‘But everything had changed since his death. He knew not how to be a hero in this time. He knew not if they even existed.’
At the end of This Will Be Fun, Galwell the Great was saved from his untimely death and brought into a future he does not recognize. As he struggles to adjust to a world that has moved on without him, Galwell gets wrapped up in a murderous plot destined to rewrite his history as a hero. The quest to clear his name attracts the interest of the dangerously beautiful Vestriyan criminal Mona Grandhart, with hijinks abound.
This Will Be Interesting also introduces us to River Pricemark, a gifted assassin of the Deathrose Guild who’s tasked with taking out Galwell…but she runs into an obstacle in the form of Celine Hazelton, the whip-smart scribesheet reporter who asks all the right questions and gets under River’s skin (in more ways than one).
Then there’s Galwell’s once-betrothed, the Queen of Mythria herself: Thessia is now married to another man, the charming King Hugh, and she’s supposed to be starting her happily ever after. Instead, she must try to save Galwell and the realm from plunging into war—some honeymoon, right?!
‘ “Sometimes the stories we are told are just that,” he said. “Stories. With the heroes and the villains of someone else’s determining.” ’
I adored 2024’sThis Will Be Fun for its ridiculously fun quest fueled by redemption and romance, and This Will Be Interesting dives back in the same world for another whirlwind adventure. Being a sequel, I was already attached to some of the characters and the setting, and its new additions provide a refreshing twist. The amount of plotlines makes this story a zig-zagging, complicated one, but its alternating POV chapters keep your interest running at full speed, even if it takes a while to settle into.
The writing is snappy and fun, deftly playing with romantasy genre tropes—including friends to lovers, fake marriage, hero x villain romance—while throwing in some modern-day references to make you giggle. But in between the joy of questing, the emotional heartbeat is strong and true, as the characters unwrap layers of complex trauma and personal quirks that make their arcs compelling. The continued exploration of what it means to be a hero is one of the best things about this series, and This Will Be Interesting digs deep. And the fight scenes, ooh, they’re dynamic and delicious.
This Will Be Interesting lives up to its name; you’ll be thoroughly entertained the whole way through. It’s a treat to return to this world for a fresh new adventure—long may the holy author trio of E.B. Asher reign!
