V.L. Bovalino truly said this is for the LGBTQ+ community. Lady knights, eternal pining, and codependency? Sign me up IMMEDIATELY.

In all seriousness, this was a really refreshing read. The relationship between Kier and Grey was wonderfully done, it was natural and didn't feel rushed at all which has become a problem within the romantasy genre (or at least what I've been reading). I loved how intense these two were and if I ever see anyone say that two characters would happily die for each other more than these two, I think I will physically fight, just as this book intended.

I loved how easily having LGBTQ+ characters fell into this. It wasn't a "look at me putting a trans character in" feel at all, it felt natural and like they belonged, as they should!!!! This was lovely representation, done with care.

This book shows the true meaning of sacrifice, love, care, and dedication.

However, I will eternally be crying over cottages now, didn't think that would be a trigger point for me but it is now.

I will be recommending this book to absolutely everyone to read as soon as it comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown for an eARC in return for a review! Massively appreciated even through all the wailing I did.

Honestly I have so much to say about this one !
I think medieval romantasy is becoming a new favourite for me because I loved the entire setting of this book ! It really sucked me in and had me immersed . Being able to watch both grey and Keir’s relationship manifest and grow was beautiful and I really loved the found family aspect with the side characters in this one and how they fought and stuck with grey and Keir no matter the cost ! I really liked how we didn’t pander to the whole fmc looses her powers trope because that’s something I really don’t enjoy in romantasy books and I feel like grey going against that really works with her character and strength that she has! I did find the pacing to be slightly slow at times so this took me a lot longer to read that normal but overall I really did enjoy this one and I’m looking forward to book 2 !
Thank you netgalley and little brown book group uk for this e-arc in exchange for a honest review !

This is a very solid fantasy stand alone. The writing style is good, every emotion is well convened and the characters are easy to distinguish. The cast is very diverse, I loved this aspect.
The only criticism I have is that some aspects were really easy to predict.
The story is well crafted and written, so in the end that does not matter.
This is so good, if there are more books I hope they focus on the side characters

Instagram post to come, if you don’t see the link check @mrs.brekker_

I picked up The Second Death of Locke expecting court politics, deep yearning, and magical devastation and on that front, it definitely delivered. Bovalino’s world is richly imagined, emotionally intense, and unapologetically queer. The central relationship between Grey, a powerful “Well” of magic, and Kier, her mage and lifelong companion, forms the emotional heart of the story. Their bond is complex, part devotion, part desperation, and very much tangled in power, duty, and things left unsaid. The pining is palpable.

The worldbuilding is ambitious: a magic system tied to bodily cost, a war-torn queernormative setting, and a protagonist whose very existence determines the fate of all magic. There’s a mythic weight to it, especially with the Arthurian undertones. I really liked the found family dynamic that emerges during the quest.

That said, there were moments where the book's emotional punch felt more effective than its plot structure. A few of the political and magical systems felt underexplored or a bit too hand-wavy, especially when the stakes were so high. The romance is gorgeously intense, but it leans toward the melodramatic at times and I wish the novel had examined some of its power imbalances more deeply, rather than sweeping them into sacrifice-for-love territory.

Still, The Second Death of Locke is an emotionally charged, romantically devastating read. If you’re here for aching devotion, tragic choices, and magic that leaves a mark, this one might break your heart in exactly the way you want.

This story follows Grey Flynn, a well, who has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier. As a well, she gives him her power when they are on the battlefield, protects him and also heals him. Grey has been in love with him for years and would do anything for him. While their nation is at war, Grey and Kier have to embark on a quest to protect a young girl who says she is the child of an enemy kingdom while keeping the many secrets that bind them together.

The first part of this book really drew me in; I enjoyed the premise of this book and the found family aspect of it. The part where Grey and Kier are on the road to accomplish their quest was my favorite part of the story and I loved learning more about the secondary characters. I also appreciated the queer representation this story brings.

Sadly, I found the story became very repetitive; battle, one of the main characters almost die, they heal, etc. Also, from. the beginning, you get to read about Grey being completely in love with Kier and that got very redundant after a while. It would have been nice to see Kier's POV to bring more balance and nuance to their relationship.

The world building was also very lacking and I wouldn't classify this book in the high/epic fantasy category. I think this book would be perfect for people looking for a friends to lovers romance story set in a fantasy setting.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy of this book!

Thanks to Netgalley, Orbit and the author for the advanced copy in change of an honest review

Of blood, bonds, and beautiful melancholy
At the heart of the novel are Grey Flynn and Kier, a knight and her mage, whose bond is more than sacred—it's symbiotic. They're tethered not only by war and duty, but by a soul-deep connection that might remind you of the worst codependent relationship you've ever cheered for.
Grey is the strong, silent, stabby type. She's loyal to a fault, and by "fault" we mean “will emotionally implode before admitting her feelings.” Kier, in contrast, is a tender-hearted mage with a spine of steel and patience that borders on sainthood. Their relationship is tender, bruised, and so deliciously angsty that it should come with a warning label: *may cause chest-clutching and muttered swearing*.
The side cast is refreshingly inclusive, with queer and nonbinary characters who feel real and necessary.
The world of Lock* is one where magic comes at a cost, kingdoms teeter on the edge of ruin, and every character smells faintly of blood, rain, and regret.
Bovalino crafts an immersive world of warfronts, secret lineages, and old myths. This isn't just aesthetics—it's *mud-in-your-boots* worldbuilding. There's a constant hum of sorrow and inevitability, as if the very earth remembers what’s been taken from it. Locke, the source of all magic, is dying. And surprise! It’s got something to do with Grey. (Plot twist level: please scream into the void responsibly.)
V. L. Bovalino summons the prose. The prose is deeply sensory, cinematic, and often melancholic.It’s not flowery for its own sake, but when she decides to twist the knife? Oh, you’ll feel it.
The plot begins with war, secrets, and magic running out. By the time the first half is over, you’ll have survived betrayals, courtly lies, and the revelation that Grey is—shock—heir to Locke, the dying magical source everyone’s conveniently forgotten about. No pressure, girl.
I found the pacing a little slow at first—more “slow burn” than “page-turn”—but once it locks in (pun absolutely intended), it escalates into a crescendo of pain, power, and prophecy.
This book has enough intrigue to satisfy the politically starved and emotionally deprived. There’s the kingdom politics. The magical decays. The slow-building horror that everything may be far more broken than anyone realizes.
And then, there’s the Grey–Kier relationship,
They love each other, obviously. Do they *say* it? Not until you’ve aged five years and sacrificed a goat. But when the emotional damn finally breaks—it’s magnificent. Like fireworks. If fireworks made you cry and reevaluate all your life choices.
The only hiccup here? Grey’s maddening secrecy. It’s a key character trait (and plot mechanism), but it does at times feel like the book’s tension relies a bit too heavily on “this could’ve been solved with one honest conversation.”
Despite (or because of?) all its heartbreak and devastation, this book is weirdly addictive. You’ll come for the magic and ancient wars—but you’ll stay for the tender glances, the sword duels, and the moment someone finally admits they’d burn the world to keep the other alive.
*The Second Death of Locke* is not here to make you feel good. It’s here to make you *feel*. It’s raw, romantic, mythic—and deeply, devastatingly human. A story of love that burns slowly but leaves scars, of legacy tied to loss, of magic that asks too much and people who give even more.

Why on earth did I hesitate to jump on the Lady Knight hype train earlier this year? No idea. But luckily, I finally boarded, and thank the stars I did. I confess picked up The Second Death of Locke because of that hauntingly beautiful cover, and dove in blind. And holy hell, what a ride. This book didn’t just capture me. It devoured me whole, crowned itself my uncontested favourite read of the year, and left me begging for more.

Set in a queer normative world full of whispered legends, V.L. Bovalino’s adult debut is a fierce, relentless love letter to devotion, sacrifice, and power. It’s a gritty, breathless plunge into a brutal world where magic is tethered to the soul of a single woman, and if she falls, magic dies with her.

Grey Flynn and Kier are hands down one of the most breathtakingly beautiful couples I’ve encountered in recent memory. Their love is deep, wild, and unflinching, both terrifying and tender. The way they sacrifice for each other, protect each other, and refuse to bend to a world that wants to crush them? It ripped me apart and stitched me back together in the most exquisite way. Bovalino’s writing is achingly human, raw in its exploration of how love can both wound and heal with equal ferocity.
This book is a gorgeous storm of Arthurian themes: devotion, betrayal, honor; wrapped up in the carnage of court politics and warfare. There’s yearning here like a low-burning fever, unspoken desire tangled in every glance and whispered vow. I’m a hopeless sucker for pining, longing, and respectful romance, and The Second Death of Locke absolutely delivered that in spades.
Grey’s fierce strength and protective instincts, combined with Kier’s unwavering respect and tenderness, made their bond feel real and urgent. In a world that denies (and she also denies herself) Grey her full personhood because of what she is, Kier treats her as an equal, with nothing but love and reverence. Their relationship isn’t just romance, it’s rebellion, respect and adoration.
I’ve tried really hard not to pepper tropes in this review as I do not want to reduce this book to it but the found family? unexpected, messy, and beautiful as hell. I love all those characters in their messy, raw, beautiful selves and how quickly they bond and defend Grey and Kier.
What truly blew me away was how effortlessly this story weaves love, sacrifice, and freedom into something heartbreakingly healing. V.L. Bovalino’s prose never shies from the brutal truths of war and it’s all the better for it. No glossy illusions here; every battle feels lived-in and real. Unlike many fantasies that cram all the war into one big climax, this book shows you the slow, grinding toll it takes, and how it shapes its people.
The magic system is unlike anything I’ve read: complex, beautifully constructed, and integral to the story’s heart. It’s intricate but never confusing, layered with meaning and danger, woven into this fascinating world.
Honestly? I can’t stop talking about this book. Every word, every comma, every pulse of emotion feels meticulously crafted. The Second Death of Locke is perfection, chaos, heartbreak, and hope all tangled into one glorious masterpiece. If you haven’t read it yet, drop everything and fix that. And please, V.L. Bovalino, ruin me again.

First of all, a huge huge thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for providing an eARC in return for an honest review.

Prepare for a lot of gushing.

Second: 5 stars. 5 fully well-deserved stars.
This book goes to straight to place number 2 of my favorite reads this year! (Number 1 was The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson and I don’t think anything will push Sol and his soggy field from the top spot!)

Where to begin?
We are thrown directly into the fray, following Grey, a well of magic, and Kier, her mage, who draws on her energy to execute his spells. They are in a country at war, following the disappearance of the Island of Locke years ago. (Disappearance is a euphemism).
We follow them on their quest to capture a “resource”, which turns out to be the heir to an enemy state. They now are responsible for their safety and the safety and future of their country.
Grey is the lost heir of the island of Locke, and is the Hand to Kier, the mage, who she grew up with after the destruction of her home. Kier is the mage who is paired with Grey, working seamlessly and effortlessly as a pair, or is it just work and no play? The connection between Hand and Mage is a very intimate form of magic, and it lends to the dilemma of our protagonists. Because, there are a lot, I repeat, a lot of feelings between these two.
The quest in question is to bring the newly acquired “resource” to safety – with a handful of selected warriors, hands and mages both. This world is a queernorm world, and you can take the authors words at hand (ha!) that there is basically nobody straight in there. It was executed so effortlessly and it never felt forced. I felt very much at home in this setting (except, you know, the war and the magic).
Kier and Grey have also done something terribly forbidden, which is both to their advantage and their detriment. It adds to the honestly deliciously disgustingly sweet amount of angst and yearning between the two.

The side characters are excellently crafted – each of the companions felt unique and tangible. Sela changed and grew a lot over the book, and I loved that for her, especially at the end. The slow development of a close knit group was exceedingly well done. The quest over the mountains in the fashion of the initial Fellowship journey (iykyk, I had that sort of music in my head) was excellent.
Leonie as a friend and more-than-a-friend to Grey was a breath of fresh air: competent, confident, very much into Grey.

The Second Death of Locke presents itself with a dark and gritty atmosphere; the severity of situations is neither over- nor underestimated. You know exactly how cozy a situation can be, or that shit is about to go down and it’s bad.
The writing was excellent. The relationship between the main characters was so full of yearning and mutual pining. I ached with Kier and with Grey, I laughed at their jokes, I shed tears in those chapters. It was truly a great experience. There were no punches pulled in terms of emotional impact. Additionally, I was able to see the tents, the forests, the huts, campfires easily and clearly in front of my inner eye – a wonderfully crafted piece of literature.

We started the book right away with the plot, no big exposition, and no long prologue, just straight ahead into Kiers viscera! (uh, literally!) We get snippets of the past and its happenings along the way, in small breadcrumbs of hope and history and yearning and both Grey and Kier being called idiots by their families. The pace is brisk and does not grant the reader much breathing room, except for small pockets of relief, only to be thrown another emotional curveball 2 pages later. The third act breakup was very very painful to read and contained a trope that I personally dislike a lot, but it was very much in character for Grey to behave the way she did. On the other hand, this book subverted a handful of common tropes, which felt extremely refreshing considering the current book market.

All in all – this is a very well-crafted fantasy romance novel, full of yearning, pining, mess, no punches pulled. Emotional impacts left and right from the get-go, lots of pain, women in STEM (love you healer Leonie), women in armor (love you, Grey), women in terrible situations (don’t love you, but appreciate your arc, Hand Mare Concord), women in command (not sure how to feel about you, Commander Attis). We have Kier, fiercly competent on the battlefield, violently protective, but not about himself, and absolutely sappily (and “secretly”) in love with Grey. This book can be called “friends to lovers”, but “idiots to lovers” seems the more accurate description.

The magic system is a subversion of common magic tropes and so called soul/mates. I loved the differences this book crafted and it led to a thorough enjoyment. The fact that everyone was queer in some manner was just the cherry on top of a very delicious cake.
Another slice please!

Recommended for everyone who loves yearning, pining, idiots in love, women in armor, lady knights, sappy men in love, a refreshingly new take on magic systems and ofc a perfect dose of fantasy politics.

Additionally, the cover art for this book is chefs kiss, 10/10 no notes. Absolutely fitting.

Tension: 3 / 5
Spelling Style: 4 / 5

"Each step across the station camp felt like a perpetual battle with some unseen enemy, as if the blood of those they’d fought and those they’d lost was determined to claim her boots for the bones below."

"But being afraid is better than being hopeless."

Let me start this review with the aspects I feel conflicted about, as it will only get better from here. While there are many things I enjoyed, there were also elements I was hoping for and did not find, at least not all the time.
I wish the characterisation of the supporting characters had been deeper because I genuinely like them, even though they were primarily side characters. But even the main couple had one partner I could not grasp fully till the end. The writing occasionally suffered from a “telling, not showing” approach, where it should have been the other way around. At last, I wish the magic system had been more thoroughly explored.

Ultimately, I decided that the points mentioned above should overshadow my overall enjoyment of this book, as the reasons I liked it are more significant. The atmosphere is amazing! It's such a lush, dark and damp setting. It gets grim and bloody at some points, which is expected in a story about a soldier (knight) in wartime. And the relationship between the main characters is where this book truly shines. Grey and Kier share such a deep bond from the very beginning of the book, till the end. The author has skillfully portrayed two people longing for each other, understanding each other on a deep and complex level. That is the core of this story. They care for each other, and they would die for one another, and we are here to see how far the world will push them before they either fail or succeed.

The queer representation in this book is spot on, mentioned, not overly explored, but there on almost every other page without focusing to hard on it, making it feel authentic and normal, as it should be.

The world could have been explored much more to my liking, but it is sufficient to keep the story engaging and the reader captivated. Mages rely on so-called wells to perform magic, and even then, they posess only one ability. Without their well, a mage is useless. I think this sounds like an exciting concept, but I would have liked to see more about it. How exactly do they harness this power? How many abilities are there? Why is it different on the continent than in the countries at war? I have so many questions. Nevertheless, for the story, the bits and pieces the reader gets are enough.

All in all, you can expect a tale rich in a dark and drowning atmosphere, with a deep and all-embracing relationship (romance) between the main characters. However, you should not expect rich world-building, a well-developed magic system or thoroughly explored side characters. With these points in mind, you can immerse yourself in a story that will keep you longing and looking out for the next book.

I love a satisfying epic fantasy that could be read as a standalone filled with yearning and a LADY KNIGHT.

Grey is a Hand to her childhood best friend and long-time unsaid crush, Kier - a Well to his Mage. They cannot be separated and are running from a secretive, dark past.
Magic is declining and the only way to restore power is if the heir to the Isle of Locke is found. Grey and Keir are sent to find and protect the heir amidst war.

Due to the nature of the bond between Mage and Well, there is co-dependency, intimacy, close knowledge. Add in the childhood friends with a crush and you just know there is quiet longing.

<b>They were fools when they were young: so often on the edge of death, so desperate for someone else to fall into the chasm alongside them, as if the reaper’s teeth would not gnash them to nothing as long as they remained together.</b>

I went in knowing nothing except LADY KNIGHT and I think that made it all the better. Yes, some of the reveals were obvious, but this felt like a more character focused story than an epic high fantasy.
There is magic, but it is interwoven with the roles and lifestyles of the characters adding depth.

I loved the found family, I enjoyed the fade to black, I liked the internal conflict.

<b>’Grey, if I don’t spend the rest of my life washing gore out of your hair, then it’s not a life worth living.’
</b>
I wasn’t a huge fan of one of the plot devices used near the end, but that’s a personal preference.

Major gripe - I have seen this marketed as sapphic knight fantasy by some reviewers. This is not that. It is a queer normative world, but the main relationship is heterosexual. There is trans, bi, pan etc representation, and side relationships, but this is not what I would call a queer lady knight story in terms of sapphicness.

Another note, on Goodreads it is shown to be a book one, so I’m curious to see if it is a start because this felt satisfying on its own.

Physical arc gifted by Orbit.

This book was everything. It was the perfect romantasy and exactly what I imagine when I think of this genre. The world-building was thoughtful and well-developed. The magic system was unique — it required two people to work, which made it all the more intriguing. The romance was absolutely beautiful. We need more books with that kind of yearning! There’s honestly nothing I could criticize about this book. It’s probably one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far! I’m so excited for the next books.

one reason i wanted to read this was the gorgeous cover which is definitely up there with my favourites! so huge thanks to whoever created the art!
however this book unfortunately wasn’t for me. my main issue was the romance, i didn’t particularly like either character and their relationship felt weird to me , there seemed to be no tension at all as they seemed to act like a couple anyways just no communication on their true feelings which is a trope i personally don’t like. i really enjoyed the side characters tho especially brit. as for the world i didn’t feel very drawn to it either and found it to be a lot of telling but not showing which lost any sort of attention i had.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

I do believe this is the era for female knights and I’m here for it.
V.L Bovalino’s debut into adult fantasy was beautifully crafted and executed. The level of trust and friendship between Grey and Kier was so refreshing, let’s celebrate and lean into strong relationships.
There was an interesting magic system that relied on two people working together in order to make it work.

I love a quest story and this book delivered and handed so much more. A wonderful cast of characters, great work building including the lore that surrounds Locke.

Highly recommend, I will be purchasing a hardback edition for my shelf as a trophy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
In this story, following the destruction of the Isle of Locke, magic is now rare and everyone is trying to restore it. Grey is Kier’s well. Kier is a mage. Both are super close. There’s a lot of yearning between them, but they don’t want to admit it.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the pacing. I loved the unique world building. The author has a way of surprising you with the many revelations so I was kept on my toes all throughout the book. Grey’s and Kier’s relationship is really well developed and made me root for them so bad. The story is quite mysterious, the writing is smooth and atmospheric. I’m very excited to read the next book !

If you’re a fan of strong female characters, political intrigues, betrayals, plot twists, a unique magic system and friends to lovers with a lot of yearning, you will love this !

We follow Grey Flynn, a Well who’s devoted her life—body, power, and heart—to her mage, Kier. She’s his blade, his healer, his protector. The depth of her loyalty and the raw magic she carries are all his to command... if he’d only ask.

This book had so many of my favorite fantasy elements: high-stakes battles, secrets, betrayal, found family, and a slow-burning friends-to-lovers romance that delivered. I don’t usually reach for friends-to-lovers, but the tension and yearning between Grey and Kier were perfection. Their trust in each other? Chef’s kiss.

The quest plot hooked me from the start. The battles were epic, the magic system was unique and easy to follow, and the worldbuilding painted a vivid, medieval-style fantasy setting without ever feeling confusing or heavy.

And the emotions?? I SOBBED at one point. Bovalino’s writing is beautifully emotional and immersive. The ending was perfect—exactly what I hoped for.

Highly recommend if you love:
✨ Slow-burn romance
⚔️ Warrior-healer dynamic
🗺️ A sweeping quest
💔 Loyalty, longing, and high emotional stakes

this one absolutely hooked me. i adored it top to bottom. i think i’ve always wanted a book and characters like grey and kier…. i’m so glad i finally found one

Absolutely adored this book, I loved all the characters and the story is beautifully written. I got so scared when Kier died BUT THANK GOODNESS THE BOOK ISN"T THAT MEAN

the love i have for this book is absolutely ridiculous omg. this broke me (tori you are evil for what happened at 70%) and then put me back together. ever since i read my throat an open grave, i've become the biggest fan of tori and her books. the writing in this was so beautiful and majestic, you immediately get so sucked into the world building. and the characters felt so real and human i was attached to them all. i will be recommending this book to every single person i know!

The Second Death of Locke completely wrecked me in the best way. I fell headfirst into Grey’s voice and didn’t want to come back out. Her narration is full of longing, love, loyalty, and pain, it felt like living every moment right alongside her. This book doesn’t just tug at your emotions, it pulls them apart.

Grey and Kier’s bond is so intense and tender and complicated. I kept hoping, aching, holding my breath for them. There’s a quiet romance that simmers beneath everything, and it hurts in all the ways that you can love to hurt.

I deeply appreciated the world building: the magic system, the politics, the tension… and the found family that starts to form mid-way through? Gorgeous. I also really appreciated the bi and pan rep: it felt natural and deeply woven into who these characters are.

I honestly didn’t want it to end. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time and counting down the days until the sequel (but also in fear?).

I loved this. One of the best things I've read this year. I did that thing when you get to the end and feel so sad to be leaving the world that you contemplate just starting again from the beginning straight away. This is absolutely going to be a huge hit come its release in September, and rightly so.

I loved Grey as a lead character - her characterisation felt nicely complex and nuanced. I loved Kier and the romance arc; the author avoided a lot of the usual fantasy romance cliches which was refreshing, and I appreciated a romance that felt genuine and authentic rather than insta love.

I really enjoyed the world building and the way the magic system - a mage and a well, always paired together - allowed space to explore what it meant to work in a long-term partnership like that. I also liked the nods to Arthuriana and this concept of an island that could disappear and re-appear. There's so much to explore there!

I also enjoyed the ending! I can't say much without spoiling it, but I liked that the author held her ground and didn't let them off that easily.

I'd assumed this was a standalone but am thrilled to see it's listed as part one on Goodreads. I'll definitely be picking up the follow-up, and I look forward to seeing where the author takes these characters next.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.