Spell Bound follows Rook, a young, non magical person who grew up with his magical grandmother. After her death he was taken away from the magical community he knew, and after a year away, he began to search for his way back in, eventually finding an office job under Antonia, a powerful sorcerer with a disregard for rules, which has landed her with stipulations on her freedom. The two quickly run into Fable, Antonia’s rival, and their apprentice Sun and Antonia illegally names Rook her apprentice. While working together, Sun and Rook slowly form a friendship, learn each other's secrets, and become a team. Until the Consortium catches wind of what is going on, Sun and Rook have to work together to save their respective teachers.
Spell Bound is an incredibly fun read with a ton of heart along with it. Rook and Sun are both incredibly interesting, with unique perspectives, and a joy to follow throughout the story. Antonia and Fable’s rivalry/friendship relationship is entertaining and complex that made both of their characters feel so real and relatable. The backstories of the characters are so full of heart, and do a wonderful job of showing the reader how they came to be the person they are. While the concepts and amounts we are given of the characters’ backstories are wonderful, I do wish a bit more time was spent, specifically on Antonia and her previous apprentice as I was left at the end of the story wishing I knew more.
The one other notable problem I found with this novel is the pacing, while I enjoyed the slow paced start to the novel, at times I was left wondering when the main conflict would come, if at all. I also wish Mavis, a character we meet toward the end of the novel, after the main conflict had begun, ⅔ of my way through the novel, had been introduced, or at least mentioned earlier on so she felt more like a character and less like a plot device.
That being said, I did enjoy the slow pacing at the beginning of the novel, and the central conflict was engaging and enjoyable. I had a great time reading Spell Bound, the characters and found family elements of the novel were a standout, and the closing monologue was one that made it into my personal favorites. Lukens is an author I have enjoyed for years and I cannot wait to see what the bring to the table next.

I am a slut for anything written by F. T. Lukens. In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After are easily one of my comfort reads. They have an amazing and unique plot without requiring too much brainpower making those books phenomenal to get lost in. I had no doubt that Spell Bound was going to match all of my expectations. My only regret regarding this book was waiting over 3 weeks to read the ARC simply because I knew I’d binge the book and it would be over faster than I’d wanted.

Unlike the author’s previous books, Spell Bound is a contemporary fantasy with romance and mystery subplots. The book features a whole crew of queer characters, as you can expect from Lukens, that make you fall in love with each of them. Spell Bound is perfect queer take on the classic rival ghost-hunters story. This is the type of book that would make you want a whole series of their adventures.

Spellbound by F.T. Luken is an action-packed, coming of age fantasy with magic realism & the most adorable romance. Two rival apprentices to frenemy sorcerers find immediate chemistry as their paths cross, but their relationship is truly tested once they must band together to rescue their mentors & save their magic.

I loved the magic system. I was fascinated by the differentiation of curses, hexes & jinxes. The concept of Rook becoming the front desk employee at a magical shop & basically being a customer service representative for magical needs was unique & superbly entertaining. I was endlessly amused with the phone answering & his taking calls for various magical unfortunate situations. The punny magical names for things was clever. Rook was on such a heartfelt journey that you couldn’t help but root for them.

I enjoyed the fact that it was dual point of view so you can experience both sides of the story. Rook & Sun we’re such a cute pair & I loved that they were such opposites in life as well as a version of grumpy/sunshine.

This was such a charmingly fun young adult magic-filled fantasy romance that is sure to enchant readers.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Children’s for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I will post on social media closer to release & Amazon on release date. I will add links once I do!

This was such a joy to read, a beautiful combination of humor and adventure. The slow burn love was also just stunning. FT Lukens continues to make me fall in love with their writing.

I adore everything Lukens does and Spell Bound just deepened my love even more. It was so nice to see a relationship between a cis boy and a non-binary person. I feel like most relationships that have a non-binary person, their partner is a woman or femme presenting and I loved seeing a change in Sun and Rook.
Of course the relationship is not the only thing to love. Spell Bound is full of snark, finding your people, and of course magic. And maybe a welcome mat that tries to trip you on the daily.

“Sometimes a family was a mischievous magical boss, her magical rival turned friend, a magical girl who used to be a babysitter and now was like an older sister, and the person you didn’t understand in the beginning but liked so much now. And sometimes it was arguments and sometimes it was hugs and sometimes it was banding together to fight a morally corrupt government body and sometimes it was just existing in the same space together as friends.“ - Spell Bound, F.T Lukens

This book was a perfect amalgamation of all of my favorite tropes. It’s like F.T. Lukens went into my own mind and wrote a book based off what they found in my subconscious. Lukens has a true talent and I am so elated that I got the privilege of reading and reviewing this book, so thanks a bunch to Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books! Someone none of the tropes were overdone, the pacing was just right, and the dynamics between Rook and Sun and Fable and Antonia made for some truly superb banter. I’d be a fool to give this book anything less than a perfect score!

FT has a real talent for creating these layered magical worlds that are a joy to be apart of.

Rook isn’t magic, but that’s not going to stop him from trying to make his place in that world. that’s when he lands a job with Antonia Hex, and meets Sun, the mysterious apprentice of another sorcerer.

what unfolds is a great story about belonging, found family, and making your place in a world that says you don’t fit in.

like all of FT’s other books, there’s so much heart and love in it. and a cute romance because…let’s be real…that’s always the main draw for me!

i loved it!!

What can't F. T. Lukens do? This magical YA novel is pretty spectacular, and I had a delightful time reading it. Can't wait to recommend it to people.

I can't tell y'all how excited I was to receive this ARC from Net Galley - F.T. Lukens has been one of my recent favorite authors, and the premise of "Spell Bound" sounded super intriguing. This is another delightful win - although I still think "So This is Ever After" remains my favorite (I couldn't stop laughing while reading that book). This one is sweeter & slower, with a lot of emphasis on the building relationship between our two main characters. All of the characters are fun & endearing, and definitely the highlight. I like the way magic works in this world (some other reviews I notice mention it works similarly to another book, but I haven't read that book so I can't compare), although I wish we got a peek at the magical language of the world to further develop world-building. Either magic words or some special language would have been a neat addition. I'd also love to see a map (I love maps!) to get a better idea of where all the locations are. My only complaint would be that there are some surprise characters that arrive late into the game & I wish they were set up a bit earlier. I feel like a few threads could have been tied together (like we never get a ton of information about Antonia's previous apprentice although their secrecy is big for the plot, but at the end, I was sort of wishing to hear that maybe Rook's grandma was actually the apprentice - this is not what happens, but I think it could have been an interesting surprise). Either way, if you come in wanting a cute LGBT+ friendly cozy magic world, I think you'll be delighted. Rook's connection with Antonia lightly reminds me of Luz & Eda in "The Owl House", so if you're looking for something to fill your Owl House void, I think it's perfect for that as well. As always, I look forward to F.T.'s next novel, and hope they continue delighting us with cozy fantasy worlds!

Every time I read one of FT Luken’s books I think they can’t possibly get any better. And yet each one is somehow better than the last.

I feel like I've been put on this earth to rave about F.T Lukens' books. In Deeper Waters was great. So This is Ever After was amazing. Spell Bound was amazing. I don't think they could ever write a bad book.

THE PLOT:

After the death of his grandmother, Edison Rooker decides he wants to apprentice for sorceress Antonia Hex at her hex/jinx/curse-breaking business, so when he walks into her office he quickly charms her over. He wants badly to be part of the magical world despite having no magic himself. While working on an app that detects ley lines (the source of magic) he risks it all by confiding in Antonia who does NOT have a soft spot for the Consortium their magical government. When he meets Sun, the apprentice of Antonia's rival Fable, he quickly falls for the introverted brooding boy. But when the Consortium gets wind of the Spell Binder app, Rook quickly finds himself teaming up with Sun to rescue Antonia and Fable.

THE CHARACTERS:

I loved how fully realized Rook felt. He's determined, clever, and not one to shy away from flirting with a cute boy. Sun is a moody, anti-social grump who is the perfect balance for Rook. I did wish we got a longer glimpse into Sun's world.

Antonia is a hot mess and that's probably why I loved her so much. Her rivalry with Fable is entertaining, but both sorceresses bring so much to the table.

THE PLOT:

Wholly original. We have a world of magic that is not fully explained and doesn't have to be. This is a character-driven book in a Miyazaki-type world where magic is accepted, regulated and part of normal life. The story was fun, exciting, funny, and heart-wrenching all at once. I'm in awe of the way authors like Lukens can write entire stand-alone books that hit all the beats and all the marks and still not feel rushed.

Overall, I flew through this book. I couldn't wait for bedtime because I got to pour my veggie chips into a bowl and sink into my blankets with my kindle. I'm a forever fan and cannot wait until I get to hold this book in my hands.

I just wanna say that Lukens never disappoints me. The fact that I was given the chance to read this books over a month before it’s released was a dream come true. So let’s get into the review.

Rook and Sun are both remarkable characters that are easy to relate to, and I see myself in both of them from Room’s need to find community to Sun’s antisocial tendencies. The pain of losing a loved one at 16 and not knowing where to go is real, and I couldn’t help but remember losing my dad. Sun is shy and antisocial, but they will do anything for those they care about.

Antonia and Fable are both amazingly powerful sorcerers that live these two apprentices, and Mavis is the best big-sister character I’ve seen in a long time. These three would do anything for Rook and Sun. It’s a beautiful found family with a magical layout.

The LGBTQIA+ representation in this novel is amazing in the way that there is no discrimination. Sun and Fable’s non-binary identities were never questioned, and no one batted at eye, or even judge Rook and Sun for wanting to be together. This is my favorite read of the year so far.

*4.5 stars

While I have read F.T. Lukens' works before, this one could not be more different-- in all the right ways. Go into reading this with no expectations, leave having fallen in love with the main characters & their development, the magic, and the adventure you go on!

Thank you F.T. Lukens, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for sending me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review! 💕
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Spell Bound was on my most anticipated list for 2023 as I loved both In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After, so I was so honored to have been approved for an ARC! This story is told in dual perspectives of Rook and Sun. It was a little slow at first for me, but that could be because I was in a reading slump, but it picked up about halfway through and I quickly read the rest. I really enjoyed the magic system in this book as magic users have to draw their magic from leylines and these leylines have varying power stored. Antonia, Rook’s teacher, reminds me a lot of Eda from The Owl House. As both magic users are very powerful and feared by the magical government. I also like how 2 out of the 4 main characters in this book use they/them pronouns and they are never misgendered. I loved the characters of Rook and Sun so much! I think Rook had a lot of funny moments including this line that made me laugh out loud: “...I took off running. They weren’t going to catch me. I was the motherfucking Gingerbread Man”. (quote is taken from ARC and is subject to change). Overall, I really loved this book and definitely see myself coming back to reread it in the future! If you're a fan of F.T. Lukens’ other books then you will definitely enjoy this one!
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Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens comes out on April 4th!

4.5 stars

What an amazing read! I had such a good time reading it, just couldn’t put it down!

The characters were really sweet and loving, the dynamics were absolutely perfect. Not only between the two main characters - grumpy X sunshine -, but also the found family trope the author uses so well. I loved Rook and Antonia’s relationship so much!

I really liked the world build, even if it isn’t the most original of settings. The Consortium reminded me of the Ministry of Magic in HP, which I think is the point - bigotry, gatekeeping, corruption, personal agendas of those in power. Anyone who doesn’t fit the mold isn’t welcome and deemed unworthy.

Rook longs for a community he used to be part of and was cast out when he no longer fit the rules. The complete disregard the community and the consortium show him is warming enough that changes are necessary and that the rules are only serving a small part of the community.

The only thing that wasn’t completely satisfying to me was the lack of development about Rook’s grandmother and about Antonia’s former apprentice. I expected more of these small characters, some resolution, some connection, anything really.

Overall, a great book that I can’t wait to add to my shelf.

This story is told in a dual-perspective format by Rook and Sun, two teenage apprentice rivals turned frenemies, turned something more? The blossoming romance between Rook and Sun was adorable and I enjoyed getting to see their growing feelings from both their perspectives. I also loved that this book was one with LGBTQ+ representation where things were bad, but not because anyone was queer. It felt really refreshing to escape to a world where queer identities and sexualities felt like the norm and did not need to be fleshed out because they simply were. There were definitely some cheesy moments, but they did not feel out of place in the plot. Most of the action happens towards the end and as a result the story feels more cozy than action-packed. I think the characters had distinct personalities and there is some growth as the story progresses. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author.

This book met and exceeded all expectations for what I assumed. The book's cast was well written, and each had their own personality. Personally, I fell in love with Ms. Hex and wanted more of her within every chapter. One area where this book excelled was the non-binary characters, referring to them with gender-neutral pronouns. I had never seen it done before and was so excited to see the representation within the book. The magic was also a great portion of the book, showing various curses, hexes, jinxes, ley lines, and personal magics. The book set up a great for future novels, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for this world! Highly recommended!

Once I picked up this book, I had a difficult time putting it back down, and I stayed up late to finish it because I didn't want to stop reading. The worldbuilding is fun and feels natural and I had no issues suspending my belief once during the story. I loved the characters, and how even side characters felt fleshed out instead of just being paper people. Rook and Sun's relationship from frenemy to more made me wish this was a book I could've read as a teen. I was sad to see the story end because I loved the characters so much, but I wasn't left wanting. Easily one of my favorite reads and I'll be checking out more of this author's work.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy from NetGalley

This is my first time reading F.T. Lukens, and I can pretty solidly say that I definitely want to read more of their work after this. Even so, I still enjoyed the first 70-80% of the book a lot more than the last 20-30%.

In a world where magic is known by all even if it's not shared by all, I would place it closer to an urban fantasy than a high fantasy, and there's just enough world-building to support that plot. You don't get paragraphs of exposition, but through Rook, you get insight into this magical community as he learns about it himself.

The premise itself is quite interesting with the idea of fighting a magical bureaucracy to save your mentors and your magic. But there is decidedly a lot less fighting the magical government than you would think. In fact, Antonia and Fable, the kidnapped mentors in question, are not taken until more than halfway through the book. And the resolution to everything definitely seemed a little rushed and just tied a bow on it to kind of make the problem go away.

The best part about the book is definitely Rook and Sun's relationship.

This book is kind of sold as a rivals-to-lovers with two rival apprentices, Rook and Sun, having to team up to save their mentors. I, for one, believe this is wholly a friends-to-lovers situation. (It also definitely fits the grumpy/sunshine trope.) There might've been a millisecond or half a scene where Rook and Sun could've been considered rivals, but even when Rook playfully calls Sun his "frenemy," they really are just friends. If anything, they are rivals by circumstance only because of the competitive nature between their mentors.

That being said, I loved the buildup of Rook and Sun's relationship. While there is a connection between the two from the Their friendship grows to be so beautiful and wholesome; all of their scenes had me cheesing so hard. Lukens definitely takes care in crafting their relationship.

Which is why their getting-together scene seemed a little off to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but after all the buildup throughout the entire book, it was just a little anticlimactic and something that the author just needed to get out of the way before the big face-off scene.

Overall, this was still a cute and enjoyable read. I wouldn't exactly recommend it as a fantastical adventure, but if you want an adorable grumpy-sunshine, friends-to-lovers fantasy romance, this would definitely scratch that itch. 3.5 stars (rounded to 4)

Spell Bound is a beautiful book, and what caught my eye was the cover created by F.T. Lukens. Nevertheless, the story is excellent. There is a nice style to the writing, and the characters are clearly defined.