The Afterward

[psocoptera]

The Afterward, E.K. Johnston, 2019. This was a delight - I suppose authors are unknowable but this reads exactly like Johnston grew up reading Alanna and the Belgariad like I did and then decided to mash it up and make it more women and more gay, which I feel is a pretty solid approach to any genre but definitely welcome in the realm of YA fantasy-adventure. A team of lady knights (and one dude magician) have defeated the dark god with the magic jewel, and now the two youngest members of the team, an apprentice knight and a thief, are trying to sort their lives out afterwards. And also they're in love and it's difficult. Their chemistry was so good, I loved the complexity of their situation and how that complicated their relationship dynamic. The supporting cast, mostly the older knights from the quest, were well-drawn (and some of the details of the worldbuilding were great, like the acknowledgment in passing that many older knights have CTE-like symptoms... that's realism!) Recommended if you like YA fantasy or f/f, and it's going on my list for Lodestar nominees. Johnston is also the author of That Inevitable Victorian Thing, so, clearly an author relevant to my interests.