A Rake of His Own by A.J. Lancaster

Narrated by Nicholas Boulton

A.J. Lancaster’s Stariel series is (according to its blurb) a romantic cozy fantasy series about fae, magical estates, and complicated families. The series is set in a Victorian-ish AU in a world where the Mortal and Faerie worlds have recently begun to reconnect after a three-hundred-year separation, and the first four books form a quartet featuring the same central couple. The fifth one, A Rake of His Own, is the one m/m story in the set, featuring two characters who have been dancing around each other throughout, and who finally get their HEA here. The blurb indicates that this story is a standalone, and it does work as one – the main plotline is separate from the overarching storylines that run throughout the quartet, and although references are made to key events, the author includes enough information here for the newcomer to be able to make sense of everything without lots of info-dumping. I was able to follow and enjoy the story without having read or listened to the earlier books, but if you’re someone who dislikes jumping into a series part way through, I have it on good authority that they are well worth reading, too. (Although reviews indicate the change of narrator for the fourth book didn’t go down well with listeners.)

Marius Valstar has recently returned to university to complete his doctorate following the death of his father (who despised Marius for being weak and for being queer – which is unacceptable in the Mortal realm) and his sister Hetta’s being chosen as the new Lord of Stariel. He’s a quiet, bookish type, a botanist who is happiest when playing around in the dirt in his greenhouse, cultivating plants and cataloguing specimens; he’s also still smarting over the end of his love affair with a man who dumped him as soon as it became clear he wasn’t going to inherit the Stariel Estate and then tried to blackmail him and ruin his family. That experience has, naturally, deeply affected Marius’ sense of self-worth (which was never strong to begin with), and soured him on the whole idea of love, especially for someone like him.

Prince Rakken (pronounced “rake-en”) Tempestren is Marius’ brother-in-law, and they’ve been striking sparks off one another ever since they met. Rakken is Marius’ opposite in almost every way – charming and confident with that whole dangerous and darkly brooding thing going on – and when those sparks led to a passionate kiss, Marius decided to throw caution to the wind and invited Rakken to his room. But Rakken rejected him – and Marius later realised he’d kissed him only because Rakken needed to boost his magical energy.

That was three months earlier, and Marius has been out of sorts ever since. Not that he’s pining; no, he’s been keeping himself to himself because he’s struggling to control his newly awakened telepathic abilities, which are growing more powerful at an alarming rate. Being around people is exhausting because he doesn’t know how to shut out all the voices clamouring in his head – and that’s the reason for his hermit-like existence for the past few months. It’s nothing at all to do with maddening, arrogant fae princes who are too handsome for their own good.

When the story begins, Marius is settling in with a book before bed when a familiar scent wafts through his rooms, followed, seconds later, by an equally familiar – and very naked – fae prince. Stunned, Marius can do little but gawp at all that wild hair, taut muscle and, er… everything – so it takes him a second or two to realise that Rakken is covered in blood. Marius sets about cleaning him up and tries to find out how and why he’s there, but Rakken is typically tight-lipped and won’t tell him anything. Fae cannot lie, but Rakken has being incredibly (and infuriatingly) economical with the truth down to an art form. Marius is becoming increasingly frustrated at Rakken’s refusal to answer any questions when Rakken, suddenly angry, tells Marius that someone is performing dark magic near his greenhouse. He’s on the point of dashing out the door to investigate when Marius suggests he should probably put some clothes on first.

When they arrive at the greenhouse, it’s to find the place is a mess – wilting plants, torn stems, broken glass… and a dead body next to one of the work benches. The dead man is Dr. Martin Vane, a colleague of Marius’ who shared his interest in the magical properties of plants, although why he should have been in Marius’ greenhouse, Marius has no idea. Stunned, he takes in the damage, while Rakken discovers what looks like the murder weapon, a dryad blade, together with another victim, a small lowfae, crushed beneath Vane’s body. Angrily, Rakken asserts that a burst of dark magic at full moon, combined with the deaths of a mortal and a fae cannot be coincidental.

These events kick off an interesting and well-executed mystery, with Marius and Rakken deciding to join forces to uncover the truth behind the murders, but the focus of the book really is the development of their relationship from what Marius terms “antagonistic acquaintances” to something much more. Marius hasn’t forgotten Rakken’s rejection and is determined never to allow it to happen again, but even though he knows Rakken is a cocky, smug git, he also knows he’s fiercely intelligent and loyal, with his own code of ethics and sense of justice which, while they may not be the same as his, are nonetheless ones Rakken lives by. He also knows Rakken will not lie to him; despite the prince’s talent for obfuscation, Marius knows that when Rakken makes a promise, he will fulfil it to the best of his (considerable) ability.

The story is told almost entirely in Marius’ PoV (there are a couple of chapters from Rakken’s which seemed an odd choice), and the author does a good job of showing that Rakken is very much smitten with Marius – and doesn’t want to be. I’d certainly go with Marius description of them as antagonists rather than enemies; for all that they snipe and jibe (their verbal sparring is excellent and Marius definitely gives as good as he gets) there’s a real sense of mutual respect between them. Marius admires Rakken’s strength, his conviction and his intelligence, while Rakken clearly enjoys Marius’ wit and humour, and appreciates his compassion and lively mind. For Marius, this is something of a revelation – Rakken, despite his powerful magical abilities, never belittles him or talks down to him; he treats him as an equal and listens to what he has to say, which is something he’s never really had a great deal of experience with. They both have good reasons for trying to resist the pull of the attraction between them; Marius doesn’t want to open himself up to hurt again, and Rakken doesn’t believe in love – that he’s capable of it or that he deserves it. The slow reveal of Rakken’s backstory, his flaws and his vulnerability is well done, and I really liked Marius’ narrative voice; he’s sweet and funny but is no pushover, and his struggle to understand and control his telepathic powers is well portrayed. His romance with Rakken is full of lovely sexual tension and banter-as-foreplay; of course we all know the ‘let’s shag and get it out of our systems’ thing never works, but it’s fun listening to them try ;)

“Performed by Nicholas Boulton” should be enough to tell you all you need to know about the narration! It’s well-paced, clearly enunciated and well-characterised, with clear and distinctive voices for both leads and the various secondary characters. His interpretations of both Marius and Rakken are superb, but his Rakken steals the show, his rich, velvety tones conveying just the right mixture of vitality, arrogance and vulnerability, knee-weakening sexiness and affection in his interactions with Marius, and a real sense of ‘someone-you-don’t-want-to-cross’ when he’s determined on a course of action. Marius’ voice has a lighter tone overall, and Mr. Boulton captures his waspish, dry humour perfectly. While Marius is less sure of himself than Rakken, he doesn’t let his Prince Melodramatic get away with anything, and is more than up to Rakken’s weight in the snarkery stakes. It’s a beautifully judged performance all round, and added considerably to my enjoyment of the story.

I would definitely recommend A Rake of His Own to anyone in the market for a gaslamp romance with an enemies-to-lovers/opposites-attract vibe featuring a hot fae prince and a nerdy, stubborn mortal! Nicholas Boulton’s wonderful narration is the icing on an already tasty cake; the worldbuilding is strong and consistent, the characterisation is excellent, and the writing is intelligent and assured. If A.J. Lancaster writes any more m/m fantasy novels, I’ll definitely be picking them up.

Note: AudioGals was gifted this title from Podium Audio.

Caz

---

Buy A Rake of His Own by A.J. Lancaster on Amazon