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Book: “Entwined” by H.M. Long
Publishing Info: Titan Books, March 2926
Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: Ottilie Rushforth hides from the mighty Sorcerer’s Guild as secretary to a has-been detective. She is Entwined – threads of magic run beneath her skin, and the Guild would trap her in service.
But Ottilie has a plan to escape the Guild forever with her estranged fiancé, the enigmatic poet, soldier and smuggler Lewis Illing. All she must do is track down a mysterious artefact, claim the bounty, and leave the city forever. But Ottilie’s sisters – Pretoria, a quick-witted sorceress and thief recently emerged from exile, and Madge, a guild mage to the core, appear to make equally unwelcome offers. A new life at the cost of everything she has ever wanted, or prestige and safety in a gilded cage.
With her life on the line, Ottilie must track down the artifact in a city torn apart by prejudice and violence, and choose between the two sides of herself – the fugitive and the Entwined.
Review: H.M. Long is a “must-read” author for me at this point, so I went into this book with high hopes. And, mostly, it lived up to those expectations. It’s perhaps not my favorite of her books, but all the important points are there, and I had a fun time reading it.
To start with the positives, Long’s writing is solid, as always. She has an excellent way of instantly creating a connection between her characters and the reader. Even more impressive, all three series I’ve read from her have included deep lore making up her worlds, and she manages to slowly, clearly convey this information to the reader as the story progresses without info-dumping or overwhelming the plot.
Here, I really enjoyed the magic system and the complicated nature of magic users within this society. Long slowly reveals the long history of this world, where power has shifted, and with it, opinions on the “otherness” of those with abilities. Many of the themes of this book revolve around rebellion, bigotry, and the fear of those who are different. Honestly, I was pretty surprised by how dark this went in regard to these themes. This is a dangerous world, with only limited options available to those born with magic—often quite tragic in their own right. If they stray beyond these strict lines, more than cruel words or looks await them. Death is a very real possibility.
Beyond that, I thought the magic itself was so interesting. There were several creative magical abilities that I don’t think I’ve ever come across before, such as the ability to paint away memories or emotions into a piece of art. So odd! And yet, one of the more deeply painful threads of the story. I also really liked the way the magic presented on people’s bodies, each ability tied to a specific time of day that would reveal these “threads” on their skin. In this way, Long neatly sidestepped a common problem with books with this basic premise. I’ve read a bunch of fantasy novels where magic users are persecuted, and the question always is: why don’t they just… not use their magic in front of people? It often seems as if it would be quite easy to go unnoticed in these other stories. But here, the characters have to go to great lengths to disguise themselves and be aware of the time of day. However, their magic is also at its most potent at this time, introducing a nice conflict to their management of this problem.
I also really liked the main character. She starts off very focused on her own plans to escape her circumstances, regardless of anything else. As the story progresses, we learn more about her childhood and early years and what made her the way she is now. However, as the story continues, her arc is one of coming to terms with the reality of living in this dark, painful world and questioning whether running is even a viable option.
However, while I liked the primary story and the buildup to what is coming next, the book did struggle a bit in the pacing. There were a handful of story beats that began to feel like a “rinse and repeat” situation. For example, I can count numerous times where Ottilie was captured, had to escape, and then was on the run before this all happened once again. Toward the final third of the book, when this all happened once again, I did find it a bit tiring.
But, like I said, I was invested enough in this intriguing world and magic system, and in Ottilie herself, to be excited to see where the story goes from here. The romance, such that there is, is a very secondary element, so I think it’s important that readers don’t go into this expecting any sort of romantasy situation. There is an interesting subplot to be found there, and I’m curious to see how it will play out going forward. But the central relationships of the book rest solidly on the shoulders of Ottilie and her two sisters.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this one! Like I said, it’s probably not my favorite of Long’s books, but it was a fun time for sure, and I’m always happy to find an original-feeling world and magic system in adult fantasy. Definitely recommend this one for similar fans!
Rating 8: While the pacing was a bit wobbly at times with repeated plot points, I really enjoyed the writing, world-building, and main character! Excited to check out the second book!
Reader’s Advisory:
“Entwined” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Romance Duets and Victorian Fantasy.
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