“The Second Death of Locke”, VL Bovalino
Published September 23, 2025 • Book 1 of The Hand and the Heart
Love. Loyalty. Sacrifice.
Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier.
She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier's to use. Grey would do anything for Kier—be anything for him—if he would only ask.
When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into the dangerous heart of their nation's war, Grey and Kier will need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their secret.
For Grey is no ordinary magical well, but heir to the lost island of Locke—the root of all power. If she dies, all magic dies with her.
“What is love, without freedom?”
”What is life, without you?”
I first picked up The Second Death of Locke while I was waiting to be approved for an eARC of The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (a longer, slightly different version of The Six Deaths of the Saint—one of my top 5 favorite stories of all time). Their similarities caught my eye: brave female warrior, a man tied to her fate (a mage here instead of a scribe), and the constant shadow of death hanging overhead. What I didn’t expect was just how fucking beautiful this story would be. I’ll admit, the cover didn’t immediately sell me, and I definitely judged it too quickly. Not that it mattered, because I couldn’t even wait for a library copy to become available, like I usually do. I ran to my local indie bookstore for a copy, and once I cracked it open, I devoured the whole thing in a matter of days. And now, book hangover. Severe. I need more of this exact genre immediately.
The Second Death of Locke is an adventure story about love and rewriting the roles women are too often handed in fantasy. The heart of this book is Grey and Kier’s relationship. They are equals in every sense. No tired damsel-in-distress trope here, and no ridiculous overpowered alphabro. Grey is a literal well of power for Kier, and without her, he wouldn’t be nearly as strong. She trusts him (and only him) so much that she lets no other mage tether to her. Their bond flips the usual fantasy dynamics on its head, making her not just his partner, but the very source of his strength. It’s romantic and deeply respectful—a partnership built on balance rather than rescue.
As much as I would like to yap more, I might spoil the story for you, and that would be such a shame because VL Bovalino tells their tale better than my review ever could. Just know that if there’s one trope this book nails, it’s pining. It’s yearning. It’s not even light and casual; Grey has the deep, aching, “I’d die for you but will never say it out loud” kind of pining that I am a slore for. For a while, I couldn’t tell if it was mutual or one-sided, although I had a feeling where it was going because the back cover said “romance”. Still, that little thread of mystery added more tension to a story that already set in wartime. Being inside Grey’s head, watching her long for Kier as more than a friend, gave me all the blushing, giggling, feet-kicking moments I live for in fantasy romance. (Look up the Filipino word “kilig”.) Meanwhile, you can tell that Kier is (probably) exercising restraint, perhaps has some hesitation, but gives subtle signals such as Chapter 1’s iconic massage scene. The author was diabolical for that.
Content Warnings
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of content and trigger warnings.
war • death • violence • gore
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Owned: A Seat at the Table paperback