When the consequences get him exiled to the land he helped terrorize, can this evil wizard find redemption… and love?

Orpheus can’t believe it’s come to this. After helping his childhood friend conquer the realm by raising an army of hell-beasts, the befuddled dark sorcerer finds himself banished when the price of his magic endangers the palace. Isolated and betrayed, the feared spellcaster isn’t exactly thrilled when his irritating and handsome rival keeps stepping between him and certain doom.

Ill at ease in the barren wasteland his powers created, Orpheus slowly warms to the charismatic ex-general’s relentless overtures. But as his feelings grow more intense, the former villain struggles with an inconvenient calling towards heroism.

Will dabbling in good deeds get him killed or open the doors to happily ever after?

The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn is an emotional and complex story of redemption with LGBTQ romance in a fantasy setting with dark magic. From the very beginning I was intrigued by Orpheus, his snarky attitude and the way he pushed others away. As he opens himself up to love, he finds hope and healing, the only question will be if its enough to save himself and his world.

One of the writing tools the author uses that I love is intermittent flashbacks to Orpheus and Lore’s history, their childhood and eventually his meeting with Fenrir. The story slowly develops Orpheus’ relationship with Fenrir, the slow burn of chemistry between the two and tackles the trauma of Orpheus’ life. I also like that the author addresses the price of magic, the consequences. I found the world rich and inventive, a blend of old and post apocalyptic, rich and complex with history. But most of all, I loved the theme of healing and love that it showed, that even those terribly damaged can learn to love. 

If you like dark, emotional and complex fantasy stories with LGBTQ romance, this one is a beautiful story full of love and hope, with a wonderful ending. The characters are complicated, damaged but also open to redemption. I loved the rich and emotional storytelling from start to finish. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 rifts