THIS WAS SO CUTE!!

Spellbound is a story about two apprentices of rivalry sorcerers who get into some trouble.


I’ve read F.T Lukens past two books and this one has the exact same vibe. Its fun, queer and heartfelt. Definitely recommend any of their books.

This was a sweet read. I enjoyed the story and the queer representation. The concept is unique and I will read other works by this author in the future. I felt the dialogue was not always super believable but overall, I had fun reading this magical adventure! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I received this book from #NetGalley as an arc thank you so much for that! I really enjoyed this book it was an amazing magical ride. The world building was awesome and the characters were all phenomenal and although opposite they completed each other so well! The romance was also super cute and fluffy (no pun intended) I also didn’t think my favorite chapter coming out of this was going to be Antonia but it definitely was! I can’t wait to read more books by F.T. Lukens.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

In F.T. Lukens’ YA Queer fantasy Spell Bound, there’s a world of magic that the protagonist Rook is sadly on the periphery of. But fear not, gentle reader, Rook doesn’t stay there long & that’s part of the fun of the book.

Rook had a magical grandmother so he’s aware of what magic is. Also that he doesn’t have it. But he seizes his destiny—or at least, part of it—by approaching a hex breaker & fighting for the chance to work with her, eventually as her secret apprentice.

That’s how he meets Sun, an apprentice to a different wizard.

There’s a sweet & gentle grumpy & the sunshine relationship between Rook & Sun, greatly based off respect including when it comes to touch.

There’s also a winning growth arc for the characters, especially as they make choices to change, found family, & a really cute closing chapter.

This is a fun story & a definite YA win.

4⭐️. Out now!

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ID: Jess' white hand holds the ebook in front of a sunset. Trees and a green field are in the background also.

Oh F.T. Lukens how to just wrap my heart in a warm blanket that makes me just want to stay there! This book was so fun! it was full of magic and mystery, emo boys named Sun and free-spirtied ones named Rook. This book had drama, love, found family and everything in between. I highly enjoyed the magic system in this one and the way they used it. This author has definitely became a must buy for me!

Every character in this book, no matter how minor, has a personality with incredible depth. They're endlessly charming. The story itself is interesting enough on its own, but it's the characters that pull it over the top. They're what make it absurdly funny at the most snort-inducing moments.

I absolutely adored Spell Bound! The magic system, the world building, the characters, everything worked so well together to weave a truly magical tale. There was just the right amount of quirkiness (i.e. a cursed doormat that trips anyone who steps on it) mixed in with more hard hitting topics such as personal identity and conforming to societal norms.

All of the characters were unique and so well written. Rook and Sun were the epitome of opposites attract and grumpy/sunshine and I was rooting for them the whole time. Rook is such an optimistic, cinnamon roll full of determination. Sun is grumpy, anti-social, and sarcastic. The two of them together was pure magic.

I highly recommend Spell Bound and will definitely be checking out more works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing/Margaret K. McElderry Books, and F.T. Lukens for an e-arc of Spell Bound in exchange for an honest review.

I freaking loved this book so much, I just had so much fun reading the book and going on the journey with the 2 main characters.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review*

It took me so long to finish this but it was good! I got this ARC before publication, but I had a really rough schedule so I only had a few minutes to seconds in a day to read this book.

Let me tell you the plot *chef kiss* perfect. The middle got a little dry, but the ending makes up for it by snatching you and running.

I adored the magic system in this world. I loved how they required ley lines, a pool/source of magic in order to perform even the most basic of spells, and the discussion of how some people could see lines stronger than others

The only part I felt iffy on was the whole "the group that governs us is against us and has dumb rules" trope (Consortium [in this case], Clave [Shadowhunters], District 1 [Rightfully so Hunger Games], etc.). It was unique enough to beg pardon, but I also felt like this part got shoved under the cursed rug a lot.

Overall, another spectacular book from Lukens, further solidifying them as one of my favorite authors. ☺️

A cute, easy read. I loved Spell Bound from start to finish.

I was immediately drawn into the story and found the two main characters adorable. I’m a fan of a grumpy x sunshine romance so that was a plus for me! The plot was fairly straightforward but enjoyable, and allowed the characters to be the stars of the show.

Very much what I expect from F.T. Lukens having read a few of their books now, and I will continue to read them as they release! An author I look forward to reading more from.

I really enjoyed this twist on magic users. This book was really good and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the novel.

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens is a great exploration of found family, community, belonging, and teenage romance. It is lighthearted and fun and a very enjoyable read. However, I felt that while I was able to enjoy this book, it also felt like the surface was barely scratched with some of the systems that were put in place.

The worldbuilding introduces us to the Constortium who feels like a threat with dull teeth. The themes of surveillance and control felt like they could have explored further and perhaps would have been with an adult fiction story.

While I wished there was more exploration of some areas of the story I found myself enjoying more of the action sequences than anything else. Lukens writes great plot-driven action scenes that I ate up like candy.

Recommend this book for when you are looking for a lighthearted but hopeful read.

FT Lukes is an auto-buy author for me and Spell Bound was just as great as their previous titles! A quick summary...

The lovable Rook is non-magical but wants nothing more than to be a part of that community. He invents a device that can detect magical ley lines and energies which the Consortium (or the magical government) sees as quite the problem. Rook pairs up with an adorable counterpart, Sun, who is conflicted about their feelings for Rook, and vice versa. Both their magical mentors are attacked by the Consortium bc of this device so Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their found family back together again.

I absolutely loved this story! It was jam-packed with found family, witty banter, and a really cool magic system. Rook and Sun have a fantastic frenemies-to-lovers arc with just the right amount of grumpy sunshine mixed throughout. I highly recommend this story for anyone looking for a light, fluffy, fully of adventure read that will leave you spell bound!

Thank you Negalley and Simon Teen for generously providing me an arc!

5 stars!

This was an adorable queer YA urban fantasy novel!! I loved the main characters - Sun and Rook were an adorable grumpy x sunshine and each had so much depth! The dual POV was a lot of fun, and their connections to their mentors, Fable and Antonia, were really sweet and charming!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the eARC to read and review.

I LOVED this book. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book. It had great LGBTQIAP representation and a character who is non-binary; the characters were all so wonderful. Rook and Sun were adorable as they grew from enemies to lovers. And I loved the dynamic between them.

Antonia Hex, the very powerful sorceress who is very intimidating, gives Edison Rooker (aka Rook) a job, and you get to see a great mentor-mentee bond between them. It really grows into a found family trope that I really enjoyed. Antonia Hex, as a character, is so strong that you truly fall in love with her as you see how she cares for Rook by the end of the story.

Rook is a strong and humorous character who lost his grandmother a year ago. He's just trying to find a place in the magical world as someone with no magical abilities himself. But he has an illegal device that helps him find the magic. Throughout the entire story, you watch him grow and care for others so wholly, and toward the end, you're rooting for him to get what he wants.

Really, you fall in love with all of the characters throughout the story. Sun is another character who's p.o.v it switches between and they're non-binary who, at first, is distrustful of Rook. But as the novel progresses, it goes from enemies to lovers, and you see a great turn to Sun's personality toward the end. I can't tell who I love more, Rook or Sun.

The magic system throughout the book was very well thought-out, and the writing style was easy to follow. It had great world-building throughout the story as well.

I read Lukens In Deeper Waters and fell in love with that book. It was the first book I read by the author, and I absolutely adored it. I'm really struggling to know which book I love more now. If you haven't read this book yet, you need to. It's highly recommended, and I'll be talking about it for a while!

This book was another well written adventure by Lukens. Their work never fails to keep me entertained the entire time. Spell Bound kept me up well into the early morning with its fun and interesting characters and immersive, attention-drawing storyline. Rook and Sun had amazing chemistry that immediately makes you want to cheer on the relationship. I would love to see more of these characters in the future. One of my more major criticisms would be the development of the world. It could’ve gone more in depth about the workings of this world and how The Consortium fit in the dynamic of the world. We know how everything operates in Spire City and it’s surrounding areas, but it would’ve been nice to know how much of the norm this was in relation to other countries, cities, etc. Was The Consortium a global operation, for example.

This is now my favorite FTLukens book (which is a normal reaction every this author releases a new book!)

I want this to be turned into a TV series 😭

This book was excellent it checks off all the boxes I look for when reading an FT Lukens book
✅ comedy
✅wholesome romance
✅a book that feels like a warm hug
✅a fire book cover🔥
Not only are the covers on FT Lukens book’s gorgeous, but the stories they tell as well.
This is a fairly quick read should be able to get through it in one sitting. The cast of characters interact well with each other and the way The author writes really immerses you in these conversations like you are there. Thats another thing I love about their books they create real characters with diverse representation. Another fabulous read in my book. 5 stars

FT Lukens continues to hold a place as one of my favorite authors. They have a fantastic way of writing characters you cant help but love with stories that aren't too incredibly stressful but remain entertaining from start to finish!

Rook and Sun are fantastic narrator's for this story. From two very different walks of life in this magical world they are the embodiments of golden retriever and black cat which is a dynamic I ADORE. Sun reminds me so much of myself but I also saw a lot of myself in Rook as well. It had me easily rooting for both of them in every way.

Antonia and Fable are just as fun and unique as characters and I really enjoyed the different dynamics all four of them brought when they came together to deal with curses/jinx/evil power hunger government entities (lol).

I wish there was a book two as I would love to see how their paths continue and how both Sun and Rook continue to grow individually as well as together.

I adored this novel! Spell Bound is snarky and sweet in turns, and is all about found family and rebelling against corrupt government agencies. Rook is a non-magical teen looking to get a job with the most powerful sorcerer in the world. But is she as dangerous as everyone says she is? While taking on his new role in Antonia Hex’s office answering phone calls from people who have been cursed, Rook meets the mysterious apprentice of Antonia’s rival. And sparks fly - maybe a little rivalry of their own, or maybe a little something else.

The writing is witty and funny. It alternates nicely between Rook and Sun (the apprentice), giving insight into each of their worlds. I appreciated how well the characters interacted and felt like they naturally developed their relationships. And I liked the queer and neurodivergent rep as well!