The spy Leah has returned home, hopi9ng to be reunited with the daughter she abandoned. Like the previous book, this one is focused more on the romance/mystery elements than the culture and world building. It does more to develop the idea of the Primes and their powers.

re-read 6/18/2023 ( )

I'm deeply into Sharon Shinn right now, and very pleased with this most recent installment of the elemental blessings books. They move so nicely along, they provide innovative magic and edge of your seat plot twists, and Shinn invariably manages to choose the character I'd most like to know more about for each new book. Totally satisfying.

Re-read, same feels -- very satisfying, and I loved a Mally and Leah book. ( )

Leah has spent five years in Malinqua as a spy for Welce. She has returned home to find a way to get to know the young daughter she left behind and agrees to set up a shop in the capital, where she will have opportunity to meet foreign visitors.

This is more tense and darker than the previous books. I appreciated the level of tension and am not so sure about the other -- it certainly contributed to the suspense and it wasn’t as disturbing as it could have easily become in the hands of a different author. But in hindsight, what struck me as problematic is how the darker elements contribute to a rather negative portrayal of a particular “foreign” culture. There’s some effort made to show that things -- that people -- aren’t so black-and-white, but it isn’t completely successful.

I don’t know... And it’s hard to discuss without spoilers. I just wish one specific detail about the ending had been different -- if only [redacted] hadn’t needed to [redacted]!

In spite of that, this book is my favourite one. I liked Leah. I liked her complicated emotions about returning home and about motherhood. I liked her cautious romance -- and that there’s good reason for caution. (I think “Can I trust you?” is often a super interesting question for a romance to explore, and I love watching people who are hurt and lonely find love.) I liked all the unexpected twists.

And I like that, in spite of the aforementioned darker elements, this is a largely positive story about being part of a family and working out your place in the world. Leah finds herself surrounded by people who are friendly and supportive; they don’t judge her for having run away but just want to help her move forward.

“Are you torz?” Zoe inquired. And when Leah nodded, she asked, “And what are your blessings?”
Leah made a face. “Endurance, honor, and time.”
Zoe considered those while she finished her first mouthful of food. “Not exactly carefree,” she decided.
“My mother said once that they meant I’d become some kind of scientific researcher, discovering the mysteries of the stars. I always figured they meant I’d grit my teeth and make it through some horrible situation without complaining.”
“And instead you’ve become one of Darien’s secret operatives! Which actually sounds more interesting than those other options.” ( )

This is the latest in the excellent Elemental Blessings series by Sharon Shinn. The series features women from the Shinn-created nation of Welce, in which people have elemental-based affiliations. These heroines are always interesting, and quite strong, but in very different ways. There is always a mystery (or several), great interaction between characters, soul-searching and personal growth, a good dose of romance, and a deep connection with the elemental blessings theme.

The world she has created and developed is intriguing, hopeful, and believable. Characters, both main and supporting, heroic and villainous, are varied, memorable and complex. The emotional development of Corene over the books, in particular, is delicately and skillfully done. All of the heroines face personal and public challenges, and experience great personal growth without losing the core of their personalities.

The first three books in the series introduced Zoe, Josetta and Corene. In the fourth book, Leah returns home after living abroad collecting information for the regent of Welce. The main reason for her return is her daughter, whom she left in her family's care (read: ran away from). Of the four, this book is, to me, the darkest, but that mirrors the tone of the difficulties that Leah experiences as she tries to balance returning to her home, reconnecting with family and friends, meeting and growing her relationship with her daughter, and dealing with a very complicated romantic relationship. That she ran away from her daughter is not a light subject, and Shinn does not let Leah off the hook with a quick and easy resolution.

I love this series because the stories are a perfect balance of world building, strong characters, mystery, romance, adventure, and coming of age.


**eARC Netgalley** ( )

Love the Elemental Blessings novels. ( )