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Twin Kingdoms
Cantor for Pearls
For years, Always Falling has been content in the capital of the Twin Kingdoms, seeing to its beloved the imperial composer…and there the neuter might have stayed, had it not received an urgent message summoning it home. After the cruelties that saw Always Falling exiled, the last thing it wants is to go back, much less in the company of a near stranger: Amet Emendexte-ilye, the new lover its beloved took to ens breast only a few months ago.
But no one else can accompany Always Falling to the harbor city where it was once a member of a rarified aristocracy. And maybe a highland warrior, a stranger, and a musician will be the key not just to the injustices of the past, but the needs Always Falling has never admitted to, even to itself.
The sea is waiting….
Heat Level: ** (not-explicit, some sensual thoughts)
Relationship: Neuter/male, asexual with implied poly
Conflict-level: Low, pastoral
Length: Novel
But no one else can accompany Always Falling to the harbor city where it was once a member of a rarified aristocracy. And maybe a highland warrior, a stranger, and a musician will be the key not just to the injustices of the past, but the needs Always Falling has never admitted to, even to itself.
The sea is waiting….
Heat Level: ** (not-explicit, some sensual thoughts)
Relationship: Neuter/male, asexual with implied poly
Conflict-level: Low, pastoral
Length: Novel
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
M.C.A. Hogarth
145 books385 followersDaughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 19, 2020
Hogarth’s deft and delicate touch make this a jewel of a story. Open your imagination and enjoy this amazing sequel to Thief of Songs. Not your mother’s romance novel!
November 13, 2018
Another beautiful and original tale of emotions, cultures, and music
In book one, the Dancer-Always Falling side of the ... not triangle (since choosing one does NOT mean rejecting the other), so say "tripod", was well-established, and the focus was on foreigner Amet opening up to the emotionally expressive Dancer. Here, curious Amet and reserved Always Falling now build their own strong side of the triad, understanding each other well because they have surprisingly much in common. Both are nobility in their birthplaces, raised with harsh necessities, though their rank means little in the crowded capital where they now reside with the gentler-hearted Dancer. Indeed, Always Falling sees more clearly than Dancer the ways the conquering East's abundance of magic-based power still troubles lifelong magical pauper Amet.
The vivid setting explores another new culture, or culture-and-a-half: that of Always Falling's pearl-diving human blood-kin and the sea serpents who live in emotional, physiological, and symbolically economic symbiosis with them. The serpents are sentient and delightful creatures, growing ever larger and more magically imbued, whose affections are not fraught by thwarted ambitions and jealousies, but whose fertility is imperiled by Always Falling's nature as a fourth-sexed, a neuter. The issue of whether it was exiled, or exiled itself, is complex, and only *some* reconciliations may be joyfully possible., despite all the determined meddling of one Western warrior-musician and a pod of magical serpents.
Always Falling's aloofness and rejection of physically-expressed affection stem from the inevitable consequences of being a fourth born to a leading Serpentkin family, and it believed that what it had with Dancer was enough, and all it could hope for. Amet's need for and receptivity to its healing flow of magic starts new thoughts, and Amet, too (sometimes with patience and sometimes with bluntness), must learn and choose what a relationship with a neuter can and cannot be. It's partly like having a sibling, "one step sideways from a lover", and (like all emotional connections) in its details unique to the individuals involved.
The writing is elegant and eloquent, yet not excessively dense, and the editing is excellent. I look forward to more of this world and these characters.
In book one, the Dancer-Always Falling side of the ... not triangle (since choosing one does NOT mean rejecting the other), so say "tripod", was well-established, and the focus was on foreigner Amet opening up to the emotionally expressive Dancer. Here, curious Amet and reserved Always Falling now build their own strong side of the triad, understanding each other well because they have surprisingly much in common. Both are nobility in their birthplaces, raised with harsh necessities, though their rank means little in the crowded capital where they now reside with the gentler-hearted Dancer. Indeed, Always Falling sees more clearly than Dancer the ways the conquering East's abundance of magic-based power still troubles lifelong magical pauper Amet.
The vivid setting explores another new culture, or culture-and-a-half: that of Always Falling's pearl-diving human blood-kin and the sea serpents who live in emotional, physiological, and symbolically economic symbiosis with them. The serpents are sentient and delightful creatures, growing ever larger and more magically imbued, whose affections are not fraught by thwarted ambitions and jealousies, but whose fertility is imperiled by Always Falling's nature as a fourth-sexed, a neuter. The issue of whether it was exiled, or exiled itself, is complex, and only *some* reconciliations may be joyfully possible., despite all the determined meddling of one Western warrior-musician and a pod of magical serpents.
Always Falling's aloofness and rejection of physically-expressed affection stem from the inevitable consequences of being a fourth born to a leading Serpentkin family, and it believed that what it had with Dancer was enough, and all it could hope for. Amet's need for and receptivity to its healing flow of magic starts new thoughts, and Amet, too (sometimes with patience and sometimes with bluntness), must learn and choose what a relationship with a neuter can and cannot be. It's partly like having a sibling, "one step sideways from a lover", and (like all emotional connections) in its details unique to the individuals involved.
The writing is elegant and eloquent, yet not excessively dense, and the editing is excellent. I look forward to more of this world and these characters.
September 14, 2016
Read in one sitting. Another thoughtful gem of an unusual romance, exploring the relationship between two metamours and their voyages. I appreciated the desire of both protagonists to get along as well as possible for the sake of their mutual beloved and en's happiness -- that's a thing I aspire to as well. (I'm poly.) I also liked the rich worldbuilding in discussing the culture of the serpentkin and Amet makes a good narrative vehicle for learning about them. I was delighted to find the sea serpents warm and personable, funny and sensible, rather than cold and threatening -- I have a fondness for subverting tropes like that. I look forward to further books in this world!
October 14, 2021
I'm rounding up, but not very much.
It's a rare Book Two that takes the plot, characters, and worldbuilding from Book One and so splendidly takes off from them and expands on them. From the sublime descriptions of the annual arrival of magic in the lowlands, to the world of sea serpents (just barely hinted at in the first book) and one character's connection with them, to the painful intricacies that can underlie family estrangements, to the nature of fourths (the neuter sex) and how and why they need connections with the sexed . . . . I wholeheartedly recommend this two-book series and hope the author will someday return to her intention to write more of them.
It's a rare Book Two that takes the plot, characters, and worldbuilding from Book One and so splendidly takes off from them and expands on them. From the sublime descriptions of the annual arrival of magic in the lowlands, to the world of sea serpents (just barely hinted at in the first book) and one character's connection with them, to the painful intricacies that can underlie family estrangements, to the nature of fourths (the neuter sex) and how and why they need connections with the sexed . . . . I wholeheartedly recommend this two-book series and hope the author will someday return to her intention to write more of them.
May 5, 2017
Enchanting
A lovely pastoral piece is just what I needed today. The narrative was as much music as it was written. The names of the characters are as well.
I found this story to be both high fantasy and very intimate emotional discovery.
A lovely pastoral piece is just what I needed today. The narrative was as much music as it was written. The names of the characters are as well.
I found this story to be both high fantasy and very intimate emotional discovery.
February 5, 2021
Serpentine
Sigh, the writing is so beautifully crafted that you wish it would never end. The people & places are given to you in a pallette of color that takes the breath away. The complexity & beauty of the relationships leave you longing. Amazing.
Sigh, the writing is so beautifully crafted that you wish it would never end. The people & places are given to you in a pallette of color that takes the breath away. The complexity & beauty of the relationships leave you longing. Amazing.
February 19, 2017
Sea Serpents! :-)
Amet and Always Falling journey together from the elegance of the imperial capital to the depths of the distant ocean in this sequel to "Thief of Songs." Though the well-crafted plot revolves around the universal challenges of family relationships, Falling's sea-serpent kin command the stage from their first appearance, and are the indisputable stars of this beautifully imagined & written story.
Amet and Always Falling journey together from the elegance of the imperial capital to the depths of the distant ocean in this sequel to "Thief of Songs." Though the well-crafted plot revolves around the universal challenges of family relationships, Falling's sea-serpent kin command the stage from their first appearance, and are the indisputable stars of this beautifully imagined & written story.
January 14, 2023
A worthy continuation from Thief of Songs. Full of family (both blood and chosen), sea serpents, and the gradual opening of wounded hearts. Fair warning, if you were paying attention at all during the first book, you will be emotionally gutted partway through this one. It's worth it. Any journey worth taking includes some pain. Take it as a sign of the author's mastery of making characters you care deeply for.
January 20, 2020
A story of reconciliation and careful love. Reminding us that not all love relationships are sexual and that these are important.
A soothing look at old hurts mending, relationships in their various forms and the love that can bind them all together.
A soothing look at old hurts mending, relationships in their various forms and the love that can bind them all together.
March 27, 2022
I was actually afraid of reading this for the longest time, with the huge positive impression Thief of Songs made on me. I was afraid nothing could follow-up, but this did, and I loved it in the end, even if it didn't hit me quite as hard as the first book. <3
August 14, 2018
Really liking this world and these characters. Hoping there will be a sequel.
September 18, 2016
Amazing sequel to Thief Of Songs
Unique, amazing, lyrical it's very hard to describe the beauty and the relationships of this very different world. For a start, there are four sexes: male, female, hermaphrodite and neuter. In this second book of the series Amet who is male ends up traveling with Always Falling who is neuter. Both are in relationship to Dancer who's a sensitive artist but unable to make the trip due to a death. This brings together two those only connection has been through Dancer. This story is the growth of understanding, and bonding between the two.
Hogarth's facility with language and emotions create a unique experience for the reader. The world she paints is unique with magic flowing down from the mountains to accumulate in the Eastern Empire's capital city and magnificent sea serpents roaming the ocean. The thinking of her characters is different, sometimes alien but very valid. Reading her books is to partake in a new experience. This is a sequel to Thief Of Songs and you will have the greatest enjoyment if they are read in order as the first book sets up the world, culture and relationships.
Unique, amazing, lyrical it's very hard to describe the beauty and the relationships of this very different world. For a start, there are four sexes: male, female, hermaphrodite and neuter. In this second book of the series Amet who is male ends up traveling with Always Falling who is neuter. Both are in relationship to Dancer who's a sensitive artist but unable to make the trip due to a death. This brings together two those only connection has been through Dancer. This story is the growth of understanding, and bonding between the two.
Hogarth's facility with language and emotions create a unique experience for the reader. The world she paints is unique with magic flowing down from the mountains to accumulate in the Eastern Empire's capital city and magnificent sea serpents roaming the ocean. The thinking of her characters is different, sometimes alien but very valid. Reading her books is to partake in a new experience. This is a sequel to Thief Of Songs and you will have the greatest enjoyment if they are read in order as the first book sets up the world, culture and relationships.
October 10, 2016
even better than rhe first book
Hogarth has a gift for emotional nuance and uses it beautifully here. I was almost reluctant to read this second bok of the series, both because I liked the first so much and because I felt the first book was complete in itself and I only imagined the author extending it in some way into a second. That's not what she's chosen to offer here and she's given the second story so much newness by centering it on the relationships between Always Falling and Amet, and between Always and its family. If the first story drew breath through music and misunderstanding, this one sings of ocean and the scars we live to bear. It's sweetly and dangerously tender, and so are the scars that find expression here. Not all hurts are healed, as not every person either desires or can bear that healing, but the families do find clarity, purpose and joy by the time Hogarth's spoken their stories with all the grace she can offer. I can't wait for the next gift she offers.
Hogarth has a gift for emotional nuance and uses it beautifully here. I was almost reluctant to read this second bok of the series, both because I liked the first so much and because I felt the first book was complete in itself and I only imagined the author extending it in some way into a second. That's not what she's chosen to offer here and she's given the second story so much newness by centering it on the relationships between Always Falling and Amet, and between Always and its family. If the first story drew breath through music and misunderstanding, this one sings of ocean and the scars we live to bear. It's sweetly and dangerously tender, and so are the scars that find expression here. Not all hurts are healed, as not every person either desires or can bear that healing, but the families do find clarity, purpose and joy by the time Hogarth's spoken their stories with all the grace she can offer. I can't wait for the next gift she offers.
February 7, 2023
Another flourishing, amazing, book by Hogarth!!!
Give us more!!!
I have read sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure since I was about 8. I am now 71. Hogarth has a breadth of imagination and insight into feelings, as well as the ability to translate her thoughts into wonderful prose (and poetry) that brings you right into her worlds! Perhaps it's my advancing age, but I feel that she's one of the best sci-fi writers that I've ever read! (And yes, I still love Ursula LeGuin, Arthur C Clark, and Rayh Bradbury) Occasionally one of her books might start a little slow, but I have yet to meet any of her books that doesn't delight and excite by the end.
WRITE MORE, PLEASE
Give us more!!!
I have read sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure since I was about 8. I am now 71. Hogarth has a breadth of imagination and insight into feelings, as well as the ability to translate her thoughts into wonderful prose (and poetry) that brings you right into her worlds! Perhaps it's my advancing age, but I feel that she's one of the best sci-fi writers that I've ever read! (And yes, I still love Ursula LeGuin, Arthur C Clark, and Rayh Bradbury) Occasionally one of her books might start a little slow, but I have yet to meet any of her books that doesn't delight and excite by the end.
WRITE MORE, PLEASE
September 9, 2024
A fun comfort read. An unusual romance, with a fourthsex (neuter) as one of the main characters. I will always hope for another in the series.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews