Review of The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino.
Title: The Second Death of Locke
Author: V.L. Bovalino.
Genre: Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy, Adult
Year Published: 2025
My Rating: 4.5/5
Blurb:
Love. Loyalty. Sacrifice.
Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier.
She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier's to use. Grey would do anything for Kier - be anything for him - if he would only ask.
When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into the dangerous heart of their nation's war, Grey and Kier will need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their secret.
For Grey is no ordinary magical well, but heir to the lost island of Locke - the root of all power. If she dies, all magic dies with her.
Review:
I'm going to be honest, dear reader, by stating that the cover art (illustrated by Anna Moshak) of The Second Death of Locke is what drew me in. The enchanting yet visceral art of Grey Flynn - our main character - evokes the style of Renaissance art and encapsulates how bloody and vicious warfare was in that era.
Similarly, the world in The Second Death of Locke is rife with war between most nations on the continent and the battles are both pitiless and numerous. Grey fights alongside her mage, Kier Seward, under the banner of Scaelas. She is a power source to Kier's magic; he draws on her power as a 'well' as she fulfils the role of a knight, fighting enemies with her sword and protecting her mage and friend.
I'm a fan of the novel magic system - it gives a certain intimacy to magic-casting despite its main use in this world is to kill. I found that the world-building was clear and understandable and was presented to me in small palatable pieces. It wasn't convoluted and I wasn't bombarded with too many world-specific places or names without explanation. However, this ARC didn't have a map at the front of the book so it was hard to remember and visualise the names of different nations and where they sat in comparison to other countries. One thing I was confused about, however, is what exactly a typist was. I estimated that they were just your basic infantrymen, but it would be nice to have a clear assessment of each type of warrior or mage at the start of the book, like in Laura Steven's Silvercloak where she describes each types of mage in detail. This would be useful for me in particular as I have ADHD and tend to forget world-building elements such as these if they're not re-explained to me.
I was also a fan of the queer-normative world and it was endearing to see a trans man so easily accepted by his peers. As a lesbian, I was mostly interested in the main character (I love lady knights!) and the politics of the fantasy world but I found myself rooting for Grey and Kier, despite wanting Grey to have a goodbye tryst with the hot nurse... I found Grey and Kier's blossoming romance endearing; there was so much yearning! Their love was so entangling and immersive they became parts of each other; the same soul.
On the other hand, I found Kier's character to be slightly two-dimensional. He's portrayed as the dream book boyfriend but I felt that he needed more development or a POV to understand him a little better. Other than being someone totally and utterly devoted to Grey, I can't really point out other parts of his character.
Nonetheless, I found each other character to be well-crafted and enjoyed the merry band of main characters. I was drawn into this book by the lady knight but I found the story of choices and sacrifices to be awe-inspiring. The novel is a message that with a new generation, a new hope for change in a war-torn, politically fragile world is born.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I can't wait for the sequel!
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.