Masks Worn by Magical Wives: A Sapphic Fantasy Romance

This might be my favorite Hiyodori novel so far. A little softer and not as dark as her usual, and the world- and character-building was a treat. I love how weird her worlds are (eg., here we have a king who’s slowly turning into an axolotl) and yet the emotions are so real and the characters complex and relatable. Nemesia lives Below as a priestess of the Snake god. Once every ten years she gets to spend a year Above, and this time she is offered a chance at freedom in exchange for marrying (and spying on) Eden, a powerful user of wild magic. Of course, Eden picks up on this immediately and what follows is a great exploration of the duties that we choose as opposed to the duties that are forced on us. To say more would spoil the twists and turns of the story, but let’s just say this one really got to me, in the best of ways. HIGHLY recommended. Note: A few characters from “The First and Last Demon” show up. You don’t have to read that one first, but I think it adds a bit to the story.

It’s hard for me to describe the pure, childish joy I feel every six months when a new Hiyodori novel drops on my Kindle page like a Kinder Surprise egg. I adore Hiyodori’s surreal world-building, as well as her complex plots where every detail has a chance to surprise you. And of course, I love her ambiguous but indelible relationships. Reading a Hiyodori novel is like solving a delicious puzzle box sprinkled with a strong sapphic flavoring—I’m convinced I can’t live without it. In Masks Worn by Magical Wives, the descendants of the Blessed Empire live inside the magical Shell of an omnipotent eldritch god called the Snake That Ate the Roots of Time, commonly referred to by its devote followers as simply ‘the Snake.’ The people of the Shell want for nothing, but to their amusement, the Snake also possesses a convoluted understanding of human wants and desires. It appoints a chosen king, draws random lotteries for nobles, and posts political posters for imaginary candidates in an attempt to simulate what it believes to be fundamental aspects of normal human societies. As a Bride of the Snake, Nemesia lives underground and emerges once every ten years on a pilgrimage to the lands Above to help her god understand the lives of ordinary mortals. For her second pilgrimage, she is hired by a benefactor of the sect to snoop on a powerful mage named Kuchinashi Eden by going undercover as her wife. In a world of cold and unsociable mages, Eden is powerful and well-loved, but she…

Hiyodori's work is like visiting that comfy room in your head that you can fully phase into and feel equal parts nostalgia and comfort with a dose of magic. Whenever Hiyodori releases something else, my heart soars knowing that no matter the characters or story, I'll be in that cozy spot for a book that feels like it was written just for me. Masks Worn by Magical Wives is no different. It's cozy and sweet and has such a wonderful way of playing with high stakes but mixed with a slice of life. Each character is so relatable even though they are their own unique person. Nemesia has a deep secret that she knows to keep hidden but as she falls for Eden, she learns the depth of wanting to tell someone something so significant to you. Eden loves magic, it is not just an ability of hers, it is now how she values herself as she hasn't figured out any other way to. As they both consent to an arranged marriage, both hiding secrets from each other, we get to fall into orbit with Nemesia and Eden as they find themselves pulled to each other at every corner no matter how much they may try to keep themselves guarded. Other people inside the Shell either love Eden and her larger-than-life magical capabilities or love to hate her and we get to find out through Nemesia, her new wife, as she tries to find out all sorts of information on Eden for a benefactor who has a long-time grudge against Eden. As Nemesia's time Above comes to an end and the eldritch god Below's sect is awaiting her…

For me to settle into this world. But at some point it clicked and the rules of time and of a wild magic started to make sense to me. And once it did it started to seep into my bones and I became deeply invested in the characters and their well being. As always hiyodori manages to seduces her with a fantasy lineage that itself is magic. Loved this.

No one tells a fantastical love story quite like Hiyodori. I’d love to know what it’s like to build such beautiful worlds in my head. Instead I get the honor of reading the worlds inside of hers. Eden and Nemesia are sweet and intelligent and witty and perfect for each other.