“I think there’s beauty to be found amid the brokenness. There will always be light in the darkness, and sometimes it shines so brightly that we forget there was ever night.”
B.S.H. Garcia soars to exciting new heights and explores darker and more disturbing depths in Of Love and Loss, the gripping second instalment in her exquisitely epic The Heart of Quinaria series. Personal backstories and complex interpersonal relationships are deepened, the fascinating history and lore only becomes richer, the stakes and tension are raised to unimaginable heights, and the level of emotional destruction is just cranked up to eleven. And then we also get to see so much more of the giant stormbird companions… what more could you wish for in a sequel?!
Look, I have made it no secret that I consider Of Thieves and Shadows, book 1 in this series, one of the most ambitious and promising debuts I have ever read. And now that all the groundwork has been laid, both in book 1 and in the two exceptional prequel novellas (which I highly recommend reading before diving into this book), it’s beyond exciting to see Garcia fully unleash her visionary ideas for this series and really sink into the deeper layers of this world and its characters in Of Love and Loss.
“If you live in the past, you can’t be present and make a better future. You are exactly who you need to be for the life given to you. No more, no less.”
In a way, I guess The Heart of Quinaria series reminds me subtly of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive or Michael J. Sullivan’s Legends of the First Empire, in the sense that we’re dealing with a breathtakingly epic fantasy tale full of rich history and lore, diverse (clashing) races and cultures, and incredibly high political and personal stakes, yet it’s all grounded through such beautifully intimate storytelling. And then add to that all the carefully planted seeds hinting towards larger (malignant) forces pulling the strings and puppeteering your most beloved characters, which just create such a riveting level of intrigue, wonder, unpredictability and foreboding that kept me in a chokehold from start to finish.
And whereas book 1 primarily felt like Elaysia’s story to me (despite the well-executed multi-POV storytelling), Of Love and Loss really expands in scope and balances out all the characters’ individual storylines to perfection. Yes, Elaysia still absolutely gets her time to shine, and I thought it was so heartbreaking yet powerful to see her navigating all her different roles; strong leader, gentle friend, caring mother, tentative lover (Vahid is a GEM, just saying), and so many more faces and masks to wear and hide behind.
“That’s what it means to be a mother and a leader during wartime, for a mother and a leader aren’t so different. We protect fiercely, guide with empathy, and make the wisest decisions we can for all our children, whether or not they are bound to us by blood.”
But then there’s also the shocking revelations about Zavik’s heritage (the easter eggs!!) and his devastating discoveries about nevethium (hello tech/steampunk aspects?!), Jakki’s revelatory exploration of skulmor culture (underground civilizations, anyone?), Konar’s deeper investigation of the magical scrolls and his struggle with loyalty, morality and regret, Lumira’s struggle with her (cultural) identity and some inexplicable mystical visions, and the delicious cherry on top of this sublime sundae: Davier’s absolutely devastating rollercoaster of an emotional journey.
Honestly, trying to choose a favourite aspect of Of Love and Loss is nearly impossible to me, not merely because the many moving pieces are all equally exciting to me, but especially because all the seemingly separate story threads are so impressively and inextricably tied together into one breathtaking masterpiece. Even the tiniest and most innocuous decision from one character can have devastating rippling effects across time and space, which gives this world a level of immersiveness that makes the story and its characters just come to life off the page.
“She saw nothing but her path through the trees, heard nothing but the pulse of Quinaria, and trusted nothing but the guidance of her own heart. It was all she needed.”
There is so much hurt, trauma and regret that they all have to work through, and I love that Garcia is not afraid to show them during their ugliest moments, making stupid mistakes and acting irrationally. There were so many gut-wrenching moments in Of Love and Loss where I didn’t know if I wanted to hug or strangle a character, and that level of messiness and gritty reality is exactly what makes their slow yet powerful growth feel so incredibly earned and satisfying in the end.
Garcia honestly just continues to astound and impress me with her ability to balance and interweave the larger scope themes of war (both on a national and international scale), leadership, corruption, rebellion, racism, twisting of history, and the cost of progress with more intimately vulnerable themes of motherhood, morality, loyalty, family, redemption, hope, loss and love in all its devastating beauty; this is exactly how you write a multi-layered story that creeps under your skin and hits incredibly deeply in ways you could never even have anticipated.
“All you must concern yourself with is what’s true. If you’re true to yourself and true to others, you’ll find most things happen as they should.”
Now, there is no denying that Of Love and Loss is a slightly intimidating chunker, and while I love how that allowed for all this rich and juicy development, I did find the pacing to be slightly rocky at some points; I guess I personally enjoy the slow and emotional character moments just a bit more than the bombastic and slightly hectic action sequences, no matter how objectively well written they are. And in a weird way, I almost feel like the exceptional development of the primary characters made some of the (newly introduced) secondary characters pale a bit in comparison, which resulted in a few supposedly tragic events falling slightly flat for me personally.
That said, those very minor quibbles didn’t hold me back from effortlessly devouring this almost 800-page beautiful brick of a book in just 3 days, and if that isn’t a testament to Garcia’s incredible skill as an author and storyteller, then I don’t know what is. As big in scope as it is in heart, The Heart of Quinaria series is an absolute must-read for anyone who likes their fantasy dark, epic, emotional and visionary. I can’t recommend this series highly enough, but just be sure to bring some comfort food and tissues when you embark on this journey, because Garcia will crush your soul without remorse (and you will love her for it.)
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Of Love and Loss is scheduled for release on September 28th, 2024.
