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The Gardener's Hand #3
Shadebloom
Separated from her companions and abducted, Alizhan is delivered back to Laalvur, right into Iriyat’s clutches. Iriyat has tightened her hold on the city in Alizhan’s absence, magically manipulating the other Council members and further charming the public. No one believes her capable of plotting an experiment that could destroy cities. All alone, what hope does Alizhan have to convince Laalvur of the truth?
Half a world away, Ev and Thiyo are adrift at sea. In the wake of their monstrous encounter, they receive an unlikely rescue, but neither of them emerges from the water unharmed. They must survive to warn the world of what Iriyat is planning—and to find Alizhan before it’s too late.
As Iriyat’s plans come to fruition, how far will Alizhan, Ev, and Thiyo go to defeat her?
Half a world away, Ev and Thiyo are adrift at sea. In the wake of their monstrous encounter, they receive an unlikely rescue, but neither of them emerges from the water unharmed. They must survive to warn the world of what Iriyat is planning—and to find Alizhan before it’s too late.
As Iriyat’s plans come to fruition, how far will Alizhan, Ev, and Thiyo go to defeat her?
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2018
18 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Felicia Davin
15 books199 followersWhen not writing and reading fiction, Felicia Davin (she/they) can be found teaching or translating French. She loves linguistics, singing, and baking. She is bisexual, but not ambidextrous.
Originally from Kentucky, she currently lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their cat.
Originally from Kentucky, she currently lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 7, 2018
I am not at all sure how to review this one. I loved book one and two so much I bought and dove into this one without research. If I had researched it I might not have bought it. Although every review I have seen, since, says this is wonderful and perfect, I’m going to be the odd one out.
I have given this a 3, but sometimes I am so tempted to drop it further just for the element of personal disappointment. And I almost put it on the DNF pile. Finishing it was hard.
However, there are lots of good pointgs to this. It is an awesome adventure, the world is great, the characters are diverse and interesting, and the plot is clever and well conceived.
This is where it gets harder, but boils down to the introduction of polyamorous component. Now normally I do not mind poly, but I do like a warning, like early in the series. So a potted history then.
MC Alizhan (magic user) and MC Ev (warrior queen goddess type with the urge to do the right thing) are kinda attracted but can’t even touch because Alizhan has magic. They have trouble in the city, and go on an adventure.
They have trouble in a new city, go on another quest with a man they helped rescue from a prison. Who is a selfish prima donna, and in love with his ex-boyfriend. They encounter troubles and go to a new city in the middle of nowhere. At some point Alizhan and Ev have a sexual encounter of epic proportions. So pretty much two books devoted to plot and Alizhan and Ev’s relationship. Lovely.
Then they part and whilst Alizhan thinks Ev is probably dead, Ev thinks that Alizhan in probably alive. Yet Ev has a fling with the man (Not the right thing at all). Whoooa there! Two books on FF and now the relationship is incomplete without a man. At the end of the book, even though Alizhan, who has previously shown signs of jealousy when she thinks a woman is looking at Ev, is quite happy to add a penis to the mix.
I am disappointed. I would have liked the future poly to have been foreshadowed from book one, and then I have not become so invested in the two leading characters.
However, if you like MFF Poly in fantasy you will love it.
I have given this a 3, but sometimes I am so tempted to drop it further just for the element of personal disappointment. And I almost put it on the DNF pile. Finishing it was hard.
However, there are lots of good pointgs to this. It is an awesome adventure, the world is great, the characters are diverse and interesting, and the plot is clever and well conceived.
This is where it gets harder, but boils down to the introduction of polyamorous component. Now normally I do not mind poly, but I do like a warning, like early in the series. So a potted history then.
MC Alizhan (magic user) and MC Ev (warrior queen goddess type with the urge to do the right thing) are kinda attracted but can’t even touch because Alizhan has magic. They have trouble in the city, and go on an adventure.
They have trouble in a new city, go on another quest with a man they helped rescue from a prison. Who is a selfish prima donna, and in love with his ex-boyfriend. They encounter troubles and go to a new city in the middle of nowhere. At some point Alizhan and Ev have a sexual encounter of epic proportions. So pretty much two books devoted to plot and Alizhan and Ev’s relationship. Lovely.
Then they part and whilst Alizhan thinks Ev is probably dead, Ev thinks that Alizhan in probably alive. Yet Ev has a fling with the man (Not the right thing at all). Whoooa there! Two books on FF and now the relationship is incomplete without a man. At the end of the book, even though Alizhan, who has previously shown signs of jealousy when she thinks a woman is looking at Ev, is quite happy to add a penis to the mix.
I am disappointed. I would have liked the future poly to have been foreshadowed from book one, and then I have not become so invested in the two leading characters.
However, if you like MFF Poly in fantasy you will love it.
July 1, 2018
"I'M GONNA GIVE THE GAYS EVERYTHING THEY WANT" - felicia davin, 2018
y'all i'm amazed. the story was wrapped up neatly, the characters exhibited personal growth, the romance was solid, the worldbuilding was still excellent. i'm gay as hell and i got everything i wanted.
i'll shut up about this eventually but
i'm also kind of excited to read ilyr's story. i enjoyed this world and i'm glad we're not done with it!
y'all i'm amazed. the story was wrapped up neatly, the characters exhibited personal growth, the romance was solid, the worldbuilding was still excellent. i'm gay as hell and i got everything i wanted.
i'll shut up about this eventually but
i'm also kind of excited to read ilyr's story. i enjoyed this world and i'm glad we're not done with it!
January 26, 2020
I really enjoyed the two first books in this sequel, but this last one was a dissapointment. Following Ev, Alizhan and Thio was naturally exciting and the plot was thrilling. However there were some major plot-things that seemed unfit. First of all: The lovetriangle between all of the three main characters seemed uncalled for. The attraction between Ev and Thiyo was well established throughout book no. 2, but why Alizhan and Thiyo suddenly also have feelings for each other was not explained anywhere. And it seem very unrealistic that two persons (Ev and Alizhan) so connected to each other (and now apparently also to Thiyo) would let Thiyo be polyamorous, without any objections.. To me, it felt as if the author had a personal agenda to end their relationship as a 3-pax lovetriangle and forced it over the book. I litteraly hoped Thio would have died in the end so the two girls would end up with each other as was meant to be. It would also have given the book a less "happy ever after ending" which was kind of lame. There should have been at least some sort of sacrifice thinking of how brilliant Iriyat was. Lastly, why on earth was Iriyat's trial barely mentioned? That was all I wanted to know after reading about it in Thiyo's perspective (with very few details) Why was Ilyan there? How did Alizhan cope with accusing her mother? How did Iriyat try and smooth her way out? so many questions to how they actually managed to lock her up!?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2019
And last but not least, we have arrived at Shadebloom! Shadebloom is probably my fave of the series for a number of spoilery and non-spoilery reasons, not to mention that it's also endlessly quotable like the other two books preceding it (seriously, Felicia Davin really knows how to write fun prose).
The book opens up to settle our worries from the cliffhanger at the end of Nightvine and also introduces yet another location: We see the Islands referenced so long ago in Thornfruit at last! (And if you're wondering if this means even more side characters added to the ever-growing cast, you're fiery fucking right lol.)
I don't wanna go into detail because of MAJOR SPOILERS but this part of the book is what really endeared me to Thiyo as a character.
However, tho I expected the Islands to be my fave setting, my actual fave setting in the entire series was definitely Adappyr. Just like how can you read about a fantasy setting like that and not geek out over it? It's seriously cool and the entire world of this series would make an excellent DnD setting imho. There's so much that can be explored beyond the stories of Ev, Alizhan, and Thiyo and I do hope Felicia Davin writes more in this universe someday. (And if not, well, maybe my fingers will grant me some fanfic magic whenever I have time.)
As with the other books, I actually really liked all the extra bits of writing in between chapters. It allowed us to see a bit from the POV of familiar faces like Kasrik without overly complicating the narrative to do so. And it also brought back the political intrigue of Laalvur mostly addressed in Thornfruit, which I appreciated bc even tho all the little "vacations" on various parts of the world were fun, I really wanted to know how things would change for Ev and Alizhan's city.
Oh! And the relationships in this book! I was totally *heart eyes* and here for it the entire way and sure some folks might have preferred a different resolution of it but let me add spoiler tags and just say
Ok onwards to discussing the resolution of the Roadrunner vs Coyote plot. I actually liked that the roles kinda flipped near the end especially re: this books titular plant and how it played into the final plot. Iriyat is a really fascinating antagonist and while Thornfruit and Nightvine to a certain extent set the readers up to pity her, it's really this book where she comes into her own as a fantasy villain. Idk if all readers will agree with me on my take on Iriyat, but I do think her character arc fits the metaphor presented by the name of the series, The Gardener's Hand. For all her scheming, she fails because she discounts our plucky heroes and their sheer determination, as well as their network of people willing to help them. She believes because she is a Lacemaker, she has total control over every situation or can gain control, even when the data says otherwise, and this is her fatal flaw.
Tbh the main unresolved subplot I could see from this book that I was left wondering about was that of Ilyr. It seems like his book isn't even in the works, so we are left to wonder if he ever did pull his head out of his ass and change things for the better in Nalitzva. We can hope, or we can write fanfics at this point as this fandom is too tiny for us to do much more than make our own content. 😅
Anyway, I loved this series very much and highly recommend it to anyone in need of well-written and fun diverse reads.
The book opens up to settle our worries from the cliffhanger at the end of Nightvine and also introduces yet another location: We see the Islands referenced so long ago in Thornfruit at last! (And if you're wondering if this means even more side characters added to the ever-growing cast, you're fiery fucking right lol.)
I don't wanna go into detail because of MAJOR SPOILERS but this part of the book is what really endeared me to Thiyo as a character.
However, tho I expected the Islands to be my fave setting, my actual fave setting in the entire series was definitely Adappyr. Just like how can you read about a fantasy setting like that and not geek out over it? It's seriously cool and the entire world of this series would make an excellent DnD setting imho. There's so much that can be explored beyond the stories of Ev, Alizhan, and Thiyo and I do hope Felicia Davin writes more in this universe someday. (And if not, well, maybe my fingers will grant me some fanfic magic whenever I have time.)
As with the other books, I actually really liked all the extra bits of writing in between chapters. It allowed us to see a bit from the POV of familiar faces like Kasrik without overly complicating the narrative to do so. And it also brought back the political intrigue of Laalvur mostly addressed in Thornfruit, which I appreciated bc even tho all the little "vacations" on various parts of the world were fun, I really wanted to know how things would change for Ev and Alizhan's city.
Oh! And the relationships in this book! I was totally *heart eyes* and here for it the entire way and sure some folks might have preferred a different resolution of it but let me add spoiler tags and just say
Ok onwards to discussing the resolution of the Roadrunner vs Coyote plot. I actually liked that the roles kinda flipped near the end especially re: this books titular plant and how it played into the final plot. Iriyat is a really fascinating antagonist and while Thornfruit and Nightvine to a certain extent set the readers up to pity her, it's really this book where she comes into her own as a fantasy villain. Idk if all readers will agree with me on my take on Iriyat, but I do think her character arc fits the metaphor presented by the name of the series, The Gardener's Hand. For all her scheming, she fails because she discounts our plucky heroes and their sheer determination, as well as their network of people willing to help them. She believes because she is a Lacemaker, she has total control over every situation or can gain control, even when the data says otherwise, and this is her fatal flaw.
Tbh the main unresolved subplot I could see from this book that I was left wondering about was that of Ilyr. It seems like his book isn't even in the works, so we are left to wonder if he ever did pull his head out of his ass and change things for the better in Nalitzva. We can hope, or we can write fanfics at this point as this fandom is too tiny for us to do much more than make our own content. 😅
Anyway, I loved this series very much and highly recommend it to anyone in need of well-written and fun diverse reads.
October 15, 2023
This is still a really good book, but a few things made me sad:
Things I liked: Thiyo. Thiyo's character development in this book, the recurring theme of magic as a form of neurodivergence, Alizhan finding her independence.
Things I liked: Thiyo. Thiyo's character development in this book, the recurring theme of magic as a form of neurodivergence, Alizhan finding her independence.
October 14, 2021
SHADEBLOOM was a good conclusion to The Gardener's Hand trilogy and I was glad to see Ev, Thiyo, and Alizhan together at last. Of course, it takes a long time to get there and the majority of the book is spent with the characters separated in various ways. Though I wanted all three together sooner, I did enjoy watching Thiyo and Ev begin to bond as their own couple. And all the distance does make the reunion that much sweeter.
Ev is still definitely my favorite character and I enjoyed seeing her take control and really begin to find her place in the world. Thiyo, who was a bundle of charm in the previous book, was much more grumpy and subdued. I won't spoil it, but he has a good reason for his mood and it was different to see such a serious side to Thiyo. Alizhan also really comes into her own as she finds her independence and begins to see the real side of Iriyat. There was a lot of growth for each character.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and liked the conclusion. My only real complaint is that memory loss/manipulation was a huge factor in the story and may have been overused to advance the plot. It felt like as soon as someone would get their memory back they'd lose it in another way.
Content Warning: References to abuse, torture, homophobia based on sexual orientation and gender identity; main character references almost being raped
Ev is still definitely my favorite character and I enjoyed seeing her take control and really begin to find her place in the world. Thiyo, who was a bundle of charm in the previous book, was much more grumpy and subdued. I won't spoil it, but he has a good reason for his mood and it was different to see such a serious side to Thiyo. Alizhan also really comes into her own as she finds her independence and begins to see the real side of Iriyat. There was a lot of growth for each character.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and liked the conclusion. My only real complaint is that memory loss/manipulation was a huge factor in the story and may have been overused to advance the plot. It felt like as soon as someone would get their memory back they'd lose it in another way.
Content Warning: References to abuse, torture, homophobia based on sexual orientation and gender identity; main character references almost being raped
August 15, 2021
TL;DR: A more tightly written finale, but still with underwritten characters and fantastic elements
Compared to the slightly wobbly first two books, Shadebloom gets some things right - the style has much greater consistency, and the places the plot takes the magical powers are interesting. However, I still dislike Thiyo, who gets so much attention, and so I just can't get on board with the poly elements (not because they are poly, but because this particular set of relationships doesn't feel right to me). Iriyat, a fascinatingly complex character in book 1, gets a pretty rough deal in the narrative, which is disappointing. As we reach the climax, it is evident that the day/night world really didn't matter, nor did the magical medusas. For me, worldbuilding cannot merely be decorative, but needs to have some kind of significance. Ultimately, what I liked about this series was Alizhan, Iriyat, and to an extent Ev, but apart from the latter, none of these elements felt particularly fulfilled.
Rating breakdown:
3 stars without rounding
4/10 in personal rating system
Compared to the slightly wobbly first two books, Shadebloom gets some things right - the style has much greater consistency, and the places the plot takes the magical powers are interesting. However, I still dislike Thiyo, who gets so much attention, and so I just can't get on board with the poly elements (not because they are poly, but because this particular set of relationships doesn't feel right to me). Iriyat, a fascinatingly complex character in book 1, gets a pretty rough deal in the narrative, which is disappointing. As we reach the climax, it is evident that the day/night world really didn't matter, nor did the magical medusas. For me, worldbuilding cannot merely be decorative, but needs to have some kind of significance. Ultimately, what I liked about this series was Alizhan, Iriyat, and to an extent Ev, but apart from the latter, none of these elements felt particularly fulfilled.
Rating breakdown:
3 stars without rounding
4/10 in personal rating system
September 30, 2025
Whenever I think how much we haven't witnessed of Laalvuri Touched independence movement I feel robbed. On one hand, I loved seeing all the different parts of the world where sun never sets. On the other, lady Iriyat still remains the strongest character in the entire series, and even the finish of her course couldn't make me love my new fictional wife any less. She thinks globally where every other character, protagonists and antagonists equally, only have a personal goal that may seem to have a wider scope geographically but in the end is still mainly centered on one place or a handful of people. Only this one true visionary... well, yes, can't hide it, the only reason I rated this book higher than the previous one is that the best character in the series was present and active.
Maybe not only that. Maybe it's also the Vines crew coming back, and Kasrik as well. They created much more interesting background than the extras in Nightvine, just as I would've expected them to after Thornfruit.
There are also interesting points brought up about learning (or re-learning) languages, and communication in general, however, I'd have enjoyed it more if it wasn't used to further a romantic subplot that since the beginning was built on all the romantic tropes I can't stand. Even pushing aside all of my personal preferences, there's still this thing about Ev: she never was confused about being attracted to someone, nor had any doubts about pursuing someone she had chances with. It makes no sense to push her into a scenario where virtual strangers have to tell her she's attracted to Thiyo. It comes across less as her easing into unexpected feelings and more as everyone around buggering her about this guy pining for her and how she totally should give him a chance--until she brainwashes herself into believing that.
But romance was never Felicia Davin's strongest suit, I knew that well already, and the worldbuilding again saves her, making me walk out of the trilogy with mostly positive impressions.
Maybe not only that. Maybe it's also the Vines crew coming back, and Kasrik as well. They created much more interesting background than the extras in Nightvine, just as I would've expected them to after Thornfruit.
There are also interesting points brought up about learning (or re-learning) languages, and communication in general, however, I'd have enjoyed it more if it wasn't used to further a romantic subplot that since the beginning was built on all the romantic tropes I can't stand. Even pushing aside all of my personal preferences, there's still this thing about Ev: she never was confused about being attracted to someone, nor had any doubts about pursuing someone she had chances with. It makes no sense to push her into a scenario where virtual strangers have to tell her she's attracted to Thiyo. It comes across less as her easing into unexpected feelings and more as everyone around buggering her about this guy pining for her and how she totally should give him a chance--until she brainwashes herself into believing that.
But romance was never Felicia Davin's strongest suit, I knew that well already, and the worldbuilding again saves her, making me walk out of the trilogy with mostly positive impressions.
March 9, 2020
Very satisfying conclusion to a lovely queer fantasy trilogy. I hope the author releases more books set in this world
June 3, 2024
Look, I have my quibbles (mostly around the timeline and how quickly people recover/learn new skills) but I find the characters and world so lovable that I don’t even care.
Read
February 5, 2021DNF.
Well Im dissapointed... I absolutely loved the first two books in this series. This third book just killed it for me... and maybe that wont be the case for everyone... but the first two books had built up this beauitful love story between Alizhan and Ev with them barely coming together in the end of book two... but then Ev gets with Thiyo? They werent even interested in each other! And then when Ev and Alizhan finally reunited theyre a threesome now? Wtf. Nothing against poly or bisexuality but it just played out in a weird way.
What I loved about book 1 and 2 was them being on this adventure together and ripping them apart for 80% of the book was just not what I wanted...
I skimmed the majority of the book so Im not gonna give it any stars cause I realise this is a lot about personal taste and I do appreciate the story this author has created.
Well Im dissapointed... I absolutely loved the first two books in this series. This third book just killed it for me... and maybe that wont be the case for everyone... but the first two books had built up this beauitful love story between Alizhan and Ev with them barely coming together in the end of book two... but then Ev gets with Thiyo? They werent even interested in each other! And then when Ev and Alizhan finally reunited theyre a threesome now? Wtf. Nothing against poly or bisexuality but it just played out in a weird way.
What I loved about book 1 and 2 was them being on this adventure together and ripping them apart for 80% of the book was just not what I wanted...
I skimmed the majority of the book so Im not gonna give it any stars cause I realise this is a lot about personal taste and I do appreciate the story this author has created.
May 10, 2018
WHAT A FANTASTIC END TO THE TRILOGY
I'm so satisfied! I love everyone! (I want 100000 more books please)
A phenomenal conclusion to a really extraordinary trilogy. New places, new people, new problems and they all wrapped up beautifully.
I'm so satisfied! I love everyone! (I want 100000 more books please)
A phenomenal conclusion to a really extraordinary trilogy. New places, new people, new problems and they all wrapped up beautifully.
March 12, 2019
A satisfying ending to a very enjoyable trilogy. I liked that there were some surprises even when I thought I knew where the story was going, and also how small things came back to be meaningful later on.
June 21, 2019
i feel like my entire body got jumped by a corporeal chunk of tenderness. this series has like—everything i could have asked for???? and more??????
i would die for ev and alizhan and thiyo KNOW THIS.
i would die for ev and alizhan and thiyo KNOW THIS.
September 7, 2023
10/10. Fantastic writing, engaging and beautiful and something I wish I could physically put underneath my skin. One of the best series I've ever read - one of the best *books* I have ever read. Terrifically done.
October 3, 2021
Ridiculously good. I'm so sad that it's over!! Can't wait to get my hands on more of Davin's work.
December 9, 2021
2.5 stars
April 1, 2021
I love this series so much. I think this is my favourite installment of the series, because as I mentioned in my review for Nightvine, the way that this series looks at language is so interesting, and so Thiyo's storyline in this book is fascinating to me as a kind of outsider look at how language is constructed and how it lends itself to learning - having said that, it's for that exact reason that I kind of wish Thiyo's plot problem hadn't been so easily fixed. I get that Alizhan's repurposing of her magic is a crucial part of her story, too, and I love that for her, but especially because I feel like so much of this book is about healing from respective traumas, both physical and psychological, it felt a bit hand-wavey.
BUT... once again, one of my favourite aspects of this series is the world-building, and I LOVED being introduced to Addapyr - and also, weirdly, I loved being re-introduced to Laalvur through the eyes of an outsider, especially because in Thornfruit the exposition of the setting felt quite heavy-handed and I feel like I zoned out a bit, whereas this felt like a much more natural exploration of their surroundings.
For me, of course, the centre of this series is Ev and Alizhan. The slowburn throughout the series, the PINING, the YEARNING, has been magnificent, including in this book - and I like Thiyo's addition to their relationship BUT... I am not as invested in his involvement. Don't get me wrong, I bought into his love for Ev and it was developed well, but of course, up against Alizhan and Ev it kind of pales by comparison. I know that part of the point of the novel was that you can love different people in different ways at the same time, but it did feel a little bit like 'Ev and Alizhan is the all-consuming Love For The Ages and also Thiyo is here too' AT TIMES. Not all the time... but sometimes.
On the whole, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this, I binge-read it in about three days and couldn't stop thinking about it, and I will probably recommend it to every fantasy lover I know!
BUT... once again, one of my favourite aspects of this series is the world-building, and I LOVED being introduced to Addapyr - and also, weirdly, I loved being re-introduced to Laalvur through the eyes of an outsider, especially because in Thornfruit the exposition of the setting felt quite heavy-handed and I feel like I zoned out a bit, whereas this felt like a much more natural exploration of their surroundings.
For me, of course, the centre of this series is Ev and Alizhan. The slowburn throughout the series, the PINING, the YEARNING, has been magnificent, including in this book - and I like Thiyo's addition to their relationship BUT... I am not as invested in his involvement. Don't get me wrong, I bought into his love for Ev and it was developed well, but of course, up against Alizhan and Ev it kind of pales by comparison. I know that part of the point of the novel was that you can love different people in different ways at the same time, but it did feel a little bit like 'Ev and Alizhan is the all-consuming Love For The Ages and also Thiyo is here too' AT TIMES. Not all the time... but sometimes.
On the whole, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this, I binge-read it in about three days and couldn't stop thinking about it, and I will probably recommend it to every fantasy lover I know!
May 30, 2018
I loved this book. I still have some questions, which is great because at least the Kindle version has a little preview of another novel to come in the same universe (I did not read it because I never read the previews because I don't want to get too invested too early). But yeah, queer characters overcome terrible obstacles, save the world, and figure out they're a triad. This world is so clearly well-developed--and I could HAPPILY sit down and read a dry description of exactly how the different cities work culturally, or how the empire broke apart into its current little city-states--but the story is driven so much by character and action that it never gets stuck in the weeds.
January 2, 2022
DNF. I *really* wish books that add a male pairing to f/f relationships would be up front about that. Ruined the books for me. Did not finish. If that doesn’t bother you there is a LOT to love here. Excellent writing and characters.
December 7, 2019
I came into this series knowing basically nothing about it and now it's easily one of my top trilogies for the year.
Book one set the stage well, exploring the socio-political life of a seaside town, introducing our main antagonists and protagonist. Then books 2 and 3 take us on the tour of the larger world and all the different ways of living that there are in the world before bringing us back to the seaside town for it's the dramatic conclusion.
Davin has crafted a unique world, one that's tide-locked to its sun. Meaning the part of the planet that's facing the sun is always the same. This makes it so there are cities in permanent sunlight and cities in permanent dark.
One of my favourite things Davin does is really flesh out the antagonist's story. In the first book you can find yourself feeling sorry for her, possibly even taking her side. She had redeeming qualities and an admiral goal, but her methods are inexcusable. Davin does a great job of creating a villain with lots of depth as well as one who instills fear.
And the queer rep! We have a central f/f relationship which is why I started the series in the first place. Every letter in LGBT is here and there is even a genderfluid MC in the 2nd book onwards. And then a burgeoning polyship between the MCs and wow it's so nice to see this made explicit and not just hinted at. There is very much a love story at the center of this series but it's also very focused on found families and getting out of abusive relationships.
Overall, some of my fave fantasy I've read in years and I'm excited to see what Davin writes next!
Book one set the stage well, exploring the socio-political life of a seaside town, introducing our main antagonists and protagonist. Then books 2 and 3 take us on the tour of the larger world and all the different ways of living that there are in the world before bringing us back to the seaside town for it's the dramatic conclusion.
Davin has crafted a unique world, one that's tide-locked to its sun. Meaning the part of the planet that's facing the sun is always the same. This makes it so there are cities in permanent sunlight and cities in permanent dark.
One of my favourite things Davin does is really flesh out the antagonist's story. In the first book you can find yourself feeling sorry for her, possibly even taking her side. She had redeeming qualities and an admiral goal, but her methods are inexcusable. Davin does a great job of creating a villain with lots of depth as well as one who instills fear.
And the queer rep! We have a central f/f relationship which is why I started the series in the first place. Every letter in LGBT is here and there is even a genderfluid MC in the 2nd book onwards. And then a burgeoning polyship between the MCs and wow it's so nice to see this made explicit and not just hinted at. There is very much a love story at the center of this series but it's also very focused on found families and getting out of abusive relationships.
Overall, some of my fave fantasy I've read in years and I'm excited to see what Davin writes next!
October 14, 2019
I love this book, and this series, so much i'm having trouble articulating my thoughts at the moment.
RTC.
ETA 10-14-19. FULL REVIEW HERE.
I cannot say enough good about this series. I can't believe how few people have read them. These books have everything I could ever want in a fantasy series and I was enthralled from start to finish.
There's so much to praise here: the worldbuilding, intricate and expansive; the pacing and plot, filling each book teeming with adventure in a genre that often falls victim to over-serialization; magic that isn't only novel but that expands and deepens our experience of the novel itself - I'm talking, of course, of Thiyo's and Alizhan's gifts, and the way that between them we an inside track to experience characters and cultures in such a whole and holistic way. And I haven't even mentioned the characters - it is so refreshing, so meaningful, to read a story whose pages are filled with such diverse characters, written in such a thoughtful way, and to feel the relationship between them build and flourish - and especially, not to be baited or teased or let down.
These books are a work of art. Please read them.
RTC.
ETA 10-14-19. FULL REVIEW HERE.
I cannot say enough good about this series. I can't believe how few people have read them. These books have everything I could ever want in a fantasy series and I was enthralled from start to finish.
There's so much to praise here: the worldbuilding, intricate and expansive; the pacing and plot, filling each book teeming with adventure in a genre that often falls victim to over-serialization; magic that isn't only novel but that expands and deepens our experience of the novel itself - I'm talking, of course, of Thiyo's and Alizhan's gifts, and the way that between them we an inside track to experience characters and cultures in such a whole and holistic way. And I haven't even mentioned the characters - it is so refreshing, so meaningful, to read a story whose pages are filled with such diverse characters, written in such a thoughtful way, and to feel the relationship between them build and flourish - and especially, not to be baited or teased or let down.
These books are a work of art. Please read them.
February 6, 2019
"Shadebloom" is a fitting conclusion to "The Gardener's Hand" trilogy. Sometimes multi-book series, especially in fantasy, can either fizzle out or get out of hand, but the third book is as fast-paced and compelling as the first two. Through a series of adventures that could seem improbable but work here, all the main characters end up back in Laalvur for the big finale, which goes down with plenty of twists and turns. You will probably want to start with book 1 if you haven't read anything in the series before, but if you've read and enjoyed the first two books, you're probably enjoy this one as well.
June 28, 2019
A really great conclusion. Again, loved seeing more of this world. I don't want to say too much because the joy of discovery was high in this book. Where they go, who they find there, it all unfolds in a really engaging way.
I really liked Thiyo's path in this book, he goes through a very personal struggle that made him a lot more sympathetic as a character (to me at least). At the end of book 2, I wasn't expecting a poly ending (or at least if it had ended that way without more growth, I wouldn't have really bought it), but book 3 sold me on it.
My one critique is the pacing of the ending had a bit of a hiccup. Overall though, really good.
I really liked Thiyo's path in this book, he goes through a very personal struggle that made him a lot more sympathetic as a character (to me at least). At the end of book 2, I wasn't expecting a poly ending (or at least if it had ended that way without more growth, I wouldn't have really bought it), but book 3 sold me on it.
My one critique is the pacing of the ending had a bit of a hiccup. Overall though, really good.
February 22, 2019
I really liked the Ev&/Thiyo h/c, and seeing yet more different places/cultures, and the characters showing up/showing up again, and Iriyat being scary and completely convinced she is doing the right thing, and the relationship developments. The writing style was still a bit blunt, and spelled out things I did not need spelled out, but it was fine. One major side character's story just cuts off, which makes more sense after I found out that they get their own book, which I look forward to but I still wish it hadn't been so abrupt.
August 12, 2022
It gave me the queer throuple that I had been hoping for AND some great devious political intrigue, cultural squabbles, violence, treachery, memory capers!
Ev finally got to embrace her chaotic bisexual tall gf self and overcome her fear of water stemming from book 2, Thiyo learned to be sassy AND honest, which was so beautifully heartwarming, and Alizhan is just the absolute best. She's got the soul of a cat, and it damn well shows, but she found her person to claim as her own and she damn well did it.
Ev finally got to embrace her chaotic bisexual tall gf self and overcome her fear of water stemming from book 2, Thiyo learned to be sassy AND honest, which was so beautifully heartwarming, and Alizhan is just the absolute best. She's got the soul of a cat, and it damn well shows, but she found her person to claim as her own and she damn well did it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2025
A good conclusion to the trilogy that never gives its characters a break. Thiyo forgets language, Alizhan thinks the other two are dead... And the return in force of Iriyat and her machinations. I really enjoyed the part in Addapyr and the construction of the city and its culture. Some parts of the story felt a little rushed and the conclusion could have been more developed but it was still vindicating. I'd love to read more about some characters liek Mar and Djal who were really charismatic. Really recommend this whole trilogy.
March 29, 2024
Each book in this series I loved more than the last. I'm in love with this unique world, its strange tidally locked relationship with its Sun, and the devastating tectonic activity and tsunami that have defined life on it.
Likewise the happily ever after resolution for main characters Ev, Alizhan, Thiyo and their beautiful found family. They suffered so much trauma and always grew and loved more despite it all.
Likewise the happily ever after resolution for main characters Ev, Alizhan, Thiyo and their beautiful found family. They suffered so much trauma and always grew and loved more despite it all.
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