First – A huge thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Full discretion: F.T. Lukens is one of my favorite authors on this planet (definitely an auto-buy author for me iykyk), but I have to say despite my already absolute adoration for their work... I really, truly LOVED this book so much! Such a cozy, endearing YA fantasy read for me. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year (obviously) and I am so honored to have been able to read it a little early but also get to gush about what spoke to me most about it.

Ellery is a skeptic in every way, shape and form. They've so far made it through a "winter-pocalypse" of sorts that has plagued their small town for five whole years. A primarily farming community that believes in and prays to a goddess who many believe to bring a bountiful harvest to their lands each year. Except Ellery (quite logically) struggles to believe in said goddess who – if she does even exist – has forsaken them & their family's farm for half a decade. For this reason, Ellery lives with their cousin and their cousin's partner in the city to work and send money home to their family to get by. There, at the diner they work, they meet a very unexpected handsome stranger named Knox, who is not entirely as human as he might seem. One thing leads to another and these two make a magical deal to help end this never-ending winter and maybe find something magical between them along the way...

When I say I am obsessed with how sweet this little supernatural found family is, there are truly NO WORDS. The tender goodness I love from F.T.'s other works shown through so brightly in this book and I was not prepared for how attached I would get to these characters 😭 (but I do this every time) The little glimpses at Charley & Zada's relationship were so sweet my teeth were achingggggg. And the way Ellery & Knox's relationship bloomed was just so perfect for them 🥹 If you're a fan of cozy queer books, this one is for you! There is definitely still lots of action and adventure, but overall just felt really comforting to read.

Please do yourself a favor and add this one to your up next reads. And be grateful for the warmer days ahead because the next season could never come if a goddess feels so inclined...

Side note: The cover artist for "Otherwordly," Sam Schechter, is SO talented! I just started following their work on Instagram (@sam.spectre) and am blown away. This cover is stunning and I couldn't help constantly turning to look back at the cover as I read because it's so stunning. They've worked on some of F.T.'s other covers and I just had to shout their work out!

This was a wonderful little romance. Sweet, bittersweet, and warm in all the right places, I loved the word and all the characters. They grown and change which is one of the most important components in a story like this to keep it from being to saccharine or stagnating. Would happily read more

Huge thank you to NetGalley for having this available to read!

I tried to like this one so much. It had some decent world building at the start, and I love the inclusion. My biggest issue with being able to complete this book was the creative decision to have multi POV chapters (split between two main characters) written in 1st Person POV and a non-binary MC. I had to re-read the same passage 2-3 times to realize when we were and were not referring to the MC. I got to 34% and just realized that while I do want to know what happens to the characters, it was too confusing to read through the actual story. It is also strange to me that Knox, our silly little familiar with a heart of gold, just automatically assumes the MC (Ellery) goes by "they/them" instead of other pronouns and assumes everyone else is standard (she/her or he/him based off of appearance). I might be thinking too far into it, but it still felt odd to me that this would be the direction we go with the multi POV's.

I think I would like to come back to this eventually. But it just felt like a chore to read. I will give it 3 stars for potential and the inclusivity, but to be plainly honest it lacked everywhere else.

🤍💜 Otherworldly ARC Review 💜🤍

Thank you so much to FT Lukens and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Otherworldly is a standalone queer fantasy read. Ellery doesn’t believe in magic. Their family is struggling to get by and the world has been stuck in a five-year winter. But everything changes when they meet Knox, a magical assistant who helps humans

This book was such a fantastic read! Ellery was a wonderful character and I loved the growth of their relationship with Knox in this story. The world building was super unique and I really loved the lore! It definitely had some nods to mythology that I really enjoyed!

Overall this was a five star read! I adored the characters and the magical world building! This book was super cute with YA levels of romance, so one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy with strong characters, fun banter, engaging world building and unique lore, then absolutely pick this one up!!

Please note: review will be posted on Amazon upon publication

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!

I'm a huge fan of all of Lukens' books that I've read and this one was no exception. I loved this book so much! I feel like my favorite aspect of this book is the found family dynamic which is something that I feel Lukens does so well. I loved getting to see Ellery and Knox's relationship develop throughout the book. The two of them were so adorable! I also thought that Charley and Zada were super cute too from the little bits of their relationship that we got to see. I really liked the supernatural elements that this book had. It gave me the same type of vibes that I got when I read Spell Bound because of that. If you've read Spell Bound by Lukens, you'll probably end up liking this one.

Side note: whoever does the covers for Lukens' books does such an amazing job. Every single one of the covers they design is stunning.

Back when I had the chance to review an ARC of Spell Bound, I wrote that FT Lukens somehow manages to get better with every book they write. With Otherworldly, I am absolutely confident that I can stand by that statement. This one was on another level of storytelling and I will read whatever Lukens chooses to write.

Solis City and the surrounding area having been under five years of unending winter. While everyone else seems intent on believing that they have been abandoned by their goddess, Ellery is a nonbeliever. After all, what type of deity would leave their people to suffer like this? Not believing is the only acceptable option. At least... until Ellery (literally) runs into the hot customer from the diner, Knox, who claims to be a familiar from the Other World and a servant of the goddess. And Knox needs to make a new bargain fast, before he's dragged back to the Other World - but maybe he can help Ellery solve the mystery of this eternal winter.

One of my favorite things about all of Lukens' works is the strong sense of found family that pervades each story. Otherworldly ramps this up to eleven. Charley and Zada and Ellery have created their own little family, and they're so quick to welcome Knox into the fold. Their dynamic is funny and sweet and so warm and really is just a highlight of a lovely book.
Which isn't to say that the romance isn't equally delightful. Seeing Ellery go from crush to chilly to love with Knox, who is the magical equivalent of a golden retriever, is so swoon-worthy. And their romance plays such a huge part in the last quarter of the book in a way that Greek mythology fans will be sure to adore!

This a truly heartwarming story of found family and love . And let me tell you, I CACKLED at the slow cooker. The world building is so intriguing. I read it in one sitting.

This may be the first FT Lukens book I haven't loved. I tried! I got 50% in and gave up. Unlike SO THIS IS EVER AFTER or SPELLBOUND, I just didn't find myself connecting to these two main characters, which in turn made me not care about the stakes of the novel . I'll likely try to read it again once it's published after I've put some time between reading this ARC and giving it a second go, but right now I can't say I'd recommend this book on a personal level. Do I think it's as well-written as Lukens' other work? Sure. But I have not found myself caring for the plot, and that's where it falls flat for me.

This was such a delightful read! I fell in love with the characters from page 1, and I felt fully immersed within the world with how FT Lukens described everything. This was such a cozy read that was perfect to pick up after long days at work.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an arc of Otherworldly! This doesn’t influence my review. So first off, I want to say that I thought this story was incredibly cute generally. I wasn’t sure what kind of story we were getting as this is the first work of the author I had read. At first, I was expecting full on urban fantasy. It’s hard to explain because while the fantasy elements were important to the plot, the most important aspect was the relationships in the story. The fantasy was a vehicle for certain things to happen but the relationships that Knox develops with Charley, Zada, and of course Ellery are the heart of the story. While the writing for me skews middle grade at times, it’s a YA that was a fun read. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the family aspect between the characters. They would do anything for each other. The love story between Knox and Ellery was sweet and aching. I was rooting for them the whole time. All in all, the book was a cute and fun read. It didn’t make cry or scream, but I was smiling throughout.

This is a YA Paranormal Queer book and I was damn excited to read this. We have two amazing main characters.
First is Ellery, who doesn't believe in supernatural powers. He believes that there is a scientific reason for the five years of winter that is going on and it's definitely not an act of supernatural power.
While Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant who make bargains with human in favour of a help.
It's quite interesting how a human and familiar met and Ellery who doesn't believe in supernatural powers had to see unbelievable things. Ellery is useful for Knox and even Ellery wants some aid to end his family's misery, so he makes a bargain with Knox and then the story flows in a magical way leading both to something more interesting and new...

This is my first read from the author's work and I have been getting only good reviews of their past works.

I loved this book so much!! From the gorgeous cover to the lovable characters and everything in between, F.T. Lukens has created another fantastic read! It’s full of magical moments, amazing representation, captivating storytelling with all the cozy vibes and wrapped up in a supernatural YA fantasy!

✨ Magic
🔮 Familiar
📜 Crossroads Bargains
🫖 Cozy Fantasy
🫶 Found Family
🏳️‍🌈 Queer Joy
⛅️ Grumpy/Sunshine
😹 Hoot & a Half
❄️ Eternal Winter

Otherworldly was an absolute delight of a read and I can’t wait to see what fantastical tale F.T. Lukens will come up with next!

Method Read: 📖

Thank you @coloredpagesbt @simonteen & @ftlukens for the gifted copy! 📚

OTHERWORLDLY is another delightful, queer, fantasy YA romcom from F.T. Lukens. Like their previous works, this one is full of fun, likable, and relatable characters and all the angsty yearning of young love. It contains just the right amount of world building to follow the story but lets the characters shine as its centerpieces. To be extremely picky, this one had a few scenes that felt odd or unexplained, but overall it's an enjoyable read in keeping with the author's backlist. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for giving me early access!

Thank you Storygram Tours, F.T. Lukens, & Simon Teen for sending me a final copy for tour. Thank you again Simon Teen for also sending me a physical ARC. And thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC! 🥰🥰🥰
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Do you ever just squeal because you love a book so much? Well, this book does that for me! 😊🫶
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I think it's safe to say I was/am insanely hyped for Otherworldly! 😁 With a pitch like “Supernatural meets Carry On” how could I not?!? This book lived up to my expectations and was even better than I could have ever imagined! ☺️ I just adore all the main characters - Knox, Ellerly, Charlie, and Zada so much! They are all so precious and make the perfect family! Found family! Also, I am absolutely obsessed with Charlie and Zada’s relationship! I’ve never seen two people more perfect for each other! 🥰 I also really loved the romance between Knox and Ellery! They balanced each other out so perfectly! Grumpy x Sunshine! I also love how Ellery is just nonbinary and it isn't an issue at all! They aren’t struggling with their gender; it isn't a big deal at all! It just is and I just love that! 👏 This book has action but it's just so cozy overall! I love all the fantasy elements and how it's grounded in reality! It's so fun to see Knox use his magic! I just love this book so much, and I feel like if I keep talking, I’ll end up spoiling it, so if you're interested at all, please read this book!!! 😊 I just know I’ll be rereading Otherworldly again and again. I think this has to be my all-time favorite F.T. Lukens book! Which is crazy because I’ve loved every book they’ve written! Thank you, F.T. for writing this beautiful book! 💜
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🏳️‍🌈Rep: nonbinary MC, side sapphic relationship
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Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens releases on April 2nd!

I love the connections in this one, and even the broken paths some of them seem to follow. Ellery has a family, but lives apart from those immediately theirs for difference of opinions, or rather lost faith. They still keep in touch (sometimes), send money back to support the farm during this ten year winter (which is not always used as intended), and hold to a shred of hope, no matter how small, that one day things will return to normal. Knox is an unexpected, yet happy distraction, for both the rekindling of beliefs left behind as well as the eye candy. Hey, the world doesn't go round on persistence alone! 😉 Anyway, they come to need one another more than either ever imagined possible, and as they work towards an end that'll meet both their needs, the question remains... what about them? A ten year winter is detrimental to the environment and the livelihood of their town, but what about the heart?

If you're a Young Adult Fantasy fan, this book needs to be on your must read list...as well as the author's other works! For the story, for the characters, for the inclusiveness that is a common theme, the books welcome readers of all backgrounds, and identities, to enjoy a grand adventure through the pages.

This fantasy novel has some strong American Gods vibes and follows a supernatural being, Knox, and his human friends and love interest, Ellery (who is NB) as they try to find out why their town is stuck in 5 years of a continuous winter. In the process they meet all kinds of minor gods and beings who have made their life among humans.

I really enjoyed the friendships and found family vibes of this book, but I didn't really connect with the characters, who seemed rather one dimension. Since Knox has no memories, we know very little about him other than he is handsome (which is mentioned about 1402301 times) and likes movies, he's a bit of a loveable puppy. Ellery, the human Knox imprints on, we also learn very little about. They're "a skeptic" and "have a difficult relationship with their family" but we see very little of either of these or why they came to be and there is very little exploration of Ellery's character - who they are, what they like, their past, their future, or really anything about them other than the fact that they're a bit of a downer and they work a lot. I didn't really feel a lot of chemistry between Knox and Ellery as a couple. I think a platonic friendship story among the four (including Charley and her girlfriend) would have worked a bit better here.

While most of the book was slow paced and a little boring, the last 25% really picked up the pace and was quite interesting with a lot of Greek mythology influence and the ending did pack quite a lot into it.

FT Lukens doesn't miss with their cozy queer romances. Otherworldly features a grumpy sunshine romance between Ellery, who didn't believe magic was real, and Knox a familiar trying to evade the other world. I highly recommend this, even if you're not typically a YA reader, I think it will still resonate!

I’m a big fan of F.T. Lukens books so I have been super excited to read Otherworldly! I enjoyed the book and thought it was a solid story. All of the characters were great and the plot line and world building kept me interested. Definitely would recommend!

I was so excited to read Otherwordly by F.T. Lukens, because I’d seen their books everywhere and hadn’t yet had a chance to pick one up. Otherwordly turned out to be such a fun, light, and engaging read. This urban fantasy novel was equal parts cute and cozy. Reading it while the weather was cold and snowing outside was just perfect.

While this story wasn’t super complicated, it still had a lot of heart, and did a great job at featuring a strong cast of queer characters and found family. The teens in this novel felt like actual teens, which was nice since it’s meant for a YA audience. I’m so glad that teens these days get to see themselves better represented in the media they consume. And there were just enough fantasy elements sprinkled in to keep it entertaining. Featuring an utterly adorable romance, Otherworldly is the perfect fantasy novel for anyone looking for a lighthearted, easy read.

if there’s one thing that i know that f.t lukens’ books will do is make my heart flutter while i kick my feet and giggle like a tween girl in love. their stories, their characters, always just pierce straight through to my soul. and ellery and knox in otherworldly are no exception.

i love love. and i love how ellery and knox love. and i love that i keep getting the opportunity to read these stories early. because my soul honestly couldn’t handle waiting until it publishes… even if it’s only a week out at this point. otherworldly, as with lukens’ other books, are so quick and easy to read. but i loved taking my time with it. savoring these character stories. immersing myself in this frosty world.

el’s story actually starts five years prior to when the book takes place, when his life is thrown into a, as they would probably say, tundra. their family’s farm begins failing with a never-ending winter. and they loses their faith as their parents become more and more difficult to be around. when this book starts ellery and the “weird hot guy” — knox — have a literal run in. together they spark a deal (and a friendship — and maybe more) to end the winter.

ellery, at the beginning of this book is a broken, mainly in their faith. in others. in their religion. but through meeting knox, who ultimately forces them to open up more to charley (their cousin) and zada (said cousin’s girlfriend). they accept their little family unit. they face dangers and scenarios they never thought possible. and through the power of found family and love. they try to defeat it all!

knox, at the beginning of the book is grieving a loss. he’s also just confused and wants to answers for feeling neglected by his queen, who he was always a loyal servant of. through meeting ellery, and charley, and zada, and all the others along the way, he’s given a chance to be a human, even if for temporary. knox, while not a complete himbo, is definitely the golden retriever to ellery’s black cat grump.

knox is just so soft, so caring of ellery. an ellery is honestly, truly the same in return. even if they can’t share everything with each other all the time, they both have the same goals and intentions. they do their best to work together to solve their problems. to fight for one another. and fight is what they do.

this story is just so perfectly me. it’s fun and quirky and is just so damn beautiful. the way they love and grow and experience. their story pulled so perfectly at my heartstrings. and i loved every second of it. and i wish i had another 100 pages just to see them young and in love at the end of the book.