IRON TONGUE OF MIDNIGHT

One week after fleeing London, Joan Sands is ready to return and lay her life on the line once more to defeat the murderous Fae queen, Titanea, in this sequel to 2024’s Saint-Seducing Gold.

Joan, her family, and all the other humans blessed by the Orisha barely escape the carnage Titanea unleashes on King James’ palace after she releases the Fae, who are hungry for human flesh and fully restored to power. Joan, who’s Black, tries to regroup in William Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon home, but she’s burdened by the knowledge that everyone’s safety hangs on her abilities as a child of Ogun. As a result, she feels compelled to take risks that lead to deaths and betrayals. She’s also being haunted by her ancestor who created the initial Pact that separated the Fae from humans and whose connection to their current conflict helps to drive the tension throughout most of the story. Williams does a wonderful job showing the possibilities of loving polyamorous and queer relationships. The assorted Fae creatures summoned to terrorize the mortals of London are fantastically gruesome in their quests for revenge, and Joan’s growing mastery of her gifts from Ogun and top-tier combat skills in fight scenes will engage readers. Still, while the saga’s main storylines are completed, some plot points and characters’ arcs are disappointingly dropped without full resolutions.

A mostly tidy ending to a bold, fast-paced, page-turning trilogy.