“”We’re a mess, aren’t we?” Kit smiled. “A good kind of mess?” The best kind”
You know, The Connections series has been excitingly unique and unpredictable from the very start, but I somehow still wasn’t prepared for the number of surprises that Christina K. Glover had in store in The Lineman. It takes all the best elements of the previous two books and just weaves every single thread together in one hell of an epic finale full of action, emotion, heart, and hurt.
For me, this last instalment in the series had the smoothest start out of the three books in The Connections series, and I was just instantly reinvested in Kit & Hen’s hectic lives. The first 25% of The Lineman really dials down on the action, which not only allowed for the characters and their interpersonal relationships to shine, but which also nicely built up the stakes and the looming sense of dread and suspense for the impending chaos that was surely to come for my dear characters.
Peace is honestly nowhere to be found, and some of my most beloved babes were realistically in mortal peril (ugh, KIT!!), but I loved that we still got some great bonding time as everyone banded together to hunt down the diabolical Ethereal Lord who escaped into the Actuality at the end of The Mage-Killer. I especially enjoyed spending more time with Hen’s wonderful family, and it made my heart so happy to see Kit & Hen growing ever closer and realising just how far they were willing to go to protect and save each other.
And I mean, talk about a good sloooow-burn, oh my. I am talking deep denial, repressed mutual pining, ‘surely that kiss was just friendly’ vibes, and ‘it takes until 85% into the last book of the trilogy to say *the three words*’ type of slow-burn, and I was living for it. No, the queer romance is not the main focus of this series, but it is absolutely my favourite aspect of the story, and I think Glover absolutely nailed their romance arc in The Lineman.
Now, if it wasn’t already obvious from that gush fest, Kit & Hen are the absolute stars of the show for me. That is not to say that the other characters pale in comparison (come on, as if Lord René could ever be outshone), but I have to admit that their complex history with the in-world rewrites and constantly shifting alliances made it hard for me to keep track and get really invested in them. For me, there was maybe a bit too much page time spent on the storylines involving the side cast (be they friend or foe), which made the pacing feel a bit wobbly as I personally kept losing attention during chapters without Kit & Hen.
However, I truly can’t deny that the character work is beautifully nuanced, and I ended up being deeply impressed with how well Glover managed to weave all the seemingly separate threads of this story together into such an amazingly satisfying conclusion. Moreover, The Lineman dives deep into the lore of the Between and delivers some brutal revelations about the origins of the magic, which really brought home the core themes of memory and connection that have been red threads throughout this entire series from the start.
While there were maybe some wobbles along the way, I ultimately think The Lineman is a brilliant finale to a truly remarkable series, and I would totally give up some of my most precious memories in return for some spin-offs set in this wonderfully unique world. The Connections series is easily one of the most ambitious and refreshingly unique urban fantasy series I have ever read, and I would highly recommend it if you are craving some magical mayhem, charming chaos, and a beautifully tender slow-burn queer romance.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Lineman is scheduled for release on June 9th, 2025.
