My Heart is Booked Blog

Subversive is the first in a new adult romantic fantasy series by Colleen Cowley.  I have to tell you, I read this book in a day.  I could NOT put it down.  From the very beginning, readers are thrust right into the conflict.  There’s no beating around the bush here.  I was relieved to find this novel lacking the first chapter info dump that plagues many fantasy authors.  Rather, the backstory is peppered organically throughout the book in a way that keeps you guessing about certain details, but never feels confusing.  Cowley’s writing is enchanting without being flowery.  The pacing is well balanced, lacking “fluff” moments that bear no connection to the main or sub-plots.

This story is told through dual perspectives, which is something that I’ve come to love in any novel that features romance.  Beatrix and Peter come from vastly different backgrounds within the same town.  I adore Beatrix and her willingness to do whatever it takes to support her sister despite considerable hardships.  She is fierce and unyielding in her principles, exactly what is needed from the heroine of this story.  However, it is her faults that make her truly relatable, among them, her reluctance to acknowledge her “selfish” desires to achieve her own goals.  I loved seeing her come into her own towards the end of the book and look forward to her further growth in the sequel.

Peter was a poor orphan, whose luck changed when he was whisked away to train as a wizard.  Twenty years later, he returns to the town of his birth harboring a dark secret.  I found Peter to be endearing, yet sometimes oafish.  While his quick instincts tend to help more than harm, he often jumps into actions without much thought for the repercussions.  For this reason, I think some will be turned off by his character.  Once again, the added perspective of his point of view, provides some much-needed clues to his actions and his emotional responses to them.  I find this to be redemptive for his character in most instances and conclude that Peter is charming, yet misunderstood.

There is plenty of action, mystery, and political intrigue to make this book compelling as merely a fantasy tale, but I was really driven to read this book for the romance.  Let me reiterate that the romance is certainly not the main plot point.  Readers that prefer more substance beyond romance will not be disappointed.  That being said, I live for enemies-to-lovers.  The slow burn in this story is immensely satisfying and, while there are some mild “adult” moments, the romance is by no means established by the end of this book, which just makes me all the more eager for book 2.  Fair warning, this romance develops under questionable circumstances and will not be everyone’s cup of tea.  In an effort to remain transparent, but avoid spoilers, I will say that this does NOT involve rape of any kind, but could be considered non-consensual in terms of emotional response (think love potion).

Set in a version of twenty-first century America, this America has not seen progress in women’s rights since the early 1900s.  As such, this story reads more like a historical fantasy.  Additionally, the men who run the country are mostly wizards (magic-wielding being a skill limited to men).  Beatrix (in addition to her friends and sister) is a member of the Women’s League for the Prohibition of Magic, a group fighting to displace the power of the country from wizards. This twist on a familiar landscape creates a world both familiar and magical.  Though the women of this novel are more obviously suppressed, one can’t help but draw parallels to the real world and the battles that women continue to fight despite our many victories over the years.

The magic system in this book is not altogether unique in that it requires a “living” sacrifice to create magic.  In this instance, the sacrifice is usually a leaf that has been preserved.  I appreciate this limitation and solution as something that made it feel more realistic without making magic inherently dark or evil.

In case I haven’t said it enough, I loved this novel and highly anticipate the next two books in the series.  I recommend this for mature fans of fantasy romance or gaslamp fantasy, who may have enjoyed books like The Midnight Bargain or Sorcery of Thorns.

This title is set to release September 27, 2020.  It is free with Kindle Unlimited (and not much more if you don’t have KU).  The best news is that the other two books in the series will be releasing later this year.  I already have the second book, Radical, on pre-order!

Thank you to Colleen Cowley for providing a free copy of Subversive in exchange for an honest review.  I will be featuring author Colleen Cowley in my interview series for Self-Published Fantasy Month on September 25, so keep an eye out for that!