By Trudie Skies
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
I picked this ARC on a whim because the blurb seemed fun and I think I need to always trust my vibes because I’ve had some great luck doing this. I had no idea that Trudie Skies was a former finalist for the SPFBO but after reading this novel it is obvious that they are a talented fantasy writer.
However, I picked this up because the blurb said something about a “reality show contest to decide the next Archon of the city” and I was sold at “reality show”. We are introduced to Max and Lyle, two teenagers who have a flirty age-appropriate relationship, living in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in a city run by “magic” that comes from crystals mined from the earth. Lyle has lost his family and home due to the city’s expansionist goals for more land and mining rights. He carries a very negative opinion of magic unlike Max, who has been obsessed with magic from a very early age and is on the cusp of starting his apprentice in one of the biggest potion companies in the city.
But, a minor’s strike and the subsequent crackdown causes a huge rupture in both their lives, they are separated, Lyle is arrested and carried off to work in the mines and Max loses his apprenticeship and his father, and barely escapes. Seven years later, Max is doing what he can to support himself and his sister and Lyle has returned to the city to work for a powerful mage but also as a spy for the rebels. When one of the Archons dies, the remaining archons decide to run a reality show and for various reasons, both Lyle and Max find themselves as competitors.
The plot has so many twists and turns that the moment you think the story is going in one direction, it takes a sudden left turn. Lyle and Max have never forgotten each other but their lives have taken them so far away from each other they are not sure if they can trust each other’s motives, even though they are drawn to each other as much as they were seven years ago. But Max’s love for magic and Lyle’s disgust for it may keep them apart even if they are ultimately hoping for the same outcome.
The characters of Max and Lyle have layers upon layers and the author takes risks by giving them flaws that stand in the way of them understanding each other’s journey to who they have become as young men. It is easy to feel irritation for Lyle because of his anger and singular goal to bring down the establishment, while it is also easy to dismiss Max as a drug addicted gad fly, willing to trade his morals for the opportunity for more magic. Neither point of view is an accurate portrayal of either character, they both have great depth and nuance of character that is exposed as they rekindle their feelings and friendship and love for each other.
The “magic” in this world is an interesting, well thought out system. I’ve read several novels recently that live in that late industrial age/ early era of technology, where “magic” stands in for the source of late 19th/ early 20th century innovation. The early worker’s rights compaigns, strikes and violence and unrest among the classes can be wielded well in the hands of a talented author, which we have here.
I highly recommend this book and gave it 4.25 stars in Storygraph. I look forward to the next part of the series!
