⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: death, violence, murder, rape (on-page), victim-blaming, homophobia, self-harm, suicidal ideation (including suicide attempts), PTSD, animal death.
Velasin vin Aaro is shocked when his father announces that he has arranged a marriage for him, in the neighboring country of Tithena. Not only is Velasin unsure of being forced to move to a country he knows little about, but he will also be married to a woman -- and Velasin is gay. But when something horrible happens, revealing Velasin's sexuality, the Tithenai propose that he marries not Laecia Aeduria, but her brother, Caethari. Desperate to get away from his native Ralia, Velasin agrees, but when he arrives in Tithena, it becomes very clear that not everyone is happy about this alliance between the two countries, and will do anything to stop it. Teaming up with his new husband, Velasin and Caethari try to hunt down the murderous faction plaguing them at every step, and discover that sometimes, love can bloom in the strangest of circumstances.
Finally, a highly anticipated book that I absolutely adored! Swept up in the first few chapters, enamored with Meadows's gorgeous use of language, I realized quite quickly that this was most likely going to be the kind of book I just fell in love with. And that's exactly what happened!
I love books that deal with arranged marriages, as they're often able to explore a side of romance and emotion that is sometimes absent in more quickly formed relationships, and I was so pleased that this one was actually a gay romance. Both Velasin and Caethari are instantly lovable; Velasin in particular, with his sharp, cutting witticisms and sometimes frustratingly obstinate personality, stands out as a character who will leave a lasting impression upon readers. Velasin's manservant (who is more like his best friend), Markel, was also very well-written, and the fact that he is mute and uses sign language to communicate was another exciting addition. We don't often see characters like that (or any disability of any kind), and so it was a breath of fresh air. As far as characterization goes, I do think that Caethari's sisters, Riya and Laecia, suffered a bit in comparison to others. They were both very interesting, and I would've liked to see a bit more of their inner worlds, too.
This book is beautifully diverse, as I'm sure you'll have gathered from some of what I've written above. Caethari's sister, Riya, is a lesbian; there are several nonbinary characters; a transgender character; and most of the cast is dark-skinned, to some degree. How refreshing it was to read something that had no qualms about including a diverse ensemble of characters, and did it without batting an eye.
As for the plot, it's so unique to find a book in this genre that doesn't follow the tried-and-true fantasy formulas. Although there's plenty of Velasin and Caethari finding themselves, there's also a bit of a murder mystery going on, complicated by the layered politics both of Tithena and Ralia. While many other readers seemed to be disappointed by the revelation of who the villain is, I didn't mind it; I suspected who it was long before the reveal, but to me, it didn't seem rushed or hasty -- just the opposite, in fact. The clues are there from the very beginning, which is more than I can say for some books. I didn't feel cheated, either, as if Meadows had purposefully kept things from me in the narration that would've otherwise helped us to understand who might be behind everything.
The shining star of A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is Velasin and, by association, his burgeoning relationship with Caethari. Velasin has been through hell, and I felt that Meadows handled all of the difficult topics brought up in this book with grace. There is an on-page rape scene, very early on, which many people felt (understandably) uncomfortable with, but for me, none if it felt gratuitous or cheapening to the narrative. Velasin's growth over the course of this huge book was slow, sometimes painful, and beautifully executed. Everything he did, in regards to Caethari, felt like it made sense, and while everyone's journey of healing is, of course, different, I appreciated the slowness and gentleness of Velasin's.
All in all, this book is simply fantastic. I highly, highly recommend it, and I think that this is such a refreshing take on the fantasy genre. It's beautiful, heartfelt, sometimes funny, sometimes very, very dark, and the journey is well worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment