F.T Lukens has definitely become an author that I watch out for now. My list of authors that I make time to seek out is very small so that says something.

Great book. I love any story to do with magic. Different from their previous books but still worth a read for their world building.

This books was a lot of fun - the magic aspect was super exciting, and Rook was coming into their own and finding their place was such a fun journey. I love the humor and the heart that Lukens puts into their writing. This one is tons of fun!

4.25/5 ⭐️

Grumpy soft hearted enby. GRUMPY SOFT HEARTED ENBY!

Guys, Rook and Sun were so adorably sweet. They respected each other and their boundaries immediately and their meet cute?? From the moment they met you feel their chemistry. Rook and Sun’s banter throughout the story was also so well done. It was extremely funny especially when one of them was turned into an animal and couldn’t communicate properly.

I know this book is classified as enemies to lovers but I would very much disagree. Quoting from Rook; they’re frenemies. (But even then they very quickly develop into friends.)

The overall villains of the story are a little cartoony but also kinda accurate. I mean, if we did have magic you could bet the government would control it with an iron fist.

F.T. Lukens once again, didn’t disappoint. This was fun, sweet, full of magic, and definitely a little campy. This was a blast to read and I highly recommend you check it out when it comes out in April!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

F.T. Lukens has quickly become one of my (and several students in my library’s) favorite authors, and an easy recommendation for any readers looking for fantasy books with good queer representation. This new book does not disappoint on that front.

This book had so many of my favorite tropes in it: found family, grumpy x sunshine, rivals to frenemies to friends to lovers. It was cute and fluffy and you know I love to see teenagers take down oppressive government institutions, I will never not be here for that.

I’ve already pre-ordered my own copy of this book and if you love adorable queer fantasy, you should, too!

The best thing about this book are the characters. I’ve already cast them in my head, imagining how the book would translate into a tv show. Rook is both a genius and a dumbass, with golden retriever kind of energy. Sun is both confident and insecure and becoming friends with Rook changes their notions on following the rules of the Consortium, the very controlling magical governing body in this world. Antonia is mysterious and scary, both a rose blossom and its thorns. Fable is a little too lawful good for my liking, but their decisions always made sense for their character. I’m not nonbinary, but the rep here seems good and normal, with both Sun and mentor Fable using they/them pronouns. I would love to see more of Mavis if there is ever a sequel.

The book achieves a great balance of having magic and whimsy exist alongside tech and the modern setting. It never feels odd or weird in a way that takes you out of the story. I love the ley lines magic system that exists with potions and spells that require precise steps and a lot of willpower.

Some of the plot points felt more forced, like a certain someone going through Rook’s bag to look for his cell phone while Rook was incapacitated and stumbling upon his illegal tech for sensing magical ley lines. Like wouldn’t that tech have some kind of lock or password to open? And in an emergency would someone really study the screen and figure out the tech matches where the ley lines are, which regular humans cannot see? It’s forced but I’ll let it pass because there is much more great in this story than meh.

But the book provided the fun, which is what I’m looking for in a witchy book. It felt like watching a fun streaming movie, with enough pathos to make you care and enough hijinks to keep you entertained.

7.5/10 stars, recommended for a good time.

“[S]ometimes it was arguments and sometimes it was hugs and sometimes it was banding together to fight a morally corrupt government body [...]"

⚠️ THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK ! ⚠️ This ARC was provided by Netgalley.

tl;dr 3.5 rounded up to 4. I've only read 2 of FT Lukens's books (IN DEEPER WATERS is on the docket, I swear), and I haven't been steered wrong yet. Lukens always gives us a good time.

In SPELL BOUND, non-magical Rook is illegally apprenticed to the notorious witch Antonia. His employment puts him in the path of Sun, the surly apprentice to Antonia's so-called nemesis Fable, and the two wind up having to work together to save their mentors from the aforementioned corrupt government body that polices all magical knowledge and law.

When I first started SPELL BOUND and say the chapters bounced between POVs (and in first person, which I tend to HATE), I was skeptical. I never quite know how I feel about this trope -- it's so easy to break the rules of it, or write every character sounding and thus making the switch pointless. But Lukens did well keeping Rook and Sun distinct throughout the book, and I actually enjoyed learning little tidbits about them through their own points of view.

There’s just so much to like. We’ve got curses. We’ve got hexes. We’ve got jinxes. We’ve got clever lead characters. We’ve got cute coffee/study dates. We’ve got magical transformations. We’ve got haunted houses. We’ve got sunshine-grump scenarios out the wazoo. You want banter? We’ve got banter!

It goes without saying that Rook and Sun’s developing friendship-to-romance is a large part of this book, and it’s very cute. Sun’s resistance to friendship turning into defending Rook and telling their mentor that Rook didn’t make fun of them and respected their boundaries warmed my cold little heart. I like that Sun’s pronouns didn’t stump Rook a bit — we love a modern romance that doesn’t need to explain every little thing to the reader.

I did round this up to a 4, but there were parts of this book that I think would have given it a 3 if not for Lukens's ability to write such a fun book. If I had to dock points for anything, I think the bit with the Consortium trial at the end was too rushed — it would have been nice to see Rook or Sun interacting with other mages specifically so that when they began to side with them, it wasn’t just because Sun was pretending to pass out but because they’d done their homework and tried to convince people on the ground (as they’re both clever enough to do), but other than that and Mavis’ incredibly convenient placement in the story, there’s nothing to complain about.

Notes From the Margins:

A shiver of fear lanced through me. Uh-oh. What was going on here? What had I unwittingly unleashed? Was Antonia drunk on power?
“But noooo. I’m bound by the Consortium and their”—she made air quotes again—“‘rules’ for the greater good. Who says I wouldn’t be a fair and beloved queen?”
“Um . . .”

.
(About Sun): A dour chihuahua in a room full of huskies.
.

Sun ran a hand through their hair, giving me a peek of their silver studs again and the curve of their ear. I felt like a Victorian gentleman who had just seen their first dainty ankle with the way my pulse sped up.

This book was right up my alley! First, the cover immediately drew me in, but the story lives up to it. I particularly enjoyed the vivid world-building. It was a good mix of urban fantasy with some cozy-cottage by the woods scenes. I believed how magic was public in this world but not everyone had access to it so regular people pay for someone to help with spells, but one guy breaks the mold by being both. Both the main and side characters are well-rounded. I want a sequel not because we need one for the plot but because I want to spend more time with these characters. I liked that we got to see both Sun and Rook's points of view and their slow burn of a relationship from each side. It's truly a grumpy/sunshine trope but the good banter is what makes it fun. This makes me want to read other books by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley!

After the death of his grandmother, Rook has been isolated from the world of magic. As he cannot sense the leylines that give magic users their powers, he's forbidden by The Consortium from participating in a magical way of life. In order to return to the life he once knew, he takes a job under a rebellious curse breaker, Antonia Hex, whose reputation in the magical world is marred by the apprentice she had ages ago.

'Spell Bound' is my favorite F.T. Lukens book yet, if only for how wonderfully (and humorously!) the characters interact with one another. From the sarcastic Sun belligerently crushing on the book-smart, street-dumb Rook to the energy between Antonia and Fable (which I can only describe as 'divorced'), my favorite chunks of the book were the character interactions. There's also a great amount of humor behind the concept--Antonia and Fable's jobs are essentially customer service and tech support, which readers might be able to relate to all too well.

I also want to compliment the cover art--this is the third time that F.T. Lukens has partnered with the talented Sam Schechter, and each cover has looked better than the last. Sam has a particular talent for painting faces, which adds a lot to the overall experience of reading the book.

The only complaint I have is a petty one about the end (spoiler warning!)

Mavis quitting her librarian job to join Antonia and Fable?! Apart from feeling a bit cheap after she confessed that magic wasn't really her strong suit, trading away a stable, full-time job (that requires two years of graduate school) for what seems to be an on-commission position seems way too reckless for her. Does hex-removal include health insurance and dental? I doubt the Consortium would let them unionize. If Mavis was a library assistant or some other library employee I'd be more inclined to believe that she'd leave that life to go back to magic, but as someone who was stuck in a part-time, seasonal position for years while trying to become a librarian, I couldn't help but cringe when I got to that part. Girl, I don't think stopping spelled puppies from following people is going to help with paying back your student loans!

Every so often, I need a dose of adorableness and FT Lukens always brings it! Spell Bound is the story of Rook and Sun and the shenanigans they get up to in the world of magic.

Magic-less Edison Rooker approaches the powerful Antonia Hex, desperate to get his connection to the magical world back after the death of his grandmother. Reluctantly, she brings him on as an apprentice but she has secrets that he doesn’t learn until it’s too late. Meanwhile, Sun is the apprentice to Antonia’s once friend and current professional rival, Fable.

For two people who supposedly aren’t friends, Antonia and Fable work together quite a bit, meaning Sun and Rook must work in close proximity. What starts off as a rocky stand-off-ish-ness between the two, they become tentative friends. Rook is kind and helpful in some of Sun’s anxious situations.

I though they were so sweet. As the story progresses and more than just being physically close to magic is at stake for Rook, considering the Magical Consortium calls all the shots in the magical world, the four find themselves in some real danger.

There is some miscommunication dusted through this book, but the way Rook and Sun have to work together was great. This is a very feel good book.

Rook is trying desperately to get back into the magical community. Following the death of his grandmother he was forced out of it because he has no magical talent. His angle: getting a job with the most powerful sorceress in the world. But she doesn’t take apprentices anymore. And then to complicate things there’s Sun, a rival sorcerer’s apprentice who doesn’t like Rook at all, or do they?

I loved the characters in this story. Rook and Sun were very well realized and I was glad we got to see things from both of their POV. Without insight into Sun’s thoughts they might have felt too prickly and off putting. I liked the slow burn development of their relationship.

Antonia was extremely aggressive, with good reason, but sometimes came off a little bit too rash for someone who’s had her experiences. I felt like she would have been a little more careful about what she was doing. But it was entertaining to read.

I had only read one other book by F.T. Lukens before this (Ever After) but now I’m going to put them on my must read list! I love the witty dialog, the compassion their characters show and how damn inclusive and queer their books have been!

Pick this book up for disaster queer spell caster fun with just the right amount of overthrowing corrupt tyrannical governments. Plus there is really sweet hugging and someone turns into a cat for a while.

Rook and Sun are apprentices to rival sorcerers. Each teen has secrets. Rook is an inventor who mourns his grandmother and her magic. Sun has a rare talent and wants to keep their family safe, When their mentors are arrested by The Consortium, a powerful organization that tightly regulates magic, Rook and Sun must work together. Sparks fly.

Charming queer YA fantasy with solid world-building

Yay, another fun, YA, magical fantasy story by F.T. Lukens! 😁

This time around, the MC was Rook, a non-magical, 16 y.o. guy, living on his own, after his sorceress grandmother died and he was exiled from the magical community where he grew up.

But being a literal genius, he refused to give up on magic, had invented a ley line detector, and marched into the office of the most powerful magic wielder of his time to ask for a job.

His new boss, Antonia, was pretty scary, but I warmed up to her pretty quickly, mostly because her badass bitch persona was just a front.

Then we met Sun, Rook's 16 y.o. love interest and apprentice to another local sorceress, who I loved immediately. He was definitely the rain cloud to Rook's sunny day disposition, but I knew that their frenemies status' days were numbered right from the start.

The story was fairly action packed and well-paced, so the story had no problem keeping my undivided attention.

My only real issue was that the last twenty'ish percent of the story, toward the middle of "the cat thing", felt kind of rushed and not nearly as nuanced as the rest of the book. Race to the finish line, anyone?

Speaking of "the cat thing", I adored how Sun's defensive walls started to come down once he had paws and a tail. But cats are gonna purr and want cuddles, so what's a snarky, emo boy to do, right?

I did like how the story ended, with the evil, magical Consortium finally being held accountable by the people who actually possessed magic, where they'd previously been very controlling and Gestapo-like.

I found this one not quite as fun as previous Lukens books, but I did still really enjoy it, so I'd rate it at around 4.25 stars and recommend it to fans of magical fantasy. 🙂

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

F.T. Lukens has done it again. I’ve been a fan and read In Deeper Waters & So This Is Ever After last year and this is my favorite one so far. Adorable, action packed, and a bit of a tear jerker in some places. Their writing just gets better and better.

I love the sunshine/grumpy & enemies to friends who flirt to lovers trope this book had. There were some parts that were so cute I was grinning to myself as I read. I identify with Sun a lot and I loved them. Rook was an adorable golden retriever boyfriend who secretly just wanted to be loved and understood. His storyline with his grandma and wanted to be close to magic because of her broke my heart. I also really loved Antonia, Fable, and Mavis. Everyone was just so good and sweet I wanted to hug them close.

I also could get behind the message of knowing when rules are wrong and fighting against them. Some rules are made to be oppressive and Rook, Sun, and the gang were ready to fight no matter what.

There is also plenty of pining, fighting, bickering, longing, and kissing. I absolutely adored these cuties and I’m so glad the book was character focused. I caught myself crying there at the end. This book comes out April 4th so be sure to check it out!

"What's going on here?" Antonia interrupted. Rook plastered a smile back on his face, but it was utterly fake, and I was terrified Antonia would notice and jinx me for being mean to her not-office-staff apprentice. "We're not going to have a problem, are we?"



Edison Rooker is just a regular dude. he's tall and gangly, happy-go-lucky and smart as a whip. he's also got no magical ability to speak of and is now, officially, an orphan. he was raised by his grandmother within the magic community but after her death last year Rook was pretty forcefully removed. he now lives alone in a dingy apartment in an unpopular 'dead' spot in the city, where there's no local ley lines at all so magic is costly and practically impossible to do on your own.

he desperately misses his grandma and her magic, most especially the little butterflies she'd summon for him to chase and the potions she'd mix up in the kitchen. he wants to find some way back to those feelings so he develops and builds the Spell Binder. awful name, super cool device. it's essentially a cheat code for all the mere mortals in this world; while Rook can't see ley lines himself, his Spell Binder can. and he's got plans to build a spell holding app on it as well, once he can get his hands on a spellbook.

to do that he approaches Antonia Hex, founder of Hex-A-Gone, on-call curse-breaker and the most powerful sorcerer in Spire City. she's intimidating as all hell and doesn't take shit from nobody. unsurprisingly, she likes Rook's attitude. she agrees to let him be her office staff; away from the actual magic, but closer than he's been able to get since his grandma passed. she nicknames him "Rook" and he decides that he can make this work, no matter what it takes.

it's then he meets Sun. Sun is the apprentice of Fable Page, another infamous curse-breaker who owns the aptly named Fable's Curse-Breakers. Sun is emotionally removed, snappish, defensive, easily provoked. Rook likes them immediately, though it takes some time for Sun to become begrudgingly affectionate towards Rook as well. their relationship is absolutely the grumpy x sunshine trope, or if you'd like, a labrador retriever and a prim housecat.



"He's beauty, he's grace," one of the girls said to the others, chin in her hand. "And he's coming this way."
My hope that my stumble went unnoticed died a quick, unglamorous death. Okay, I could recover. I could do this. Bring it back. Once I was close enough, I nodded to Sun.
"You," I said.
"Me," they agreed.
"What are you doing here?" Excellent. I'd tipped too far in the other direction and went from endearingly clumsy to downright rude. "I mean, um... come here often?" Wow. This interaction had dramatically gone downhill, and I'd lierally said only three sentences thus far.



unfortunately, there's really no time to go around poorly flirting with one another as Antonia is breaking a number of laws keeping and eventually, teaching Rook. the magical community is run by a government body called the Consortium, who comes up with and enforces the rules. Antonia isn't allowed to have an apprentice, per the sordid history of whatever happened to her last one, and she's especially not allowed to teach someone non-magical magic.

this book swerves from meet-cute coffee shop scenes into political sabotage and coups so abruptly that it's a delight. it's not that I disliked the beginning chunk of the book, because I didn't; seeing Sun and Rook's friendship develop and watching Antonia and Fable snipe one another in the background at various odd jobs was hilarious, and I'm a sucker for the grumpy x sunshine trope so obviously I was happy reading them.

but the launch of turning this into a full blown underdog anti-government story was even better. I won't write more on it as I want to leave the details until the book is published but it was so very easy to root for them to win and get the happy ending they very much deserved. overall I liked this book; it's uncomplicated morals but sometimes I just want a happily ever after that doesn't cut me to the bone. Spell Bound cheerfully delivers.



queer rep - queer mc, nonbinary (they/them) mc, nonbinary (they/them) sc
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

Rook and Sun were absolutely adorable and I love a good grumpy/sunshine moment. I really enjoyed that the majority of the book was about them getting to know one another and tentatively becoming friends rather than jumping right in and forcing something where it wouldn't have worked.

The magic aspect was also super fun, and Rook was coming into their own and finding their place was such a fun journey. I love the humor and the heart that Lukens puts into their writing. This one is tons of fun!

Edison Rooker doesn’t have magic. However, that doesn’t stop him from visiting Antonia Hex, the most powerful sorceress, and asking for a job. All he knows is he wants to gain access to the magical world. Access he lost when he lost his grandmother.

To his surprise, Antonia offers him a job–and a new name: Rook. Now, he just has to keep his Spell Binder away from prying eyes. And work with Antonia’s nemesis, Fable, and their apprentice, Sun. After the powers that be learn about Rook's illegal Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. So Rook goes to Sun for help, onlly to learn Fable has been attacked, too. Now on the run, the two must work together to save their mentors. Or they'll lose magic forever.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens to review! At this point, I think F.T. Lukens has firmly established themselves as the YA author writing fun, queer, fantasy adventures. You know you’ll get quirky characters, a fun magical world, and epic adventures whenever you pick up one of their books.

Spell Bound is no different. Right from the beginning, you will likely fall in love with the characters. Rook especially. He is just looking for a way to reconnect with the magical world, and I loved that Antonia gave him a chance. And his relationship with Sun! Sun was equally lovely. They formed a strong connection with Rook, and I loved how they interacted with each other.

The world building was also really well done. It’s a pretty unique magical system, and it was fun to learn about. Antonia’s many magical puns also add to the somewhat whimsical nature. But don’t be fooled, the stakes do get pretty high at the end. You’ll want to keep reading to just find out what happens next.

All in all, if you’re looking for a fun magical adventure, definitely check this book out in April!

This book starts with an interview gone oddly right and straight into a sweet romance with magic akin to some classic tales as well as a mystery and correct pronouns! It’s a fast paced wonderful story into a world of sorcerers and ley lines and adorable they/thems and a very grumpy cat!

Every chapter was another piece of sweetness like candy and soda and fireworks and made me wish I could see the magic in our own world!

Spell Bound is such a fun and whimsical read! I loved F.T. Luken's previous book and this one did not disappoint.

Rook was one of my favorite characters to follow. He is fun and silly and such a cinnamon roll. I loved his building relationship with Sun. This slow burn rivals to friends to lovers was sweet and adorable.

This world was so interesting with the magic that is strictly governed. I do wish that there was a bit more of both the magic and the backstory of Rook's boss Antonina. I found her to be such a well done character and really wished to see more of where she came from.

Overall, this was a fun and fast paced read that left me with such cozy vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I loved So This Is Ever After… but this. THIS. Spellbound was everything.

The world-building was incredible and I was so intrigued by the magic system. The way sorcerers draw magic from lay lines was really interesting and I could see vivid spells being cast in my mind. I enjoyed how different sorcerers like Antonia and Sun had distinct abilities that made their magic special.

The evil queen? Maleficent? Regina George? Those ladies have nothing on Antonia Hex. She’ll destroy you with a glance. Antonia was a villain and a hero all rolled into one. If you enjoy shady characters whose motives you are constantly questioning, you will adore Antonia!

Rook and Sun were another adorable grumpy x sunshine moment I devoured. Their romance had a wonderful trajectory. It was strangers to who the hell are you to I kinda want to be your friend to wait I’m obsessed with you. I loved that Sun’s magical ability tied into their relationship with Rook. Sun spoke up for Rook and saw what nobody else could. They were so sweet.

There was a lot to love about this book. The plot was dramatic and the characters were fabulous. The world was queer normative and one of the main characters was non-binary. This book was all about loneliness and finding a home. Rook found a place with Antonia, Sun and Fable. There was a lovely sense of found family in this story, and I’d love to revisit this world in the future!

FT Lukens has become one of my instant buy authors, with their previous works “In Deeper Waters” and “So This Is Ever After” landing in my top ten in their respective release years, and the trend continues with “Spell Bound”. Magic can be tricky to navigate in a post Harry Potter work, but the world but here is entirely its own and entirely intriguing. As you dig deeper into the story, the real nuance of found family, identity, and drive are the driving forces behind the plot. I enjoy the inclusion of the gender neutral pronouns surrounding Sun, something not often found in YA, and when it is, it’s the center point of the story. Sun just is non binary, and is addressed using they/them pronouns, and that’s that. No discussion needed. Lukens trusts their readers to follow this without explanation and I love that.