Let me start by saying I loved this. It’s a very short read but there is a whole lot of emotions packed into that space! 

I haven’t read the one before this, but I plan to. The book revolves around Kit, a constable in Bow Street’s preternatural division and his lover and best friend Harry, a Viscount. Kit’s superior, Sam, needs his help with something personal, an art theft, and he needs Kit to attend a party at a house even though it’s Midwinter and Kit wants time off to spend with Harry. In the end, Kit and Harry attend the party together and Sam is there as well. The actual theft and the mystery of the thief and all form the rest of the story. 

I want to say that I love Kit and Harry, and their relationship. Harry is a ball of sunshine and I would give him the world. He’s described like a ball of sunshine too, with golden hair and all. Kit is naturally very protective of him, which I approve of. 

I loved the magic system here. Kit is an empath, who can feel other’s emotions and at times even see their memories. Harry has a gift that’s super secret, but is revealed over the course of the book. Sam’s gifts are not mentioned in this book, so I guess we’ll just have to keep guessing. There’s mention of ice elementals, greenwitches etc which adds depth to the world building. 

I love how subtle the world building is. It’s an alternate history Britain, with magic and a queernormative society. I approve of both! There are subtle brushstrokes of how the magic works and such, but no long winded explanations. The descriptions flow gently and nothing interrupts the plot but serves it instead. 

And all the emotions! Kit feels so many things but lacks the words to express them properly, but he has to find them to clear some of the misunderstanding between him and Harry. The misunderstanding doesn’t actually affect anything, but it’s something that’s entirely natural and a cause for some mental anguish for both of them. 

All in all, this is a short but good read. I would recommend this to anyone who loves romantic fantasy, alternate history, historical fantasy and mysteries.