A very satisfying book. I actually really enjoyed the romance and thought they had great chemistry, but I was here mostly for the mystery, which was very satisfying. Never been more relieved for a second book!

An absolutely fun read, especially if you enjoy fantasy reads. I loved watching Miles try to figure out what's wrong with his patients and solve the mystery of the murdered magic user all while quickly falling head over heals in love. The characters are really fun, and the pace of the story felt really well done. Definitely will be one of my favorites for 2022.

📘The Gist 📘: While trying to unravel a mysterious illness he sees with magic without letting anyone know he has magic, Miles is visited by a dying man who passes on a dire warning. This adds solving the murder, falling in love, and avoiding his family's notice to his growing list of problems. 

📒Representation📒: mlm mc, mental healthcare

💕 For readers looking for 💕: a fun and adventurous fantasy, secret magic, mystery, magical others, heartwarming romance, political drama, an undertone that things are not as ok as they appear 

Such an extremely cool world, magical Victorian steampunk but it’s not steampunk really??? And the magic is super interesting and unique and there are kind of fae leanings too?? Also like everyone is queer and there are women and POC and non-binary folks everywhere??? Amazing

A tightly plotted mystery with lots of stakes and intrigue and enough clever worldbuilding interwoven with the historical inspiration to be fun to follow. The romance is given a center stage that it doesn't quite earn, but the relationships are otherwise interestingly sketched.

 3.5/5

Miles Singer has run from his past. His magical ability to heal is treated as nothing more than a trick by witching society, so determined to do some good Miles enlisted and went off to war. After serving, Miles goes into psychiatry and is determined to help other soldiers who are also suffering from PTSD. But the illness seems like more than just PTSD. When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder.

This Edwardian world of magic was really interesting. For the first half we don't really see how witching society works as Miles is incognito and hiding from all witches. But when his family comes back into the picture, we see what Miles has run from and see his worst fears come true. The one thing I really liked about the world was that gender wasn't a factor in magical society. It was all based on primary mages and secondary ones. Primary mages can control the weather and are called storm-singers. All other witches with magic are considered secondary and used as batteries to power the primary mages with a bond that basically takes the secondary's will.

The plot kept me guessing the entire time and the last 30% was basically my brain imploding by what had happened to Miles patients and other witches. I did also enjoy the relationship that developed between Miles and Tristan, but the pacing of it felt a bit weird--a little too insta-lovey for me. I'm definitely curious to see what will happen next.

Rep: Achillean male MC with PTSD, achillean male love interest. Many side characters/patients with PTSD.

CWs: Violence, alcohol consumption, blood, confinement of patients, death, death of parent--flashback, drug use, gaslighting, grief, kidnapping, medical content, mental illness (PTSD), murder--flashback, physical abuse, forced enslavement of MC and many side characters, implied sexual content, suicidal thoughts, talk of committing suicide, suicide attempts and side characters who commit suicide. 

This is an alternative history with hidden magic type of book. I really liked the atmosphere and the dual ways that magic was treated in societies. It had a nice little mystery and gave me a ship to care about, so really this was set up to be a book I was going to really love. For the most part I did really enjoy it. 

If it was unclear before, I have strong feelings about characters, and I loathed Grace. Did I knock an entire star off this book because of her? Yes, yes I did. Am I debating not continuing with the series because I don't want her to have a happily ever after? Yup. Jessica /might/ be able to convince me to read the second book, but only if the third book is amazing, otherwise this will live in my heart as a standalone.

Even with that all said, the actual main characters of Miles and Tristan were *chefs kiss* and I feel like this is one of those books that I'll end up rereading on a at least semi-regular basis.

Even though I'm not a fan of first person narration, I liked Polk's writing enough that I'm interested to check out other things that they publishes. 

I didn't know what to expect with this book, other than a friend with impeccable taste recommended it. And she did not disappoint. What a beautiful read, and I'm reeling from the tenderness of care Polk allows her characters to express. It's a book about the bonds that bind us, and what willing (Friends, community) vs unwilling bonds (family that doesn't understand boundaries or bodily autonomy) look like on a literal level. The world that magic has built is one built on unfairness and oppression, and when the question of " is this oppression good because of the needs of the many" is offered, the answer unequivocally and loudly "no." 

The emphasis on care and empathy for others, for not turning away, all of that is enough to make me recommend this book. And the relationships between Miles and Tristan was so tender and loving and Miles and Grace brought tears to my eyes because it was a bond of love so strained by power and damaged.