The Last Fatal Hour immediately intrigued me by its blurb and the era it was set it. I always love a good mystery, and it did not disappoint.

Leona is a strong woman who never stops but somehow is never frustrating to follow, because she thinks, which I can only appreciate. She fights and fends for herself in a world that doesn't take women seriously. In short, she is badass yet elegant, and I love her as a protagonist. That being said (believe me, I could sing praises for Leona all day long), all characters are fleshed out and have the perfect layers of complexity. I did have to take some notes at the beginning as there are quite a few names being dropped (and since it is a mystery, I wanted to remember every person we came across), but looking back it wasn't necessary as the author does a good job at making you realize which characters truly matter.

The only flaw I found was that the pacing had some oddities: while the beginning has some lengths, it is necessary as all the different pieces are falling in place. Then, once the mystery truly kickstarts, it snowballs and the book becomes impossible to put down until there is a sudden stop, which really broke my momentum. I would not let this deter you from picking up this book, however, as the pace does eventually pick up again, and trust me, the ending is worth it. The way the mysteries unravel and how it just keeps going deeper is impeccable. I always love when something small turns out to be so much more, and The Last Fatal Hour truly delivered.

I would recommend it if you like a good mystery that will keep you on edge and if the era calls to you. I will definitely be looking forward for future publications.

I would like to thank BookSirens, Coffee&Ink Press and Jan Matthews for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Becky Chambers delivers a wonderful follow up to A Psalm for the Wild-Built. Mosscap is as endearing as before, and its relationship with Dex is beautiful. I did like it a liiiittle bit less than the first one, but I loved travelling with our favourite duo all the same.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy raises the question of need vs want. What do people want, when they already have everything they need? It is a short but comforting read, peppered with existential crisis, but ends with a warm hug.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who loved the first. What I loved the most was getting to know more about their society (even if I wanted more!). It was fascinating to learn some of the details, although I do feel like everyone was just too nice 😂 It lacked a little bit of chaos to be believable, but honestly wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were real.