few suggestions as to why (it's kind of a combination, I think).

1. The atmosphere
Often I just totally forgot the book was set on a ship, something which should be really atmospheric and claustrophobic since there is literally a murderer on the loose in a secluded location. For a book pitched as sapphic knives out on a ship, tienes un problema, pienso!

2. Too many [undeveloped] characters
I had such a difficult time keeping track of who these people were and what their relationships were to the main characters. I also feel like I barely got to know any of them.

3. Poor Pacing
I feel like the mystery accelerated far too quickly.

4. Not enough romantic development
This is almost a 400-page novel, and the main couple literally kiss at page 100. it felt like the author was so desperate to write some ~spicy~ scenes that she forgot about developing them as romantic interests before anything happened.

I kind of felt like this book was almost a little irrelevant. You could, perhaps, read book one, skip this one, and go straight into the final book. There was plot, but it didn't feel as important as the first one. That's second book syndrome for you, I guess. It did improve for a bit towards the end, so I'll still probably read the last book. I don't know, maybe I'll like this one more with a re-read of the series.

I loved A Marvellous Light very much so was extremely excited to get stuck into this, and it did not disappoint! Maud Blyth is a wonderful, layered protagonist. I am endlessly infatuated with characters who deliberately choose to be good and kind, and Maud is one of the best I've come across - especially as a nineteen year old ingenue who is trying VERY hard all the time. Violet is equally delightful and I love her chaotic neutral approach to life.

The mystery unfolded in a natural way and by the last few pages my heart was genuinely pounding trying to figure out whether it would all be okay in the end. The side characters enriched the world and I am particularly enamoured by Ross, the possibly-supernatural journalist with a sideline in pornography.

Highly recommended, especially if you like period romance, boats, and sapphic romance.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but I didn’t like this one as much. I didn’t find the storyline to be as engaging this time

After reading the first book in the series, "A Marvellous Truth", earlier this month I was excited to dive right into the sequel. I enjoyed Marske's debut quite a bit, but wasn't as blown away by it as many others and couldn't really connect with the main characters, and both the plot and the writing style was, at times, a little convoluted. Still, it was fun, it was exciting, and when I heard that the second book in the series - "A Restless Truth" - was about Maud, I just NEEDED it.

And wow, I loved this book! Even though not much time has passed between the release of the first and the second book, Marske's writing style has visibly improved, with better pacing and a plot that was much more masterfully crafted. I loved the fact that the whole book took place on a ship, with all the added tension of our heroes not being able to escape the dangerous situation they find themselves in. It was a fun mystery, and the few things that I felt didn't make that much sense - like the very protective Robin sending his little sister on a potentially dangerous mission all alone - could mostly be ignored. This is not a very deep or complex series, but it's utterly charming. And this time around, I really adored the characters.

Maud is an absolutely amazing protagonist, endearing, complex and growing as a person. Violet is great too, independent, strong yet vulnerable, and with a twist in her personal story that I didn't see coming. Their romance is both sweet and steamy, and I just love them together. Now, I do admit their relationship is leaning a little too much towards the physical side, lacking the more emotional, romantic scenes of the previous main couple, but they also only knew each other for a few days so - I can forgive it. I can also forgive that one again, the bisexual lady is the scandalous slutty one because there is much more to Violet and her reasons for being this way than one might think at first glance.
Then there are the major side characters. Hawthorne - who we met in the first book but who had nothing more to do than nonconsensually outing Edwyn and giving him a sad romantic backstory, so I wasn't a fan - got an actual personality this time, and he very much grew on me. Which means: Okay I love him now, he's an ass but he's MY ass. Ross gives a much needed non-rich-people perspective and is one of the best additions to the cast. I hope there will be more about these two in later books in the series.

All in all: I actually prefer this sequel to its predecessor, though I recommend the entire series. This could have probably been a 5 star read if not for the still rather weak villains, making this feel a lot more low stakes than it could have been, some inconsistencies regarding established lore (like the aforementioned protective Robyn issue) and some minor pacing issues during the middle part of the book. As it is, it's the perfect 4 star read and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!