4.5 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

They couldn't marry him.

Picking up right were The Rogue Crown left off, we have Talhan Catullus winning the hand of Neelo Emberspear after a duel set up by Neelo's mother, the Queen of the Southern Court. This series is set in a fantasy world where fae, witches, and humans live in five kingdoms. Each book stars a different main couple but also continues the storyline of the battles and politics happening in the fictional Okrith, with a progressive plot of some mysterious enemy behind all the disruption in each kingdom. While I thought it would be challenging but possible to jump into the series like I did with book three, I think this fourth addition would have a lot of newcomers too lost to start here.

A faceless storm was coming for their court, and they needed to unmask it before the South befell the same fate as the assassinated Western Court Queen.

Growing up in the pleasure seeking Southern court, Neelo, who is nonbinary and has social anxiety, never felt comfortable with the sexual pleasure seeking and free use of drugs society their mother encouraged and actively participates in. They dress in black baggy clothes to try and not be defined by their body and always carries a book/s with them to be able to disappear in when they get overwhelmed. With their mother fading even faster because of a new tea brew that seems laced with an even more powerful drug than usual, the time for them to take the crown and rule is here but they don't want it. Their solution is to try and find out who is supplying the tea and get deliveries stopped to save their mother, but this leads to them uncovering a plot that ties into the book series continuing plot of kingdoms being upheaved and finally uncovering who is behind it all.

Neelo immediately relaxed their jaw. “Maybe you just make me nervous,” they muttered.
“Maybe.” Laughter tinged Talhan's voice. “Maybe being nervous in this case is a good thing. Maybe you make me nervous too.”

If you've read the previous books, the name Talhan Catullus “The Golden Eagle” will sound familiar. He's the fae's best warrior and fought in a big previous battle that almost left him dead. He's the twin brother of one of the female lead characters in book three and he was childhood friends with Neelo before they were separated by the wars starting. It's pretty obvious from the beginning that he loves Neelo and is just gently but stoutly never going to leave their side and simply waiting until they trust in his feelings and work through their emotional issues of self-worth. This is a slow burn romance that I could see some tapping their watch for Neelo to finally relent but there were enough cracking scenes from Neelo that I thought there was enough burn scenes to carry it to the finally giving in end. I mean, we get a library desk scene, steamy bath house, and others to tide readers over.

“You know I'm not here for a crown or a title,” he whispered.

While the first half had me highlighting passage after passage and I loved how Neelo and Talhan's relationship was developing, you're going to have to want to focus on that romantic plot pretty fully for some duration. I know some fantasy readers want action but that doesn't come until the latter end of the book. I did find the story slowing some in the second half with the slow part of the burning dragging out for some pages too many and the tie-in continuing plot of discovering who is behind the disruption of kingdoms also taking one too many scenes to finally get to.

They dropped their eyes and Talhan reached out to bracket their cheek with his hand. His thumb slid under Neelo's jaw and tipped their chin up to look him in the eyes. “I'm not going anywhere,” he said. “Not even if you tell me to leave. That's just one more thing we'd have to disagree about. If I have to chain myself to a bookshelf to prove that, I will.” He lifted Neelo's chin higher and they smirked. “That's how much I belong with you.” Neelo shuddered and Talhan hummed. “Keep reading.”

The latter second half brought in almost all the previous characters from the earlier books and we get a few action scenes. Since I haven't read the first two books in the series yet, I'm not sure if they were more action heavy and these middle two books have slowed down before the series ramps back up again with a last big battle but if you're looking for less battle heavy fantasy with a starring main romance couple, this would definitely be for you. I liked the interaction and relationships all the characters seem to have and while I enjoyed how much we got of Neelo and Talhan, I would have liked to have these previous characters show up more because of how well they work as an ensemble.

“You are mischief, Neelo Emberspear, and I love it. No one else gets to see it: the boat-commandeering, book-stealing mischief-maker you are. But that's who you've always been around me and you never have to change.”
His footsteps didn't pause as if he was just casually chatting, but his words made Neelo feel like they were free-falling. They were mischief...and he loved it. There was something about them that Talhan Catullus loved.

This was told all from Neelo's point of view but, like I said, Talhan's feelings were obvious from the beginning. I loved how quiet, reserved, kind of grumpy Neelo paired with outgoing, gregarious Talhan and how Talhan especially saw Neelo for who they were and liked them because of it and treated them the way they wanted to be treated, all while just waiting for Neelo to finally be able to grow to a place that they could accept Talhan's love. There were times of frustration by Talhan, but he was always there in the ways Neelo needed him to be.

“There is only one person who can wield this magic over me.” His eyes pinned Neelo with a heated look. “You are a magic all your own, Neelo Emberspear. I've known it my whole life.”

Along with Neelo finally accepting the love from Talhan and taking their rightful place in the Southern Court, the ending names the villain and gives the reason for why they're doing what they're doing. It's clear that the battle for the Eastern Court is next and I have a feeling Talhan's sister Carys and a certain Southern Court Lord of Arboa, Ersan, who once broke Carys' heart might be the main couple of that story. I'll be curious about that second chance love story, if a reappearing past villain will become King of the Fae, and if a violet witch will make do on her revenge. ( )