Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Otherworldly!!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 5/5

Gods, magic, and gay people, my three favorite things. Top 5 favorite books of 2024.

I love FT Lukens, I don't think I'll ever hesitate to buy one of their books the day it comes out, they have yet to write a bad book. With that said, this one didn't resonate with me in the same way STIEA and Spell Bound did. The back half of the book was excellent, once all the pieces were in place, but it took a little too long to get there, and the lead up wasn't the strongest. I got through it with absolute love for all four of the main characters, they were everything to me, but the story didn't feel like it had a driving force for a little too long. Even so, of course it got there eventually, and once it did, I flew through this one and loved it.

And obviously I can't end this without mentioning that the cover once again is STUNNING, legitimately some of the best covers in the business.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC and Amazing book!
I agree and recommend this book to anyone seeking a thrilling blend of the supernatural and romance. Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After fans will be captivated by this lively young adult adventure. The dynamic between Ellery who at first does not believe in the supernatural and Knox being supernatural is engaging. Otherworldly was full of beautiful imagery, sweet, passionate characters, and an obstacle they all must work together to overcome. There is always so much character growth. Found Family is present in every story, with amazing supportive side characters contributing just as much to the result.

F.T. Lukens eats EVERY TIME

This book was so lovely and cute and adorable and I wish I read it sooner. The plot is so intriguing, it for real kept me on my toes the entire time and UGH THAT ENDING genuinely such great storytelling I’m obsessed.

The characters were all so lovely as well like, Ellery and Knox both stole my heart so fast, and Charley and Zada were absolutely amazing I love them so much. Didn’t expect to love BRAM as much as I did, very much a shock to me from when we first meet him (though I do have a penchant for taking a strong liking to side characters like him.)

Seriously wish I read this arc sooner but Life happened, though I’m so glad I had this heartwarming book waiting for me when I was ready for it 🫶 could not have read this at a more perfect time, especially with the message of allowing yourself to have faith and let go. 10/10 book, absolutely going on my all-time favorites list.

This was a cute found-family supernatural teen romance with heart. I really enjoyed all the characters: disbelieving and cautious Ellery, and warm and excitable Knox, and weird and loveable and bouncy Charlie and calm and collected Zeta, but also the minor characters. Lorelai and especially the sullen Bram. I really enjoyed how he started coming around by the end. And the more sinister side characters as well. They were very well done and very satisfying to dislike.

The plot was a little simpler than I usually prefer in a fantasy, though it worked well for a romance. The setting of a 5-year-long endless winter was unique and I felt like it was used well. The characters were always cold, the farms were struggling to survive and had to build greenhouses, the town was slowly dying. It was a bleak and empty and cold and eerie setting that worked really well as a backdrop for a supernatural romance.

The last quarter felt weaker than the rest, and a lot of the confrontations were a little lackluster. I just wanted a bit more from it.

The audiobook was really well done and helped draw me into the story and keep me there. The narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life. They were pleasant to listen to and gave all the characters easily recognizable voices.

*Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing an early copy for review.

First, let me say that Knox is a complete green flag with all the golden retriever vibes!! I fell in love with him almost immediately. Innocent, teasing, supportive, loyal, with a slight protective streak? Mark him down as one of the best book boyfriends. <3 But let me back up a bit.....

Otherwordly is set in a world that still believes in Gods and Goddesses. I almost felt as if we took Ancient Roman beliefs and plopped it in a modern setting. It was fun. My only real criticism is I felt the start was little slow, even though I know it was necessary to introduce the driving force of the plot. However, once it got going, I didn't want to put it down.

Additionally, the alternating viewpoints were beautifully done and I could easily tell Knox's voice from Ellery's. Speaking of Ellery, they were a tougher nut for me. I had a hard time coming to like them, and at first it bothered me, because Knox was so wonderful. But the more I thought about it, that was kind of genius on the author's part. Ellery is very much shut down and closed off from the world. They had no desire to mix with people or make friends. They simply wanted to exist. It's not until Knox literally barrels into them that they're more or less forced to come out of their shell. Like the sun melting the snow when winter finally ended, Knox's brilliant and bubbly personality made him the perfect person to thaw Ellery's heart.

Following these two and their growing attachment to each other, laid over the increasingly dangerous task of trying to save the city, and supported by a bunch of equally interesting and charming characters, was so perfect and precisely what I needed. This was my first FT Lukens book and I'm happy to report that it won't be my last! I'd gladly recommend this to friends, family, and patrons at work who are looking for themes of found family, believing in your own self worth, and just a good wholesome paranormal teen romance.

Before I begin this review, I want to thank Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for allowing me to access Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens before publication. Check out this book when it is released on April 1st, 2025!

Luken's story is an entertaining blend of romance, fantasy, and humor, making it a truly captivating read. With its engaging narrative, this book stands out as a cozy and enjoyable escape for fans of both romance and fantasy genres. The interplay between the undead, gods, and a touch of humor creates a richly imaginative world that draws readers in.

Ellery is practical and skeptical, working hard to support their family and farm. Ellery's character is charmingly contrasted by that of Knox, a magical assistant whose guide for living life is the teen shows he finds comfort in watching. Unlike Ellery, he is on a journey of self-discovery, determined to fully immerse himself in the human experience, which adds a layer of humor to the story and teaches the readers about love and life.

The romance between Ellery and Knox is cute, giving into the grumpy x sunshine trope that many romance fans have come to love. Luken has done an excellent job of giving readers insight into their attraction without making it feel forced.

As the story unfolds, the focus remains on Ellery and Knox's love, set against Knox's quest to outrun the shades and experience life as a human.
This story has a lot of action, some twists and turns, and, of course, a cute romance and found family that makes it quite wholesome and worth reading.

The worldbuilding is great for a short standalone book. There is an introduction to the undead and three magical creatures known collectively as the shades. There are even hints of political tension among minor and major gods and a glimpse into the afterlife. However, there is a noticeable potential to explore the worldbuilding and the lore behind the gods and other magical creatures even further.

The writing style is straightforward yet effective, effortlessly immersing readers into the magical world portrayed in this book. The simplicity of the prose allows the narrative and character interactions to shine.

As a whole, this book was captivatedly magical, dealing with the underbelly of magic, romance, and the excitement of the human experience. It was fun and easy to read, making it ideal for anyone who wants to read a cozy fantasy romance!

3.2 / 5.0

Otherwordly by FT Lukens is a light-hearted, cozy adventure, queer romance. The main character, Ellery, is not a believer in magic EVEN THOUGH winter has lasted for 5 years... and then there's Knox, an Other World familiar (far older, so age-gap romance = yuck) on the run from demons sent to find him...

I just, like, what?

I had never read from this author before, and the writing wasn't an issue. The story description also wasn't an issue even though there are some obvious plot holes just from the blurb, I was interested in how it was going to be resolved. It's a stretch too far for me, though.

Aside from employing one of my least liked tropes (age-gap), I could not suspend my disbelief enough to accept that a child who has been living in a world of winter from the age of 12 to 17, when previously the seasons were "normal", doesn't believe in magic. This is beyond Flat-Earther level of blinders and obliviousness. Especially since his family owns a farm and hasn't been able to make a living for half a decade. I didn't feel the story/plot/characters ever adequately filling in those hole for me.

Overall, there is an audience for this story and others by this author of the same vein, but I am not part of it.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for access to this eARC.

Representation: Trans MC, queer love interest, more?

Rating: 4/5 This is the first book I’ve read by Lukens, and I really enjoyed their writing style. I’ve seen many good things about their other work, so I will definitely be checking them out. This book was a wonderful adventure of a crossroads deal, a supernatural creature bound to do the bidding of the contract, and a mortal who does not believe in anything supernatural being forced to come to terms with it. I liked how it was almost dealt with as a bureaucracy, the different levels of authority and such but in the supernatural realm. I almost wanted more worldbuilding in the sense of the supernatural happenings, how everything works. This book focused much more on the relationship between the main character and the supernatural being, which certainly was not a bad thing.

Loved this one. I think F T Lukens writes only hits. This one was interesting and had a lot of interesting characters and was very well written.

Queer, cozy, fun. I got an ARC via NetGalley and really enjoyed this one. Def will be checking out more from this author.

As with literally every single one of F. T. Lukens' books that I read, I absolutely love this. There was a section, about 100 pages before the end, which was a very dramatic section, when I was snacking on popcorn and reading and it just felt like those gifs of eating popcorn when you're excited to see drama happening but for real! That is to say, once I got invested, I was absolutely invested and I cared so deeply for the characters!! Lukens has this amazing ability to create a found family that I love and cherish SO MUCH, I literally get excited for it with every book of theirs I read. THIS WAS GREAT and there was even an Orphyeus and Euridice reference thrown in there at the end that I got very excited for! Please, if you like a ya queer fantasy, read F.T. Lukens' books, I've loved every single one I've read, which absolutely includes this one!

F.T. Lukens remains consistent in their writing style, adding another whimsical fantasy romance to their repertoire. Otherworldly, in my opinion, may be their strongest story yet, with a soft yet complex magic system and a simple yet thrilling story. The characters were enjoyable, and their circumstances were fascinating. One thing that really stood out to me is that the character's actions had serious consequences that often made their journey even harder.

f. t. lukens’ books are usually a hit or miss for me and otherworldly was definitely a hit! i really enjoyed the characters and the setting.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this book more, since the author’s other releases are usually a hit for me. I think my biggest issue with this book is that I was unable to connect with any of the characters as they felt underdeveloped. Ellery felt like a lacklustre character; I felt for them, but I couldn’t sympathize or root for them with the way they keeping to themselves and just keep falling and needing saving from everyone 😭 Charley is the quirky cousin and Zada is her grounded girlfriend, but both of them didn’t add much except humor and some wise words to Ellery. None of them had common sense and just pure support vibes no matter how dangerous the thing Ellery involved themselves in. Knox had the biggest potential and arguably the most developed, but that too never really fleshed out. The other minor characters- Lorelei, Bram and Hale were there for plot conveniences. We never got explained how Knox know Lorelei and how Bram became nice and Hale became trustworthy, but they served they purpose I guess.

The setting was bleak and not fleshed out much except Winter, which I don’t know whether that’s the author’s intention. The lore is basically greek mythology, with the three siblings and the goddess realm but it was not developed further. I guess the whole book just felt rushed– it has the vibes but not enough substance developed that made it hard to enjoy. It took me around 40% to finally clicked with the story and that’s something not good considering how light this book is.

I really wanted to like this book. I couldn’t get past the characters use of pronouns. I had to go back and reread sections in order to understand who was being referenced.

FT Lukens wins every tjme!! This book was adorable and had a great story to it. The audiobook especially was incredibly fun and creepy. I loved getting to watch the MC get to be normal.

I don’t love fantasy, but I love F.T. Lukens doing YA fantasy and Otherworldly is no exception. It was so cute and charming and I was so invested.

Ellery is seventeen and firmly does not believe in anything magical, despite what everyone around them says. So what if their region has been having an endless winter? Surely science is the cause. But Ellery can’t keep on non-believing once they meet Knox who’s, well, a familiar who’s trying to run from some demons.

This book had what you expect from a Lukens book: charming characters, witty banter, and a deep emotional punch at the end that takes you by surprise. I completely bought into this relationship between Ellery and Knox. It felt so real and natural, despite how supernatural the circumstances were.

I would love a sequel to this. I don’t think one is planned and I can’t wait for Lukens’ next book but boy, did I enjoy these characters.