Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds

Clem & Wist #4

by Hiyodori

What good was a bond if I couldn't use it to haul her back from the edge?

Shortly after the events of Clematis and the Queen of the Void, a mysterious letter lures Clem and Wist to a grand estate. The very same manor where Wist was raised by a clan of backstabbing, power-hungry mages.

When it comes to magic, Wist surpasses her entire family put together. Still, she's never outclassed them in terms of calculated cruelty or raw ambition. Clem stands a better chance of untangling their machinations. But as a guest in enemy territory, without any magic of her own, she risks becoming Wist's one fatal weakness. Threatening her would, after all, be the easiest way to drive Wist to murder.

Clem has other unfinished business at the manor, too. Mage-healer bonds can only be broken by death. She's still determined to change that—to rescue a bonded healer she previously failed to save. Yet before liberating any of the healers tied to Wist's family, Clem might end up in dire need of rescuing herself.

Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds is a mystery-tinged story of an established sapphic couple grappling with the secrets of a devious mage clan. Although their faith in each other never wavers, their oldest opponents have always been lurking right there in Wist's childhood home.

The Clem & Wist Series
No One Else Could Heal Her
Book 1: The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage
Book 2: The Reverse Healer Case Files
Book 3: Clematis and the Queen of the Void
Book 4: Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds
Book 5: A Chalice for a Kraken

Reading the prequel before Book 4 may greatly enhance your enjoyment of this story.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT, Mystery

515 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 6, 2024

About the author

Hiyodori is not a bird. But she is dearly fond of her namesake, a plain-looking brown-gray bird that likes to perch near her Tokyo apartment and unleash the most incredible primal screams. Hiyodori (the human author) loves stories with fantastical settings and complicated, difficult-to-define relationships. All of her books take place in the same shared fantasy universe. Her latest novel is A Chalice for a Kraken, a new entry in the Clem & Wist series.

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful installment! Hiyodori’s world and words, their characters, have a way of taking root in you like the bond between a mage and a healer! I always find myself wanting more. I can’t wait for their next story!

[Alia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uff, this was intense. Clem and Wist have come a long way, it was very satisfying to read. I wonder about the void still, maybe there is something more to happen with it? I am afraid to say that I would keep reading about their adventures till the end of times or something.

[Aster · Rating 5 out of 5]

another hiyodori banger

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those two! 🥹 And how cute are their moments of playfulness?! 😭 Could we get a 1,000-page novel about their daily life in the tower, please?

[Holly Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

I love this series, Clem is a brilliant narrator of on goings and she'll keep you gripped and entertained right until the end.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to say about this book... I mean, it was fine! I would not give it 4 stars (although its much closer to 3.75 in my mind for some god forsaken reason lol) if I did not like it, but Book 4 rather reminds me of Book 2; our heroes have to solve a mystery across an extended period of time which we experience in the second book through a group of interconnected vignettes, while in the fourth book in visits to the Shien estate. I enjoyed both book 2 and book 4, but unlike book 2, book 4 is about a murder mystery which I do not particularly care for, and its events take place in the Shien estate a location and a set of power dynamics which I do not particularly for. If the purpose of this book is to showcase the awfulness of the mageocracy and why 'noble' families and their power structures should be dismantled and recycled for scrap, it did a good job. This is particularly the case from the short incident where Wist briefly disappears and the ol' threat of Clem becoming chattel of the Shiens comes front and centre (no they Clem and Wist did not discuss legal marriage even after this incident, nor at the start of the next book) and this is a particularly apt parallel (or is the right word analogy? anyway) to the oppression and non-legal personhood that women (and slaves but I think that goes without saying) faced and face in patriarchic societies around the world. Similarly the rather open discussion of eugenics and the treatment of 'magically disabled ppl -mage or not-' are other points that highlight the horror of osmanthean societies in general be that through treating stunted mages as lesser than even healers, or through the forced breeding program of said people to produce stronger heirs, with obvious parallels to our lives I would think. There is probably more scenes that I cannot recall right now since I finished the book on Friday and I am writing this review on Monday due to technical issues + I lack the focus, but I think those two are particularly illustrative (I did not comment on the characters of the Shien family since I think they are obviously unlikable as are their flaws and parallels with the rich, powerful and nasty of today).

Anyway while I appreciate the bleak, depressing description of osmanthean society, I guess I dislike being reminded of of how it holds up a mirror to ours, especially with the whole thing being wrapped up in the skin of a murder mystery in a mansion xD. Another pet peeve I have about this book, is how 'easily' Clem comes to these once-in-a-generation revelations about healers' abilities - granted, overall, the way she came to this revelation caused her immense emotional pain, but there was no 'discovering', or at least little of it. I suppose, these are the sacrifices with writing fiction, without going into overly tedious explanations over every little aspect of the world.

I do feel like sometimes criticisms come easier to my mind rather than virtues when writing a review, and this is something I have to personally work on as recognizing the things I unconsciously find enjoyable while reading can teach me as much about myself as voicing my criticisms. All this to say, despite my negative comments, I am feeling good if not a bit indifferent about the book! Am I perhaps reading into the books themes too much and drawing too many parallels? Maybe, but I dont think so! And anyway, this is how I have come to enjoy reading my books in recent years i.e. by reading it within the context, time and place where the author conceived the story. But also at the same time I wanna have a bit of fun xD so tl;dr? Its just my opinion lul

Love ya Hiyodori (not in a parasocial or weird way), and I am looking forward to more stories ^^ I will try to be better about highlighting the positives more too hahahaha

P.S. Its late (10pm) while writing this, SO I WILL NOT BE REVIEWING OR EDITING THIS! Why? Because, dear non-existent reader, (a) you do not exist as no-one is gonna read this; and (b) I am being LAZYY! Which I probably shouldnt be when writing a review about a book from one of my fave authors xD but fuck it we ball. No-one can force me to, other than my conscious and its feeling pretty sleepy xDD

[Vervada · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

What I like best about Hiyodori's books are the mind-blowing plot twists. Of course, the worldbuilding, the magic, the characters, the plots and the writing are all very good, but it's those moments that astonish me that I love. Sadly, I realised who the murderer was somewhere around the middle of the book. I still quite enjoyed "Three Murdered Mages, Two Broken Bonds", though, which is a testament to just how much I love reading about Clem and Wist and their antics. And the deaths of a few characters left me with a profound feeling of satisfaction, which I realise sounds pretty crazy, but those who've read the book will understand.

Well, here's hoping that the next book's twist will shock me.

[AmEricaNo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Hey, my favorite couple is back and better than ever. After the events of Clematis and the Queen of the Void, Clem and Wist return to Osmanthus to deal with some family drama. Set in the now-familiar Shien estate, we’re introduced to a new set of characters as well as some returning faces from No One Else Could Heal Her. Danver and Lear are my favorite new additions to the story, and I would absolutely read a standalone book about them and whatever the heck they have going on. They’re both such characters. As for the narrative itself, while I did see the twist coming from a mile away, Hiyodori’s execution of it was still satisfying to behold. Clem and Wist getting a second chance to re-establish their bond—properly, this time—was also a sweet touch.

[Susan Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful. I was delighted to see another Clem & Wist book and it did not disappoint. Fantasy, some romance, adventure, and a very clever mystery. I'm picky about mysteries, I love them but (excepting the vast Agatha Christie collection) I probably more often end up disappointed than otherwise. I like a mystery that's smart, that drops clues and foreshadowing - things that only become obvious in hindsight. It has to all come together in a way that makes you go my god, of course! And this one does. Absolutely satisfying. Writing as usual is stellar, characterization creative and interesting, pacing excellent.

[Stateria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cant tell you how happy I was to see that more books were released by this author while I was busy moving! Of all the books I have read this series has to be one of my all time favorites. I have to say that I couldn't put this book down at all. I read it all in a short period of time.

Everyone needs to read these books! And I can't wait to see more of Clem & Wist! I do hope in the next book there is more cozy time for these two! With everything that has happened in all of their adventures there is rarely time for affection for those two and I'm starting to feel so sorry for them. Especially poor Wist! She needs some Love!

[platyrhyco · Rating 5 out of 5]

lear and danver really remind me of rei yokoe and kei sugiura from School Zone by Ningiyau



anyways i love hiyodori, it's always great to see more of clem and wist and rather pleasing to find the various consistencies/ties between books

also new ship teased(??!) lovely lovely delicious snippets as I await the next standalone (mafia stuff i suspect)

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this edition of Clem and Wist. I love how close they have grown, how each character has grown as well, and how Hiyodori is getting braver or more confident in showing that bravery. This story has a good mix of mystery to go along with the story of Clem and Wist.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah these are for sure my top series of 2025. Insane actually how good that was. All the little setups and tie-backs. Yes I figured out The Who-dunnit pretty early but the reveal only felt even more satisfying for it. And BOY am I excited for more Danver and Lear in the future!

[Keshia Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down!

Love Clem and Wist! They are such opposites of each other yet.go together so well. And the world building is unique. Highly recommend!!

[Yura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit underwhelming compared to the other books in the series.

[Shamim Sinnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Clem and Wist books. I found this one had a little bit too much internal monologue for me and not enough action and dialogue. Good story though.

[Pieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

By now I feel like I know Clem and Wist better than I know myself. I miss them. Can´t wait to read more about them.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

they do codependent loverfreaks in a way that truly no one else is doing rn and perhaps never has

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one. Mostly, as ever, because of the characters.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid character work on the Shien's. Maybe too good?

At times it felt like the murder mystery was really getting shoved into the background and forgotten until suddenly being dragged out and dusted off.

The culprit wasn't much of a twist though. You cannot emphasize the kindness, weakness, and completely unobtrusive nature of a character in a murder mystery alongside the idea of disassociated actions without making them suspect number one. I thought they were going to be a red herring.

Kind of feels like there was a bit of the plot being lost too. Not a huge problem, but just questions that are never resolved and they don't feel deliberate.


-Like why Ficus/Nerium antagonized Wist over the vorpal hole. Was that also Riegel? If so, why? If not, also why?
-Also, if Riegel is so good at doing this, why did it take her so long to make all this happen? The implication is that they were trying a bunch of different things and seeing what worked but somehow they made all 3 murders happen with what seems like very deliberate timing.
-On a similar note, how did Riegel know about the hole in the barrier for the Extinguishers? There's no reason she would know of it.
-That vorpal hole moving dagger is a massive plot element that just gets tucked away in a corner somehow. Jace could do this? Since when? Why hasn't it come up before? Why isn't the dagger immediately being put to use?

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is it possible, that each book in this series is as great, or greater, than the last? I applaud the author for such a rare feat. This book held up to all my expectations. I love the introduction of new characters and the background stories on some returning characters. But my favorite part about this series has always been Clem and Wist's relationship growth. They start out rocky in book one and with each book in the series, there's growth/healing. The additional 'cute' moments between the two were lovable.