AUTHOR: Foz Meadows
SERIES: The Tithenai Chronicles #2
GENRE: Fantasy, LGBTQ+
AGE: Adult
BLURB:
With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, Velasin and Caethari have begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage are still playing out across two nations, and all too soon, they’re summoned north to Tithena’s capital city, Qi-Xihan, to present themselves to its monarch.
With Caethari newly invested as his grandmother’s heir and Velasin’s old ghosts gnawing at his heels, what little peace they’ve managed to find is swiftly put to the test. Cae’s recent losses have left him racked with grief and guilt, while Vel struggles with the disconnect between instincts that have kept him safe in secrecy and what an open life requires of him now.
Pursued by unknown assailants and with Qi-Xihan’s court factions jockeying for power, Vel and Cae must use all the skills at their disposal to not only survive, but thrive – because there’s more than one way to end an alliance, and more than one person who wants to see them fail.
Thank you to Tor for a final copy of this book!
I was very excited to dive back into this world, and while I thought the last book had been wrapped up nicely, it was still enjoyable to get another adventure. I will admit I did not love this one as much as the first one. To me, I felt there was more meandering and not as much of what I loved in the first book, so that is definitely a me thing, no fault of the book.
However, it also featured one of my least favorite tropes: the miscommunication trope. And unfortunately for me, it felt too much like the previous book for me to really enjoy it.
One thing Meadows does very well is the world building and giving the characters personalities. They did both of these expertly. This book was also very well written. It was an easy read in that sense.
I suppose I’ll say I wasn’t as invested in this one, but if you like stories of what happens “after” you “come out” as Meadows put it, you’ll probably like this one. This book deals a lot with the internal and mental struggles of our two favorite guys, and I thought that part was well done as well.