The residents of Eternity, and the beauty of Tanria, return this July in The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen. We first encountered these two characters in Bannen’s first Tanrian novel, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy and now we get to take a closer look at another odd couple from this odd but beautiful place. Where in the first book we were given enemies to lovers, now we see what happens when you start as best friends.
Twyla Banneker and Frank Ellis have been next door neighbors for over twenty years. Twyla was there for Frank when his wife left him and took their daughters away. Frank was there for Twyla when her husband died. For over a decade they have been each other’s “person.” They are also partners, that is partners as Tanrian Marshalls, patrolling the Mist and Eternity to safeguard the populace. The job is a lot safer now that there are no drudges to defend against, but the world is still full of the vestiges of the old gods. On a routine patrol, they come up against the traces of something that can only be a dragon, but dragons have not been seen in two million years, so that can’t be it can it? Well of course it can! Now Twyla and Frank have to contend with grown up kids, an odd professor of Draconology, the upcoming wedding of Hart and Mercy, and whatever this tension is that has “suddenly” sprung up between them. Oh, and dragons, lots of dragons.
I was about halfway through reading this book when I realized I had been grinning like a Cheshire cat the entire time. After just one book in this universe, I am already fully invested in the lives of these people. Where Hart and Mercy had to fight their own sarcastic and cantankerous natures, Twyla and Frank are two of the nicest people you could hope to meet, and it’s their own disinclination to rock the boat that they have to battle.
The other relationships are not neglected in this book. We get to see more of Pen and Duckers, and see the love birds in all their harmony but also how flush new love can be with its own brand of worry. And of course we attend the wedding of Hart and Mercy.
The old gods are explored a little more in this narrative, as Twyla is more religious than either Hart or Mercy. Bannen takes on religious need and apathy in such a sensitive way, that I wish more religious people in our real world could adopt her approach. The scene where Twyla is spoken to directly by her deity of choice is wonderful, but the wedding scene in particular reveals so much about the nature of religion and tradition in this world. It is a beautiful rendition of things that are because of our stories, but also things that we hold dear because of our futures.
Dragons and amphibious transportation aside, the realness of the characters, especially the women is a tender spot for me. It is nice to read into characters that are experiencing some of the same complicated emotions that I have been through as a young woman, and as a mother. In their relationships with Hart and Frank respectively Mercy and Twyla, are disarmingly genuine. In both books, when they finally get together with their menfolk, both are wearing granny panties! And both men have the same reaction, neither cares. Time and time again Bannen uses her characters to subtly remind us that the things we worry about are probably things we have no need to worry about. I love the equivocation she gives each woman that is promptly followed by a big dose of self confidence. With almost two teenagers in the house, the awakening of Twyla to her own wants and needs outside of motherhood is delightful and inspiring to this mom of three. Bannen is also able to use these characters to explore the vestiges of the patriarchy in their world and how it mirrors our own world with a clear and cutting commentary.
“Everett is a sweetheart. I love Everett. But I also know that it means to be on the losing end of the Old Gods’ tug-of-war between This is Male and This is Female. It didn’t go away when the New Gods won the war, and it didn’t go away when the Old Gods took their place on the altar of the sky. And if you think it’s not coming for you the second you tie yourself to the person who comes with the equipment that puts him on the winning end of that game of tug-of-war, have I got news for you.” —Twyla to her daughter
While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was definitely more focused on Twyla than Frank. In The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, both main characters were equal leads. Time was spent exploring both of them and it was definitely a dual POV. Where in The Undermining of Twyla and Frank, we are focused almost entirely on Twyla’s perspective, with much of Franks’ thoughts and opinions being obvious to an outsider. He did a few things that surprised me, but you really knew this was about Frank waiting for Twyla to read the writing on the wall. I think more time could have been spent on Frank’s point of view, but the lack of it did not in any way upset my enjoyment of the book.
Coming back to this world has firmly established that the nimkilim (postal workers) are my favorite vestiges of the old world, and I can wait for a stand alone about them as long as they continue to feature so prominently in the narratives. In The Undermining of Twyla and Frank, we are introduced to Hermia, a clumsy emotional hedgehog, who Twyla has a soft spot for and Frank is easily irritated by. We also get a quick revisit with our nimkilim friends from the previous book, who are present at the wedding of Hart and Mercy.
If you enjoyed the first book, you will enjoy the second, and I for one cannot wait for a third and fourth journey into Tanria.
GeekMom received an ARC for review purposes
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