I’ve had this ARC from Netgalley for too long (sorry burnout), but am catching up and was pleased to have done so, because I will be looking for the first book in this series soon!
Note: This book does contain some more explicit descriptions of sex scenes.
I haven’t yet read the previous book, so this was my introduction to this world and these characters, and I am completely in love. Without giving away any spoilers, these characters find themselves in an impossible situation (and married!) amongst circumstances that would have broken the strongest love match. With heart-wrenching realness the characters come to life in all their hopes and joys, and their fears and sorrows. The author weaves a deft tale of court intrigue that kept me guessing up until the reveal, with unexpected tenderness written into the strongest characters.
The characters had chemistry; the relationships were real. And I cannot wait to go back and devour the first book in this series and only wish I’d read this one sooner as it sat on my “to be read” shelf for too long.
An emotional read that lifts the spirit.
Blurb
The follow-up to Foz Meadows’s A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, All the Hidden Paths is a sultry political & romantic fantasy exploring gender, sexuality, identity, and self-worth.
With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin and Caethari have just 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…and they will resort to murder if needed.
Genres: Fantasy / LGBT / Gay / Romantasy / Mystery
Release Date: December 5, 2023 | review copy received from Netgalley | 5 stars
