B+

Armistice

Back in 2017 I reviewed Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly. This was the first book in a series about a slightly alternate 1920s/1930s era Europe. The first book pitted the members and patrons of The Bumble Bee Cabaret against the rising fascist party (the Ospies). You will definitely want to read Amberlough before you read Armistice.

The sequel, Armistice, picks up three years after the end of Amberlough, with the characters of that novel scattered. Cordelia has been leading the resistance in Gedda (the country where Amberlough was set) and flees to the neighboring country of Porachis. Aristide fled to Porachis years ago and is a movie star. A new character, Lillian DePaul, is in Gedda, where she works under duress for the Ospie government as a press attaché. Initially it seems that the three characters will remain separate all the way through the book – which makes it incredibly satisfying when their plot lines finally converge and they find themselves spending incredibly awkward time together.

While Amberlough was gritty, most of Armistice is desperation concealed by glamour. It reminded me considerably of The Night Manager in terms of the juxtaposition of luxury and panic. Some parts of the book move fast while others are more of a slow burn. However, the theme that the political is personal and vice versa remains. Ultimately, everyone makes their choices not because of political ideas but because of their relationships to other people – friends, lovers, children, rivals. This quality is, for me, the draw of the series – well, that and the clothes!

The series will conclude with Amnesty, which is projected to be released on April 16, 2019.

– Carrie S

In a tropical country where shadowy political affairs lurk behind the scenes of its glamorous film industry, three people maneuver inside a high stakes game of statecraft and espionage:

Lillian, a reluctant diplomat serving a fascist nation,

Aristide, an expatriate film director running from lost love and a criminal past,

—and Cordelia, a former cabaret stripper turned legendary revolutionary.

Each one harbors dangerous knowledge that can upturn a nation. When their fates collide, machinations are put into play, unexpected alliances are built, and long-held secrets are exposed. Everything is barreling towards an international revolt…and only the wiliest ones will be prepared for what comes next.