I felt a sudden, furious rush of sympathy for every Ralian woman who’d ever been the subject of marital bartering; I was ashamed of my prior indifference to the phenomenon, and wondered, with a certain, sick fascination, if being raised in expectation of such a fate made enduring it any easier.
― Foz Meadows, A Strange and Stubborn Endurance
I bought this book a couple of months ago as it was on my “MUST ACQUIRE” list. However, I cannot remember how I heard about it or why it was in my top 20 books to get. Regardless, I devoured it in about four days. At 532 pages, it was a whopper.
Velasin is a mid-level nobleman’s third son. Now in his mid-twenties, he is enjoying court life in his native country of Ralia. He is only out to a small group of people as being out would undoubtedly bring shame to his father and his father’s business. After being summoned home by his father, he is informed that he has been betrothed to the daughter of a nobleman of roughly the same rank. However, his bride-to-be is Tithenai. Political relations between Tithena and Ralia have been strained for years and this new alliance will open up new business and diplomatic opportunities between the two countries.
Mild spoilers
Mere hours after learning his fate, Velasin is outed when his ex-lover is caught assaulting him after following him to his father’s estate. Velasin is injured and deeply traumatized. When his father learns of his son’s inclinations, he banishes him.
End spoilers
However, the envoy sent to “collect” Velasin and bring him to Tithena makes an alternative offer. If Velasin is amenable, he can marry the Tithenai nobleman’s son instead. Marriage between two men and between two women is common in Tithena.
So, the next morning, Velasin and his best friend/valet Markel pack up and ride out with the Tithenai envoy. After a harrowing two-week journey, they finally arrive in Qi-Katai and Velasin meets his husband-to-be, the stoic Caethari. Within the first few days of their introduction, they must learn to trust one another as Velasin is targeted by an assassin determined to prevent the Ralian and Tithenai alliance from forming.
The heart of the story is the relationship between Velasin and Caethari. Velasin is used to political schemes. However, he has never been used as a political pawn. Caethari is woefully unprepared for what his marriage entails. He is a soldier and agreed to the marriage to please his father and help his country. Despite their differences, both Velasin and Caethari want the alliance to work and, to do that, they must do everything they can to keep Velasin alive while discovering the reason why he is being targeted.
Velasin is traumatized and doubts that he is good enough for Caethari. He has to make the marriage work because he has nowhere else to go. Caethari is protective of Velasin and wants him to understand that he will protect him because he cares for him, not because of duty alone. They are both big dumb cinnamon rolls and seeing them blunder their way towards mutual affection is extremely satisfying. Velasin is very unsure of his role and of his value, as he has never lived in a society where a relationship like his and Caethari’s is known, not to mention accepted. Velasin’s internal struggles with his new reality are as compelling as the forced-marriage and hurt/comfort storylines.
The secondary relationship, which is just as critical as the first, is the relationship between Velasin and Markel. Markel is mute and was rescued by Velasin when they were teenagers. He is Velasin’s protector and more family than Velasin’s brothers or father ever were. He keeps Velasin from spiraling and literally saves his life on multiple occasions.
This is a romance with a whole lotta political shenanigans. It was difficult for me to keep track of and care about the different tiers of nobility in Tithena. If you can deal with a very long book about political intrigue and scandal, then you will enjoy this. Despite this not necessarily being my favorite, the mystery of the assassin and the beautiful friendship and eventual love *cough smut* between Vel and Cae made it worthwhile.
Content warnings for a description of sexual assault and suicide attempts (plural).