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Home›Book Reviews›ENTWINED by H. M. Long (BOOK REVIEW)

ENTWINED by H. M. Long (BOOK REVIEW)

By Cat Treadwell
March 12, 2026
105
0

Three sisters join the hunt for a stolen magical artefact in the start of this Gilded Age fantasy duology.

Ottilie Rushforth hides from the mighty Sorcerer’s Guild as secretary to a has-been detective. She is Entwined – threads of magic run beneath her skin, and the Guild would trap her in service.

But Ottilie has a plan to escape the Guild forever with her estranged fiancé, the enigmatic poet, soldier and smuggler Lewis Illing. All she must do is track down a mysterious artefact, claim the bounty, and leave the city forever. But Ottilie’s sisters – Pretoria, a quick-witted sorceress and thief recently emerged from exile, and Madge, a guild mage to the core, appear to make equally unwelcome offers. A new life at the cost of everything she has ever wanted, or prestige and safety in a gilded cage.

With her life on the line, Ottilie must track down the artifact in a city torn apart by prejudice and violence, and choose between the two sides of herself – the fugitive and the Entwined.

At a time when fantasy is producing many stories of magical academia, Chosen Ones and daring quests (not that I’m complaining, mind you!), it’s refreshing to encounter a book that’s so very different to all of its peers.
Entwined is, appropriately enough, a multi-threaded mystery set in a politically charged city, where magic is so much of a threat that it’s harshly controlled. The Guild logs every Entwined, no matter their level of power, trains them and then decrees their future marital partner as deemed appropriate for breeding purposes. This keeps everyone in the city safe and utilises their skills, you see?
Into this comes Ottilie, a rogue mage who managed to escape the system but not the land. Hiding whilst trying to save up enough to flee, she becomes caught up in a theft, a murder and even (accidentally) seditious acts by other rebellious Entwined who seek to overthrow the system. Pulled on all sides by both family and state, what can a lone mage do to simply  survive and work her threads free?
First of all, the world-building here is excellent. Yes, the status quo is terrible. It demonstrates how certain extreme right-wing groups would ‘deal with’ minorities that they see as lesser or threatening, and it directly challenges the privilege of the reader as they’re forced to face such an awful regime and the fact that so many regular folk see this as fine and normal.
Then, the magic. Each Entwined has their own ability, grouped together by skill set. It’s easy to see how non-magic-users would see these as threatening – being able to steal someone’s strength, their memories, or twist time – and it’s fascinating to see this depicted in such context.
Ottilie herself is a great protagonist, ostensibly just fighting to find a way out of this world to a fairer country where she can live her life. Unfortunately her sisters have other ideas – from gentlewoman thief Pretoria to Guild Mage Madge, each has something they want or expect from our heroine.
I first encountered H. M. Long’s work with her first title Hall of Smoke years ago. I flew through it and have kept an eye on her ever since, as her skill really is writing books with fantastically strong and yet very relatable women. These aren’t romances where men sweep in to save the day. These are adventures where a female protagonist is quite often left struggling for her life against multiple forces ranged against her – and her own goal may not actually be the best one, as she learns once more facts are revealed. Multifaceted, complex and thoughtful, her ladies are always a pleasure to travel with and root for, and Ottilie is no exception.
The quasi-steampunk/Victorian style was fun too, especially when the almost 1920s-noir aspects of the missing artefact and murder victim enter the frame.
This really is an entirely new and fresh take on a stalwart heroine battling evil forces, and I loved it. Looking forward to more of this world in the sequel, and maybe even revisiting this author’s other works because I enjoy her writing just so much!
Entwined is out now from Titan Books, you can order your copy from Bookshop.org
TagsEntwinedfantasyH. M. LongNoirSteampunkVictorian

Cat Treadwell

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