It has been a year since the mysterious godsgem cured Cadrium’s king and ushered in what promised to be a new golden age. The heroes who brought the gem home are renowned in story and song, but for two fellows on the quest, peace and prosperity do not come easily.

Apprentice Knight Kalanthe Ironheart wasn't meant for heroism this early in life, and while she has no intention of giving up the notoriety she has earned, her reputation does not pay her bills. With time running out, Kalanthe may be forced to betray not her kingdom or her friends, but her own heart as she seeks a stable future for herself and those she loves.

Olsa Rhetsdaughter was never meant for heroism at all. Beggar, pick pocket, thief, she lived hand to mouth on the city streets until fortune--or fate--pulled her into Kalanthe's orbit. And now she's quite reluctant to leave it. Even more alarmingly, her fame has made her recognizable, which makes her profession difficult, and a choice between poverty and the noose isn't much of a choice at all.

Both girls think their paths are laid out, but the godsgem isn't quite done with them and that new golden age isn’t a sure thing yet.

In a tale both sweepingly epic and intensely personal, Kalanthe and Olsa fight to maintain their newfound independence and to find their way back to each other.

Reader Reviews

prag ♻

(5/5)

Apr 28, 2024

god tier sapphic fantasy

anna (½ of readsrainbow)

(2/5)

rep: Black bi mc, poc lesbian mc, poc side characters, trans side characterthe sapphic imagery? five starsthe writing & pacing & constant changes in pov & character development? one star

Lata

(4/5)

I loved the concept for this story, of female knights and a thief going on a difficult and successful quest together, then having to continue with their lives after. I loved each of the women and their friendship. I even enjoyed much of the writing, even with some of the editing problems (occasional missing words and incorrect tense use), the way the past is 3rd person and the present is 1st person with 2 PoVs. But this book didn't end up as a 5 star read for me; not sure what was a little off f...

ellie

this felt like a second book in a series. it was somehow underdeveloped and too muddled in past moments that it dragged. so. much. my god. this dragged as much as an ox cart through a field.my brain hurts with the effort i made to like this because of the gay girls (i love them but they didnt save this book)

Jessica

A labor of love and an homage to those fantasy books of yore, especially David Eddings' Elenium! The book is, in fact, dedicated to David and his wife/co-author Leigh, which I found doubly precious. This is a story you might have heard before: about a group of brave nights, a thief and a mage, going on quest for a mysterious gem that could destroy the world . . . but it's also what happens after. What happens when you go home? When there are songs about you, but songs don't pay the rent? What ha...

Elizabeth

didactic af. Something about a world with only female knights flows okay but how she treats the diverseness of race and sexuality feels like she's trying to fit a quota and show how ~aware~ she is, it doesn't flow naturally. I became incredibly tired of reading all her pointed bits about HAIR.also the plot was terrible and cliche, I hate reading before/after stories every other chapter. It felt like I was reading a sequel to a book that was never written. Nothing HAPPENS and when it does, it hap...

Eleanor (bookishcourtier)

Everyone go read this book thank you bye.

Silvia

Hello this is my new favorite fantasy f/f relationship!!! Please read this bookScream review to come

Acqua

(3/5)

Me and E.K. Johnston's writing just don't get along. It's not bad by any means, it's just that the narrative choices don't make any sense to me: in years of reading fantasy, I've never read a book that had at the same time this many infodumps and a worldbuilding as generic, inconsistent and lacking in details as The Afterward.Let's talk about what I mean:• generic: this book has a typical medieval fantasy aesthetic, with knights and kings and magical gems, which is fine, if not exactly my prefer...

Heather (The Sassy Book Geek)

Review Originally Posted On The Sassy Book Geek **** Huge thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review as well as allowing me to participate in the blog tour! ****4.5 StarsThis was my first time experiencing the writing of E.K. Johnston and I have to say the hype is worth it! I had a ton of fun reading “The Afterward” and was even a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed it since it focuses on romance but also weaved in plenty of action and adventure. P

Rayna

The beginning of this book seemed quite promising. Kalanthe Ironheart, an apprentice knight and Olsa Rhetsdaughter, a street-smart thief, along with their five companions (four knights and a mage), go on a Quest to find the godsgem so they can defeat the evil Old God who torments all life in the world. The story is as much about what happens to the characters after they return home from completing the Quest as it is about what happens during the Quest. The narratives are separated into two timel...

Julie

LOVED everything about this book: the voice, the world-building, the F/F romance, the characters! Mage Ladros is one of my favorites. A YA must-read for lovers of classic adult high fantasy.

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The Afterward

The Afterward

The Afterward

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