'The Undercutting of Rosie & Adam', by Megan Bannen

Immortal demigod Rosie Fox has been patrolling Tanria for decades, but lately, the job has been losing its luster. After one hundred and fifty-seven years of being alive, everything is beginning to lose its luster. When Rosie dies (again) by electrocution (again) after poking around inside a portal choked with shadowy thorns only she can see, she feels stuck in the rut that is her unending life.

Thanks to Rosie’s meddling, the portal’s inventor, Dr. Adam Lee, must come in person to repair the damage. When all the portals begin to break down, he declares an emergency evacuation of Tanria. In the mad rush to get out, Rosie and Adam end up trapped inside the Mist. Together. And uptight Adam Lee in his bespoke menswear seems to know a lot more about what’s happening than he lets on….

Rosie is determined to crack the shell of his cool exterior. But the more she learns about Adam, the more she realizes that they both have personal histories as tangled and thorny as the plant that has them trapped inside the Mist. Maybe two people who have found themselves stuck in this life can find a way to unstick each other … just when their time on this earth seems to be running out.

So this was an unusual one. I’d never heard of this series before, and was sent the book randomly because it might be something I’d like. OK, that’s lovely but a bit odd - quirky romantasy isn’t usually my thing.

Reader, I devoured this in two days. My weekend: GONE.

I’m sure the writing style will be compared to other famous satirical authors like Terry Pratchett or Robert Rankin, but Megan Bannen’s prose isn’t really that. It’s whimsical, certainly, but more in a Victoria Wood or ‘Vicar of Dibley’ way. This is Real Life (ie ‘our world’) comedic attitudes in a fantastic setting, and it’s glorious.

I was a little lost initially, as jumping into book three of a series without any knowledge of the others can be tricky. Fortunately, because immortal guardswoman Rosie (and her partner Duckers) is so very likeable, within a chapter or two I was fully invested. Also I have absolutely added the previous two books to my Wishlist, but while their characters are mentioned, past knowledge isn’t really needed here. Join the ride anytime.

For readers daunted by the ‘romance’ angle, that’s not initially the focus of the book. This is more akin to a mystery, as portals to another part of the realm have been glitching out, thus potentially stranding citizens far from home. There has to be an evacuation and investigation as to what’s happening, with the confused Guards helping equally puzzled scientist/engineers as magic and science come together in a potentially dangerous System Error scenario.

Of course things take a turn for the worse as Rosie, portal expert Dr Adam Lee, Duckers and his chef ex-boyfriend get cut off in a realm with mysterious magical plants growing everywhere, limited food options… oh and dragons. Fortunately the latter are essentially giant puppies that burp glitter, but even so.

This is a real adventure, told with gentleness and heart, combining found family with Rosie’s constant worry about her own immortality - how can she connect with anyone if she’s just going to see them age and die one day? Also her neglectful and irreverent God of a father has left her with a lot of issues. She’s a fantastic gung-ho heroine one minute and a regular confused woman the next.

I was soon rooting for every character to get their happy ending, especially with the emotional moments that are handled beautifully. The sheer wit and fun makes the darker parts of the story hold even more impact, and I honestly can’t wait to dive back into this world in the first two parts of the series.

A huge recommend if you’d like a clever and endlessly endearing magical tale of finding yourself and the one you love.