2023 epistolary fantastic romance. In 1822, Delphine's lover
disappears, and she is forced to marry. Several years later her vile
husband dies and leaves her wealthy, but that is by no means the end
of her troubles.
While it's set against the Paris of the Bourbon Restoration, this
is largely a mannered book, of salons and parties, and threatening
letters much more than acts of violence—though when they occur they
are shocking.
The best thing to do when two men have recently died mysterious and
abrupt deaths in your home is to withdraw to the countryside.
The magic here is important, but in the background: people create
artifacts sometimes, like a compass that always points to the person
being thought about, but nobody can do it reliably. Of course the rich
and powerful collect them, especially those that can be used to
control people. So how does one deal with a threat that nobody is
willing to admit could even exist? And whom does one trust to help?
There's also quite a bit of sex, because the real centre of this book
is a developing three-way relationship, and Davin uses those sex
scenes to show how the principals feel about each other. Not really my
usual thing, but it is done well, and I found the whole book very
pleasing.
I read this from a random recommendation and will be seeking out
volumes 1 and 3 of the series.