All the Hidden Paths is the excellent sequel to A Strange and Stubborn Endurance. A key theme in this sequel is what happens after you come out and how your life may change after this. Vel is dealing with the trauma of past experiences and must decide what he wants out of his relationship with Cae. Meanwhile, Cae must make important political choices while dealing with complicated grief. The lack of communication was rough at times, but it was because I love the characters so much! You want to scream at them to just go to each other and talk it out. Of course, that’d be much too easy. Learning better communication and gaining political prowess are key themes for Vel and Cae. 

This sequel focuses on traveling for a good portion of it, which leads Cae and Vel into many misadventures. I enjoyed the detailed world-building and seeing how politics differed throughout the world. Markel is one of my favorite characters. Not only is it great to see sign language and muteness in fantasy, he is also very smart and routinely saves Vel and Cae from their own stupidity. I appreciated how Markel manipulates assumptions people make about him to his benefit. Qiqa is a delightfully clever new character. I loved Qiqa’s dramatic solution to a perilous political dinner. All the Hidden Paths is a high fantasy with complex politics, found family, fantastic LGBTQ+ rep, and heartwarming characters. I hope to see more stories from this world!

Thank you to Foz Meadows, Tor Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.