Thief of Songs Twin Kingdoms Romances Book 1 edition by MCA Hogarth Romance eBooks
Download As PDF : Thief of Songs Twin Kingdoms Romances Book 1 edition by MCA Hogarth Romance eBooks 
The lowland conquerers have taken everything from him, or so the composer Amet Emendexte-ilye was taught prestige, autonomy, wealth, and most importantly, magic. But when one of them steals his fiancee, Amet avenges himself on them all by writing music and giving it away in defiance of the lowland laws. It is a very satisfactory vengeance, or so he thinks, until he discovers the kingdom's royal composer is planning to debut Amet's work—as folk music!
So he's riding east to set the record straight. But he has no idea how compelling a decadent lowland hermaphrodite can be. And before it's over, this thief of songs may be stealing more than his music....
A lyrical romance, set in a second world fantasy. Leave the world behind today!
Heat Level ** (not-explicit, some sensual thoughts)
Relationship Hermaphrodite/male with poly asexual neuter third
Length Novel
Thief of Songs Twin Kingdoms Romances Book 1 edition by MCA Hogarth Romance eBooks
This is my first book by M.C. Hogarth, but it won't be my last. Part of why I enjoy reading sf/f is the way it opens my mind to what-ifs large and small. The world of the twin kingdoms is one where it is accepted that there are four sexes, the third (hermaphrodite) and fourth (neuter) having been created from and connected to the magic that flows and pools in the land -- especially in the east, where its powerful gifts have led to a complete conquest of the surrounding regions..I've never before really thought about what it would be like to have a loving but physically utterly asexual relationship with a significant other, yet Dancer on the Brink of Twilight (a third, the artistically emotional composer to ens dear friend the Divine ruler) and Life is Autumn Leaves, Always Falling (a fourth, a calming influence on its beloved Dancer, and a skilled holistic healer) have been together for a number of years, and their close bond is well-depicted. Then Amet stormily arrives from the nationalistically rebellious and magic-poor mountainfolk of the west, and Dancer realizes that this man (composer to his own liege, and from a clan which Dancer comes to learn has its own influential history) could be more than simply one of his physical flings that bother Always Falling not a bit. The question is, can and should Amet change his ways of thinking enough to make it work with an eastern third -- only the second he'd ever met -- and will Always Falling accept him too?
You may say that Amet's own change of heart comes too easily, but I am far more able to respect a protagonist who acknowledges when their assumptions and prejudices, based on little first-hand experience, are proven wrong, than one who maintains a stubborn denial of the reality in front of them. (For example, a portal fantasy where the drop-in lead keeps insisting it has to be a dream because they don't believe in magic. *Sigh*)
I liked how the situation wasn't treated as simple, from Always Falling's wariness, and protectiveness of Dancer, to Amet's internal conflict over his necessary submission to the Divine's authority, yet they were all good people, however different. Amet makes friends with another important fourth, and with the southern-born royal Armsmaster, as well as growing closer to his aunt, a fixture of the eastern court even after the eastern lord she married passed away. Little princess Tadla, a beloved student of Dancer's, is a delight, and shows promise of being a leader as wise and skilled as her father one day.
This isn't a book with action. The biggest suspense for much of it is whether Amet will be punished for having given some of his songs away, which he did in vengeful pain after the powerful western betrothed he wrote them for/about broke it off to marry an eastern third for the sake of political ambition. Then when Haizea (who took the eastern name Songbird Singing, Flying) unexpectedly follows Amet to the imperial city Where Magic Lives, with new plans for him that he has no intention of agreeing to, all who care about Amet and/or Dancer fear that she will ruin everything in cruel humiliation upon facing the unaccustomed experience of being thwarted.
The idea of such strict ethics and laws re. a living creator's intellectual property (source of the intitial conflict between Amet and Dancer, who mistook his songs for traditional folk pieces) was a bit surprising, but had interesting implications. An afterword from the author mentions that the inspiration was a true bit of music history trivia.
The thing that took a bit more getting used to for me was the fourth's pronoun being "it", which I don't like for any sentient being, though I do use it for animals of undetermined gender. If MCH was going to create an original pronoun for thirds ("en"), why not make one for fourths, too?
Also, Dancer looks more female on the cover than I think is quite accurate -- isn't en supposed to be more androgynous? Though I personally try to never judge a book too much by its cover, I feel that stories featuring romance other than the standard M/F should try to show that plainly.
The ending has a happy resolution re. Amet's ex, and Amet and Always Falling are growing closer bit by bit, but I'm looking forward to reading more, including seeing how they come to fulfill the desire they all have for a family. Thirds are unable to bear children, so will a woman become a part of this relationship, or just a temporary necessity?
Oh, I forgot to mention, it's well-edited, which is NOT something you can count on when reading indie books.
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Thief of Songs Twin Kingdoms Romances Book 1 edition by MCA Hogarth Romance eBooks Reviews
<i>Thief of Songs</i> is set in a fantasy world, where humans have four sexes male, female, hermaphrodite, and neuter. The latter two are created due to the effects of magic in the setting. The story feels like a poly triad romance to me, with one member of the triad being asexual romantic. The emphasis is on the sexual-and-romantic relationship between the male and hermaphrodite members of the triad, though.
One thing that I like in a romance novel is a lot of <i>romance</i> while I want some obstacles for the characters to overcome on their way to happily-ever-after, I also want to spend some time watching the protagonists actually being happy together and in love.
In this respect, <i>Thief</i> truly delivers. There's plenty of intense emotion and lots of tender, touching scenes. If anything, the story is too light on conflict. The book has a large cast of different people, and while they all have distinct personalities, almost all of them get along amiably and civilly. Even when characters representing conflicting sides air their grievances, in most cases they quickly come to accord. It is, on the one hand, delightful to hang out with this assortment of reasonable, well-behaved individuals. On the other, it feels too facile, and the pacing in the second half felt slow due to a lack of urgency.
There were a few other things that niggled at me about the book, but overall I had a splendid time with it. The protagonists are charming. Both of them are composers, and there're some splendid lyrical declarations of feeling that would feel over-the-top in most characters but that fit right here. The setting is well-described, with enough detail to convey a good mental image and not so much as to overwhelm. Likewise, I enjoyed the descriptions of the composers at work, which included enough musical details for verisimilitude but not so many as to feel like jargon, accompanied by judicious use of metaphor to convey a sense of the composition. I look forward to reading more in the series!
I am most decidedly not a regular romance reader, but M.C.A. Hogarth is now officially on my automatic-buy list, and I have enjoyed so many of her books that I am willing to venture into the most unusual of territories.
I loved Thief of Songs. It's written with the understated grace and loveliness that I've come to expect, and strikes the perfect balance (for me, as someone not so much into the hot-and-heavy) of sensuality and restraint. And I love that the characters face challenges to their relationship that feel organic -- so often romantic plots or sub-plots are derailed by idiotic communications and (seemingly) willful misunderstandings. It's refreshing to find a book without those tropes.
Instead what we see is a gradually developing relationship that feels real, a relationship that has to overcome the challenges of culture and history and human nature, and the romance is all the better for it.
Then, too, I have a soft spot for any book that features the arts. I'm not a musician myself (and I've yet to find a really good ballet-book), but the passages describing music and the creative process seemed so lovingly written.
It's a wonderful book. You should read it.
This is my first book by M.C. Hogarth, but it won't be my last. Part of why I enjoy reading sf/f is the way it opens my mind to what-ifs large and small. The world of the twin kingdoms is one where it is accepted that there are four sexes, the third (hermaphrodite) and fourth (neuter) having been created from and connected to the magic that flows and pools in the land -- especially in the east, where its powerful gifts have led to a complete conquest of the surrounding regions..
I've never before really thought about what it would be like to have a loving but physically utterly asexual relationship with a significant other, yet Dancer on the Brink of Twilight (a third, the artistically emotional composer to ens dear friend the Divine ruler) and Life is Autumn Leaves, Always Falling (a fourth, a calming influence on its beloved Dancer, and a skilled holistic healer) have been together for a number of years, and their close bond is well-depicted. Then Amet stormily arrives from the nationalistically rebellious and magic-poor mountainfolk of the west, and Dancer realizes that this man (composer to his own liege, and from a clan which Dancer comes to learn has its own influential history) could be more than simply one of his physical flings that bother Always Falling not a bit. The question is, can and should Amet change his ways of thinking enough to make it work with an eastern third -- only the second he'd ever met -- and will Always Falling accept him too?
You may say that Amet's own change of heart comes too easily, but I am far more able to respect a protagonist who acknowledges when their assumptions and prejudices, based on little first-hand experience, are proven wrong, than one who maintains a stubborn denial of the reality in front of them. (For example, a portal fantasy where the drop-in lead keeps insisting it has to be a dream because they don't believe in magic. *Sigh*)
I liked how the situation wasn't treated as simple, from Always Falling's wariness, and protectiveness of Dancer, to Amet's internal conflict over his necessary submission to the Divine's authority, yet they were all good people, however different. Amet makes friends with another important fourth, and with the southern-born royal Armsmaster, as well as growing closer to his aunt, a fixture of the eastern court even after the eastern lord she married passed away. Little princess Tadla, a beloved student of Dancer's, is a delight, and shows promise of being a leader as wise and skilled as her father one day.
This isn't a book with action. The biggest suspense for much of it is whether Amet will be punished for having given some of his songs away, which he did in vengeful pain after the powerful western betrothed he wrote them for/about broke it off to marry an eastern third for the sake of political ambition. Then when Haizea (who took the eastern name Songbird Singing, Flying) unexpectedly follows Amet to the imperial city Where Magic Lives, with new plans for him that he has no intention of agreeing to, all who care about Amet and/or Dancer fear that she will ruin everything in cruel humiliation upon facing the unaccustomed experience of being thwarted.
The idea of such strict ethics and laws re. a living creator's intellectual property (source of the intitial conflict between Amet and Dancer, who mistook his songs for traditional folk pieces) was a bit surprising, but had interesting implications. An afterword from the author mentions that the inspiration was a true bit of music history trivia.
The thing that took a bit more getting used to for me was the fourth's pronoun being "it", which I don't like for any sentient being, though I do use it for animals of undetermined gender. If MCH was going to create an original pronoun for thirds ("en"), why not make one for fourths, too?
Also, Dancer looks more female on the cover than I think is quite accurate -- isn't en supposed to be more androgynous? Though I personally try to never judge a book too much by its cover, I feel that stories featuring romance other than the standard M/F should try to show that plainly.
The ending has a happy resolution re. Amet's ex, and Amet and Always Falling are growing closer bit by bit, but I'm looking forward to reading more, including seeing how they come to fulfill the desire they all have for a family. Thirds are unable to bear children, so will a woman become a part of this relationship, or just a temporary necessity?
Oh, I forgot to mention, it's well-edited, which is NOT something you can count on when reading indie books.
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