A thrilling conclusion to the Last Binding trilogy, I loved it!

I fell in love with Hawthorn and Ross during 'A Restless Truth', and I was so excited when I found out they would be the protagonists of this book. They have such a fun dynamic and they're so great together; reluctantly admitting they have feelings for one another, and engaging in some thoughtful class commentary, they make a brilliant pairing.

The plot that has been woven throughout all three books reaches its dramatic conclusion in this last installment, and I really like how all of the loose ends ended up being woven together. There's intrigue, double crossing, drama, and clever magic, everything I've come to love from Freya Marske's writing.

My only problem with this book is that I wanted more. Jack and Alan are interesting characters and they do a great job of narrating their story, but this book isn't only about them. It ties up the romances between Edwin & Robin, and Violet & Maud that began in the previous books and I really think this book could have used some chapters from everyone's point of view to finish the series off properly. At times it felt like too many important character moments were relegated to happening 'off-page', and it left me wanting more.

(That's mainly because I love all of the characters and this world so much, and I could easily three more books set exploring this world. Hopefully we'll get some epilogues or short stories that revisit all of these characters in the future!)

But, all in all, I loved it and I'm looking forward to re-reading the whole series in light of what I know now!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book and the ending to the trilogy was strong. The first in the series was stronger I think because in ‘A Power Unbound’ the balance between romance and fantasy storyline was only “just about” there. An engaging ensemble cast rounds this up to 4 stars. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

While I think this was an enjoyable read, and a good book, I do think I'm not the target audience. I have read the full trilogy and feel that though I mostly like them, so much of the magic/politics goes completely over my head.
My favourite part of it is the fact that people homes are connected to them and can make unwanted visitors feel unwelcome and uncomfortable and in the more extreme...eat them?
Overall, a well written and fully imagined magical series, and one I'm not sorry I've read, but also not one I will revisit I don't think.
Thank you to netgalley and pan macmillan for the opportunity to read this prior to publishing, always a pleasure.

thank you to netgalley for this arc!!

this book was one of my most anticipated of 2023, and it did not disappoint. i loved how it included the characters from the past books, and the romance in this one.

the plot from the last two books was carried over well, and i really enjoyed seeing the mystery finished!

i wasn’t sure how i would feel with this being about Hawthorn, who i disliked in book 1 (although he did start to grow on me in book 2) but i actually really loved finding out more about him and his backstory. Alan was also an interesting character, and i loved how he had such strong opinions and wasn’t worried about saying them, and his love for his family.

the romance was spectacular, the way they both want to hate each other but are so attracted to each other as well, and the amount of sexual tension. also if you thought the sex scenes in the last two books were brilliant, just wait for this one cause it’s incredible.

overall i highly recommend this book, it’s a brilliant finish to the series!

This has put me through it!🥲I can’t believe that’s this series is over, I don’t know what to do with myself.

This has been the most pleasant, fun and fruity journey I’ve been on with a bunch of books!

I loved how the story concluded, everything comes full circle and each of the characters had an ending.
The plot is as always amazing, we learnt more of the side characters whilst also discovering our new main characters. The magic?! The drama?! The mystery?! I can say this book had the most enjoyable control of each of these, I read through the last 200 pages so quickly in just one sitting.

The writing is the most beautiful and poetic thing I’ve ever read, Freya just has a way with words that make me melt on the spot.

✨‘I would you write you into immorality. I would trap you in ink and wear the pages next to my skin until they fell apart. Kiss me until I know you’✨

Hawthorn you poor poor little kitty, Ross my feral short king. They had me SCREAMING, blushing, giggling. Their plot was absolutely titillating, most definitely the kinkiest of the characters we’ve met, i was absolutely obsessed with them and their dynamic.

I am still absolutely in love with Edwin and Robin, the tiniest moments of just them talking or giggling had me squealing.

I will never move on from this series, I am proud to have a tattoo to show my love for it and I cannot wait for A Power Unbound to come out so I can annotate it!

The Last Binding trilogy has been one of my favourite series to hit the shelves in the last few years. The combination of emotional romance, a not-so-small amount of spice and the thrilling mystery plot that captivated so many readers in books one and two continues fantastically into A Power Unbound to give us a fantastic conclusion to this story.
What makes A Power Unbound different from the previous two books? It may be a matter of personal connection to the themes of the book but I found this book simultaneously more spicy than the previous two and also even more of an emotional gut punch. It was wild to be still wiping away a tear from a previous chapter and being thrust (pardon the verb) into a spicy scene in the next. No complaints from me, it definitely made sense with how the characters were feeling but I'd warn readers to be prepared for something of a rollercoaster.
Jack and Alan, our romantic pair for this book, are truly wonderful to read. Once again I liked the way that Freya Marske doesn't shy away from embracing the complicated elements of relationships in this time period - both in the sense of queer relationships but also in this particular work the classism of the period. It's a hard thing to include in a romance book without it feeling like certain issues are swept under the carpet but Marske does a great job of embracing nuance.
I am a complete and utter sucker for found family and the way that theme has subtly flowed all the way through from A Marvellous Light only to suffuse this third book with family of all kinds definitely hit the spot for me.
I'll be recommending this series for years to come, though probably not to my more conservative relatives (but they won't know what they're missing!)
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

So, the bad news is that I finished this book ten days ago and realised I had very little to say about it. BUT, the good news is that despite that, it's probably my favourite in the series. The different moving elements that had been established in the first two books are wrapped up nicely, and we get a lot of page time from our previous protagonists, as well as our found family really coming together, which is always sweet.
Hawthorn and Ross might be my favourite protagonist pair - they play off each other in a way that's very fun to see, and the progression of their relationship feels natural and well-paced. Alanzo "we are not magic, we are catholic" Rossi you have a special place in my heart.
A lot of the reviews mention that this is probably the, huh, spiciest book in the series - which is definitely true, but as someone who tends to get bored during gratuitous sex scenes, I actually really liked the ones in this book, because they are not gratuitous. You can definitely tell that they're not just there for the excitement factor, but bring about some lovely characterisation and development. I mention this because if, like me, you might be a little put off by the idea of having to read through smut you don't really care about, I want to reassure you that Freya Marske masterfully balances the erotic element with the actual plot-and-characters-and-stuff element, something not all authors manage quite so well. Also, on a vaguely related note, big fan of that mid-point plot twist - it had been built up just right and it was a delight to find out.
My only gripe - it's not really a gripe, it's more like a reservation - is that, somehow, this book felt a little lacking in fluff. I understand why, in the sense that the book is already long enough, and we have to learn about Jack AND Alan's families, and on top of that move the plot and the romance along. Still, I feel like Alan and Jack get to have very little one-on-one interaction with other characters in the book, which I think might have helped ground the larger emotional ties in the book a little more. I, for one, feel a little robbed that we never get a scene of Violet and Jack hanging out. But, again, the book is already long enough as it is, and we do get quite a lot of group bonding moments, which are always nice.
All in all, a lovely conclusion to the series, with some standout new protagonists.

I had high expectations for the finale of this trilogy, having enjoyed the first book and utterly adored the second. The third book did not quite live up to those hopes, with the quirks of the world's magic system becoming increasingly convoluted and the politics of the underlying themes becoming rather muddled, but it was still an enjoyable read.

A Power Unbound focuses on Lord Hawthorn (one of the most charismatic and compelling side characters in both of the previous instalments) and Alan Ross, who was absent from book one but had already firmly established himself in the cast in book 2. However, the strength of this focus seems somewhat unbalanced, as the four protagonists of the previous novels (Robin and Edwin from book 1, and Maud and Violet from book 2) seem curiously under-utilised in this novel. It is perhaps a question of fairness - after all, the two previous couples certainly owned the spotlight in the previous novels, so it does seem just that Jack and Alan get their time to shine. But given that all six members of this ragtag crew play essential roles in the final act of the story, it does strike an odd note to have four of them constantly relegated to the background. Some of the book's strongest scenes - notably the epilogue - are those which feature all six protagonists more or less equally.

Indeed, characterisation is one of Marske's strongest suits, as is sharp, witty dialogue. The characters' reactions to the situations they find themselves in seem effortlessly authentic, and the banter between the two leads (particularly in the scorching hot sex scenes) absolutely sings. There is also a wonderful thread of hope for a better future laced through the novel - if you're looking for a fun, queer, magical read, this series is certainly worth a look.

Huge thank you to the publisher for this ARC, I have truly loved this series. A Power Unbound is just a wonderful as the previous books, but for some reason it took me a while with this one. I think there was a lot of backstory and.magical mechanics, before I could get to the heart of the story but, the lead characters were fantastic. I just personally, needed a bit more danger.

A Power Unbound was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and I basically devoured it in a couple of hours. It was so satisfying to see all the threads we've seen throughout the series being tied up, while also watching the growth Jack and Alan's relationship. I loved how Freya Marske wrapped everything up, while also being sad to part with these characters and their stories.

jack alston longs for an uneventful and unmagical life following the death of his twin sister. until a threat endangering every magician in britain, and a determined band of allies plead for his help. jack reluctantly obliges and is thrust back into the world he swore to avoid.
enter writer & thief alan ross. cagey and argumentative, he's only in it for the money - and to loudly hate on the aristocracy. he's an inconvenience at best to jack, but, unfortunately, simultaneously everything he wants in one gorgeous infuriating package.
the pair become entangled in the plot and each other, but when a bloody sacrifice rests on the horizon and maniacal magicians are hunting them down, will they be able to make it out alive?

a beautifully satiating, satisfying and flawless finale to my favourite series of all time. i found myself restless and at a loss for coherent thoughts upon finishing a power unbound. it has haunted my brain ever since, scenes repeatedly replaying themselves in the back of my mind.

i cried when i reached the final page. no matter how perfect a send-off this book is, it is nonetheless a goodbye. a palpable sense of loss. a farewell to my favourite characters and magic system, to writing that wraps around my heart, to dynamics & plots that make me gasp, sob and laugh and my heart ache - no longer a 'see you later' or 'until the next book'. rereading will single-handedly power me through now.

each sentence radiates the thoughtfulness and deliberation that went into crafting this story, and it is evident that marske would settle for nothing less than perfection, everything is sealed and tied with a ribbon. every seemingly small detail is attentively expanded and concluded. each spell and idea mentioned later expertly weaved into the plot. every beloved character is revisited and handled with care, we get to see their growth and development, their ideal and deserved endings.

i was thoroughly engaged in every page and plot point, this was the powerful action-packed final that i desired, balanced marvellously with the romantic aspect that dances alongside each book in the trilogy. jack and alan could not have had a better romance, between banter, tension, understanding and begrudging-tolerance-turned-deep-feelings i was enamoured with them. line after line of stunning prose was delivered in their admiration of one another, and i could very easily have highlighted and annotated every sentence about them.

i will treasure these books for the foreseeable future, quite possibly forever, as dramatic as that sounds, because i have never loved anything to quite this intensity and extent.

I’m so thankful for this e-arc because I didn’t have to wait until November to read this. I was dying to read this one. When I finished A Restless Truth I couldn’t believe how much I was loving Lord Hawthorn, he was such a dislikable person in the first book, but I knew I wanted a story about him and Alan.

Well… I have no words. I really don’t know how I can describe how much I loved A Power Unbound. It went way beyond every expectation I had. It was incredible from chapter one, when the events from Hawthorn’s POV bring all the main characters from the whole trilogy together in the same setting.

We learn more about Lord Hawthorn’s past and the tragic death of his sister, as well as discovering more about journalist and thief Alan Ross. And the much awaited romance story developing between them is something incredible and unique. Every moment and dialogue between them is… *chef’s kiss*, Freya Marske got me squealing with glee, honestly. I enjoyed their story so much. Really, this is another level of steamy romance.

Marske doesn’t fail to bring the magic and world system even further, with a satisfying ending of the mystery of The Last Contract.

This is definitely my favourite book of the trilogy, it’s beautifully written with killing plot twists! It was such a fantastic trilogy and I’m so sad I had to say goodbye to these characters.

What a stunning ending to a brilliant trilogy! Marske manages to tie up the whole plot in a satisfying way while still having the protagonists develop across the story. It’s so great to see Robin, Edwin, Maude and Violet interact from an outside perspective, and Hawthorns development from reluctant side character to main focus is excellent.
I loved every second and I’m so sad to see these characters go.

Oh my goodness, what a perfect end to this wonderful trilogy, and a perfect book in its own right. We get to hang out with our beloved established couples, spend time in more magical houses, and pick up on the race to find the final piece of the Last Contract. But really this book is Jack and Alan's, and their dynamic is written exquisitely. With every book, I doubt that I'll love the current pairing as much as the previous, and each time I'm proved wrong, but maybe Jack and Alan edge out in front? Enemies to lovers, with a strong power dynamic (both in terms of societal privilege and bedroom preferences), which is explored sensitively, without ever becoming self-righteous. Their chemistry crackles off the page, but it's not just their relationship that's compelling - it's a joy to spend time with them individually and get to know them better. Hats off to Marske for Jack's journey across this trilogy, from absolute arsehole, to absolute arsehole I'd happily sacrifice everything for.

What an ending! I am left sated and content. The confusion regained all the full breath-taking force of the first book and drove home to a most wonderful conclusion.

Jack and Alan are by far my favourite pair and their romance scratches soooooooooo many trope itches I love. They hurl insults and vitriol back and forth with abandon in a way that they both enjoy. The SMUT is EXCELLENT. Consensual non-consent kinks and blistering hate that drives lust.

I very much enjoyed the plot and the discussions Marske brings forth about patriarchy, classism, colonialism. I will be sad to leave these book friends behind but will relish the time spent in their company. Cheers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have absolutely loved this series! Queer + fantasy + imaginative setting = <3 The third book carries on from where book 2 left off, this time telling the story of Alan Ross and Jack Alstone. I have really enjoyed this alternate history setting, even though I'm not exactly sure I've got a handle on how the magic works. For that, and the somewhat over-the-top climax, I am taking away a star. Otherwise, a great read, and I'm sad the series is at an end.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Amazing! I don't usually like series as I find it difficult for my attention to be held over several books, but this series was perfection. I adored the first two and this was a brilliant way to end them.

I'll now be re-reading them and will keep a look out for other books from Freya Marske.

The Last Binding trilogy was spectacular from beginning to end. A Power Unbound is the enchanting conclusion to the queer historical fantasy series. It's the perfect mix of magical hijinks, salacious scandal and sizzling hot sex.

This time, we follow the notoriously prickly Lord Hawthorn, who was up until this point, a sharped-tongued scene-stealing secondary character. The rest of the gang are also reunited. I adored reading Robin, Edwin, Violet and Maud conspiring to take down The Coopers, a corrupt magical police force trying to harness the powers of all British magicians.

Throughout the book, the gang continue their search for 'The Last Contract', a century old fae-bargain disguised as three silver objects; a knife, bowl and coin. What follows is a highly entertaining series of magical heists and sexy bedroom roleplay.

I must admit, the intricacies of the magical system did feel a little overwhelming. I didn't fully understand where magic was being pulled from at times, and I found myself re-reading passages in order to understand its origins. That being said, clearly, a lot of thought has gone into creating this detailed, lush, magical world.

The explosive conclusion was nail-bitingly entertaining and A Power Unbound proved to be a wonderful send-off to a marvellous cast of characters that I genuinely feel emotional to say goodbye to.

Argh. I read the first two books in this series sequentially and was both thrilled and annoyed to have an ARC of the final book in the Last Binding trilogy. Thrilled because I really like this series, and annoyed because now I’ve read it and it’s all over.
It would probably be best to read the first two books before this one as this is a culmination of all the events which came before. At the end of the last book, 2 of the three magical items which will create some sort of mega magic had been found. One was in the hands of our good guys, the other was decidedly not. This third book is about who can find the last object and seize all the magical powers to command the world.
Alongside this, there is the usual issue of a romance. This time Lord Hawthorne (Jack)’s forbidden relationship with Alan (writer of male erotic fiction) is at the heart of the book, with some steamy, lightly S&M scenes to add spice. If I were to have one small criticism. I think it’s that I don’t find the name Alan even vaguely romantic. Might be a uniquely British issue?
Anyway, Jack has no real magic after an issue where he and his sister merged theirs and everything got out of hand. Their family home is on some convergence of ley lines which makes it ideally placed for a mad magical denouement and the whole book is a real thrill.
As to whether there is a happy ending, I couldn’t possibly comment.
I really hope Freya Marske has a new series on the way because I have really enjoyed this.

This was great fun, Marske really nailed the ending of this trilogy. I'll be looking out for anything else Marske writes!