LGBTQ literary fantasy gains a gritty edge in this character-driven thriller, where poetry is a weapon and every verse requires blood.
Cerie Korviridi has trained for over a decade to achieve the greatest torture: having her fingernails torn out as a pledge to the goddess Poesy. With this sacrifice, she gains High Poetry, a form of literature magic. The feminine spiritual force is the very reason that her country, Breme, has never been overtaken by their enemies, a hostile force beyond the mountains.
This ritual was meant to be a sacred moment, a time when she could reflect on the magic of poetry. Instead, she's drawn into a race against time when her elder brother, the calculating cavalryman Uileac Korviridi, arrives with devastating news.
"Orrinir was captured by the Sinans. I need Cerie's help."
Accomplished infantryman Orrinir Relickim is known for two things: his powerful swordsmanship and deep devotion to his husband Uileac. Political intrigue has always been beyond his purview; he does his work and goes home. But international conflicts dig their claws into him when the Sinans break an ancient code against hostage-taking. Dragged into a sacred cave with his best friend and six hostile warriors, he must pray his husband will find him. Or try to fight his way out.
What begins as a simple rescue mission spirals out of control until it challenges the very foundations of Bremish society - and the family ties between all three. Complex loyalties shatter the simple idea of "good vs. evil," while uncaring institutions use Uileac, Orrinir, and Cerie as political pawns.
Romance is rebellion. Love is pain. And beyond it all, poetry has the power to make miracles or take a human life.
In Absent All Light, the fifth book in the main Eirenic Verses series, readers finally see Cerie come into her own as a sharp-tongued, pragmatic protagonist. An emotionally complex, established queer relationship offers a refreshing spin on the romantasy genre, but with the visceral intensity of military thrillers.
This literary fantasy story, underpinned by an established relationship and sibling bonds, is perfect for those who love The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller or A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske.
