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Painted Flock
Clémence Voyer’s one and only priority is Alain, ols five-year-old brother. Ol had been ready to kill countless witches to keep him safe. With Montrant Industries’ crimes exposed, Clémence is freed from their clutches and under witness protection, granting ol a rare opportunity to give the boy a sense of normalcy and indulge his bird obsession.
The city of Val-de-mer is left with one obvious problem, however: over a thousand witches trapped in exocores need to be transferred safely into new bodies, and ols involvement in the creation of exocores is not so easily forgotten—not by the lovely Emmanuelle Duclos, the scientist in charge of devising the exocore transfer, not by the witch community ol betrayed, and not by Montrant Industries, who needs ol dead to protect itself.
Mired in the middle of the exocore restoration project, Clémence is forced to face the people ol harmed. Ol will need to learn to trust again determine what it means to be accountable if ol wants to move forward and finally give Alain the idyllic life he deserves.
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PAINTED FLOCK is the second fantasy novel in a series meant to reframe romance tropes within non-romantic relationship and centering aromantic characters. Those who enjoy quiet healing, tricky redemptions, and unusual families should enjoy this story.
The city of Val-de-mer is left with one obvious problem, however: over a thousand witches trapped in exocores need to be transferred safely into new bodies, and ols involvement in the creation of exocores is not so easily forgotten—not by the lovely Emmanuelle Duclos, the scientist in charge of devising the exocore transfer, not by the witch community ol betrayed, and not by Montrant Industries, who needs ol dead to protect itself.
Mired in the middle of the exocore restoration project, Clémence is forced to face the people ol harmed. Ol will need to learn to trust again determine what it means to be accountable if ol wants to move forward and finally give Alain the idyllic life he deserves.
---
PAINTED FLOCK is the second fantasy novel in a series meant to reframe romance tropes within non-romantic relationship and centering aromantic characters. Those who enjoy quiet healing, tricky redemptions, and unusual families should enjoy this story.
426 pages, Paperback
Published June 26, 2025
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Claudie Arseneault
27 books463 followersClaudie Arseneault is an asexual and aromantic-spectrum writer hailing from the very-French Québec City. Her long studies in biochemistry and immunology often sneak back into her science-fiction, and her love for sprawling casts invariably turns her novels into multi-storylined wonders. The most recent, City of Strife, came out on February 22, 2017! Claudie is a founding member of The Kraken Collective and is well-known for her involvement in solarpunk, her database of aro and ace characters in speculative fiction, and her unending love of squids. Find out more on her website!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 12, 2025
If I claimed to remember anything of
Baker Thief
, Claudie Arseneault’s aspec mystery romp involving a genderfluid baker, I would be lying. Five years is too long for this reader to remember details of books. Nevertheless, when Arseneault announced a sequel to this story, I jumped at the chance to read a review copy. Painted Flock is just as enjoyable and fun as my review of Baker Thief tells me I found that book. With new main characters and slightly different themes, this novel delivers similar vibes but with a brand-new story.
Spoilers for Baker Thief but not this book.
In Baker Thief, we learned that the exocores, Val-de-Mer’s power source, were in fact the rendered souls of imprisoned witches. Exposed, the corporation that developed the exocores is in liquidation, and their chief scientist is in high-security witness protection until ol can testify for the state. However, that leaves the problem of how to free the living witches from their incorporeal prison. This unenviable task falls to Emmanuelle Duclos. A powerhouse scientist in her own right, Emmanuelle nevertheless realizes that if she is to succeed, she will likely need the help of that chief scientist, Clémence. But ol isn’t looking to trust anyone new any time soon.
As with all of Arseneault’s work, the quiet queernormativity of Painted Flock is such a joyful respite. This book depicts such a multiplicity of relationships and orientations—not to mention neurodivergent characters as well—with very little comment on it. Beyond this sliver of worldbuilding, however, lurks an even wider and more creative world. Grounded in inspiration lifted from francophone Quebec, Val-de-Mer is a wonderful setting so full of vigour. At one point, Arseneault describes in detail the premise and setting of a romance historical fiction series Emmanuelle is reading, and I experienced a kind of vertigo peering down at the depth to which Arseneault had to build out her world to create such fleeting references to a story-within-this-story. I really appreciate the intricate layers of craft on display.
The same can be said for the characters themselves and their relationships. As I have reflected in my reviews of Arseneault’s Chronicles of Nerezia series, she is so skillful at compassionate conflict. As with many of the Nerezia novellas, Painted Flock is not what I would call cozy—people die; there’s threat to life and limb here, not to mention the longstanding persecution of witches hanging over the entire plot. Yet Arseneault is so good at pausing throughout the novel. Taking a break for some bread. Celebrating a birthday. She demonstrates how her characters are actively living their lives in the middle of these thorny and threatening times, and that’s really powerful.
I wasn’t expecting Clémence to grow on me so much as a protagonist. I don’t remember much of ol from Baker Thief, but ol receives much more backstory and development here, all to the good. Clémence is a wonderful example of a protagonist who seeks redemption for possibly irredeemable acts. The delicate dance between Clémence and Emmanuelle, the gentle, queerplatonic tug of their nascent friendship, the spectre of transactionality lurking beneath it all like a bitter aftertaste … it’s a rich, fascinating part of this story. Painted Flock is not a mystery, though it has mystery elements, and it is only barely a thriller. It is instead a story of found family, redemption, and redefining what it means to be safe.
I also greatly enjoyed how Emmanuelle’s earnest belief in Clémence’s ability to be redeemed set her at odds with Livia and Zita, at least briefly. The way that these friends navigate their friendship with this level of conflict is very valuable to me: it’s not exactly low stakes or unimportant, yet it’s never a question that they will still be friends, just a question of how to reconcile their friendship with their differing experiences of this person. Painted Flock, though at times slightly saccharine in its resolutions to these moments, refuses to provide easy answers or easy outs.
Do I have critiques? Sure. I thought the eventual villain was pretty obviously telegraphed and none-too-subtle in motivation or manner of dirty deeds. I have a lot of questions about the quality of life for reincarnated exocore witches in their manufactured bodies. Claude’s absence—mentioned but not appearing—was also keenly felt. Yet these are all really minor issues. At the end of the day, I got into Painted Flock from the first page and really didn’t want to put it down.
Oh, and there’s so many cats!!
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
Spoilers for Baker Thief but not this book.
In Baker Thief, we learned that the exocores, Val-de-Mer’s power source, were in fact the rendered souls of imprisoned witches. Exposed, the corporation that developed the exocores is in liquidation, and their chief scientist is in high-security witness protection until ol can testify for the state. However, that leaves the problem of how to free the living witches from their incorporeal prison. This unenviable task falls to Emmanuelle Duclos. A powerhouse scientist in her own right, Emmanuelle nevertheless realizes that if she is to succeed, she will likely need the help of that chief scientist, Clémence. But ol isn’t looking to trust anyone new any time soon.
As with all of Arseneault’s work, the quiet queernormativity of Painted Flock is such a joyful respite. This book depicts such a multiplicity of relationships and orientations—not to mention neurodivergent characters as well—with very little comment on it. Beyond this sliver of worldbuilding, however, lurks an even wider and more creative world. Grounded in inspiration lifted from francophone Quebec, Val-de-Mer is a wonderful setting so full of vigour. At one point, Arseneault describes in detail the premise and setting of a romance historical fiction series Emmanuelle is reading, and I experienced a kind of vertigo peering down at the depth to which Arseneault had to build out her world to create such fleeting references to a story-within-this-story. I really appreciate the intricate layers of craft on display.
The same can be said for the characters themselves and their relationships. As I have reflected in my reviews of Arseneault’s Chronicles of Nerezia series, she is so skillful at compassionate conflict. As with many of the Nerezia novellas, Painted Flock is not what I would call cozy—people die; there’s threat to life and limb here, not to mention the longstanding persecution of witches hanging over the entire plot. Yet Arseneault is so good at pausing throughout the novel. Taking a break for some bread. Celebrating a birthday. She demonstrates how her characters are actively living their lives in the middle of these thorny and threatening times, and that’s really powerful.
I wasn’t expecting Clémence to grow on me so much as a protagonist. I don’t remember much of ol from Baker Thief, but ol receives much more backstory and development here, all to the good. Clémence is a wonderful example of a protagonist who seeks redemption for possibly irredeemable acts. The delicate dance between Clémence and Emmanuelle, the gentle, queerplatonic tug of their nascent friendship, the spectre of transactionality lurking beneath it all like a bitter aftertaste … it’s a rich, fascinating part of this story. Painted Flock is not a mystery, though it has mystery elements, and it is only barely a thriller. It is instead a story of found family, redemption, and redefining what it means to be safe.
I also greatly enjoyed how Emmanuelle’s earnest belief in Clémence’s ability to be redeemed set her at odds with Livia and Zita, at least briefly. The way that these friends navigate their friendship with this level of conflict is very valuable to me: it’s not exactly low stakes or unimportant, yet it’s never a question that they will still be friends, just a question of how to reconcile their friendship with their differing experiences of this person. Painted Flock, though at times slightly saccharine in its resolutions to these moments, refuses to provide easy answers or easy outs.
Do I have critiques? Sure. I thought the eventual villain was pretty obviously telegraphed and none-too-subtle in motivation or manner of dirty deeds. I have a lot of questions about the quality of life for reincarnated exocore witches in their manufactured bodies. Claude’s absence—mentioned but not appearing—was also keenly felt. Yet these are all really minor issues. At the end of the day, I got into Painted Flock from the first page and really didn’t want to put it down.
Oh, and there’s so many cats!!
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
July 27, 2025
This book picks up seamlessly about three months after Baker Thief, which is fun since in real time that book came out almost a decade ago. What is actual time?
We have a change of viewpoints in this novel. Instead of Claire, the bigender baker, and Adèle, the police detective, we have the siblings of both of these characters taking center stage.
Livia is Claire's twin, who Claire was, in the previous book, incredibly worried about when she went missing. And, in this book, Livia has to deal with the trauma of that kidnapping having happened even as she joins Emmanuel, Adèle's sister, in putting together the science that will figure out how to safely extract the witches that were trapped in the exocores, again, this being the plot of the previous book.
This is definitely not a book that can stand alone without knowledge of the story that came before it but if anyone is worried about not liking Clemence after ol's actions in Baker Thief, and finding ol now being one of the PoV main characters, rest assured. Claudie is very deft in managing to redeem this character through use of backstory, love of ol's younger brother and, of course, ol trying to make up for the mistakes made.
We've got here a breathtakingly earnest redemption tale and resolution to the wider series that I had no idea I was missing.
We have a change of viewpoints in this novel. Instead of Claire, the bigender baker, and Adèle, the police detective, we have the siblings of both of these characters taking center stage.
Livia is Claire's twin, who Claire was, in the previous book, incredibly worried about when she went missing. And, in this book, Livia has to deal with the trauma of that kidnapping having happened even as she joins Emmanuel, Adèle's sister, in putting together the science that will figure out how to safely extract the witches that were trapped in the exocores, again, this being the plot of the previous book.
This is definitely not a book that can stand alone without knowledge of the story that came before it but if anyone is worried about not liking Clemence after ol's actions in Baker Thief, and finding ol now being one of the PoV main characters, rest assured. Claudie is very deft in managing to redeem this character through use of backstory, love of ol's younger brother and, of course, ol trying to make up for the mistakes made.
We've got here a breathtakingly earnest redemption tale and resolution to the wider series that I had no idea I was missing.
July 4, 2025
Book Review: Painted Flock by Claudie Arseneault
Introduction:
Painted Flock, the sequel to Claudie Arseneault’s acclaimed Baker Thief, continues the Val-de-mer series by exploring the aftermath of the exocore plot’s exposure. The novel revisits familiar characters, including Emmanuelle Duclos and Clémence Voyer, while expanding the narrative’s scope. Set in the vibrant city of Val-de-mer, Painted Flock masterfully balances a cozy atmosphere with the gravity of past traumas. Notably, the novel foregrounds non-romantic relationships and offers robust representation of aromantic, asexual, and nonbinary identities.
Summary of Content:
The narrative centres on Clémence Voyer, whose primary concern is the safety of ol’s five-year-old brother, Alain. Following the public revelation of Montrant Industries’ crimes, both siblings enter witness protection in search of stability. Meanwhile, Val-de-mer faces the daunting task of transferring over a thousand witches—trapped in exocores—into new bodies, a process in which Clémence plays a pivotal role despite ol’s controversial history. The story delves into themes of accountability, trust, and healing, as Clémence must reckon with the consequences of ol’s actions and navigate the complexities of redemption and community responsibility.
Critical Analysis:
Strengths:
• Diverse Representation: Arseneault excels at crafting a cast that reflects a spectrum of identities across gender, sexuality, race, and body type. The focus on Clémence, a nonbinary protagonist, allows for nuanced portrayals of queerplatonic relationships and non-romantic bonds.
• Character Development: The novel offers a compelling depiction of healing, with multiple characters undergoing meaningful growth. Arseneault’s character work is both sensitive and authentic.
• Improved Pacing and Style: Compared to its predecessor, Painted Flock demonstrates notable refinement in pacing and prose, resulting in a more engaging reading experience.
• Thematic Depth: The integration of avian motifs and the exploration of birds enrich the narrative, providing both metaphorical and literal layers to the story.
• Emotional Resonance: The emotional arcs are handled with care, delivering scenes that are both powerful and memorable.
Weaknesses:
• Some secondary characters could benefit from further development, particularly given the ensemble cast’s diversity. In particular, Zita and Koyani’s relationship could be explored in greater depth.
Evaluation:
Painted Flock makes a significant contribution to the fantasy genre by centring marginalized identities and reframing familiar tropes through an aromantic lens. Arseneault succeeds in achieving ol’s purpose: to tell a story about healing, accountability, and the power of community beyond romance. The novel will particularly resonate with readers interested in character-driven narratives, found families, and nuanced explorations of identity. While the book is accessible to newcomers, prior knowledge of Baker Thief enhances the reading experience. 6.
Conclusion:
Painted Flock stands out as a thoughtful, emotionally rich fantasy novel that challenges genre conventions and centres voices often underrepresented in speculative fiction. Its strengths lie in its diverse cast, sensitive handling of complex themes, and commitment to non-romantic storytelling. This novel is highly recommended for readers seeking inclusive, character-focused fantasy, as well as those interested in stories of healing and redemption. While further exploration of secondary characters could enhance the narrative, Painted Flock is a rewarding and worthwhile read for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of modern fantasy.
Introduction:
Painted Flock, the sequel to Claudie Arseneault’s acclaimed Baker Thief, continues the Val-de-mer series by exploring the aftermath of the exocore plot’s exposure. The novel revisits familiar characters, including Emmanuelle Duclos and Clémence Voyer, while expanding the narrative’s scope. Set in the vibrant city of Val-de-mer, Painted Flock masterfully balances a cozy atmosphere with the gravity of past traumas. Notably, the novel foregrounds non-romantic relationships and offers robust representation of aromantic, asexual, and nonbinary identities.
Summary of Content:
The narrative centres on Clémence Voyer, whose primary concern is the safety of ol’s five-year-old brother, Alain. Following the public revelation of Montrant Industries’ crimes, both siblings enter witness protection in search of stability. Meanwhile, Val-de-mer faces the daunting task of transferring over a thousand witches—trapped in exocores—into new bodies, a process in which Clémence plays a pivotal role despite ol’s controversial history. The story delves into themes of accountability, trust, and healing, as Clémence must reckon with the consequences of ol’s actions and navigate the complexities of redemption and community responsibility.
Critical Analysis:
Strengths:
• Diverse Representation: Arseneault excels at crafting a cast that reflects a spectrum of identities across gender, sexuality, race, and body type. The focus on Clémence, a nonbinary protagonist, allows for nuanced portrayals of queerplatonic relationships and non-romantic bonds.
• Character Development: The novel offers a compelling depiction of healing, with multiple characters undergoing meaningful growth. Arseneault’s character work is both sensitive and authentic.
• Improved Pacing and Style: Compared to its predecessor, Painted Flock demonstrates notable refinement in pacing and prose, resulting in a more engaging reading experience.
• Thematic Depth: The integration of avian motifs and the exploration of birds enrich the narrative, providing both metaphorical and literal layers to the story.
• Emotional Resonance: The emotional arcs are handled with care, delivering scenes that are both powerful and memorable.
Weaknesses:
• Some secondary characters could benefit from further development, particularly given the ensemble cast’s diversity. In particular, Zita and Koyani’s relationship could be explored in greater depth.
Evaluation:
Painted Flock makes a significant contribution to the fantasy genre by centring marginalized identities and reframing familiar tropes through an aromantic lens. Arseneault succeeds in achieving ol’s purpose: to tell a story about healing, accountability, and the power of community beyond romance. The novel will particularly resonate with readers interested in character-driven narratives, found families, and nuanced explorations of identity. While the book is accessible to newcomers, prior knowledge of Baker Thief enhances the reading experience. 6.
Conclusion:
Painted Flock stands out as a thoughtful, emotionally rich fantasy novel that challenges genre conventions and centres voices often underrepresented in speculative fiction. Its strengths lie in its diverse cast, sensitive handling of complex themes, and commitment to non-romantic storytelling. This novel is highly recommended for readers seeking inclusive, character-focused fantasy, as well as those interested in stories of healing and redemption. While further exploration of secondary characters could enhance the narrative, Painted Flock is a rewarding and worthwhile read for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of modern fantasy.
August 8, 2025
Note: I received a free ARC of this book and it did not influence my opinion.
The long-awaited sequel to Baker Thief leads us back into Val-de-Mer, the divided seaside town of witches and humans and strange and exciting technology. The main characters, however, are different than in the first book: instead of Claude/Claire and Adele, we follow Livia, Claude's twin sister, Emmanuel, Adele's sister, and Clemence, who . Others who also have to be mentioned include Alain, Clemence's little brother, and the many, many cats ruling Emmanuel's mansion all of whom I adore and respect in equal measure! :D
The story follows closely after the plot of Baker Thief and deals with the consequences of that, namely, what shall happen to the exocores, can and how can the witches that fell victim to Montrant Industries helped? Livia, as one of the victims, is also dealing with regaining her magic and inner peace, Emmanuel is using her science to figure out magic, and later, tries to draw in Clemence, whose overwhelming guilt is in constant opposition with ols still-standing conviction that ol would do *anything* to protect Alain. The book ends up being a bit quieter and more introspective than the first novel, but much more emotionally sharp and touching, at least for me. We go into each character's past, relationships, hopes and dreams and fears, and the complicated dynamics between them. Again, even with the heavy themes of guilt, sacrifice, anger, and trust, and another chilling antagonist that pops up, the story manages to be cozy, somehow. It's a slow exploration of characters, a sad, sometimes bitter, but comforting journey, with an end that will make you smile. I really, really liked it, and I think, although Baker Thief was great, the writing style also much evolved and grew up to the task of depicting such complicated emotions.
Regarding representation, we get to know Clemence as a non-binary/gender-neutral individual, with a non-regular romance arc. And I hold Livia's struggles with her body and her expression of herself (gender or otherwise) very close to my heart as well. I was very glad to read the ARC of this book, and I would love to return to these characters and this world in the future, again and again.
The long-awaited sequel to Baker Thief leads us back into Val-de-Mer, the divided seaside town of witches and humans and strange and exciting technology. The main characters, however, are different than in the first book: instead of Claude/Claire and Adele, we follow Livia, Claude's twin sister, Emmanuel, Adele's sister, and Clemence, who . Others who also have to be mentioned include Alain, Clemence's little brother, and the many, many cats ruling Emmanuel's mansion all of whom I adore and respect in equal measure! :D
The story follows closely after the plot of Baker Thief and deals with the consequences of that, namely, what shall happen to the exocores, can and how can the witches that fell victim to Montrant Industries helped? Livia, as one of the victims, is also dealing with regaining her magic and inner peace, Emmanuel is using her science to figure out magic, and later, tries to draw in Clemence, whose overwhelming guilt is in constant opposition with ols still-standing conviction that ol would do *anything* to protect Alain. The book ends up being a bit quieter and more introspective than the first novel, but much more emotionally sharp and touching, at least for me. We go into each character's past, relationships, hopes and dreams and fears, and the complicated dynamics between them. Again, even with the heavy themes of guilt, sacrifice, anger, and trust, and another chilling antagonist that pops up, the story manages to be cozy, somehow. It's a slow exploration of characters, a sad, sometimes bitter, but comforting journey, with an end that will make you smile. I really, really liked it, and I think, although Baker Thief was great, the writing style also much evolved and grew up to the task of depicting such complicated emotions.
Regarding representation, we get to know Clemence as a non-binary/gender-neutral individual, with a non-regular romance arc. And I hold Livia's struggles with her body and her expression of herself (gender or otherwise) very close to my heart as well. I was very glad to read the ARC of this book, and I would love to return to these characters and this world in the future, again and again.
September 26, 2025
Another favorite book! The sequel to Baker Thief did not disappoint. Between the cute cat scenes, the mysteries unfolding, the cozy found family scenes, and the trauma healing journeys, this book felt very rich and balanced. A pleasure to read in several different ways.
October 25, 2025
I really enjoyed the cozy found family vibes but I didn't really enjoy any of the main cast of characters except for Alain (who was adorable) and this plot lacked the action of the first book.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.)
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews