I’d seen The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino all over TikTok, and so I went into it with very high expectations. It absolutely met them for the first 70%! The first two thirds of the book was flawless, and I honestly thought it was about to become my favourite fantasy book of all time.
Unfortunately, the final third didn’t live up to what came before it.
The premise
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.
At a glance
📖 Pages: 480
🗣️ Language: English
📚 Genre: Romantasy, epic fantasy
⏳ Time taken to read book: 10 hours
My spoiler-free review of The Second Death of Locke
As I mentioned, the first 70% of this book was perfect. The magic system was so unique! The concept of wells and magics, the cost and consequences of magic wielding, and the mystery surrounding the isle of Locke and what happened to it all felt so fresh and well thought out.
The relationship between Grey and Kier was also utterly addictive. The slow burn is truly slow burn, which made the tension between the two characters is even better than I thought it was going to be.
“What is love, without freedom?” she murmured against his skin. He leaned close to kiss her shoulder, then to whisper in her ear. “What is life, without you?”
Where the book lost me slightly was in its final third. I felt like Grey’s agency just completely disappeared. She felt less like an active participant in the plot and more like someone who things kept happening to. Several major events occurred during fade to black moments, only for Grey to wake up and ask what happened, with another character filling in the details for the benefit of the audience. After such a strong beginning and middle, I was so disappointed by what felt like a cop out.
I liked Grey as a character, but I do feel like her potential wasn’t fully realised. Too many huge things happened to her or happened by accident rather than because of choices she makes, which significantly dulled the impact of what should have been the most powerful section of the book.
That said, the writing remains strong throughout. The prose is atmospheric and stunning without being dramatic or flowery, and it suits the tone of the story perfectly.
A pause. A breath. How nice it would be, Grey thought, to lie next to him and die. For all this to be over.
This is a very good book with a slightly disappointing ending. The foundations are strongm and if the final act had given Grey more agency and allowed key moments to play out on the page rather than off it, this would’ve been 5 stars for me.
Final thoughts on The Second Death of Locke by V. L. Bovalino
The potential of this book was immense, and so I will definitely read the second book in The Hand & The Heart series when it is released!
I’d recommend this to readers who love slow burn romantasy but don’t want the fantasy element to take a back seat to the romance.
★★★★☆
Rating: 4/5
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