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Artisans #1
The Uses of Illicit Art
'Your ridiculous Art. It’s as twisty as you are, and that’s saying something.'
It’s twenty years into the reign of Queen Victoria. The Agency for the Benefit of Registered Artisans has been established to help and protect magic-users and regulate their Artworks. The use of illicit Art is heavily punished.
The coldly self-possessed Kit Whitely is an Artisan whose specialty is opening doors and locks. That makes him very popular with a certain type of criminal, so he’s hiding out in a remote Somerset village hoping for uninteresting times. He’s starting to feel safe for the first time in his life.
Cheerful bounty hunter Alexander Locke has other ideas. He’s obliviously barging into Kit's peaceful new life to arrest him for the use of illicit Art and drag him back to London. But he's a man of divided loyalties and so he's also intending to use Kit for illicit purposes of his own.
How much trouble could one pissant little thief give him, really?
An enjoyable alt-history m/m fantasy fiction romance.
T/W: References to past abuse.
It’s twenty years into the reign of Queen Victoria. The Agency for the Benefit of Registered Artisans has been established to help and protect magic-users and regulate their Artworks. The use of illicit Art is heavily punished.
The coldly self-possessed Kit Whitely is an Artisan whose specialty is opening doors and locks. That makes him very popular with a certain type of criminal, so he’s hiding out in a remote Somerset village hoping for uninteresting times. He’s starting to feel safe for the first time in his life.
Cheerful bounty hunter Alexander Locke has other ideas. He’s obliviously barging into Kit's peaceful new life to arrest him for the use of illicit Art and drag him back to London. But he's a man of divided loyalties and so he's also intending to use Kit for illicit purposes of his own.
How much trouble could one pissant little thief give him, really?
An enjoyable alt-history m/m fantasy fiction romance.
T/W: References to past abuse.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 2, 2021
21 people are currently reading
717 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Palmer
18 books53 followersWendy Palmer lives in Bridgetown, Western Australia with her partner, son, dogs, goats, alpacas, bees and chickens. She's patted tigers, ridden elephants, dog-sledded across glaciers, faced down lions in the Serengeti, swum with whale sharks, and camped in the Sahara, but she not-so-secretly prefers curling up with a good book.
She writes fantasy fiction with entertaining characters, enjoyably perilous adventures, romantic entanglements, some dark undertones, but always happy, hopeful endings.
Now over at StoryGraph.
She writes fantasy fiction with entertaining characters, enjoyably perilous adventures, romantic entanglements, some dark undertones, but always happy, hopeful endings.
Now over at StoryGraph.
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December 3, 2024A m/m Victorian-set fantasy romance. Terrific worldbuilding/concept: people have specific magic talents/Arts that can be applied in multiple ways. Kit is good at doors and locks, which means he keeps being forced into thievery; Alex can read intentions, and is the agent tracking him down, along with his twin (trans) sister Lulu. (This is a Victorian England with the existing laws but 90% of people being queer-friendly.) The magic is very nicely and entertainingly developed, with a kind of Victorian X-Men quality to it, what's not to like. There's a fun twisty plot going back to Kit's childhood trauma (which is massive and awful, be warned) and Lulu's husband's murder.
There is an absolute ton to love here and I really wish it had the development edit it deserved, because it's very nearly absolutely cracking--exuberant, vivid, with a truly fabulous twisty hero in Kit and some thoroughly gnarly flawed characters (Lulu in particular: aggressive, something of an arsehole, and trapped in anger and grief, but learning to breathe out and change for the better), and a story you just want to read. Everything that doesn't work so well is completely fixable (largely pacing/scene repetition in the first half, the pacing of the romance, and some digging into/sharpening up of the characters.)
I hate demanding better editing from self pubs because I am well aware development editing is brutally expensive if you have to pay for it (which is why so many publishers now simply don't bother! Let's not go there). But it's frustrating when a book is two drafts from brilliant. Still, masses to enjoy as is and told with great verve.
There is an absolute ton to love here and I really wish it had the development edit it deserved, because it's very nearly absolutely cracking--exuberant, vivid, with a truly fabulous twisty hero in Kit and some thoroughly gnarly flawed characters (Lulu in particular: aggressive, something of an arsehole, and trapped in anger and grief, but learning to breathe out and change for the better), and a story you just want to read. Everything that doesn't work so well is completely fixable (largely pacing/scene repetition in the first half, the pacing of the romance, and some digging into/sharpening up of the characters.)
I hate demanding better editing from self pubs because I am well aware development editing is brutally expensive if you have to pay for it (which is why so many publishers now simply don't bother! Let's not go there). But it's frustrating when a book is two drafts from brilliant. Still, masses to enjoy as is and told with great verve.
June 23, 2023
The Uses of Illicit Art first appears in disguise as a lighthearted entertainment, much as its chief protagonist, Kit Whitely, appears in disguise as a charming and fey petty criminal. This misleading impression rapidly dissolves as Kit's history comes into view, along with Alex Locke's (the other MC's) reasons for arresting him and Alex's sister Lucinda Llewellyn's reasons for wanting to exploit his magical ability to cross thresholds and open doors. Neither Alex nor Lucinda is quite as they appear on the surface, either; among the book's preoccupations are questions about disguise, secrets, masks, lies and truth (and masks that tell the truth, as in Lucinda's case: she's a trans woman, so in disguising her male body she tells the truth about who she is).
Kit and Alex have every reason to mistrust each other, and mistrust each other they do, but they're also powerfully attracted to each other. I wasn't 100% sure I believed Kit's attraction to Alex would overshadow his captivity, but the more I knew about how little basic kindness Kit has known in his life, the more credible Alex's appeal became. As it turns out, all their logical reasons to mistrust each other are chaff; it's the unreasonable attraction that tells them the truth about each other, if I can put it that way -- the truth that both of them are loving and brave.
A central conflict of the book is that between justice and revenge. Lucinda has excellent reason to want revenge against the villain-in-chief, but events give Kit sharp insight into what he himself might do if he gave in to a desire for vengeance, however excusable; to protect Lucinda from, as he puts it, drowning in blood, he performs a breathtaking, heartrending act of self-sacrifice. Ugh, I teared up again just thinking about it.
A couple of loose ends left me hoping for a sequel. For "hoping," read "willing to beg."
A few content notes, some of which are spoilers, so if the tags give you enough of a hint you might want to skip them:
The Uses of Illicit Art is free on Smashwords till the end of June; grab a copy, do it now, and if you happen to be reading this review after 6/30/23 then just give Wendy Palmer your money, because she has earned it. Also, major thanks to @Ellie, whose review alerted me to the existence of this wonderful book.
Kit and Alex have every reason to mistrust each other, and mistrust each other they do, but they're also powerfully attracted to each other. I wasn't 100% sure I believed Kit's attraction to Alex would overshadow his captivity, but the more I knew about how little basic kindness Kit has known in his life, the more credible Alex's appeal became. As it turns out, all their logical reasons to mistrust each other are chaff; it's the unreasonable attraction that tells them the truth about each other, if I can put it that way -- the truth that both of them are loving and brave.
A central conflict of the book is that between justice and revenge. Lucinda has excellent reason to want revenge against the villain-in-chief, but events give Kit sharp insight into what he himself might do if he gave in to a desire for vengeance, however excusable; to protect Lucinda from, as he puts it, drowning in blood, he performs a breathtaking, heartrending act of self-sacrifice. Ugh, I teared up again just thinking about it.
A couple of loose ends left me hoping for a sequel. For "hoping," read "willing to beg."
A few content notes, some of which are spoilers, so if the tags give you enough of a hint you might want to skip them:
The Uses of Illicit Art is free on Smashwords till the end of June; grab a copy, do it now, and if you happen to be reading this review after 6/30/23 then just give Wendy Palmer your money, because she has earned it. Also, major thanks to @Ellie, whose review alerted me to the existence of this wonderful book.
June 29, 2024
I could not put this down! Loved the adventure/swashbuckling vibes which started off light hearted and got deeper as the story went on. Kit was such an interesting character I just wanted to wrap him up in a cozy blanket. The characters here are all flawed and almost all have dislikable traits which I actually loved and kept things interesting. Don’t read this for a sweet simple romp, although it’s not super graphic it does have some potentially triggering scenes. The plot was rather detailed, the magic system original and well thought out and although the pacing was kind of chaotic it didn’t bother me.
I will say the ending was a bit unsatisfying, I needed far more grovelling and time spent together! The sequel sounds like it could be promising. This is alternate-history/fantasy and although some aspects of this were very old fashioned other things felt more modern and I enjoyed that, however the nickname ‘baby’ really grated on me. If I could have changed one thing it would be this! Although Google informs me ‘baby’ certainly would have been used as a term of romantic endearment in the 1900’s. Other than these petty little complaints this was a fun read and nice introduction to this Aussie author.
I will say the ending was a bit unsatisfying, I needed far more grovelling and time spent together! The sequel sounds like it could be promising. This is alternate-history/fantasy and although some aspects of this were very old fashioned other things felt more modern and I enjoyed that, however the nickname ‘baby’ really grated on me. If I could have changed one thing it would be this! Although Google informs me ‘baby’ certainly would have been used as a term of romantic endearment in the 1900’s. Other than these petty little complaints this was a fun read and nice introduction to this Aussie author.
June 11, 2023
4.5 stars
An engaging historical fantasy, a fun romp with a dark side of revenge.
CW:
Representation: trans side character
This was a completely random read which was free on Smashwords (still is at 11-Jun-23) and that I ended up loving!
It starts off with fun gentle captor x slippery thief vibes, with lots of escaping and capers, then moves into a much darker heist/revenge plot. The first half was in a similar style to Alexis Hall's Something Fabulous (which I disliked but for reasons unrelated to writing style) and it was a lot of fun. There were various allusions to darker times coming though, so the shift didn't come out of nowhere. When it does though, it's pretty gutting, and this was quite a rollercoaster of emotions.
It was very satisfying. The main characters were flawed but endearing, the side characters were well-developed, the magic system was interesting, and I like a good revenge plot - in particular when .
In the beginning, the MCs don't trust each other, and for good reason. They have strong sexual chemistry, which is put to good use throughout the book. The emotional development comes much later, and after a few false starts and betrayals it felt well-earned. Kit and Alex both make terrible mistakes and act poorly, but their actions always have reasons behind them and I thought they were both redeemable.
I liked the magic system, how people's Art seemed to mostly be governed by their own mental limitations, how Kit's mental flexibility allowed him to use his power to his advantage without him needing to be some supercharged hero. It was fun that their powers could be amplified by sexual tension or alcohol. I wish we'd got more details about how the Agency worked though.
I really liked that all the main characters were queer. There's a minor plot point when Edith discovers that Lulu is trans and accidentally offends her in her surprise, but none of their sexualities are an issue at all over the course of the book. Is this dubious given the setting? Yeah, but I liked it anyway.
There are some CWs that I think should have been mentioned but weren't, I've added them above. The only one mentioned is , which is important, but I was actually a lot more bothered by . Oof. That calls for a lot of grovelling.
Overall, this was well-written, but there was some anachronistic speech which bothered me. Yes, I looked into it, and technically the term of endearment "baby" was used from the 17th century onwards, but the way it was used here, and all the dialogue, was just too casual.
The way the characters interacted was also too casual for the time period, both the female/male interactions, and the social class differences. I actually think it was to the detriment of the book to have based this on a real period in history, instead of making it a pure fantasy, which probably would have allowed me to ignore my niggles with the dialogue too.
All in all, a very satisfying read, and I'll be looking out for the sequel which I think is expected this year.
An engaging historical fantasy, a fun romp with a dark side of revenge.
CW:
Representation: trans side character
This was a completely random read which was free on Smashwords (still is at 11-Jun-23) and that I ended up loving!
It starts off with fun gentle captor x slippery thief vibes, with lots of escaping and capers, then moves into a much darker heist/revenge plot. The first half was in a similar style to Alexis Hall's Something Fabulous (which I disliked but for reasons unrelated to writing style) and it was a lot of fun. There were various allusions to darker times coming though, so the shift didn't come out of nowhere. When it does though, it's pretty gutting, and this was quite a rollercoaster of emotions.
It was very satisfying. The main characters were flawed but endearing, the side characters were well-developed, the magic system was interesting, and I like a good revenge plot - in particular when .
In the beginning, the MCs don't trust each other, and for good reason. They have strong sexual chemistry, which is put to good use throughout the book. The emotional development comes much later, and after a few false starts and betrayals it felt well-earned. Kit and Alex both make terrible mistakes and act poorly, but their actions always have reasons behind them and I thought they were both redeemable.
I liked the magic system, how people's Art seemed to mostly be governed by their own mental limitations, how Kit's mental flexibility allowed him to use his power to his advantage without him needing to be some supercharged hero. It was fun that their powers could be amplified by sexual tension or alcohol. I wish we'd got more details about how the Agency worked though.
I really liked that all the main characters were queer. There's a minor plot point when Edith discovers that Lulu is trans and accidentally offends her in her surprise, but none of their sexualities are an issue at all over the course of the book. Is this dubious given the setting? Yeah, but I liked it anyway.
There are some CWs that I think should have been mentioned but weren't, I've added them above. The only one mentioned is , which is important, but I was actually a lot more bothered by . Oof. That calls for a lot of grovelling.
Overall, this was well-written, but there was some anachronistic speech which bothered me. Yes, I looked into it, and technically the term of endearment "baby" was used from the 17th century onwards, but the way it was used here, and all the dialogue, was just too casual.
The way the characters interacted was also too casual for the time period, both the female/male interactions, and the social class differences. I actually think it was to the detriment of the book to have based this on a real period in history, instead of making it a pure fantasy, which probably would have allowed me to ignore my niggles with the dialogue too.
All in all, a very satisfying read, and I'll be looking out for the sequel which I think is expected this year.
December 18, 2023
What a gem of a book! Lovely romance with a genuinely gripping heist/caper - sometimes I feel like I'm suffering through those storylines to get to the romance but here the romance and the heist/revenge plot are equally engaging and satisfyingly intertwined! The characters are really likeable with great chemistry and the fantasy/magical world was really well done. I read this as set in or around the 19th century but can't recall if this was clearly stated. Warning there is some anachronistic language and behaviour that may jar for some readers but, aside from that, this was thoroughly enjoyable! So so good and currently half price in the Smashwords sale.
January 24, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
A few quibbles aside, this was just the book I needed, just when I needed it. A barn-burner with real emotional heft. Read it!
A few quibbles aside, this was just the book I needed, just when I needed it. A barn-burner with real emotional heft. Read it!
February 12, 2024
I loved when he meets the X-Men and they kinda suck.
…This was great! The thing I like about this author is that - it’s this simple! - the characters are going to have real arcs and the plot is going to have real twists and turns. There is no phoning in going on here! There were still a couple things that stuck out to me, as with Fair Haven, as not fully working. But the pace was fantastic, Kit was a great, twisty protagonist, and the writing really sold me on the chemistry/dynamic between him and Locke. It’s the kind of romance novel where you feel like there’s even more about the MCs’ relationship that could have been explored - and given how much happens over the course of this book that’s impressive!
Also, loved the fact that this book STARTS with an intense and very fun chase sequence. And then it kind of never stops! A very fun read.
…This was great! The thing I like about this author is that - it’s this simple! - the characters are going to have real arcs and the plot is going to have real twists and turns. There is no phoning in going on here! There were still a couple things that stuck out to me, as with Fair Haven, as not fully working. But the pace was fantastic, Kit was a great, twisty protagonist, and the writing really sold me on the chemistry/dynamic between him and Locke. It’s the kind of romance novel where you feel like there’s even more about the MCs’ relationship that could have been explored - and given how much happens over the course of this book that’s impressive!
Also, loved the fact that this book STARTS with an intense and very fun chase sequence. And then it kind of never stops! A very fun read.
April 22, 2024
Well what a wonderful discovery this book was. How it doesn’t have more reviews I do not understand.
Fantastic side characters, very interesting MCs, a lot of character growth and an adventure. What’s not too love?
Fantastic side characters, very interesting MCs, a lot of character growth and an adventure. What’s not too love?
January 13, 2026
5-⭐
Some books are just FUN. This was a delight. It is comedic too but all the fun bits go further than that. I was just enjoying my ass off.
I read a lot of fantasy but it can be quite formulaic and stuffy sometimes. That's why I just love it when author set up some magical powers and plays with them. I don't think this book reinvents the wheel or anything, but the way the leads here utilise their skills to escape, show off, taunt and flirt! Yes please, I wouldn't mind another 200 pages of it. Well, in all honesty there is a smidgeon of repetition going on with the whole cat and mouse play, but since I was so thoroughly entertained, I just can't be bothered.
Towards the end the story turns quite heavy. It is very clear from the beginning that Kit is a traumatised character that has gone through a lot, but it's so different when it's in the past. And towards the end Kit doesn't just endure more abuse, he has to endure it from the other main characters. There are some alleviating circumstance to their behavior but it's still pretty bad.
Like in other stories with a severly abused MC, I wish I could see more of them being happy and safe. I just want to hug Kit and save him from the world. He is the most precious little darling, with a fascinating mind, and some great insight to other character's faults.
This is a new author to me, and colour me excited!
Some books are just FUN. This was a delight. It is comedic too but all the fun bits go further than that. I was just enjoying my ass off.
I read a lot of fantasy but it can be quite formulaic and stuffy sometimes. That's why I just love it when author set up some magical powers and plays with them. I don't think this book reinvents the wheel or anything, but the way the leads here utilise their skills to escape, show off, taunt and flirt! Yes please, I wouldn't mind another 200 pages of it. Well, in all honesty there is a smidgeon of repetition going on with the whole cat and mouse play, but since I was so thoroughly entertained, I just can't be bothered.
Towards the end the story turns quite heavy. It is very clear from the beginning that Kit is a traumatised character that has gone through a lot, but it's so different when it's in the past. And towards the end Kit doesn't just endure more abuse, he has to endure it from the other main characters. There are some alleviating circumstance to their behavior but it's still pretty bad.
Like in other stories with a severly abused MC, I wish I could see more of them being happy and safe. I just want to hug Kit and save him from the world. He is the most precious little darling, with a fascinating mind, and some great insight to other character's faults.
This is a new author to me, and colour me excited!
April 30, 2024
I am of two minds about this book. The world building is really interesting and I love the concept of the different powers and how they manifest depends on how you conceptualize it to yourself. The characters had the potential to be really interesting. The whole thing where Kit had dissociated and put his emotions in different personas he needed to assimilate to be whole… all good stuff.
The thing that just didn’t work for me personally was how characters would treat each other so horribly - do unforgivable things to the ones they supposedly care about- and it would all be brushed under the rug.
The lesser example is Lulu, who was violent uncontrolled sadistic and selfish. Honestly quite frightening and I find her physical abuse of Edith shocking. All it took was a weak apology and everything is right as rain.
But Locke was the worst. From sleeping with his prisoner - a shameless abuse of power over someone vulnerable- to tying Kit up and drugging him and leaving bruises all over him… it doesn’t matter how provoking Kit was being. He knew the childhood trauma Kit had around being tied and drugged and did it anyway. And Kit just… forgave him instantly? I guess maybe because he has zero self worth and a need to please and is used to accepting terrible treatment it’s understandable that he would forgive an abuser. But I certainly can’t swoon over Locke as a romantic partner. I see him as a weak-willed, easily persuadable, abusive thug who will do harmful and re-traumatizing things to his supposed love but it’s okay because ‘he just feels awful about it! But Kit is forcing his hand! It’s not his fault.’
I feel like there was the bones of a five star book in here, especially in the middle. But the beginning and the ending had weird pacing and too-fast unearned relationship development. Like insta-lust (from a character who has fear of men sexually abusing him and has been living like a monk, he instantly can’t keep his hands off this random guy Locke??) to insta-forgiveness. It was rushed and didn’t ring as believable to me.
I know I just dumped a lot of criticism but it’s because I really truly feel like this book was so close to being great. I loved Edith and the Locke twins’ older brother. I’m definitely going to buy and read this authors next releases because I think their imagination is incredible!
The thing that just didn’t work for me personally was how characters would treat each other so horribly - do unforgivable things to the ones they supposedly care about- and it would all be brushed under the rug.
The lesser example is Lulu, who was violent uncontrolled sadistic and selfish. Honestly quite frightening and I find her physical abuse of Edith shocking. All it took was a weak apology and everything is right as rain.
But Locke was the worst. From sleeping with his prisoner - a shameless abuse of power over someone vulnerable- to tying Kit up and drugging him and leaving bruises all over him… it doesn’t matter how provoking Kit was being. He knew the childhood trauma Kit had around being tied and drugged and did it anyway. And Kit just… forgave him instantly? I guess maybe because he has zero self worth and a need to please and is used to accepting terrible treatment it’s understandable that he would forgive an abuser. But I certainly can’t swoon over Locke as a romantic partner. I see him as a weak-willed, easily persuadable, abusive thug who will do harmful and re-traumatizing things to his supposed love but it’s okay because ‘he just feels awful about it! But Kit is forcing his hand! It’s not his fault.’
I feel like there was the bones of a five star book in here, especially in the middle. But the beginning and the ending had weird pacing and too-fast unearned relationship development. Like insta-lust (from a character who has fear of men sexually abusing him and has been living like a monk, he instantly can’t keep his hands off this random guy Locke??) to insta-forgiveness. It was rushed and didn’t ring as believable to me.
I know I just dumped a lot of criticism but it’s because I really truly feel like this book was so close to being great. I loved Edith and the Locke twins’ older brother. I’m definitely going to buy and read this authors next releases because I think their imagination is incredible!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
Dear random person on Discord who mentioned this book,
THANK YOU. This was a delightful mix of romance, skullduggery, and plot. I flew through it and I so appreciate having something to take my mind off the *everything* and this world and the characters in it were very delightful.
It's also wild to me when historical romance novels need to have their main characters invent modern psychological approaches to cope with their lives - in this case IFS. I don't mind it, exactly, I just appreciate it. Also appreciate, in this one, that healing was treated as a long and extensive process and that the romance is happening...more at the same time than causally. And I really valued that.
THANK YOU. This was a delightful mix of romance, skullduggery, and plot. I flew through it and I so appreciate having something to take my mind off the *everything* and this world and the characters in it were very delightful.
It's also wild to me when historical romance novels need to have their main characters invent modern psychological approaches to cope with their lives - in this case IFS. I don't mind it, exactly, I just appreciate it. Also appreciate, in this one, that healing was treated as a long and extensive process and that the romance is happening...more at the same time than causally. And I really valued that.
April 19, 2024
What a fun read! I found myself wishing it had an audiobook so I could keep reading (listening) at work and while I drove.
Definitely be aware that this may be triggering for some, though. Kit had a lot of trauma from an extremely abusive upbringing in an orphanage. My incomplete list: but please note that these aren’t triggers for me personally so I’m not 100% sure that covers it. Just trying to give a heads up.
All that aside, this book did make me laugh! Kit was sarcastic and witty, but not in that insufferable way some characters can be? It was a defense mechanism that worked and also made him interesting, and his back and forth with Alex really popped. I loved the dynamic between him, Alex, and Lulu. And Edith was a spitfire! Really enjoyed her character, too. I thought it was cute and realistic that these characters had a few nicknames for each other, too. I didn’t feel like it was confusing; rather, it demonstrated their fondness for each other.
The worldbuilding was unique enough to keep me interested without being convoluted or overly-explained. I don’t like being bogged down by info dumps. In this world, there’s basically a unique magic system for some people, and those who are strong enough register as Artisan with the Agency for the Benefit of Registered Artisans, which is meant to protect and police them, from my understanding. Some others have talents that don’t quite reach the level of Art and therefore aren’t registered. I enjoyed the description of Kit’s Art and how it worked, how he explored its limits, how he figured things out as he went, etc.
A few things I could critique:
Pacing—this started off so strong. I was hooked immediately. It lagged a bit once they arrived at the baronet’s estate, for me. It took me a while to get through that part, but maybe it was just because I literally had to keep doing my job and not read my book? Idk. Things picked up not long after that and I had no other issues.
Dialogue—this is a historical fantasy, but the language is very modern. Not a bad thing, necessarily; I hate stuffy dialogue that tries too hard to be proper. But it might not vibe with some people. The humor is pretty modern, at least.
Setting—this seems to be set in a ~somewhat~ queer normative society, maybe? Not entirely, with Lulu’s troubled past, but Alex and Kit aren’t scared of showing affection in public either. Maybe the laws are simply different, what with the policing of Art and whatnot. Or the author just didn’t want to focus on homophobia, which is fine with me because that tends to put me off historical romances. I like my conflict to not reflect real life too closely 😅
These critiques really weren’t issues for me, but I tend to spend more time thinking about books I enjoy.
Overall I really enjoyed this, and thought about it when I put it down, so I’d definitely recommend it.
Definitely be aware that this may be triggering for some, though. Kit had a lot of trauma from an extremely abusive upbringing in an orphanage. My incomplete list: but please note that these aren’t triggers for me personally so I’m not 100% sure that covers it. Just trying to give a heads up.
All that aside, this book did make me laugh! Kit was sarcastic and witty, but not in that insufferable way some characters can be? It was a defense mechanism that worked and also made him interesting, and his back and forth with Alex really popped. I loved the dynamic between him, Alex, and Lulu. And Edith was a spitfire! Really enjoyed her character, too. I thought it was cute and realistic that these characters had a few nicknames for each other, too. I didn’t feel like it was confusing; rather, it demonstrated their fondness for each other.
The worldbuilding was unique enough to keep me interested without being convoluted or overly-explained. I don’t like being bogged down by info dumps. In this world, there’s basically a unique magic system for some people, and those who are strong enough register as Artisan with the Agency for the Benefit of Registered Artisans, which is meant to protect and police them, from my understanding. Some others have talents that don’t quite reach the level of Art and therefore aren’t registered. I enjoyed the description of Kit’s Art and how it worked, how he explored its limits, how he figured things out as he went, etc.
A few things I could critique:
Pacing—this started off so strong. I was hooked immediately. It lagged a bit once they arrived at the baronet’s estate, for me. It took me a while to get through that part, but maybe it was just because I literally had to keep doing my job and not read my book? Idk. Things picked up not long after that and I had no other issues.
Dialogue—this is a historical fantasy, but the language is very modern. Not a bad thing, necessarily; I hate stuffy dialogue that tries too hard to be proper. But it might not vibe with some people. The humor is pretty modern, at least.
Setting—this seems to be set in a ~somewhat~ queer normative society, maybe? Not entirely, with Lulu’s troubled past, but Alex and Kit aren’t scared of showing affection in public either. Maybe the laws are simply different, what with the policing of Art and whatnot. Or the author just didn’t want to focus on homophobia, which is fine with me because that tends to put me off historical romances. I like my conflict to not reflect real life too closely 😅
These critiques really weren’t issues for me, but I tend to spend more time thinking about books I enjoy.
Overall I really enjoyed this, and thought about it when I put it down, so I’d definitely recommend it.
April 28, 2024
this is my first review on goodreads, so apologies if this review is all over the place, but this book gave me ALL the feelings. where do i begin… I LOVE LOVE this book. it deserves to go big for sure. i enjoyed every single moment and every character, it was a rollercoaster of emotions from the start to the end. the world building was amazing and i completely agree with all the other 5* reviews here. my only gripe was that the ending was somewhat unsatisfying.
my poor kit, he’s been through so much. i was pretty mad/disappointed that alex didn’t trust kit especially at the very end, to be fair this is completely reasonable given how their relationship started and progressed. however i wasn’t that convinced by his apologies to kit in the final chapter, it didn’t seem like enough in comparison to what kit had gone through. i still haven’t fully forgiven him dammit. this book had some hurt/comfort elements, there was a lot of “hurt” but less “comfort”, which was something i would have liked to see more of. i would have loved to read more about kit’s healing from his trauma, as well as the development of his relationship with alex after a fresh start. these were touched on very very briefly in the final chapter, and would be great topics for a sequel or even the epilogue, but unfortunately, it appears that this book is a standalone. kit barely appeared in the epilogue.
I NEED a sequel with these two, stat. in the meantime, let me go cry in a corner, brb ;-;
my poor kit, he’s been through so much. i was pretty mad/disappointed that alex didn’t trust kit especially at the very end, to be fair this is completely reasonable given how their relationship started and progressed. however i wasn’t that convinced by his apologies to kit in the final chapter, it didn’t seem like enough in comparison to what kit had gone through. i still haven’t fully forgiven him dammit. this book had some hurt/comfort elements, there was a lot of “hurt” but less “comfort”, which was something i would have liked to see more of. i would have loved to read more about kit’s healing from his trauma, as well as the development of his relationship with alex after a fresh start. these were touched on very very briefly in the final chapter, and would be great topics for a sequel or even the epilogue, but unfortunately, it appears that this book is a standalone. kit barely appeared in the epilogue.
I NEED a sequel with these two, stat. in the meantime, let me go cry in a corner, brb ;-;
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2024
Utterly adored the magic here, and honestly literally everything else! Hilarious, heartbreaking, and so freaking clever!
Rtc!
Rtc!
December 25, 2024
I picked this book up on recommendation by author KJ Charles, who has excellent taste as always. In an alt-Victorian universe, Kit Whitely has an unfortunate magic talent for locks and doors, making him a hot item in London's criminal underworld. On top of all these troubles, the bureau in London that regulates magic has a price out on his head—setting Kit on a collision path with huge, jovial bounty hunter Alexander, who is determined to drag him back to London whether Kit wants to or not.
This was an absolutely fantastic self-pub title that unfortunately does not have the beautiful, unique cover it deserves. I'm glad my attention was drawn to this title through a review, otherwise I might not have picked it up. The Uses of Illicit Art was a propulsively paced queer historical romance with some fantastically written characters. The central dynamic is Kit's romance with Alexander—the uncatchable guy who can escape any cage and open any lock vs the guy who can read your direct intentions, locked in an endless cunning cycle of thief vs bounty hunter. (Apparently you can escape the guy who reads your intentions by very loudly mentally intending xxx rated pornography, such that it masks your other intentions.) The side characters were also lovely, and depicted in more depth than is typical for romance novels—Alexander's trans sister who has her own revenge scheme, Kit's best friend, even Alexander's prickly older brother, who makes a brief appearance.
Very catchy and absolutely charming. I was spiritually lying on the floor and kicking my legs in the air with delight the whole way. A must-read if you liked Freya Marske's A Power Unbound or KJ Charles' Jackdaw—run, don't walk. I for one am going to read the author's entire backlist as soon as possible.
This was an absolutely fantastic self-pub title that unfortunately does not have the beautiful, unique cover it deserves. I'm glad my attention was drawn to this title through a review, otherwise I might not have picked it up. The Uses of Illicit Art was a propulsively paced queer historical romance with some fantastically written characters. The central dynamic is Kit's romance with Alexander—the uncatchable guy who can escape any cage and open any lock vs the guy who can read your direct intentions, locked in an endless cunning cycle of thief vs bounty hunter. (Apparently you can escape the guy who reads your intentions by very loudly mentally intending xxx rated pornography, such that it masks your other intentions.) The side characters were also lovely, and depicted in more depth than is typical for romance novels—Alexander's trans sister who has her own revenge scheme, Kit's best friend, even Alexander's prickly older brother, who makes a brief appearance.
Very catchy and absolutely charming. I was spiritually lying on the floor and kicking my legs in the air with delight the whole way. A must-read if you liked Freya Marske's A Power Unbound or KJ Charles' Jackdaw—run, don't walk. I for one am going to read the author's entire backlist as soon as possible.
April 24, 2024
5⭐️
there wasn't a single moment in this book where i wasn't completely immersed in the story - absolutely fantastic worldbuilding and intrigue, kit is one of the most interesting characters i've ever had the pleasure of reading and i'm devastated its only one book! it would make a fantastic tv series (i'm looking at you, netflix)
side note that i felt needed saying but i didn't want to penalise the author for: the editing for this book is truly atrocious and i'm appalled that money was spent on it, there are numerous grammatical errors and at least 5 spelling mistakes, the most glaringly obvious of which is "Krr" instead of "Kit" - a cocker spaniel could have done a better job
there wasn't a single moment in this book where i wasn't completely immersed in the story - absolutely fantastic worldbuilding and intrigue, kit is one of the most interesting characters i've ever had the pleasure of reading and i'm devastated its only one book! it would make a fantastic tv series (i'm looking at you, netflix)
side note that i felt needed saying but i didn't want to penalise the author for: the editing for this book is truly atrocious and i'm appalled that money was spent on it, there are numerous grammatical errors and at least 5 spelling mistakes, the most glaringly obvious of which is "Krr" instead of "Kit" - a cocker spaniel could have done a better job
January 27, 2024
How the hell does this book have only 12 ratings? I was incredibly skeptical when I started reading, for that very reason. But, holy hell, not only did this tick all of my boxes, it was also incredibly well-written, expertly researched, and absolutely thrilling from start to finish.
Read
July 29, 2023tags: childhood trauma
May 25, 2024
This was a wonderful read. The characters were well-done, the storyline never let you lose interest, and most of all, the magic system was immensely satisfying to read. I am a huge fan of a narrow and specific magic ability being used creatively to unlock (hah) its full potential, and this book provided that in spades. Not only the main character, but also side characters were all given a set of rules by which their magic worked, and then the author defined it just so perfectly that the rules could be bent and manipulated in the most satisfying of ways.
I don't know why this book has so few reviews and ratings, but if it's any indication that it is being overlooked, then consider this book to be a hidden gem and start reading it immediately. I think you'll be charmed. I only withhold the fifth star because I am a tough rater, and very few books qualify.
Be warned that there are dark and potentially triggering themes in the book, as mentioned by other reviewers.
I don't know why this book has so few reviews and ratings, but if it's any indication that it is being overlooked, then consider this book to be a hidden gem and start reading it immediately. I think you'll be charmed. I only withhold the fifth star because I am a tough rater, and very few books qualify.
Be warned that there are dark and potentially triggering themes in the book, as mentioned by other reviewers.
December 24, 2024
This was recommended under a list of "GR books with under 100 reviews that are worth reading" and BOY is that true. This was definitely one of the top books I read all year. It was fun, indulgent, and clever.
November 25, 2024
This was utterly fantastic. It had all my favorites: a really interesting magic system, well-actualized characters (women with real personalities?! THANK YOU WENDY PALMER), and a fast-paced, super fun and unpredictable plot. I loved it. It reminded me a lot of Freya Markse’s The Last Binding series, so if you enjoyed that, do yourself a favor and read this one too.
July 14, 2024
This was a lot of fun and would have been a very solid 4/5 possibly a 5/5 for me. Except we spend 400 pages of action packed plot leading up to the big climax of the book…only for the climax to happen off page and being told about it after the fact. What a let down that was.
April 16, 2024
Holy hell, this was such an amazing journey. I binge read this in a few days and I couldn't stop reading. It's criminal that this book is not more popular and you can bet I'll do everything in my power to make it everyone problem (sorry if you follow me on Tumblr and Twitter, you'll see a lot of this).
The story was amazingly adventurous.
The con: I only found one typo (a missing word) through the whole book, and while some action scenes at the beginning were a bit confusing, I felt like it was mainly because I was adjusting to the descriptions. Every time I was confused by motivations or actions they all ended up wonderfully explained. I'm sorry, I should talk about "con". I guess the romance was a little too sweet for me (a lot of endearing terms) but that's more of a preference than an actual con. And I also felt like the full plot was left a bit unfinished, I would have loved to see the full closure but I know a sequel is coming.
The pro: starting with what I personally adore, this is a pro for me specifically: manipulation manipulation manipulation. I adore books about trust, broken trust, using seduction for protection, never knowing what is true or, in this case, if I do know... Letting me see characters who don't. Alex was amazing, I felt so bad for him trying to trust over and over, and Kit was heartbreaking. Their dance of escapes/running/sexual tension was just delightful.
Now for more general pro: great adventure, I never knew what was going to happen next. The magic system was so well done, it felt so real, especially the way Kit used it to define doors.
And the characters. I'm not just talking about Alex and Kit (I'm this close to paying someone to commission a fanart of them), but also Lulu and Edith - this is not a spoiler review so I won't say too much except that I was delighted to see them as constant characters. This was a story of Kit, Edith, Lulu and Alex. And the fact that even secondary characters were so well defined was such a plus, I'll definitely keep my eyes out for the sequel.
The story was amazingly adventurous.
The con: I only found one typo (a missing word) through the whole book, and while some action scenes at the beginning were a bit confusing, I felt like it was mainly because I was adjusting to the descriptions. Every time I was confused by motivations or actions they all ended up wonderfully explained. I'm sorry, I should talk about "con". I guess the romance was a little too sweet for me (a lot of endearing terms) but that's more of a preference than an actual con. And I also felt like the full plot was left a bit unfinished, I would have loved to see the full closure but I know a sequel is coming.
The pro: starting with what I personally adore, this is a pro for me specifically: manipulation manipulation manipulation. I adore books about trust, broken trust, using seduction for protection, never knowing what is true or, in this case, if I do know... Letting me see characters who don't. Alex was amazing, I felt so bad for him trying to trust over and over, and Kit was heartbreaking. Their dance of escapes/running/sexual tension was just delightful.
Now for more general pro: great adventure, I never knew what was going to happen next. The magic system was so well done, it felt so real, especially the way Kit used it to define doors.
And the characters. I'm not just talking about Alex and Kit (I'm this close to paying someone to commission a fanart of them), but also Lulu and Edith - this is not a spoiler review so I won't say too much except that I was delighted to see them as constant characters. This was a story of Kit, Edith, Lulu and Alex. And the fact that even secondary characters were so well defined was such a plus, I'll definitely keep my eyes out for the sequel.
December 7, 2024
It was nice.
Was a little thrown off because of the words used at times. Felt very Victorian but also sometimes very modern? Kinda hard to follow sometimes.
Plot wise.... good plot overall, but Kit and Alex.... sometimes were a little too complicated for me, sorry.
Idk if i'll read the second one.
Also yeah, Lulu doesn't deserve Edith I'm sorry. Throw hands like that and it's over for you.
Was a little thrown off because of the words used at times. Felt very Victorian but also sometimes very modern? Kinda hard to follow sometimes.
Plot wise.... good plot overall, but Kit and Alex.... sometimes were a little too complicated for me, sorry.
Idk if i'll read the second one.
Also yeah, Lulu doesn't deserve Edith I'm sorry. Throw hands like that and it's over for you.
October 19, 2024
This was frustrating, because it was so nearly brilliant. The writing is great, the world building is interesting and the plot sounds fantastic on paper, but in the actual book it just didn't quite work. Characters were constantly either overreacting or underreacting to events, the immediate lust between the two MCs felt foolish on both their parts, and I found one character's single-minded quest for vengeance, which I was meant to find broadly sympathetic, tipped over into pretty reprehensible. Others' mileage will vary, and Palmer is clearly skilled.
January 14, 2026
update: 3rd time reading this in 8 months and it’s still just as good. wendy palmer does such a phenomenal job of integrating romance and plot/worldbuilding with each other
original review: straight up wonderful
original review: straight up wonderful
August 14, 2023
For a complete review of “The Uses of Illicit Art,” please visit my < ahref="https://michaeljoseph.info/blog/2023/... site.
March 31, 2025
(4.5)
ця дивовижна книжечка — недооцінений шедевр, якому бракує буквально дрібочки до цілковитої довершеності! я лишилась в шаленому захваті та вже з нетерпінням чекаю нагоди знов її перечитати. серйозно, вона і 'salt magic, skin magic' — справжні відкриття року! the historical fantasy itch has been successfully scratched at last.
окей, отож. каст персонаж_ок тут просто чудовий: розсудливі, цікаві, строкаті герої_ні, які поводяться усвідомлено, визнають свої помилки і чесно проговорюють їх. їхні взаємодії реалістичні, дотепні та в біса захопливі. мені страшенно полюбились стосунки між головними героями — вони напружені, багатошарові, сповнені щемливих моментів і справжньої глибини, а ще вони obviously дуже сексі й emotionally charged у своїх динаміках. окремої згадки також заслуговують antics ідіт та лулу. їхні перепалки та зрештою й флірт змушували мене ледь не верещати. а дружба кіта й ідіт? чи sibling bond лулу й алекса? можу говорити про це вічно----
сюжет — окрема розмова. він тримає в напрузі до останньої сторінки: непередбачувані багатоходівки, майстерно вплетені твісти, капець який satisfying back and forth, а фінальні глави? буквально розбили мені душу. дослідження влади, маніпуляцій та моральної неоднозначності, класно продумана, а головне ц і к а в а система магії та пиздець яке креативне застосування її кітом зокрема? серйозно, мене аж теліпало від захвату з того, як він завдяки своїй винахідливості та спостережливості щораз виходив за межі звичних практик та розширював горизонти можливого, створюючи щораз нові концепції/розуміння, і відкривав нові шляхи застосування не лише своїх здібностей, а й допомагав іншим. мені неабияк сподобалось те, що авторка використала магію тут не лише як рандомний елемент світобудови, а як справді самобутню та значущу її частину. про усілякі поверхневі приколи за її участі можу говорити без упину, але її роль як символ особистої свободи та обмежень, які накладає влада та зовнішні обставини? розрив між тим, як герої хочуть використовувати свої здібності, і тим, як їх змушують це робити ті ж обставини? fucking HELL
щодо минулого кіта, втім, навіть не починайте... оце тло з незагоєних ран мене буквально розчавило. біль від пережитих травм не лише вплинув на його стосунки з іншими та поведінку й світобачення, але й сформував вкрай гіркі внутрішні конфлікти, з якими він був змушений боротися на кожному кроці. те, як він компартменталізував (?) свої травми буквально в різні особистості мене, звісно, вразило plot-wise, але водночас абсолютно зруйнувало емоційно... я дуже рада, що ця тема була доладно й дбало розкрита, але як же це було б о л я ч е. (окремої згадки заслуговує й минуле лулу, але з тим все зрозуміло. kudos, однак, за те, що стосовно цього була органічна й класна розв'язка)
КОРОТШЕ, ця книжечка сповнена важливих тем, цікавих елементів та нюансів — все це разом поєдналось у направду гармонійну й переконливу історію з захопливим сюжетом та створило складний і багатогранний світ. з мінусів можу згадати лиш незначну кількість дещо кострубатих моментів у манері оповіді, а втім, то дрібниці на тлі афігєнності досвіду в цілому! так чи інакше — я в любові
honorable mentions: чудова транс-репрезентація; приємна несподіванка з натяками на сапфічні стосунки ідіт та лулу (мене більш ніж задовольнив той відкритий фінал та всі моменти, що йому передували), а також той факт, що ідіт — лесбійка; атмосфера історії в цілому та чудовезний сеттинг у вигляді того супер колоритного селища з мільйонами родичів ідіт; алекс
ця дивовижна книжечка — недооцінений шедевр, якому бракує буквально дрібочки до цілковитої довершеності! я лишилась в шаленому захваті та вже з нетерпінням чекаю нагоди знов її перечитати. серйозно, вона і 'salt magic, skin magic' — справжні відкриття року! the historical fantasy itch has been successfully scratched at last.
окей, отож. каст персонаж_ок тут просто чудовий: розсудливі, цікаві, строкаті герої_ні, які поводяться усвідомлено, визнають свої помилки і чесно проговорюють їх. їхні взаємодії реалістичні, дотепні та в біса захопливі. мені страшенно полюбились стосунки між головними героями — вони напружені, багатошарові, сповнені щемливих моментів і справжньої глибини, а ще вони obviously дуже сексі й emotionally charged у своїх динаміках. окремої згадки також заслуговують antics ідіт та лулу. їхні перепалки та зрештою й флірт змушували мене ледь не верещати. а дружба кіта й ідіт? чи sibling bond лулу й алекса? можу говорити про це вічно----
сюжет — окрема розмова. він тримає в напрузі до останньої сторінки: непередбачувані багатоходівки, майстерно вплетені твісти, капець який satisfying back and forth, а фінальні глави? буквально розбили мені душу. дослідження влади, маніпуляцій та моральної неоднозначності, класно продумана, а головне ц і к а в а система магії та пиздець яке креативне застосування її кітом зокрема? серйозно, мене аж теліпало від захвату з того, як він завдяки своїй винахідливості та спостережливості щораз виходив за межі звичних практик та розширював горизонти можливого, створюючи щораз нові концепції/розуміння, і відкривав нові шляхи застосування не лише своїх здібностей, а й допомагав іншим. мені неабияк сподобалось те, що авторка використала магію тут не лише як рандомний елемент світобудови, а як справді самобутню та значущу її частину. про усілякі поверхневі приколи за її участі можу говорити без упину, але її роль як символ особистої свободи та обмежень, які накладає влада та зовнішні обставини? розрив між тим, як герої хочуть використовувати свої здібності, і тим, як їх змушують це робити ті ж обставини? fucking HELL
щодо минулого кіта, втім, навіть не починайте... оце тло з незагоєних ран мене буквально розчавило. біль від пережитих травм не лише вплинув на його стосунки з іншими та поведінку й світобачення, але й сформував вкрай гіркі внутрішні конфлікти, з якими він був змушений боротися на кожному кроці. те, як він компартменталізував (?) свої травми буквально в різні особистості мене, звісно, вразило plot-wise, але водночас абсолютно зруйнувало емоційно... я дуже рада, що ця тема була доладно й дбало розкрита, але як же це було б о л я ч е. (окремої згадки заслуговує й минуле лулу, але з тим все зрозуміло. kudos, однак, за те, що стосовно цього була органічна й класна розв'язка)
КОРОТШЕ, ця книжечка сповнена важливих тем, цікавих елементів та нюансів — все це разом поєдналось у направду гармонійну й переконливу історію з захопливим сюжетом та створило складний і багатогранний світ. з мінусів можу згадати лиш незначну кількість дещо кострубатих моментів у манері оповіді, а втім, то дрібниці на тлі афігєнності досвіду в цілому! так чи інакше — я в любові
honorable mentions: чудова транс-репрезентація; приємна несподіванка з натяками на сапфічні стосунки ідіт та лулу (мене більш ніж задовольнив той відкритий фінал та всі моменти, що йому передували), а також той факт, що ідіт — лесбійка; атмосфера історії в цілому та чудовезний сеттинг у вигляді того супер колоритного селища з мільйонами родичів ідіт; алекс
May 15, 2024
I'm not really sure how many stars to give this...there were a lot of things I loved and a lot of things I really didn't like. To start with:
Things I loved:
The world building. I loved the setting and the lore behind the magic or "Art" users and the different ways in how they manifest and how they can be manipulated and trained. That was FANTASTIC and really well written. The actual plot was great as well, a really gripping story. I loved Kit, he was the best character by so many miles. He was intricate and complex, fearless but also so vulnerable you just wanted to save him from everything. He was so loving and caring but so strong at the same time. The romance between him and Alex interesting because Kit's feelings were so raw and real, and he was willing to put himself through so much pain and destroy his life to keep Alex safe, but that just did not feel reciprocated. Edith was such a slay as well haha, we all need a best friend like Edith.
What I didn't like:
Basically everything else. I didn't like Alex at all to be honest, he somehow managed to be a bully and a pushover all in one. His emotions towards Kit felt kinda fickle, and he proclaimed to truly care for him but never trusted him and was always so quick to assume the worst about him when he didn't even know him? He was more than happy to instantly brand Kit a traitor and criminal without even offering for him to explain, and he repeatedly used his size and position and Kit's emotions to intimidate him. The way he just let Lulu do whatever she wanted to and went along with her really annoyed me as well. Speaking of Lulu...I HATED her. People might not wanna hear this, and I get that she was heartbroken over her husband being murdered and obviously she'd had a really hard life, being kicked out for being trans (?I think?), but my god was she a horrible bitch. She treated Alex horribly, she treated Kit even worse, and she was awful to Edith. I didn't like a single aspect of Lulu's character and I found it really hard to forgive her treatment of the other characters. She was so quick to accuse and hate everyone, instantly believing anyone of being/doing the worst.
So yea, really mixed feelings about this read 🤷♀️ which is a shame cuz it could have been amazing but just wasn't.
Things I loved:
The world building. I loved the setting and the lore behind the magic or "Art" users and the different ways in how they manifest and how they can be manipulated and trained. That was FANTASTIC and really well written. The actual plot was great as well, a really gripping story. I loved Kit, he was the best character by so many miles. He was intricate and complex, fearless but also so vulnerable you just wanted to save him from everything. He was so loving and caring but so strong at the same time. The romance between him and Alex interesting because Kit's feelings were so raw and real, and he was willing to put himself through so much pain and destroy his life to keep Alex safe, but that just did not feel reciprocated. Edith was such a slay as well haha, we all need a best friend like Edith.
What I didn't like:
Basically everything else. I didn't like Alex at all to be honest, he somehow managed to be a bully and a pushover all in one. His emotions towards Kit felt kinda fickle, and he proclaimed to truly care for him but never trusted him and was always so quick to assume the worst about him when he didn't even know him? He was more than happy to instantly brand Kit a traitor and criminal without even offering for him to explain, and he repeatedly used his size and position and Kit's emotions to intimidate him. The way he just let Lulu do whatever she wanted to and went along with her really annoyed me as well. Speaking of Lulu...I HATED her. People might not wanna hear this, and I get that she was heartbroken over her husband being murdered and obviously she'd had a really hard life, being kicked out for being trans (?I think?), but my god was she a horrible bitch. She treated Alex horribly, she treated Kit even worse, and she was awful to Edith. I didn't like a single aspect of Lulu's character and I found it really hard to forgive her treatment of the other characters. She was so quick to accuse and hate everyone, instantly believing anyone of being/doing the worst.
So yea, really mixed feelings about this read 🤷♀️ which is a shame cuz it could have been amazing but just wasn't.
January 5, 2025
Absolutely adored everything about this. The magic, the characters, the relationship, the thieving and plotting -- all outstanding.
The opening couple chapters were so exciting and fun. I loved seeing how Kit's unique magic ("Art") worked and the back and forth between him and Alex and many failed escape attempts were so fun. The whole book is super fast paced and very engrossing; I read almost all of this on a 7 hour plane ride and barely noticed the time passing.
Kit had everything I love in a MC - deeply tragic abusive backstory, won't shut up, and extremely clever. The dynamic between him and Alex was so much fun and I appreciated how the author spent a lot of time on the power imbalance / emotional difficulties of their relationship developing while Alex has Kit prisoner. It honestly felt very balanced, as both of them desperately wanted to trust the other, but knew they shouldn't (and as soon as they started too, were immediately betrayed). I also really loved how Kit was so good at understanding Art and had sessions to help Alex control his. The magic in this was very unique and I loved how it wasn't necessarily about power, but perspective (i.e. Kit's magic working only if he truly believed something was a threshold, but he could gain new perspectives and "unlock" new abilities).
The ending heist in the church treasure vault was absolutely fantastic. Seeing Kit just best everyone with his powers was a lot of fun. And for him to escape scott-free only to be attacked and manipulated into stealing the knife back! My heart absolutely broke with how Kit was captured and almost tortured by his former rapist and abuser, escapes, and then instead of being comforted is forcibly drugged and handcuffed by the man he is in love with! Kit being so deeply self-sacrificing and wanting to protect Alex's sister from the evil of the knife that he makes everyone think he betrayed them. And the way Alex was so quick to believe him and treated him so horribly :(
I will say I did not see the final plot twist coming (Alex is not actually working for the Agency, he is just using Kit's arrest to break into the Agency), even though it felt obvious in hindsight. I loved that despite Alex thinking Kit betrayed him, he made sure Kit had a way to escape. And despite how horribly Alex has treated him, Kit still helped Alex break in and get justice for his sister.
I do wish there was a bit more HEA, but I was pretty happy with the ending. I appreciated how Alex came in with some much to offer as an apology (Kit's name completely cleared, new id so Kit can travel).
Really, really loved this. Hope this author writes more fantasy histrom in the future!
The opening couple chapters were so exciting and fun. I loved seeing how Kit's unique magic ("Art") worked and the back and forth between him and Alex and many failed escape attempts were so fun. The whole book is super fast paced and very engrossing; I read almost all of this on a 7 hour plane ride and barely noticed the time passing.
Kit had everything I love in a MC - deeply tragic abusive backstory, won't shut up, and extremely clever. The dynamic between him and Alex was so much fun and I appreciated how the author spent a lot of time on the power imbalance / emotional difficulties of their relationship developing while Alex has Kit prisoner. It honestly felt very balanced, as both of them desperately wanted to trust the other, but knew they shouldn't (and as soon as they started too, were immediately betrayed). I also really loved how Kit was so good at understanding Art and had sessions to help Alex control his. The magic in this was very unique and I loved how it wasn't necessarily about power, but perspective (i.e. Kit's magic working only if he truly believed something was a threshold, but he could gain new perspectives and "unlock" new abilities).
The ending heist in the church treasure vault was absolutely fantastic. Seeing Kit just best everyone with his powers was a lot of fun. And for him to escape scott-free only to be attacked and manipulated into stealing the knife back! My heart absolutely broke with how Kit was captured and almost tortured by his former rapist and abuser, escapes, and then instead of being comforted is forcibly drugged and handcuffed by the man he is in love with! Kit being so deeply self-sacrificing and wanting to protect Alex's sister from the evil of the knife that he makes everyone think he betrayed them. And the way Alex was so quick to believe him and treated him so horribly :(
I will say I did not see the final plot twist coming (Alex is not actually working for the Agency, he is just using Kit's arrest to break into the Agency), even though it felt obvious in hindsight. I loved that despite Alex thinking Kit betrayed him, he made sure Kit had a way to escape. And despite how horribly Alex has treated him, Kit still helped Alex break in and get justice for his sister.
I do wish there was a bit more HEA, but I was pretty happy with the ending. I appreciated how Alex came in with some much to offer as an apology (Kit's name completely cleared, new id so Kit can travel).
Really, really loved this. Hope this author writes more fantasy histrom in the future!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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