Neumeier is One of the Best

I don’t usually take the time to submit a review even when I thoroughly enjoy an author’s work, but this author warrants my highest praise. I have been thoroughly immersed in the Tuyo series and avidly await its continuation. ( )

This is set concurrently with Tarashana, about the mission Lord Gaur sends Esau on:

His own job was simple: Get to Pitasosa, find a girl, get her out of this town and away from the disaster that was about to come down like a big, big hammer on way too many people here. Marry her real quick, nice and tight and legal, so there’d be no questions later about the babe she was carrying. Then he could just set her up someplace where she’d be safe and comfortable, and he’d be done.

Unsurprisingly, it isn’t that straightforward at all, and Easu and Keraunani spend much of the book on the run.

Marriage-of-convenience is a trope I enjoy, especially in the hands of a storyteller I trust. It probably helps having already met Esau, too -- I knew that he’s decent and dependable (and I trust Lord Gaur would give this job to the right person). But Keraunani doesn’t know this. I liked seeing her and Esau surprise each other, and learn to work together.

The flashback chapters have tense moments, relevant parallels and interesting worldbuilding. (But I still feel uneasy about the Lau’s culture of talon wives, and am not sure if I’m meant to be? It doesn’t matter in books from Ryo’s outsider perspective -- he doesn’t get it and is neither needed nor expected to do so.)

Anyway, would definitely reread.

She’d get away from him if she could. If she saw a chance, likely she’d take it fast, no hesitation. In a soldier at his back or under his command, that’d be a fine quality. In a woman he was trying hard to rescue, it was plain inconvenient. ( )