4 ⭐ CW: violence, child abuse mention, cursing 

The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn is a standalone fantasy MLM romance set 300 years in the future after a cataclysmic event known as the 'Incident.' I was gifted this e-Arc by the author in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. I love the character centered nature of the story and the unexpected setting. 

We follow Orpheus, royal mage to Queen Lore, who considers himself a villain. He's your typical grump that really only wants to be loved. Orpheus has cursed himself by casting a spell and creating spell driven machines so powerful it must have had some blow back. He is banished from the palace as a result. To his chagrin, he is accompanied by Lore's General, the handsome and cheerful Fenrir Rawkner. We have a real grumpy/sunshine situation. 

As Orpheus leaves the palace for the first time in his life and witnesses the damage his magic has caused in the hands of Lore, he begins to feel guilt and shame for his part in it. He feels like the villain more than ever. What he doesn't expect is his growing relationship with Fenrir, who constantly teases him and makes him feel wanted. Orpheus finally figures out what the crack at the heart of everything is, and resolves to fix it, even if it means his death. 

I really liked the banter in this between Orpheus and Fenrir. Orpheus just really needs a hug and to be treated like a human being. He's like a dark little cinnamon roll. I was a little confused at first about where the story takes place. I assumed it was a fantasy world, but there are references to Greek mythology and modern technology. It was almost fantasy steampunk. I like the blending of modern technology with magic, but the whole crack to Hell and hell beasts felt a little weird. I also thought that some of the interludes that focused on Orpheus past would have been better served as a prologue to set us up. The same goes for the epilogue. It just didn't fit there. I also wish we had gotten a bit more about Life's motivation to rule the world/bring Hell to earth. 

If you're looking for a cute slow burn MLM romance in a fantasy setting that doesn't have a ton of worldbuilding, I recommend this. The relationship made up for some of the holes in the setting. The characters are very good.