Everyone needs to excuse me while I go make Spell Bound my new personality. Seriously, though, I absolutely loved this book. After having loved So This Is Ever After, I was excited to dive into FT Lukens’s newest book, but little did I know that I was about to find a new favorite. From page one, I was completely hooked on Rook and Sun’s story. I had a migraine when I was reading this, and usually that means I’m much slower, but I devoured this book regardless. It was that good.

The mix of technology and magic in Spell Bound was such a neat concept that was executed really well. Since Rook is non-magical, the only way he can stay in the magical world is if he creates a device that can help him detect magical energies and store spells. I don’t know why, but I got really attached to this device? Like, I know that sounds really weird, but Rook put his heart and soul into creating it, and it meant so much to him, and by proxy, it meant a lot to me too. I was so impressed with the way Rook was able to stay connected to the magical world, despite every obstacle keeping him away.

Additionally, the magic system itself was so much fun! It was based around curses, hexes, and jinxes, which led to some hilarious circumstances. At surface level, the magic system seemed pretty simple, but there were actually a lot of intricate rules and detailed lore that went along with it, which really enhanced it. I loved the contrast between Sun’s powers and Rook’s lack of them. They both complimented each other so well. One’s weaknesses was another’s strengths. Together, they made such a great team.

Speaking of Sun and Rook, the characterizations in Spell Bound were excellent! The characters we spend the most time with are the two of them, as well as their mentors Antonia and Fable. All four are incredibly well rounded individuals with such distinct personalities and the best dynamic. Even so, none of the side characters suffered from this. They were still developed and memorable, even the ones who only appeared for a few scenes.

Sun and Rook had to be my favorites, though, and between the two of them, I can’t help but love Sun just a smidge more (though that’s not to say that I didn’t love Rook because I absolutely did). I related to Sun so much, and their personality was the best. At first glance, they’re quite prickly and want to keep to themselves. They wear all black and rarely ever smile. Even so, Sun is a soft-hearted individual who cares deeply for others. Sun is also clearly neurodivergent in some way, and as someone who related to them a lot, I saw a lot of autistic traits in them, which I thought was great. Watching them grow throughout the book and learning to open themself up to others was wonderful.

I also loved how Rook was so conscientious of Sun’s boundaries and never crossed them without explicit permission from Sun. This was something Sun hadn’t experienced much of before, but something they desperately needed. Sun and Rook gave me all the grumpy/sunshine vibes that I love so much. Watching them grow from slight hostility, to frenemies, to friends, to even more, was such a fantastic journey and one that was developed so well. Also!! There’s something that happens later in the book (I won’t say what because of spoilers), but it had me simultaneously dying of laughter and cuteness at the same time. I was living for it.

I honestly don’t have a single negative thing to say about Spell Bound. I loved every part of it. I loved the plot, the pacing, the writing style, the characters, the relationships and dynamics. Just. Everything. I can say without a doubt that this is my favorite book of the year so far, and I won’t be even remotely surprised if it stays in the top five or ten by the time the year ends.

I can’t recommend Spell Bound enough! If you love queer fantasy stories with fun magic systems, you absolutely have to read it.

This book was absolutely amazing! I read So This is Ever After last year and have been waiting for F.T. Luken's next masterpiece since, and this lived up to my hopes fully. I absolutely adored the characters, they were all so loveable, and I love cats so that made me love Sun even more. The romance as well was amazing, there were points where it had me literally squealing. Overall, I loved this book and would highly recommend it and all of F.T. Luken's other books as well!

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Turnthepages tour for an ebook and physical book in exchange for my honest review.

"I just wanted to belong. I'm sorry. This is my fault."

This is a very character-driven story with the magic system being explained so you know what is going on but it is not one of those super complex magic systems for a change which I really enjoyed. Rook and Sun while both very different with Rook being very extroverted and a rule breaker, you then have Sun who is a rule follower and an introvert. They balance each other out so well and because of that throughout the story you see them helping and pushing each other to do better.

Overall I loved this book! All of the banter that was going on throughout this entire book was the best. Rook and Sun have such a frenemies to-friends to relationship storyline and I loved it because it worked for them and the tension between the two made it so enjoyable. Not only did you know that they cared about each other, but the focus was also on the magic system and learning the magic, and creating a future for themselves as individuals. Their mentors Antonia and Fable were so great as well and you could tell they each cared about doing a good job mentoring Rook and Sun and making sure that they learned magic properly. While Antonia was a little bit of a rule breaker it worked for her and Rook and because of that the bond that they created was one that was strong and one that they knew they could trust each other through and the same goes for Sun and Fable even if they were the more rule followers of the group.

The ending of this book had me on the edge of my seat and I had to know what was going to happen to all of them! It could have gone in several different ways. But thankfully it went in the best direction possible and had such a nice ending.

"You're my friend no matter what, if you have the Ley Finder or not. If you can cast a spell or not. I think you're a good person, and my opinion wouldn't have changed if we'd been caught."

posting on my Instagram on March 26th @readingwithwrin
posting on my blog on March 27th @ readingwithwrin.wordpress.com

When reading Spell Bound, you get more character work than anything else. Spell Bound isn't really heavy on working out the Magic System. There are straightforward explanations and few additions as the story goes on. This isn't necessarily as negative, but if you're looking for a witchy story that is heavy on the Magical work then maybe try leaving Spell Bound for another time.

In this story, we follow Rook and Sun through their POVs but we also get to know Antonia and Fable, their mentors. The characterisation was done extremely well.

My favourite part f this book was the friendship and romantic development between Sun and Rook. Their personalities blended so well, their interactions were amusing and the development of their relationship was well-written.

Another relationship I enjoyed in this bools was the dynamic between Antonia and Rook. Throughout the book, Antonia becomes the only adult that really cares about Rook and that found family aspect was really great.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster as well as Coloured Pages Book Tours for an ARC of this wonderful book.

4.00 / 5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing / Margaret K. McElderry Books as this eARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Firstly, I love the cover, I think it fits the vibes for the scene it mimics very well, even if it's not exact. (The Haunted House)

Secondly, Spell Bound features Rook, a teenager who gets himself a job working for curse-breaker Antonia Hex, while developing an illegal magical detection device. Oh, also there is a cursed rug, a disgruntled office coat rack, and way too cute Sun who is an apprentice working for a rival sorcerer.

I enjoyed this story.

I thought Rook was very comical and Sun's more practical personality was a good balance to that. I also liked how you get the mirror between Rook and Sun and also the mentors of Antonia and Fable, but the characters still work together cohesively. I also liked how the use of they/them for both Sun and Fable was extremely normalized in the characters and the worldbuilding.

The downside and I think it wouldn't be a downside as much to a younger reader with less preconceived notions of how blurbs apply to pacing, and that is the pacing or my expectations of the pacing.

The full blurb summary on Spell Bound is, functionally, almost the whole plot.

So I felt like there were parts where instead of enjoying the sort of slow winding river of the daily happenings of the curse breaking and Rook exploring his various emotions, I was kind of wondering where the plot on the back of the book actually was.

Regardless, I would rec this book to people who are looking for the following:
-Cozy Fantasy, but in a City
-LGBT+ Characters
-"Frenemies" to Lovers
-Grumpy (they/them) x Sunshine (he/him)

Also, I think this would be good for the "younger YA" crowd at 12-14, because even though Rook and Sun are 17 & 16, I found the writing very approachable and the most spice is kissing, so this is not a "we would have put this in New Adult IF WE HAD IT" kind of book, it is a YA that is ACTUALLY TRYING TO BE A YA. So, fair play to that because sometimes in the YA section, you can't tell anymore.

Overall the theme of the book is about growing up and finding a place and a community to connect to and how it feels to reach for acceptance in a community that might not want you in it. Oh, and not stepping on literally cursed rugs.

TWs: Death of Caretaker, Magical Violence, (also there's a character named Evanna which might make some people uncomfortable, as that's also an HP actress's name)

My social media review is tentatively scheduled to post March 27th, @lunacorvidea on Instagram.

You’ve heard of friends to lovers. You’ve heard of enemies to lovers. Let me introduce you to FRENEMIES TO LOVERS! (Using a very loose definition of lovers since they’re both teenagers lol)

The banter. The BANTER! Ugh it was so good. I had a feeling I was going to love this book since I enjoyed So This Is Ever After so much last year and I was not wrong. I’m always a sucker for the found family trope also. Gets me every time. Now I’m off to wait for my preorder to get here!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Spellbound by F.T. Lukens is an exciting young adult novel that blends magic, romance, and adventure to create a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. The story follows two rival apprentice sorcerers, Rook and Sun, who must put aside their differences and work together to save their teachers and protect their own magic.

One of the strengths of the book is the world-building. Lukens has created a rich and imaginative magical universe that is full of fascinating creatures and intricate political machinations. The magical system is well-defined and thoughtfully integrated into the story.

The characters are also well-drawn and compelling. Rook and Sun are likable protagonists, with distinct personalities and motivations that drive the plot forward. Antonia, the antagonist of the story, is a particularly intriguing character. She is a gray character, with both admirable and villainous qualities that make her a magnetic presence in the book.

The humor and wit in Spellbound are also worth noting. The banter between Rook and Sun is clever and entertaining, adding levity to the more serious moments in the story.

The romantic element of the book is also well-executed. Rook and Sun's chemistry is palpable, and their relationship is built on a foundation of mutual respect and admiration.

Overall, Spellbound is a well-crafted young adult novel that is sure to delight readers of all ages. With its engaging characters, imaginative world-building, and blend of magic and romance, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for a thrilling adventure.

This book is a fun take on modern fantasy. It has Dresden Files vibes but lighter, brighter, and for a younger audience. Love the inclusivity but that it isn’t made out to be a big deal or a plot point - it’s just normal in this universe and that’s refreshing.

Of course I loved this.

This book is about Rook a nonmagic person who will do anything to reenter the magic community after his grandmother dies and the overarching magical government, Consortium, kicks him out. He gets a job as an office assistant for a powerful sorceress, Antonia, but over time starts illegally working as her assistant trying to learn magic using technology he’s built despite a lack of power, and being unable to see ley lines. They continuously run into Antonia’s sometimes coworker Fable and their assistant Sun. Throughout the book Rook and Sun build a friendship that eventually grows into them kissing sometimes, while also running from the Consortium and their harsh laws that make Rook illegal.

Now excuse me as I list off some cute moments between Rook and Sun to make you go read this asap: instantly accepting pronouns, finding each others noses cute, saving their life using a cursed sword, accepting boundaries, making an effort to get consent, helping them through a panic attack and not making fun of them afterward, sharing a bed (despite there most definitely being another one in the house) and holding hands in the middle, willing to go through the wrath of older sisters to hang out, and letting them borrow some pajamas while on the run.

Anyways, I loved this and I expect you all to go read it asap, even if it is for the really cute cat content.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the E-arc!
F.T. Lukens’s books areas some of my favorite cozy queer books. The stories are always fun and exciting. I was so excited to receive another book. The characters in this are absolutely fantastic, with the cast being diverse and lovable. There is a pronoun representation and a whole spectrum of queer characters. The magical worlds that F.T. Lukens creates always are so detailed and intricate. I can never recommend their books enough as they always deliver a fantastic reading experience!

The summaries of F.T. Lukens’s books always seem so intriguing but then there’s something about the execution that falls flat for me. For this book I think if the pacing had been a bit more consistent I would have had a better time and maybe not noticed as much of the things that bothered me, but because I was bored through the first half little faults (like repeating the same joke too many times) became larger flaws.

I liked the idea here but the last bit of the summary talking about Rook and Sun teaming up to save their mentors despite being frenemies doesn’t happen until over the 60% mark, and the world building and character development before that was too lackluster to keep me interested for that long. I am glad I finished the book, because I did like Rook and Sun and liked the evolution of their relationship, but the enjoyment of the last bit isn’t enough to outweigh the struggle of the first half.

Ultimately while this wasn’t a hit for me, I like the normalized queerness and that two main characters are nonbinary, and I appreciate that F.T. Lukens doesn’t write stories that exclude the younger end of the YA age range. Rook and Sun are both 16, and Rook is a genius who’s already graduated high school but they felt like characters 12-14 year old me would have loved. And I do seem to be in the minority based on other early reviews so I recommend you try it yourself if it sounds interesting.

This was a really fun story. I loved the characters, and I love a story with found family. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. The story really pulled me along. I would have enjoyed more encounters with the cats and maybe more background with the consortium, but I am hoping there will be more books in this world because I loved the characters so much. I think Rook and Sun's relationship is so sweet and beautiful, and it made me so happy. I really just wanted more. I liked the dual perspectives especially because Rook was kind of on the outside and Sun was on the inside of the magical world. From the very first chapter I felt connected to the writing style and the characters. This book definitely has made me interested in picking up more books from Lukens's back list.

Spell Bound is a lovely found family story with well rounded and diverse characters. Rook is my favorite. His grandmother died a year before and, since Rook can’t see magic or use it, he was essentially exiled. Over that time, he began developing an app that can trace and measure ley lines. Magic users tap into ley lines in order to perform spells and Rook is hoping that this app will be his way back into the magical world. When he first meets Antonia Hex, he’s happy enough to be her office boy. Being adjacent to magic is better than nothing, right? But as he watches Antonia leave on trips to negate various hexes, jinxes and curses, he yearns to join her. Especially when a rival apprentice comes into the office seeking assistance. Sun is incredibly attractive, and skilled, which only furthers Rook’s attraction to them. They are aloof and seem unfeeling, but slowly open up to Rook.

The chapters switch off between Rook and Sun, but most chapters are from Rook’s point of view. I have to wonder at this choice, as I would have thought the story would switch off every other chapter. Even during later events, when Sun is rendered incapable of speech, the chapters switch off between the two somewhat. I feel having an equal amount of chapters per character would have given me a better look into Sun’s life. I did get a little bit, but would have loved more insight into their family and their apprenticeship with Fable.

I love the respect for various pronouns and couplings. Fable and Sun both go by they them pronouns and these pronouns are ruthlessly respected, even by the Consortium, the evil people who are out to keep magic controlled. See, if the evil guys can respect people’s pronouns, so can everyone else! It made they/them pronouns commonplace and easy to understand. As someone who uses they/them pronouns, both for myself and for others around me, it only cemented just how easy it is and how selfish and inconsiderate people are when they can’t possibly use them.

((Personal rant: Just today, for instance, my boss went on a long transphobic rant about how people are what they’re born and you can’t change your junk. How, sure, he does his best to accommodate pronouns but he’ll never get it (spoiler: he doesn’t respect pronouns in the least, which is most definitely part of why I’m not out at work). He went on and on about how there are only two genders (wrong) and how no one can be a ‘they’ because ‘they’ is a plural. He cited how he took honors English in high school. His whole reasoning is that he took an English class thirty plus years ago and that’s his authority and he won’t be convinced otherwise. I couldn’t help myself and butted in with a bunch of examples as to how even he uses ‘they’ in the singular on a daily basis, citing my own bachelor’s degree in English on top of that. I just can’t with people who insist that non-binary people don’t exist and even go so far as to say it’s a mental disorder.))

I would rate this book as being in the upper spectrum of YA, given the character’s ages. Both Sun and Rook are in their late teens, seventeen or so. Nothing they deal with is beyond the realms of what teenagers would easily understand or relate to. Their budding relationship is very cute! There is no excessive gore or horror, or anything that I would consider to be a squick that would discourage someone from reading or encourage a higher rating.

For my own part, I would have loved a bit more about the magic system and how it works. Since Rook can’t access magic, the explanations I got about how magic works were limited. I would have loved to see more about how magic users contact the Consortium, and how the Consortium restricts magic usage. What sorts of jobs are there for magic users other than curse/hex breaking? How does magic fit into normal society, or does it run fully parallel, never intersecting? Can magic be used to solve every day mundane problems, but magic users aren’t allowed? I would have also enjoyed learning more about Antonia. She is a very powerful witch, perhaps beyond anyone else in terms of sheer power. She’s witty and smart with most things, though perhaps a bit inept with technology and people. I want to know more about her, and her mysterious past! There are glimpses and, of course, the book is focused on Sun and Rook, their relationship, and their budding magical abilities. But still, I found Antonia to be fascinating and want to know more.

I happily rate this book at about 4.5 stars! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys magical YA books, people who want a nice medium burn romance, a slight enemies to lovers vibe, and queer characters all around. There is no true coming out story; it’s merely queer characters existing and perhaps falling in love at some point. There’s also an adorable animal transformation moment that I just love, and the found family trope is very strong here. I think FT Lukens specializes in that particular trope, as judging by this book and by So This Is Ever After.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read and review this ARC!

Each and every time that I feel like the world we live in has gotten a little worse for wear, I wish that we had magic. As a child, any novel containing a semblance of magic set my soul ablaze, but as an adult, I must admit that the world has taken a toll. So when I came upon F.T. Lukens' new novel "Spell Bound," featuring queer & non-binary characters who have access to a magical world, I knew that this could be a chance for my inner child to heal a little.

For Rook, the world he lives in is filled with magic, but he's a non-magical person. This character was a refreshing breath of air -- a person who, by all rights, should be a jaded, cynical soul but is instead someone who chooses to see the best in everyone. If Rook is the character I could relate to in feeling like I don't belong, then Sun was the character I felt close to based on their rather gloomy disposition. These characters are the perfect foil of one another, offering strengths to each other when there is a weakness. And for this pair of magician's apprentices, that comes in handy when we reach the crux of the problem towards the end of the novel.

Lukens first caught my attention with "So This is Ever After," and so I was hopeful that "Spell Bound" would capture my interest as much as their other magical story did. I think that I was fated to fall in love with this novel -- it has everything that an outcast could possibly want: found family tropes, frenemies to lovers, and a cat!

Representation abounds in this novel, with BIPOC characters that are allowed to simply exist as the beautiful, magical people that they are and queer people who are not persecuted for their pronouns or who they love. As always, Lukens allows marginalized readers to escape this world to another where characters like us can safely live their lives.

My heart was so deeply connected to Rook and Sun that I fear I might wind up in a bit of a reading slump, wanting desperately to go back to experience all of this book's highs and lows again. I look forward to seeing what else Lukens has in store for the world.

- I absolutely LOVED this book!
- The way we see Sun and Rook’s relationship grow is so natural and gives me butterflies
- The found family goes above and beyond
- The way trust is written feels so natural and authentic, not coming around without a reason

Okay First, the cover is amazing as always! I love the style of the previous books and this one doesn't fall short.

Looking at the main plot, I absolutely love the wide range of characters we are introduced to. Sun and Rook are so fun to follow individually and together, as they both bring so much to the table. Rook is kind, smart, and loyal with this bringing the quiet, skilled, and equally loyal Sun close to our hearts. Their relationship burns into something warmer as we progress in the story and brings in natural elements that don't feel forced.

Our characters face true and terrifying threats and handle them with trials and errors. I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone, and I can say I'm having a hard time choosing my favorite book by Lukens.

3.5 stars

F.T. Lukens' third young adult fantasy delivers on several aspects that has become their trademark: a delightful cast of snarky characters, found family, and queerness as an beautifully accepted standard rather than something to hide. All of these make for an incredibly cozy reading experience and is a major reason why so many readers (including myself) keep coming back to their books.

While this wasn't my favorite Lukens outing, that honestly came down more to how my expectations of the book were set up rather than the book itself. The blurb focused so much on our apprentices Rook and Sun teaming up to save their teachers that I was expecting the majority of the book to be about that journey. In reality, it's maybe about 25% of the book and the rest is more slice of life/workplace fantasy. I definitely still enjoyed that aspect (and Lukens does a great job of subverting a lot of typical fantasy tropes through how they tell this story), but the expectations versus reality did make the book end up feeling both a bit slow and bit lacking in stakes for a large part of the book.

That being said, Lukens' talent buoys the book and smooths over these issues that (in lesser hands) could have been definitely make-or-break moments for me. I'm certainly looking forward to their future outings!

Thank you to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

What an absolutely DELIGHTFUL Queer, YA, Fantasy Romance between a grumpy Sun and a sunshine Rook. I loved the opposite play on their names! What a unique and fun twist that was!

So Rook has no magic but he wants to learn it. On his journey he meets Sun, who is non-binary. They’re immediately drawn to each other but with Sun’s grumpiness, it’s a bit rough at first. As the plot progresses, these two go from frenemies to friends to flirtation to love. It was such a pleasant progression.

This story had it all! A wonderful magical world, great relationship progression, found family, and just the right amount of heart and coziness. Loved it!

4.5 Stars

You guys. Did you see the cover??? I'm obsessed with it. Seriously, take another look. It's gorgeous. The cover alone made me want to read this book and it did not disappoint. This book was so good! It's my first time reading this author and will not be my last.

---“You know,” he said slyly, “we have a lot in common.” I balked. “We do not.” He shrugged. “Okay, not a lot in common. I’m tall, and you’re short. I’m extroverted. You’re clearly introverted. I’m talkative, while you prefer to communicate via glower. I’m congenial, and you’re a grouch.”

The inner dialogue and banter in this book is top notch. I could read the back and forth between Rook and Sun all day long. Even Rook and Antonia.

---“Oh, wow,” Rook said, pushing a hand to his chest. “Wow. You’re laughing. You laugh. You know how to laugh. Did I break you, Sun? Are you broken?”

The magical world that F.T. Lukens has created here is super interesting. There is a rich history that is filled with scandalous moments. We slowly learn about them along the way. Antonia is one of the strongest witches around. She is not to be messed with and she knows it. But this has to balanced out with the magical policing done by The Consortium.

This book is about Rook wanting to learn about magic, even though he doesn't have any. He is extremely smart and creates an interactive app to help him find the magical lines that power witches magic. He calls it the Spell Binder. Rook goes to Antonia's place of business to try to get a job working with her.

Sun is an apprentice for Fable and they occasionally work together with Antonia on more difficult magical jobs. I want to point out that both Sun and Fable are nonbinary and I loved seeing that representation here.

---A wink? A wink! The audacity. My stomach twisted, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the blatant taunt or the dimple. There was no way I was going to let him figure this one out before me. Fable’s hand was heavy on my shoulder, and they squeezed. “Don’t let him upset you,” they said. “It’s not a competition.” But it was. It was definitely a competition. That wink . . . That wink made it one.

Rook and Sun have this initial interest in one another. They are both intrigued by the other. Sun may be a bit more frustrated with Rook at first, but they come around. There is a slight flirtation going on after a bit. Sun even goes out of their way to help Rook in trying to figure out magic.

---This Sun wore black leather gloves and tattered blue jeans with rips in the thighs and knees, and okay, what was going on? This Sun made my pulse race and my stomach swoop, and I was just not prepared for this Sun.

As the story progresses, we learn that The Consortium has it out for Antonia a little bit. Fable and Sun inadvertently get caught up in this and things get messy. Sun and Rook go on the run to try to figure out what is going on. Along the way, they become even closer to one another.

---“I like you. I’ve liked you since the doll incident. And it’s only gotten worse, to be honest.” “Oh,” Sun breathed. “You like me? Since the doll incident?” “You were cute.” “I was grumpy and sweaty.” “What can I say? I have a thing for introverts with brusque attitudes.”

Rook and Sun have quite the adventure together and come to really appreciate and understand one another. It was very touching. We also learn more about Rook's family along the way.

---I was hit with the realization that under Rook’s smiley exterior was someone who was hurt and lonely and, despite all that, was still able to be thoughtful toward others.

This book is about found family, first crushes, first loves and discovering yourself. And if that's not enough, it includes magic! I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

---I was just caught making out with the hottest person I know, so, if anything, I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
Sun snorted. “Regret,” they said. “So much regret.”
“You like it.”
Sun lifted their head and smiled. “Ugh. I do. It’s maddening.”

I would love a sequel to this! I feel like there is so much more to explore in this world.

---“I like you,” Rook said. “So much.”
“Even if I’m grumpy and antisocial.” Rook laughed.
“Yeah. It’s kind of my favorite thing about you.”

*** I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. ***

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am so happy that I enjoyed this. I really enjoyed In Deeper Waters, but So This Is Ever After really didn’t work for me. However, Spell Bound worked for me. This is very much a character driven novel. The plot is thin on the ground and the world-building isn’t especially strong, but the characters are the heart and they are adorable. There is also a really lovely found family aspect to this.

Rook and Sun are everything that I could want in a frenemies grumpy-sunshine relationship. They were so cute together, I would just feel warm and fuzzy every time they were on the page. Their commentary and banter, the way they gazed at and described each other. They were so cute. So cute. Yes, my vocabulary has been diminished to cute and adorable. Rook is the sunshine and Sun is the grump. The naming irony is not lost on me, but together they are just everything. I also just love their little found family vibes.

This is very much warm and fuzzy vibes and low plot. I suppose I would call this cozy fantasy. The stakes seem really high, but as most of the plot only takes place in the last twenty percent, it’s really not. I don’t want to say too much about how all of that goes down, but it isn’t really the most satisfying of plots or conclusions. It does involve them saving their mentors and a capitalist magic system. I will say that the main antagonist gave me Umbridge vibes and she made me angry. However, if you arrive and stay for the characters you’ll be much happier.

Overall, I think F.T. Lukens fans are going to be really happy with this novel, it’s more cozy vibes than plot, but I think as long as readers go in with those expectations it will be fine. If you are a plot based reader, this will probably be a bit of a struggle. I will say that I’m not sure that the cover artist got to read the book because I’m not sure what scene it is supposed to be, but it is still pretty. I’m going to still happily pick things by Lukens in the future, but I am still a little guarded after So This Is Ever After, however this helped build trust again.

This was such a great book!!! I loved everything about it!
Read it if you like:
- lots of pining
- magical adventures
- cozy low-stakes fantasy

I probably could've read this book in just one sitting if I had the time, that's how captivating it was!! I really liked the MCs, the conflicts that arise for them because of their mentors and the magic. Highly, HIGHLY recommend!! <3