Rook spent his entire childhood being surrounded by magic through his grandmother. When she dies, the governing body of spellcasters (The Consortium) finds out that he is without magic and determines that he must lose all connection he has to the magical world. However, Rook is determined and shows up at "Hex Be Gone" owned by infamous sorcerer Antonia Hex. When she agrees to take him on as an apprentice despite not being allowed one per Consortium rules, she soon finds out that he is more than he appears - and his invention, the Spell Binder, puts them all at risk. Through his work with Antonia, Rook meets Sun, who is the apprentice of Antonia's nemesis. When Antonia and her nemesis are arrested by the Consortium, Rook and Sun have to work together to ensure the safety of their mentors.

There were parts about this book that I really loved! I've read a few of F.T. Lukens other books and this definitely has the same flair - the characters are compelling, the relationships are complex, the world building is done with a light hand (which I always appreciate!). And of course, the queer/nonbinary rep is done really well. There is humor as well as some deeper topics that are touched on.

All that being said, I had a little bit of trouble with the pacing of this book. It felt like there was a lot of set up in the beginning and then the actual plot of the book happens within the last 20-25% of the book. I still enjoyed it but I think it would have worked out better for me had the pacing been a little bit different and if the conflict had happened earlier and lasted longer. The end ultimately felt very rushed for me and I didn't love the resolution if I'm honest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

FT Lukens has done it again! Fans of their first two books will find just as much to love in “Spell Bound.” If this book has a weakness, it would be in the fact that it teases backstory/sideplots that never fully materialize. But Spire City’s magical community is a fun world readers won’t want to leave as they cheer for this sunshine-one-loves-grumpy-one romance. Well done!

On the surface, this story might just look like a simple story about magic and unplanned romantic entanglements, but it's so much more.

Rook is a brilliant kid, near the end of probably the roughest year he's experienced. He's lost his only relative and been thrust out of the only community he knows. Alone and feeling untethered, he's got a plan to work his way back in. His biggest problem is that none of it is legal.

Despite his situation, he's almost relentlessly positive and incredibly determined to succeed. He's a warm, lovely character who's quick to banter and tries hard to respect personal boundaries, even if he's not as good about that where his boss' work is concerned.

Antonia is his boss. A tremendously powerful sorceress, though she rejects him at first, she ends up taking him on. She's got a history of her own to contend with and she sees something in him at their first meeting that slips beyond her infamously prickly defenses.

I love Antonia and her penchant for bucking the rules. If I'm being honest though, it'd be difficult for me to choose a favorite amongst my top three characters in this book. They're all relatable in their own ways.

Sun. Their name couldn't be more ironic, as they're the grumpy to Rook's sunshine. Largely though, their grumpiness is a defense mechanism. They have a serious need for personal space and they typically struggle to grasp social situations, resulting in them sort of always being on edge. Experience has them expecting ridicule instead of empathy, but they are kind and care so deeply for those they let in.

While this read is mostly light and fun, there are a lot of important topics touched upon too. There are lessons to be learned about gatekeeping, different types of adversity, similarities between diverse people, familial structure, even questioning societal norms.

The story is endearing and I can't wait to read another title from F.T. Lukens because this one really won my heart. Though at first glance, it doesn't 'appear' to be as complex as most titles that I give five star ratings, that complexity is just delivered in a softer.. more reader friendly package. The characters are well-developed, the plot progresses nicely, and there's a lot of diverse representation included amongst the cast of characters.. much of it is never called out.. but rather treated with normalcy and respect.

Rook & Sun are totally my new favorite duo. I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end and I am SO glad I was able to receive the ARC from Net Galley. I finished this book so quickly because the story was fun and fast paced.

When the story starts out, Edison is looking for a way to be reconnected to the magical world. A world he spent his childhood knowing about, but once his grandmother died, it was taken from him. Mostly because he exhibited no signs of having the ability to read ley lines which is what grants users the ability to use magic. He goes for an interview with one of the most notorious sorcerers of the time, Antonia Hex who is well known for her aptitude for breaking curses, jynxes, and hexes. At first he wasn't super convincing but eventually wins Antonia over. & off on an adventure he goes.

Being officially given his sorcerer name, Rook is now an apprentice who finds himself constantly in situations where magic is needed but he doesn't have the ability to cast. Along the way he meets Sun. Instantly the two connect. Watching their relationship blossom was my absolute favorite part of the ride.

To not give away too much I'll leave it at that but I am giving this read a 5 star rating because it just GAVE everything I've been needing to help get me out of my reading slump !

FT Lukens is a master at writing teen angst and found family, which I tend to enjoy. This book hits those spots. I still think I like In Deeper Waters better and I’m one of the few that didn’t really love Ever After so this book is right in between both of those.

Essentially you have Sun and Rook, both apprentices to sorcerers who must team up to save their mentors when the governing body of magic comes after them because Rook isn’t supposed to have magic or be around it because he supposedly doesn’t have any (even though he can cast and his grandmother was a sorcerer).

Rook and Sun fall for each other and of course manage to save the day.

Spoilers follow:

It is truly sad that Rook was torn from his home and community after his grandmother died and basically forced to live in near poverty. Seriously this governor body sucks. I do wish the plot hole of his parents was filled because we never know why he’s with his grandma or what happened to his parents and I strongly suspect the answer to his hidden magic might light within that mystery.

I really enjoyed Sun’s family and how they end up becoming more open minded. I do wish we got more description of Sun because we get the haircut and clothes and height but that’s about it.

I also love that Rook’s mentor Antonia takes him in and gives him a place to live. Once again I’m a sucker for found family and I love that Antonia and Fable become business partners and kind of friends after their traumatic experience.

I would read more books set in this universe.

Read SPELL BOUND by FT Lukens if you love cozy magic tales, enemies to lovers, electronic devices, small grey cats, nonbinary folks being great, office job dynamics, small acts of rebellion, excessive amounts of coffee, butterflies & finding your place in the world.

While this isn't my favourite FT Lukens novel so far, it has all the usual charm and lovable characters perfect for a young adult audience!

I thought I was going to like it because I loved So This is Ever After, but I didn't. I felt like the characters were too one dimensional

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

I read So this is Ever After last year and adored it so I jumped at the chance for the ARC of Spell Bound. The premise promised magical teens on an adventure to rescue their mentors from the oppressive magical organization called the Consortium. And that did happen! In the last 10% of the book. The majority of the book focused on Rook and his attempt at getting a job in the magic part of town and the blooming enemies-to-friends-to-?? with a cute rival magic apprentice name Sun. F.T. Lukens really shines through his characters, making them likable and real and flawed, and because of this the queer romance is sweet and meaningful.
I think it lost points for me, as a big fantasy fan, because I found the magic system to be simplistic, the world building to be underdeveloped, and the pacing to be a little off and stilted. I was hoping for more based on the premise but it is still readable if you are looking for something more character based and fun.

Spell bound wasn't for me, but F.T Lukens still stands out as a queer fantasy YA author.

-SOME SPOILERS HERE!-
I really enjoyed this book! The relationship between all the characters were so interesting to read and I'm sad the book wasn’t longer because I would have loved a deeper dive into some of the relationships. The relationship between Sun and Rook is so wholesome and precious. I love that they automatically respect each other's boundaries, and pronouns. They can also tease and mess with each other while also knowing when to stop and understand when something is a touchy topic. To me they are such relationship goals. As for the relationship between Antonia and Rook, I wish we had time to see their relationship develop more because by the end of the book their relationship was at such a precious place with Antonia taking over that guardian / caring position for Rook. However, one relationship I really wish we could have learned more about is Fable Page and Antonia’s. It felt like there could have been so much more there whether it was romantic or platonic. Honestly, as I was reading it seemed to me that Sun and Rook’s friendship could have possibly been a reflection of what Fable Page and Antonia’s relationship could have been, or maybe was, before things became tense between them.
Besides that, I believe the conflict in the book was solved a bit too quickly and conveniently, especially having Rook’s old babysitter, who just so happens to know magic, appear and help them to an extent. That kind of takes away from the potential character growth that could be given to Rook and instead of having the babysitter break the spell it could have been Rook who broke it thus proving that he is capable of more than just causing the candle wick to smoke. While also being an emotional scene between Rook and Sun because Sun supported Rook and tried to help teach him magic when he couldn’t understand it.
Furthermore, I felt like the Consortium let them go a bit too easily, especially considering they are supposed to be this big organization that controls what happens in the magical world. I understand that Antonia is a powerful once in a generation person but I felt like there should have been a bit more of a struggle for the mentors and their apprentices. Especially because that moment could have been used to show all the magical world that was watching that Rook, a person deemed non-magical by the consortium, can use magic without knowing where the ley lines are. Which they did show the magical community that Rook could use magic but it wasn’t a huge spell and Rook showed his magic after Antonia demanded he show them. Which to me made it less impactful than Rook doing something in the heat of the moment because anyone can say it was a trick.
Finally, I wish there was a prequel or a sequel to this book. For the prequel, I would have loved to read about the story of Antonia and her first apprentice. It seems like it would have been such a good story especially since it seems that Antonia was very close to her first apprentice. I also would have loved to know what had happened to her after they bound her magic. I know that they kept saying that binding someone’s magic is essentially a death sentence so it would have been interesting to know if she actually dies after being bound or if she is still alive and trying to find a way to use magic again. For the sequel, it would be nice to see something about the Consortium trying to strike back against the characters, especially since at the end of the book Fable Page was trying to get the laws that were set in place changed.

I am so grateful to have received an ARC of Spell Bound, I had a fantastic time reading this and I am not sure I would have found it otherwise!

Lukens lets us into such an intriguing and fascinating magical world and weaves in these adorable, loveable 2 main characters Rook and Sun! And their teachers are great too! Their prose balances between being lighthearted and witty to heartfelt and sweet, and I fell in love with it the more I read.
The representation is executed excellently, and Lukens discusses things like the problems of gatekeeping with nuance.

If nothing else, Rook and Sun's relationship was incredibly an cute grumpy/sunshine mix. I loved that their relationship was slow to form into a true friendship and that we really got to see the two gradually start to fall for each other. I love them *cry*. I especially loved how their relationship showcased how intimacy can happen and develop without the traditional, or expected, trajectory. There is more than just jumping to kissing! This is my opinion talking, but I truly appreciated that Rook and Sun felt like teenagers, sometimes this gets lost in YA. They're incredibly capable and intelligent teens, but teens with thoughts like "I'm the motherfucking gingerbread man', lol.

This a refreshing and fun LGBT+ friendly read, I wholly recommend it to anyone who loves magic with some romance and tons of found family vibes.

“I just wanted to be part of something magical. What’s so terrible about that?”

I received an arc of Spell Bound by FT Lukens from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!

✨ Rook may not have magic of his own, but he loves it all the same. Using his maybe-not-so-legal skills with technology, Rook snags a job with the infamous and powerful Antonia Hex. With Antonia’s help Rook may finally be able to access the magic that he’s been denied for so long, but then along comes Sun to complicate things. Sun who is the apprentice to Antonia’s rival. Sun who is grumpy and cute and definitely off limits. Sun who may or may not know one (or two) of Rook’s secrets. Secrets that could get them both into trouble. ✨

Spell Bound is a story of magic, humor, and found family with a dash of romance thrown in. It may not be my personal favorite of FT Luken’s, but it was still fun. If you love sarcastic folks fighting bureaucracy, misunderstood villains, puns, and dual pov romances then this one is def for you! Check it out for yourself on April 4th.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for allowing me to review this book early for an honest review.

This is the third book that I’ve read from F.T. Luken, I just wanna say that the covers are just beautifully illustrated. As someone who usually judges books by their covers, I’m instantly drawn in.
The only downside is the last couple of books I’ve read from F.T. Luken have been somewhat disappointing since I feel like their books tend to miss the mark. Their past books usually feel very predictable, lacking character development, and tend to be a bit too overly fluffy for me.
But yet, there was something different with this book that made me fall in love with it.

We have Sun, the cinnamon roll but yet grumpy non-binary character. Who struggles with doing what is right and trying to follow their heart. I also enjoyed the parts in which Sun is teased by their sisters, and honestly, I could do with a whole book just involving their sisters. Rook, was a really interesting character, after all, he has just been kicked from this world that he loves and so desperately wants to come back into. The only thing is, I wish we got to see Rook create more “magic” theme technology that would help him and Sun. Especially think it would be fun if he created technology to help them escape certain locations.

Now the person who stole the show for me was Antonia Hex, I’m not sure why I’m picturing a mixture of Regina George from Mean Girls and Fiona Goode from American Horror Store. Antonia was scary, hell even the magical detective was afraid of her. Even though she was witty and dare I say has an anger issue, she still cared a ton for Rook. Taking him in, even knowing that it could negatively affect her, showed that she had a heart.

We also had Fable, who if I am, to be honest, didn’t stand out from the rest. Although you can see that they do care a ton about Sun. Even though they may be a bit too strict when it comes to following rules. If anything I wasn’t another book with just Fable and Sun focused, although how could I live without my Antonia fix?

I think another thing that F.T. Luken's books tend to lack is world-building, but this book was the opposite. The magic system although simple was easy to follow and made the world come to life. The fact that this book is more so a modern-time magic story may be the reason why the world-building work so well.

If you are looking a for a comfy modern-day magic story, that has an enemy to lovers and a grumpy/sunshine troupe, then check this one out. But if you are looking for something that has a complicated magic system with more dept then maybe skip this one.

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖🪞 I’m here for this fun new YA witchy queer story by F.T. Lukens - featuring a non-binary MC! 🥰

Out April 4th, 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 by F.T. Lukens (2023) ★★★★
Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy, Grumpy/Sunshine, Found family, Rivals to something more, amazing queer representation, Magic 🪄
In-Person & Virtual Launch @eastcitybookshop in DC, April 3rd!

Rook, 16, is desperate to get back in the magical community he had to leave behind after his grandmother’s passing, forced to leave his magical home and belongings behind. He goes to Antonia Hex, the most powerful sorceress, and begs for a job with her. She sees potential in him (not the magical kind, but smarts and personality), so agrees to have him help around the office.

Rook soon meets Sun, 16, apprentice for a rival curse breaker. It took me a bit to warm up to their grumpy, antisocial, black wearing personality. It wasn’t until they melted a bit, that I started to connect with them.

But they have a target on their backs, thanks to the oppressive governmental Consortium that controls the magical world and knowledge of it.

This is a very different story than 𝙎𝙤 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙄𝙨 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 or 𝙄𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨. It’s still a fun and entertaining read - but the vibe is different.
While the writing and plot kept me entertained, there were a few moments of slowness I had to push through, I really liked the ending!

Thanks to @ftlukens @netgalley & @simonandschuster for an #ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book’s charm put a spell on me! Spell Bound is a queer YA romance and cozy urban fantasy adventure that feels like a tight loving hug under a warm blanket, while keeping the stakes high, but offering the reassurance that we’ll have a happy ending. If you’re a fan of the Grumpy/Sunshine trope, this book is for you.

The story follows Rook and Sun, two rival apprentice sorcerers, as they team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic from the magic regulatory government body known as the Consortium.

I really enjoyed how the blend of magic and technology is portrayed, and how unique the magic and it’s access is used in the story, to portray the systems of oppression that are ravaging this fictional world. Plus the inclusion of queer characters without the discussion of their gender identity or sexual orientation was like a breath of fresh air.

The story is filled with lovable characters, sweet heartwarming moments and really funny dialogue. While offering light commentary on real world issues like government regulations, corruption and capitalism.

The book isn’t perfect, but the heart at the core of this story is more than worth you’re time.

Spell Bound is my favorite of F.T. Lukens more recent novels! I really liked In Deeper Waters and So This is Ever After, but found that there was always something missing plot wise or character wise. I felt that Spell Bound had the character development and the plot development that I was looking for from F.T. Lukens.
I loved Rook and Sun's relationship as frenemies to friends to something more. I found the rival aspect to be realistic, which I find is difficult to execute in the rivals/enemies to lovers trope. This was a fun, sweet story with a lot of heart. I found the ending to be rushed, which was a bit disappointing and why I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5 stars.
With each of F.T. Luken's latest novels, I am more and more excited for the next!

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

I previously loved So This Is Ever After and In Deeper Waters so my expectations were super high for Spell Bound. Unfortunately, it fell flat on every level for me. The characters didn’t feel totally realized, the world building left me unable to suspend my disbelief (there’s magic but cell phones still run out of battery??), and the story promised doesn’t start until about the 60% mark — and even then the stakes weren’t totally clear and I didn’t feel anything at the climax. The same three jokes are used over and over, and it got really tedious because it seemed like no one could talk about anything else. It’s safe to say though that I will be picking up more of FT Lukens’s work in the future because I love their precious work so much.

I wanted to read this in large part because I really liked one of the author's previous YA books, The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic. While this one was well-written for the most part, the MCs and secondary characters seemed to have less substance and the plot seemed clunkier (the non-magical MC has magic after all?) than the earlier book.

The MCs make for a cute, romantic, enemies-to-friends couple: Rook is nonmagical in an alternate contemporary world where sorcerers and magic abound; Sun is nonbinary (I'm all for including nonbinary characters but here it seemed a bit contrived) and is "magical" and is apprenticed to a nonbinary sorcerer. It is nice that in this world, none of the conflict results from either MC's sexual or gender identity. Not an issue. They run afoul of the sorcerers' governing body. The action scenes are well-played.

In short, enjoyable, but there is better YA stuff out there.

I received this book as an ARC and voluntarily leave this review.

The things mentioned in the synopsis don't happen til over halfway through, which I think is important to know before going into it or even before reading the synopsis. I liked all the characters and the relationship between Rook and Sun. It was fast-paced and entertaining throughout the entire book. It reads more like the younger side of YA, but that didn't bother me.

This was cute and quick. I really loved In Deeper Waters, so I was excited to read this. I enjoyed Sun and Rook and their relationship. I also enjoyed their mentors and how they treated Sun&Rook with respect. My main complaint is that this reads like middle grade, but overall still enjoyable.