Genre: Fantasy, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Pan, Gender Fluid, Non-Binary
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About The Book
Swordsman Aric and his half-fairy partner Emrys need to lie low for a while. They’ve been attracting attention, and not just from very human kings and merchants — Em’s powerful fairy-lord father is looking for his lost heir. So Aric and Em have taken some time off from heroic adventures to visit Aric’s brother Berd, an architect who’s helping build the brand-new king’s city of Ambrosium.
But the construction seems cursed. Collapsing walls, accidents, spoiled provisions — there’s dark magic at work. And Aric and Emrys find themselves drawn into a tangle of family, politics, and hidden ancient hexes.
The Review
The reading gods have been kind to me, with the arrival of another one of K.L. Noone’s fantastic Aric and Emrys tales. These short queer fantasy stories revolve around a mercenary swordsman for hire – Aric — and a half-human, half fae witch (or magician, if you want to be a little less vulgar) who is truly gender fluid – appearing sometimes as a man, sometimes as a woman, and sometimes as something truly in-between.
I first entered Aric and Em’s world with 2021’s The Snails of Dun Nas. I was swept up in the beautiful language and the wonderful relationship between the protagonists. They met when Aric saved Em from being burned at the stake by a bunch of magic-hating nuns, and they’ve traveled the world helping others ever since. Their world is a magical take on medieval Europe, and in Hexes of Bronze, we get to visit Noone’s version of Camelot. King Alfred has hired Aric’s younger brother Berd to build his new capital city, Ambrosium, from the ground up.
Fresh off their travels guarding the merchant witch, Aric and Em are enjoying a little downtime visiting his brother in the new metropolis. Em is worried that her father, a fairy lord who discarded his child until Em manifested his/her/their powers, is after them. Of course, as soon as they arrive in town, things start going awry. This time trouble comes in the form of an apparent curse that’s collapsing walls, drying up ink blotters and souring entire casks of ale. Aric and Em spring into action, and soon track down the source.
Of all the stories in the series so far:
- The Snails of Dun Nas: November 2021
- In the Pass of Ghosts: October 2023
- The Merchant Witch: March 2024
- Hexes of Bronze: January 2025
This one is the quietest, an idle interlude that gives the characters a chance to breathe and reflect. In a stand-alone story, this risks making for a bit of a slow pace, but because of the short length of this one, it works. And once Noone releases the whole thing as a single story, this bit will fit in perfectly.
I loved the story, mostly because of the enchanting relationship between the sword master and the magician. It’s fascinating to watch Em swing effortlessly from one gender to another, and also to realize when and why she/him/they decides to manifest as man, woman, or something else. I also loved Berd, Aric’s younger brother, and his assistant Roger, who has a secret man crush on the architect.
It all ended way too soon, but I can see how the story arc is leading up nicely toward the climax of the series, when Em finally confronts her father. I can’t wait. Magical, sweet, and romantic in an incredibly lovely and queer way.
I hope Noone is busy writing the next story!
The Reviewer
Scott is the founder of Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink and Liminal Fiction,and a fantasy and sci fi writer in his own right, with more than 30 published short stories, novellas and novels to his credit, including two trilogies.