I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

I meant to have this review done days ago, but work has been insane, and then I had an issue with my laptop. But here I am, finally!

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen follows Rosie Fox, a marshal in Tanria, has been doing this job for decades. She’s the daughter of an immortal yet deadbeat trickster god, and has inherited his longevity (and hopefully nothing else). So even as she’s wondering how she’s gotten stuck in this rut, she finds herself having to accompany Adam Lee into Tanria. Adam is the uptight, humorless inventor of the portals that allow passage between these lands, so his safety is paramount. However, something seems to be wrong with the portals, and both Rosie and Adam are determined to discover the cause. What they don’t count on happening, though, is getting trapped in Tanria together… and the only way they’ll get out is if they figure out how to work together.

In my opinion, this series should actually be called the Penrose Duckers Literary Universe, since he’s in all three of these books (and is delightful the whole time). Shoutout to Duckers.

I feel like it’s been a while since I read the second book in this series (and thus even longer since book one), but luckily Bannen is good about providing the relevant context when it comes up, so that was no problem. And it’s honestly pretty fun to be back in this universe, full of whimsy and strangeness. It’s clear that Bannen loves writing about this place and these characters, and her enthusiasm is contagious.

As for Rosie, it took me a few chapters to fully get her and what her deal is, but that might be because I started reading this as an ebook, and I am starting to think that that’s a terrible format for me. I just can’t make progress when it’s an entire novel I’m having to read on a screen. I think I’ll try one more time and see. But I digress; the point is, once I got to know Rosie, I liked her. She’s got a lot of baggage as an immortal being, and this story really explores why being the only immortal around would be terrible. That angst makes for some interesting dynamics and character development. I liked seeing Rosie’s begrudging fondness for her friends, including my bestie Duckers, and how she deals with the inevitable pain that will come from her bonds with others. Ultimately, this book takes the stance that no matter the pain, personal connections are worth it.

And as for Adam, I really liked him right off the bat. I just enjoy a taciturn serious type, when it’s so obvious that there’s a subtle sassy streak. And when that person is paired with a more exuberant and impulsive type, all the better. Adam’s own journey is great, from so clearly hiding secrets to forging unexpected bonds with Rosie and with Duckers. I liked him both as a character and as a love interest.

But more about the romance later; for now, I have to talk about Duckers and about Zeddie Birdsall, as they’re the other two people trapped in Tanria after the portals malfunction. I understand why the official description of the book didn’t mention them, choosing to focus on the main pairing, but to me, having these two there was the real selling point. Duckers is so goofy, in a way that, for me, is never too much. And then having his ex Zeddie around to create more drama was delicious. I had a fantastic time watching their slow reconciliation, after years apart to grow and mature. It’s my favorite subplot of the book.

The other main subplot (as I’d argue escaping Tanria is the main plot) is the romance between the titular characters. While I’ll allow that it’s cute, I think it progressed a little too fast for my taste. Especially considering Rosie is understandably cautious about letting herself feel intense emotions, and is out of practice with serious relationships, it was a little jarring to see her jumping to saying she’s in love after only a few days.

Meanwhile, while the romance moved too fast, I did like the pacing of the main storyline of solving the mystery of the Tanrian portals. The magical elements in this series have always been pretty fun, and I like that Bannen isn’t afraid to disrupt the status quo of the fantasy world she’s created. Plus, in addition to the gods and mysterious forces afoot, there were dragons again, and thank goodness for that.

In the end, The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is a good conclusion to this charmingly odd series. It’s got a fun magical setting and decent stakes and action, but where this story really shines is the banter and camaraderie between the characters. They’re so fun, and I enjoyed watching their bonds develop over the course of the story. The romance wasn’t my favorite one of the three books (I think that distinction goes to Mercy and Hart in book one), but it was still sweet (and spicy, for readers who like that). Duckers still is the best, though.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is available now!