Note: Although this book can be read as a standalone it does contain many characters you first meet in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, so I would recommend reading that first. Also because it’s a damn good book! Subsequently my review may reveal spoilers about these characters though I’ll try hard to avoid them. 

I didn’t think I could love a book where dragons meep instead of ferociously roar and eject glitter instead of fire, but I bloody well did! 

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen dives readers back into the whimsical and bizarre wonder of Tanria and takes us on another enchanting adventure. This is a book I had so much fun with, one that was full of surprises and made me fall deeper in love with this world and its characters. 

The Island of Bushong may now be free of one threat but as always Tanria, the former prison for the Old Gods, has a new mystery unfolding. Twyla Banneker and Frank Ellis are neighbours, best friends and Tanrian Marshal partners. These days patrolling Tanria is far more of a safer affair than it used to be but consequently their job is now in danger of becoming obsolete, and so Twyla and Frank need to prove the Marshals are still needed. This comes along when the pair discover the dead body of a Marshal covered in a strange glittery substance. If that wasn’t enough, they both then catch smugglers running to the portal with several egg-shaped objects in their possession. As a large creature suddenly swoops down upon them from the sky, Twyla and Frank witness the unbelievable. A creature from the Old Gods time has resurfaced, dragons once again roam in Tanria. 

When I first began this book I was pleased to discover that Twyla and Frank were both middle aged protagonists with absent partners and fully grown children. They both never once felt like simple characters on a page, Bannen presents them as real people with real life problems which I’m sure a lot of readers can sympathise with and that is certainly part of their charm. It’s made clear they had been friends for so long, falling into a comfortable relationship where they knew each other so deeply they could burst into song together at any given moment—which I found adorable. Their friendship was solid as rock but their simmering feelings beyond that was also portrayed well, if a little frustrating at times because we just want them to kiss godammit! We do spend a lengthy time delving into Twyla’s life and learn how much she was unappreciated by her children and how their reliance upon her, whether that be looking after grandchildren or being happy by a surprise engagement, was showing her that they weren’t considering her as a person with her own life and feelings. Parenthood is a significant theme explored throughout which also saw Frank feel guilt over not seeing his children more often and even extends to the dragons later on. Bannen gives us such a lovely juxtaposition of whimsical fantasy alongside two protagonists with very real and messy problems. I believe we need more middle aged protagonists in fantasy because it is not just the young that should get to go on adventures!

“Twyla took a beer out of the fridge and raised a toast to herself, the woman who had had to scrounge up enough food in her bare-bones pantry to cook spaghetti dinner for a large crowd when she had not anticipated having to make dinner at all that evening, the one who had to change Teo’s diapers and make sure the kids were eating decently and behaving themselves, the one who was now cleaning up the kitchen while everyone else was laughing in the next room.”

Much in the same vein as India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels trilogy (another favourite fantasy romance series of mine!) although this book is a separate story from Hart and Mercy, Bannen also brings back a few familiar characters which fills us in on how their lives are faring. The return of Duckers was very much welcome because his character is beyond delightful and I’m glad he played a significant role throughout. His sweary banter, his love of crossbows and fear/awe of the dragons had me laughing every time he appeared on the page. I long for him to have his own book… please Megan? As well as learning how Duckers and his overbearing boyfriend Zeddie are getting on, we also have appearances from Hart and Mercy and learn of what happens next in their relationship. Oh and there is also more nimkilim but instead of a sweary owl, we have an adorable if incompetent hedgehog, Hermia! 

I fell in love with Tanria the moment I discovered all its weird flora, fauna and creatures but in this book when we meet the dragons, well you can imagine my excitement. Now I have a real love for dragons, the majestic, viscous and beautiful kind. Yet I’ve also discovered I love the cute kind too. Bannen goes all out on the whimsy of her dragons, their behaviour and appearance is strange yet also mimics many animals we are familiar with and so they become such a fascinating aspect for our characters and readers alike. The dragons here are ones that would make an amazing pet, albeit a huge one. However, the dragons are more than just another strange creature in Tanria, they are central to the story and much of the mystery surrounding the happenings throughout.

“What do we do?” asked Duckers from his boulder.

“I guess we’re lounging with dragons?” Twyla suggested slowly.

“Right. Okay. Did you piss yourself?”

Twyla put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You give birth to three babies, and then come talk to me after you find yourself face-to-face with a twelve-foot dragon.”

Duckers considered this. “My lips are sealed,” he said. “So, picnic?”

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is steeped in romance, characters with messy lives and equally messy feelings and set in a quirky yet undoubtedly enchanting world. Bannen is one of my go-to authors for Rom-com fantasies that never fail to make me howl in laughter. 

ARC provided by Nazia at Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review—Thank you for the copy!

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is out now!