http://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2018/05/201818-tremontaine-complete-season-2.html ( )

this second season of Tremontaine has a somewhat different set of contributors, although Ellen Kushner is still in command in the first and last chapters. the blending of writing styles is proceeding nicely, though the fantasy of manners occasionally falls to the level of straight regency romance with a side of melodrama, not really my cup of tea. plus side, one minor addition also adds a trans character to the mix, and there's a great new Asian character startup. all the characters are strong, and the relationship between the villain and the autistic mathematician is rather priceless. although the villain remains a villain, in one subplot you end up cheering for her just the same. there is considerable growth in the characters, and quite a lot happens, a little piled up into the ending, which moves the plot and the relationships considerably forward. my favourite part is that Riverside itself becomes a coherent almost-speaking character at this point too. i look forward to season 3, installments of which are now apparently in progress on the net for a small fee per installment, and audio editions of chapters are also available; altogether an interesting publishing experience on the part of Serial Box. but me, i'll wait (impatiently) for the complete season to collate, cause i prefer to binge my books. and meanwhile, i'll reread the Swordspoint trilogy, which chronologically comes later. ( )

Tremontaine is a prequel to Ellen Kushner’s Riverside books (a series made up of three stand alone novels). However, you don’t have had to have read any of Kushner’s books to enjoy Tremontaine. I do suggest that you start at the beginning of Tremontaine, with season one. If queer fantasy of manners sounds like your thing, you’ll probably enjoy this series.

If your not familiar with Serial Box, they’re a publishing company that releases serialized stories, of which Tremontaine is one. Think of it as written fiction in a format akin to television. Each episode has its own arc, but they flow together to make up a greater, season arc. Hence the large number of authors working on this project. With season one, I sometimes found the changes in styles from one episode to the next jarring, but season two was a lot smoother. I never felt any episodes were clunky, and the writer’s styles felt a lot more consistent. Tremontaine‘s gotten into groove.

Tremontaine follows a cast of characters in an unnamed city, from the scheming noble houses (most notably Tremontaine itself) to merchant families to the slums of Riverside. Diane Duchess of Tremontaine has maneuvered her husband Will out of the way, and his lover Rafe desperately looks to find him. However, Diane isn’t concerned with Rafe. She’s got a whole new plot in mind: getting herself made Duchess of Tremontaine in her own right, without appearing to do so out of an ambition unsuitable for a woman. Meanwhile, Kaab is investigating whose been stealing from her family’s warehouse and feeling increasingly torn between her family and homeland and the desires of her Riverside lover, Tess.

The conflict between Kaab and Tess is trying at times, but at least it feels believable and real, not one of the flimsy miscommunications so often used to cause conflict in fictional romantic relationships. Tess feels like Kaab is putting her second to her family and is unappreciative of all Tess does for her. But Kaab can’t understand why Tess expects her to disregard her own family and responsibility, which are immensely important to her. And Kaab also misses her homeland and culture, especially the food. Tess is never going to leave Riverside for Kaab’s home, and Kaab can never leave her culture behind for Tess. The two struggle to meet in the middle.

To be honest, I’m not super invested in Kaab or Tess. My favorites remain Diane, with all her intricate schemes, and Micah, who has no schemes at all. This season, I actually got to see the two of them interact, and I can’t have enjoyed it more. I also grew fond of a new character, a foreign swordswoman working as a courtesan. I hope to see more of her in season three.

I’m also glad that Tremontaine continues to expand the diversity of the cast and world. The original novel, Swordspoint, was published in the 80’s. While it was groundbreaking for the time, the genre’s come a long way since then, and the book’s notably lacking in racial or gender diversity. In it’s first season, Tremontaine introduced Kaab and her family, merchants from a Meso-American inspired culture who supply the fine chocolates the nobles drink (warning: this series will make you crave chocolate). In season two, Tremontaine continues to add characters of color, and it also introduces a nonbinary supporting character. While the character has a small role, I’m very happy that Tremontaine is expanding the queer representation this world offers. It’s always been focused on lesbian, gay, and bisexual characters without any hint that trans characters existed, so I’m glad that I can finally call this series “LGBT” without any reservations.

Pretty soon the future, I’ll be reviewing season three on a per episode basis. And I can’t wait to get started! Season two was such fun, and I can’t wait to see what the next season has in store.

Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.

I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review. ( )