I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Waltz of Sinister Import by Stephanie Burgis Series: The Supernatural Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven #3
Published by Five Fathoms Press on October 14 2026
Genres: Adult, Cozy fantasy
Pages: 143
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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The nitty-gritty: Lady and Lord Riven have one last magical adventure in this exciting conclusion to Stephanie Burgis’s lively historical fantasy series.
As far as I know, this is the last book in Stephanie Burgis’ delightful Lady & Lord Riven series, and I’m very sad! The author has created a fascinating fantasy world full of supernatural creatures, and I can imagine many more stories featuring Margaret and her vampire husband Lord Riven, but for now it seems their adventures have come to an end. I would definitely read this series in order, so do start with A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience so you can experience the story in its entirety. (And side note: these are all novella length and can be read in one sitting.)
At the end of A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence, Margaret and her husband have been honeymooning at an inn in the Black Forest, when a message from the King arrives demanding they come to Vienna to help with a problem that could affect the fate of Europe. Margaret is reluctant to leave her studies—she has immersed herself in the cultures of the many supernatural creatures who live in the area—and she’s not happy about ending what has been a wonderful honeymoon.
The story picks up as Lady and Lord Riven arrive at the palace in Vienna only to be confronted with a supernatural mystery. Each night during the balls that are being held to celebrate the many nations who are visiting for a peace conference, a “magical waltz” takes place, drawing attendees into a frantic dance where they not only lose control but forget what happened after the waltz is over. Margaret is determined to solve the mystery, with a little help from her new friend Amelie. But there are those at the palace who know what Margaret is up to and intent to stop her meddling. Time is running out, and Margaret must uncover the truth before a war breaks out.
I loved the “cursed waltz” idea, and it reminded me a bit of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, although it’s definitely not a retelling of the fairy tale. Burgis’s running theme throughout the series is the conflict between humans and supernatural creatures, who are often misunderstood and whose rights are tenuous at best. Margaret is one of their biggest champions, as she’s a scholar and wants to educated everyone about supernaturals and how much value they have. She is married to one, after all! In this story, we meet a new supernatural character—Amalie, who is a lorelei (similar to a siren). Her life is tied to the Danube River and she can’t stray far from it or her powers will be lost. She and Margaret develop a lovely friendship as they work together to figure out the mystery of the waltz.
Once again, Margaret steals the show. She’s a force of nature, a woman with an intense curiosity about the world who struggles with social norms—she can be outspoken at inconvenient times—but she adores Lord Riven and will do anything to help supernatural creatures. I also loved the relationship between Margaret and Lord Riven. In this story, they struggle a bit with communication, and Lord Riven has become way too overprotective of Margaret and it doesn’t sit well with her. Luckily they are able to communicate and work things out. And while this is a fairly “clean” romance, there’s quite a bit of very cute sexual innuendo, which works perfectly for the story.
Although readers can expect a happy ending, there is the matter of a possible war breaking out that raises the stakes near the end. One ongoing subplot involving Margaret’s and Lord Riven’s future life together (if you’re reading the series you probably know what I’m talking about) appears to be happening, although Burgis leaves the messy details off page so readers can use their imaginations.
Now that the series is complete, it’s the perfect time (and season!) to do a binge read. I promise you’ll have a wonderful time!
Big thanks to Stephanie Burgis for providing a review copy.
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