Read my reviews of previous books in the Magi Accounts series:
Our Hearts That Tie Us (#0.5) | The Scars That Bind Us (#1) | A Kiss to Revive Me (#1.5) | The Shackles That Hold Us (#2) | A Date to Impress Him (#2.5) | A Purpose That Restores Us (#3) | A Holiday to Sustain Us (#3.4) | An Embrace to Hearten Me (#3.5)
This installment of the Magi Accounts takes place a few years past the previous book after we leave this world at an uneasy stalemate between multiple antagonists. I found myself a bit surprised at the direction the heroes of this series focus their efforts; however, I do understand how the decision makes sense in the greater scheme of the world Notaro has developed. The story begins on an incredibly optimistic note, featuring an important change for magi dyad Madeo and Jude. This change allows the characters, along with their extended family of other magi and werecreature pride, to finally take direct offensive action against the oppressive social order that has shaped their entire lives. That said, heightened tensions immediately follow this high note when their rebellion ramps up toward necessary world changes.
Though this series began with a significant romance subplot, and the connected novellas continue to feature stories showing the extended cast finding their true loves, the main pairing of this series has evolved beyond that initial arc. We still get plenty of sweetness and affection (and a few lovely moments of spice) between Madeo and Cosmo, but their bond is never in question as the world around them gets darker and more dangerous for their people. Instead, the conflict faced by their relationship is tied directly to the external plot and dramatically increases the danger, offering an unfolding storyline that kept me completely invested.
Notaro never loses sight of the multiple threads she balances within this series, using the bloodthirsty witches and dangerous extra-dimensional beasts to complicate the all-out rebellion fought by our heroes in this particular story. This book is also not completely dark, as some of the secrets revealed during the fight are undisputably good for Madeo and Jude. The positive note hit at the end of the story is slightly more muddled than the one at the beginning. The social progress made in theory is sure to be more fraught in practice, and I look forward to seeing what wrinkles are introduced as the final lingering threats to Mads and Cosmo’s (and the growing Ono-Nai pride’s) happily ever after are eventually defeated.
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