A Power Unbound

Starred review from September 4, 2023
Marske’s showstopping final Last Binding historical fantasy doubles down on all the romance and magic that made the previous books in the trilogy so delightful. After the events of A Restless Truth, only one object binding the Last Contract, a centuries-old fae bargain that “left magic in the hands of humans,” remains to be found: a silver knife. Violet Debenham suspects it’s hidden somewhere within Spinet House, her recent inheritance, so she, her paramour Maud Blyth, and Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn—the women’s “glorified bodyguard”—comb the house for clues. This proves a difficult task; Jack muses of Spinet House, “It was a fortress. It was a musical, magical puzzle-box. It was a fucking headache.” Luckily, they have allies in some welcome and familiar faces from the series, including Robert Blyth, Edwin Courcey, and Adelaide Morrissey. Help also comes, much to Jack’s chagrin, from dashing journalist Alanzo Rossi, who has a handy ability to repel magic, though Jack is suspicious of his motives. Time is running out, however, as Jack’s villainous, power-hungry cousin, George Bastoke, is determined to find the knife himself, hoping to use the Last Contract to consolidate magic for his use alone. As the stakes ramp up so too does the tension—and the attraction—between Jack and Alanzo. Marske again demonstrates her talent for balancing romance and fantasy action. This does the series proud.

September 1, 2023

Three-time Aurealis Award short-listed Marske wraps up her "Last Binding" trilogy with A Power Unbound, as Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn, joins forces with resistant writer/thief Alan Ross to short-circuit a dangerous ritual that threatens all of Britain's magicians (100,000-copy first printing). Prepub Alert.

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October 1, 2023
Marske's final, thrilling entry in the Last Binding trilogy reunites beloved characters as they use their wit and guile to thwart the power-hungry men plotting to steal magic from all of Britain. After a childhood trauma killed his twin sister and took his magic, Jack, the Earl of Hawthorn, knows the agony of having one's magic taken unwillingly. He's tried to avoid all magical society, but when the power grab comes to a head at the annual Equinox Gala hosted at his ancestral home, he finds himself inextricably at the center. Jack also finds himself reluctantly drawn to Alan, the scrappy, pickpocketing, porn-peddling journalist who helped the gang in A Restless Truth (2022). Jack and Alan's relationship teeters between lust and disgust and draws lightly from dominant-submissive role-playing. True to the enemies-to-lovers trope, the two men's standoffish exteriors melt away as their escapades become more tender and vulnerable. On the night of the gala, the group crafts an intricate, heist-like plan to steal the three pieces of the Last Contract from their enemies in a wild confrontation involving ancient fae, dashed illusions, and blood sacrifice. A charming, heart-thumping close to a world and characters fans won't be ready to let go of.

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