Review: Not Your Bargain by AJ Alexanders
Blurb:
When his last opportunity for closure arises, will Matradatin get answers before it's too late?
It’s been 20 years since the Battle of Crab. 20 years since Matradatin Hammerbeard was crowned King of Craig'n Dell. 20 years since he last saw Samuel Floresburg and shared that earth-shattering kiss. When they parted, Matradatin was left with more questions than answers. What did Samuel mean by it? Why hasn't he kept in touch? Why did he leave so abruptly?
Now, Samuel has returned, seeking the dwarf king’s help for one final adventure: one last chance to finally find the answers he's been yearning for. The Otehill dwarves of the South Wildes have unearthed a vein of Hoskonor, the dark ore that nearly destroyed Matradatin’s home. A human king has enlisted their aid to persuade the Otehill dwarves of its peril.
Can they convince the dwarves to heed their warning? What secrets has Samuel kept from Matradatin all these years? Will the embers of their past finally ignite into a lasting flame? Join Samuel, the charming spellcaster, and Matradatin, the quiet sovereign, as they embark on one last, bittersweet journey.
Review:
First of all, I wanna say that the end of this review has a bit of a rant because I read both the beta version and the final one, and AJ Alexanders changed the ending completely.
Secondly, this the second book in the series and as such both the blurb and the review to follow can be considered spoilers for the first book. If you haven’t had a chance to read Not Your Mountain yet, make sure to grab a copy and check out my review of that one.
As the second book in the series, though set 20 years after the events of the first, this one includes the main character from Not Your Mountain - Matty (Matradatin) as well as turning one of the main side characters into a proper main (SAMMY!!!), and even having cameos by multiple other characters from the first book. Each addition was a pleasant surprise.
The story is about Matty and Sammy coming back together. Yes, I will continue to use those names. As mentioned, it takes place 20 years after the previous book. Matty has finished his rule as King of Craig’n’Dell, has made a lot of connections, helped the city expand and grow, and has done really well. He’s also written to all his friends from book one, including Samuel. Who never replied back. So, Matty hasn’t heard or seen Samuel in twenty years.
And then Samuel shows up asking for help. Matty is, of course, not happy about this. But the issue that Samuel needs help with is one that Matty is the perfect person to help with. Another dwarven kingdom has discovered the same ore that Matty and co. learned about and had to deal with the consequences from back in book one. And the other dwarven king is a bit racist.
So, Matty being Matty, he agrees, and two old men go on an adventure together. They travel the lands, find this kingdom, and their job is to broker peace between the dwarven kingdom in question with its neighboring human kingdom, along with dealing with the ore and all the dangers that happen in their way.
While this sounds like a nice and cozy adventure, the problems arise with Samuel now becoming a main character. We learn a lot more about his past and what exactly it means for him to be such a powerful mage. The story of how Samuel became who he was and who he became takes the wheel here, as this has the feel of a final adventure for the old human mage.
I absolutely love the fact that where the first book was Matty exploring, this one was a specific roadmap to follow. While we have the familiarity of Craig’n’Dell, we also have some changes in the city visible from after Matty’s rule. And then we get to travel to another dwarven kingdom (through a monster-filled forest, of course, cuz there is never such a thing as a route without one), a beautiful sea-side village that feels a bit like a vacation spot, and a human kingdom. The paths between all three are filled with adventure and done so well.
The additional characters in his book didn’t have as prominent a role as in the first book, but I think that was perfect for the story being told. At the end of the day, the first book was exploration and learning, making new friends, and this one was with a specific focus. The side characters here were important and different, they aided the plot in different ways, but they didn’t stand out too much and, most importantly, they didn’t detract from the underlying plot or get in the way of the growing relationship between Matty and Sammy.
Matty’s character arc isn’t as prominent in this story, though it does have an important significance in how we learn about and deal with Samuel’s own story. I honestly felt a bit like Matty was the reader for this story - he wanted to know where Sammy’s been, what he’s been doing, why he hasn’t been replying to his letters, what’s he doing now - and while a lot of these questions are answered, there is just enough left unspoken for both Matty and reader to make their own assumptions on what happened between the lines.
In this book, Samuel takes the front stage. Even if, at times, it feels a bit like it’s not even Sammy himself that’s in the spotlight. We meet Sammy’s benefactor, the reason why Samuel has such strong magic, and we learn what exactly it means for Sammy to have that. Though there are hints about how that came about (and I know there is a prequel in the works that expands on it more), there is just enough backstory to keep us both interested and feel both Samuel’s desperation when in his POV and Matty’s irritation when in his. It strikes a perfect balance by creating a breadcrumb path through the forest. Having said that, it is for a very good reason that these feelings come across and I think Alexanders did an amazing job at dropping these tiny hints throughout the book that all add up to the absolutely epic finale.
Speaking of the finale. I have words to say about that! AJ Alexanders has already heard my rant on it, will hear a lot more, and I feel honoured for having been a wall for her to duck against with the change, but it has changed. I know most people aren’t going to see the original ending, but I’m hoping I can bug the author enough for her to share the beta-version-ending as a reader magnet or secret alternate ending with her readers because it was WOW. I love the current ending, I think it works much better for the series, but the original one was one that had me not only sitting and staring at my wall for a few hours trying to process it, but it’s my Roman Empire. I keep thinking about it anytime dwarves are mentioned.
This story is perfect for fans of cozy-esque adventures, though with a much darker theme throughout. It almost feels like if Not Your Mountain was the child looking to explore, this one was the jaded adult waiting for the other shoe to drop. All I can say to finish this off is that I can’t wait for the prequel, so I can learn even more about Samuel’s past and get my heart broken all over again.
Summary
Genres: LGBTQ+ fantasy, fantasy action and adventure, high fantasy
Romance: while it reads like the romance was on the site, I think it has a prominent enough role that, without it, a lot of things would’ve been lost
Highlights: reads like a romance plot within an adventure plot, which is the main story!
LGBTQ+ rep: main characters
Writing: third person, two POVs, past tense
