Entwined

Entwined Duology #1

by H.M. Long

Three sisters join the hunt for a stolen magical artefact in the start of this Gilded Age fantasy duology.

Ottilie Rushforth hides from the mighty Sorcerer’s Guild as secretary to a has-been detective. She is Entwined – threads of magic run beneath her skin, and the Guild would trap her in service.

But Ottilie has a plan to escape the Guild forever with her estranged fiancé, the enigmatic poet, soldier and smuggler Lewis Illing. All she must do is track down a mysterious artefact, claim the bounty, and leave the city forever. But Ottilie's sisters – Pretoria, a quick-witted sorceress and thief recently emerged from exile, and Madge, a guild mage to the core, appear to make equally unwelcome offers. A new life at the cost of everything she has ever wanted, or prestige and safety in a gilded cage.

With her life on the line, Ottilie must track down the artifact in a city torn apart by prejudice and violence, and choose between the two sides of herself – the fugitive and the Entwined.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Adult, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical, Fantasy Romance

304 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 10, 2026

About the author

Hannah (H. M.) Long is a Canadian fantasy author. She inhabits a ramshackle cabin in Ontario with her family, but she can often be spotted snooping about museums or wandering the Alps.

Hannah writes for Titan Books and is the author of the Four Pillars Quartet (Hall of Smoke), the Winter Sea Trilogy (Dark Water Daughter), the Entwined Duology (2026/27), Ashmarked (2027), and more.

For the latest updates, follow Hannah on TikTok (@hmlongbooks), Instagram (@hmlongbooks), and Twitter (@hannah_m_long).

Reviews

[greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

i've never read anything by this author so this book was an introduction to her! it was fine, not my favourite, but i had a good time.

the characters were fine, they didn't really stand out for me, i just enjoyed following the ottilie's story.
the villains were also quite strong, i just wanted to know even more about them though. i don't think we got to see a lot of stuff happening with the guild and whatnot.

the writing style was also engaging enough, i just don't know how i feel about the fmc herself talking to us, the reader, at some parts. it threw me off a little at times lol.

the plot was really interesting and i found myself intrigued to see what was gonna happen, but at the same time some of it got resolved quickly or things just moved too fast for it to really make some sort of an impact. it was quite mysterious, too, so i appreciated that!
the beginning was really solid, but by the end it definitely waned a little... i did lowkey want to be done with it lol.
this book wasn't my favourite, but i still liked it. i don't think i'm extremely interested to continue with the series, though.

[M.J. Kuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this is not on your TBR already, you're gonna wanna correct that POSTHASTE.

I smashed through this in three days, and it would have been faster if annoying things like work and sleep hadn't gotten in the way lol.

This has just catapulted itself onto my top reads of 2025 list. If you like Long's writing, Gilded Age stuff, or characters that are badass, charming, and wonderful in the same way as Evie from the first Mummy film, you need to preorder this bad boi immediately.

[Andi]

Denied? I have never been denied for one of her books. I am shook.

ARC: Requested, and now we play the waiting game. This woman's books are my go to. I will ride or die for her books.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little unsure what I want to give this. 3.75 I think?

The magic system in this book was fun, but I also never felt like I had a good grasp on it. I never fully understood what the FMCs abilities were, nor anyone else’s. Perhaps that was the point so as to keep the reader guessing, but it just felt a little vague and confusing to me.

I enjoyed the dynamic between our FMC, Ottilie and her sisters as well as the love triangle between Ottilie, Harden, and Lewis. 🤭 The banter between the FMC and most any character she crossed paths with was delightfully snippy without being too much.

I think this set of characters and their story has a promising future; one that I will be following, no doubt. It’s just that the plot always made me feel like it was right on the cusp of getting really good, but it never quite got there. At least not until the very, very end. And even with how much better the ending was, I still found myself wanting more out of it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced digital copy.

[Jackie Hughes]

Gilded Age Fantasy by H. M. Long? When can I preorder?!?!

[Svea · Rating 4 out of 5]

H.M. Long is an amazing author, I knew as much already. I loved her Four Pillars trilogy, I loved Dark Water Daughter (and have yet to read the sequel, which is on my tbr). Basically, when I hear she releases something new, you bet I'm excited to read it.
While she's always been a good writer, I do really enjoy watching her grow in her craft. Entwined, the first book in a new duology, is a testament to that. It's beautifully written, perfectly paced and engaging from the first to the final page.
And I really liked the story and the world building as well. It's not a long book so yes, the world building isn't incredibly detailed or intricate, but it works for the story and I never felt like I was missing something. The magic system isn't anything groundbreaking but I actually really really enjoyed it. The implications of especially Madge's powers are so incredibly intriguing, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

Our protagonist is Ottilie, a detective's assistant hiding in plain sight from those who hunt her - she's an Entwined so has magic, after all, and her kind isn't popular. The Sorcerer's Guild wants her just as it wants her two sisters - Madge, who's already been made part of the Guild, and Pretoria, a criminal and revolutionary who has so far managed to evade them. The sister relationship between these two is the most interesting aspect of the novel for me, and while this first book mostly focuses on Ottilie and Pretoria, I genuinely am excited to see Madge more prominently thrown into the action. All three sisters embody different ways of dealing with the Guild, the government and the imperial power structure it represents: Ottilie simply wants to leave it all behind and flee, Pretoria wants to fight it, Madge has succumbed to it and works for them. It's an incredibly interesting dynamic.

Of course, Ottilie can't hide forever - her boss disappears and with him the money she desperately needs in order to finally leave the country with her fiance and disappear. Now she has to find out what happened to him and is thrown into a mystery, a revolution, a struggle she wasn't prepared for.

Now, while I really enjoyed my time with the book it's not perfect. Sometimes the pacing is simply too fast and Long doesn't give the reader a chance to sit on what has happened, to reflect on it. And I unfortunately don't care about the main romance being set up, because it's very stereotypical so far and the love interest is just the guy you would expect to be a love interest in this kind of book. I'm much more interested in whatever is going on with her fiance and the complicated relationship these two have, which I hope won't turn into a typical romantic subplot/love triangle in book 2. For what it's worth, I don't think it will.

All in all, definitely another hit from this author and I'm already excited to see where it all leads in book 2. If you like Gilded Age fantasy and prefer a lighter read that still has some intriguing themes in it, this one's for you.

Many thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the arc!.

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another brilliantly written book by H M Long. From the very beginning, the reader is immersed in the world that she creates.
The Entwined are wielders of magic, so called because of the threads that lurk beneath their skin and become visible at certain times of the day. All those who are entwined must belong to the guild but the protagonist, Ottilie, is determined to stay out of its clutches. She is living under a false name as a secretary to a private detective and trying to save up enough money so that she and her fiancée can escape to a country where the entwined can live safely and openly.
She is on the verge of achieving this ambition when all her plans fall apart. Her employer and the artefact she is hoping to claim the reward for both disappear and her older sisters who each have different ideas about her future both reappear in her life.
Ottilie is an amazing protagonist. She is plucky and determined as well as being extremely resourceful in a crisis of which there are many in this book. She is loyal to her employer and loves both of her sisters but above all she wants her freedom even if that means letting down the people closest to her. As the story progresses, we learn more about her background and the power of the guild and this single mindedness becomes completely understandable.
This is very much Ottilie’s story and the other characters are less well developed although still memorable. I loved Mr Stokes and felt as frustrated as Ottilie by the behaviour of her fiancé Lewis.
I loved the setting and the author’s descriptions really convey the atmosphere. Harrow is a city in turmoil. The old imperial system has been cast down and there are those who want to see the Entwined destroyed completely. The political situation is volatile; violence erupts frequently and Ottilie is at risk of death no matter whose hands she falls into. Sadly, one of the things that I found less successful was the amount of time that she spends escaping from different captors. It did get a bit repetitive at times
The magic system was fascinating and seemed unique to me but I didn’t feel that I understood enough about it despite the helpful entries that began each chapter. It definitely had a very dark side with one character having the power to leech life away from any one he touched. Others had the power to use art to take away memories and Madge, Ottilie’s eldest sister Madge had this ability and was a character that I felt had such a sad storyline.
This was an action packed novel with a brilliant heroine and a fascinating magic system. I would have liked a bit more historical background to the current situation and a bit less escaping from carriages but I can’t wait for the second book in this duology to come out.
Huge thanks as always to the publishers, Titan Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Rachel Feeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder mystery, fomenting rebellion, and assorted gaslamp escapades (cue ladies escaping from carriages). In this new series, HM Long presents yet another rich and vibrant system of magic, where Entwined wield the power of memories, words, or time, according to the threads visible on their skin in certain types of light. Ottilie is an intriguing heroine - fastidious, cat-loving, fiercely independent, with an analytical bent that keeps her oddly calm in the most dire of circumstances. This rationality and an upbringing shaped by fear form a strong self-interest, so while I didn’t always like Ottilie, I was invested in her decisions and rooting for the cracks in her heart to lead her to join with a larger cause than her personal safety.

With an archly retrospective narrator and nations at war, the overall style felt something like A Natural History of Dragons with Divine Rivals. The city is steeped in wartime politics and discontent, full of anti-magic sentiment and ordinary divisions of class, though I dearly needed a map to understand who was fighting who, and where, and just how far away Lewis Illing was stationed from Harrow. Some more grounding on all fronts would’ve been nice, starting with the history of the Entwined, and their mysteriously powerful Guild, and this ambiguous place outside their reach where Ottilie wishes to seek asylum across the sea. One would think that having a narrator that sometimes addresses remarks to the reader would clearly set up these sorts of things, but the world at large remains largely opaque until story context sees fit to clear some of the fog.

As with the author’s most recent series, The Winter Sea, I did find myself sometimes more in love with the concept than the execution. Lewis’s character, for example. Poet, smuggler, soldier? Say no more, but actually, please do, because in the story itself his role doesn’t get much further than reluctant fighter, with very little of the poet (or his Entwined abilities in general). Similarly, early discussions of what it means to be human or Entwined, and the destructive prejudice of each, fall by the wayside after initial introductions. This novel expects the reader to stay on their toes, and I scoured the opening chapters with delight. But then, those details didn’t seem to have much import (I was so sure there’d be something important with the cat), so I paid a bit less attention, and perhaps in that shuffle lost key background information, making me want to focus in, and so the cycle went. Maybe I’m out of practice in my literary sleuthing, maybe these beats don’t come full circle until the second book, maybe not everything needs to be important (*shrug*).

Still, I anticipate the duology will finish strong, as the next book promises to see Ottilie and her motley band embark on a harrowing treasure hunt.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entwined is a wonderfully atmospheric start to a Gilded Age fantasy duology, blending magic, mystery, and messy sisterhood into a story that feels both elegant and delightfully chaotic. From the moment Ottilie Rushforth steps onto the page — hiding her dangerous Entwined magic while working for a washed‑up detective — the book has that irresistible “just one more chapter” pull.

Ottilie is a fantastic lead: determined, wary, and constantly torn between survival and desire. Her plan to escape the Sorcerer’s Guild should be simple enough — find the stolen artefact, collect the bounty, and run off with her enigmatic ex‑fiancé — but of course nothing goes according to plan. Enter her sisters: Pretoria, sharp‑tongued and recently returned from exile, and Madge, loyal to the Guild in all the ways Ottilie can’t be. Their dynamic is one of the book’s biggest strengths, full of tension, affection, and the kind of complicated love only siblings can manage.

The worldbuilding is rich without ever feeling heavy, full of gilded salons, shadowy alleys, and a city simmering with prejudice and unrest. The magic system — especially the concept of being Entwined — is intriguing and woven seamlessly into the political landscape. Add in a dash of heist energy, a sprinkle of romantic tension, and a mystery that keeps tightening its grip, and you’ve got a story that’s both fun and emotionally resonant.

If you enjoy fantasy with clever plotting, vibrant characters, and just the right amount of danger and longing, Entwined is a captivating start to what promises to be a standout duology.

with thanks to HM Long, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[i · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to H. M. Long, Titan Books, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Entwined is the second book I have read by Long, the first being Hall of Smoke. Entwined is a Gilded Age / Victorian era fantasy novel following three magical sisters as they attempt to steal an object of immense magical power for separate reasons. Each sister is a different subset of Entwined, magical folk whose power depends on which time of day or night they favour. Once powerful, Entwined are now hunted and controlled by human governments in an apartheid state.

Whilst this was a fun and easy read, I found a lot of the plot was quite repetitive: kidnapped, escaped, go to a sister, kidnapped again, etc. I felt like the book wasn’t completely fleshed out and we were lacking details about the past that I was desperate for. I did love the writing style though, and the setting and premise was very interesting. The magic system was intricate, well thought out ( perhaps a little convoluted), and definitely unique.

This was a good book but there wasn’t enough of it! I wanted more of everything - I’ll definitely read the sequel.

[Rebekah McCallie Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read anything H. M. Long writes. The Winter Seas will forever be one of my favorite fantasy trilogies of all time. One thing that is apparent when I read one of her books is the amount of time she takes to craft her world. Entwined had such a unique magic system, unlike anything I had read before, but it's also giving Gaslamp, Steampunk Peaky Blinders vibes. A historical murder mystery but make it about current social issues like racism and classism. I was engrossed in the mystery from the very beginning, and I was so curious about the sisters different motivations. How three sisters could be SO different and take up such different paths, felt almost reminiscent of The Winter Seas brothers. This was action packed, I can't wait for book 2. My only complaint is that I felt like I was trying to learn so much in the very beginning. I wish some of the world building had been paced a little better, just because it was taking away from the story.

[Mon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fun with neat world building and a cool magic system, but the whole plot is the main character Ottilie getting kidnapped, waking up in a strange and/or bad place, escaping, running, rinse and repeat.

It was the world building that kept me reading to the end. I love the Gilded Age setting and different castes of Entwined.

I wish all the characters and their relationships were explored more, especially between the sisters. Ottilie waxed far too much about her psuedo fiance, and there was a bit of a love triangle too.

All in all, 3.5 stars, rounded down. Thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Erin Gilmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This review is my own. Otillie Rushforth is an Entwined, a person born with magic that expresses itself in “threads” that twine around her body. Otillie is a twilight Entwined, and there are multiple other kinds of Entwined as well. While earning money for her escape from both the law and the Guild (powerful mage group controlling all Entwined), Otillie is caught up in the quest for artifacts that may hold answers to the Entwined’s mysteries. The cast of characters is well done, the magic system is unique, and the story is engaging. I hope this is the start of a series!

[Sarah Moody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I am a big fan of the authors previous series but this one did not work so well for me. The pacing was a bit too fast for any of the characters personalities to really shine through. I was a bit disappointed by the chapter headings, I thought they would connect back to the story in some way (I may have just missed it) but really they were just a random way to provide relevant information for the next few chapters. It was a shame as I thought the magic system was cool and the guild gave me book eaters vibes, but sadly not one of my favourites from the author.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

HM Long is one of my favourite local Canadian authors and this book made me an even bigger fan. She stepped outside her usual and gave us an absolute masterpiece.

The atmosphere is an absolute moody dream. The characters are vividly unique with their own distinct motivations and histories. The plot is a combination of your classic murder mystery and heist.

I cannot wait until the next novel and will be preordering this one.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for letting me read this early copy and share my honest thought

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I absolutely loved the world building in this novel. There was such a wonderful blending of gaslight, steampunk aesthetics with magic systems. We have a magical establishment that puts demands on its members that are untenable for many, particularly where people are paired into genetically preferable marriages and treated as breeding stock. This is the case for our main character, who is living under a false name in the hope of avoiding this fate. She’s working for a man who investigates and procures rare items. A particular case leads to danger and she becomes embroiled in the machinations of multiple conflicting parties.

The story moves at pace, there’s plenty of action and intrigue. Our main character is regularly in peril. It’s an exciting story that builds on the tensions of various factions within this city. There’s a good story here. But it’s the aesthetic and world that really makes this feel special.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll read the next one if the ship that appealed to me is endgame?

it's a very well written book of the gilded age, and i just wish the romance was committed cause I can understand it a bit, although not much, if the fiancée was the endgame, but if not and it's the other love interest, then i don't understand the choice of how the two romantic subplots have been written because neither make you completely root for them so idk

[Karyn Silverman]

Shades of Divine Rivals in some ways. I like the world being built here, I think the writing could have done with more editing, and I don’t think this is all it could have been but I think I’ll likely pick up the sequel anyway.

[Sandra Bruxvoort]

YES PLZ

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy from Titan Books via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date March 10th, 2026.

Review held until March 1st by request of the publisher.

[Cassie]

Report coming in the March issue of Readin' mag :)