This was like a 3.25⭐️ read for me. I was like with about 150 questions at the end of the book and have to wait for the next one for answers so grrr at that. Marr created a beautiful yet monstrous world in this book, weaving fairytale with nightmare so seamlessly.

The only issue I had with it is that I found my heartbreaking for Ellie and found another character insufferable. However I do have to say, Marr does an excellent job melding multiple POVs into a story that the reader can easily follow.

I liked it, I just wasn’t wowed but will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out :)

Remedial magic is a cozy fantasy set in a world where newly discovered witches are sent to an alternate world where magic governs.

I had so much hope for this because there are queer main characters set in a witchy cozy world. However I really disliked the alternate perspectives because there was too much disorder in the plot, and when there’s a lack of plot I hope that the characters would carry the story instead. The altering perspectives left things to be desired. Every time I started to feel a rythme, it would switch and I would feel disconnected and disappointed.

So sad to have not been able to enjoy this. Hopeful that it will find the right person who enjoys this!

Ellie is a librarian who is currently happy with her lot in life. Working at a small library in Ligonier, baking scones, and investigating the mysterious disappearances that seem to happen around her town. At least, she was happy with her life until a strange encounter with a woman named Prospero.

Prospero is a strong witch, and Ellie is the key to breaking the curse threatening the small witch village she lives in. After awakening Ellie’s powers, Prsopero brings Ellie to a magical college for witches. But what they both don’t know is that other powers are at work, that might not want to use Ellie for good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bramble for an advanced copy of Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr to review! Melissa Marr is known for her YA novels featuring the fae, but this is the first adult novel I’ve read by her. It’s about a librarian, so of course I had to pick it up!

Marr mentions that she wrote this book specifically for her wife, and I love that. I appreciated the queernormative world she created in this magical community. The idea of a small magical community hidden from everyone else is also super fun, and I’d read more books with that particular plot device.

However, I think this book suffers from the fact that there are just too many narrators. From the original description, I didn’t realize we were going to get so many different points of view. It means that none of the characters are particularly developed; in general, most of their problems felt surface level. This also makes the overall world building suffer because the main threat was unclear to me.

Also the way they used magic was…interesting. It seems like some people have different gifts than others, and different levels of magic, which is fine. However, none of it is really spelled out, and there were some good opportunities for that since they are at basically a magical community college.

That brings us to the ending, in which Marr made some very odd choices (at least, in my opinion). There’s a cliffhanger, so I’m assuming there will be another book where things can be fixed, but in general, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Creative and enjoyable reading with great characters, but not for 12 year olds in a conservative area. I want to know what’s next. Like other books by Melissa Marr the characters and the story line draw you in and hold your attention during her telling. When I say the book isn’t for 12 year olds I don’t want to imply there is any questionable sections. There is not, but in today’s education climate several topics are dangerous. And I like my job. I would tell my friends and colleagues to read it. But would not recommend it to middle school students because I don’t want to take a stand.

This story delivered on the fantasy many of us began to grow out of as our letters to wizarding school have still not arrived as we head further into adulthood. Ellie, Maggie, and Dan's stories while a bit befuddling at first meeting will quickly wrap you up in the curious world of Crenshaw. Mysterious figures, competing factions and a touch of romance will draw you in to the world and keep you there hoping for more. An enjoyable read and a great autumn/winter story to curl up with.

Unfortunately this ended in the case of not every book is for every person. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into it at all.

I appreciate Tor and Netgalley for this e-arc.

Do you love fantasy? Romance? Lighter reads? Do you want LGBTQ+ characters? This book is for you! This is a lighter read that will be easy to keep the pages turning.

Unfortunately I found all of these characters very annoying, the writing slightly odd, and the world building did not appeal to me,

I liked it! The author's note says she wanted to write a book for her wife, so I imagine that Marr was trying to include things she knew her wife would enjoy -- it's a little bit of a lot of things.
My favorite part was the missing persons binder that Ellie was keeping and the unravelling of how magic is kept a secret from the rest of the world. I did find many of the character's motivations a little unclear for most of the book, although much was revealed in the last two chapters as Marr set up the sequel.

This was a surprise. An absolutely enthralling read. I will agree that at first it’s a little slow to keep up with, but trust me, once you cross the first 50 pages, one will not know how fast they would be flying through those pages. The thrill just picks up like a sudden liftoff and you get to see so much of action unlike any other book. Can’t wait enough for the next book already!

I liked this book a lot. It was way darker than I thought it was going to be when I started it, which was a surprise, but not unwelcome. I really enjoyed the morally grey love interest throughout most of the book, but the ending was a little much for me. That said, I look forward to learning how the situation is going to resolve in book two, so really, it did what it was meant to. It was also kind of cool to read one of the authors of my teenage years now writing about adults and queer relationships.

I DNF'd this book about 1/4 of the way through. I thought the story was fine but none of the main characters were likeable or made me want to continue on. The mysterious stranger bit in the library was weird and I thought the tension in the school seemed contrived. Writing style was ok though, just didn't vibe with the story unfortunately.

I picked up this book because hey, sapphic fantasy, sure let's give it a go! Tragically, this book was a bit of a hot mess, but I turned my brain completely 100% off and rode along with the nonsense. The characters repeatedly made the most baffling choices. The world was about as internally in consistent as you can get. All of the queer rep was just... odd, and relied heavily on tropes and stereotypes. But in all fairness, the non-queer characters were also paper-thin. They were all a bit like someone had a box full of Lego-shaped character traits and stuck 'em together into a human shape.

But despite or perhaps because all this, I weirdly enjoyed it, hence the very generous star rating. I was very tired while reading this and it had exactly the right amount of nonsense for me to just laugh at it. I did not have to expend any processing power whatsoever while reading this book. It has so many issues but it's also the right amount of issues for me to have just existed in a constant state of bafflement. The ending, especially, was nonsense.

This book is recommended for week nights where your brain is mush and you're channeling your inner potato.

This was pretty fun. The characters are well drawn and I look forward to getting to know them more in subsequent books. The breakdown in trust between Ellie and Prospero will make for gripping tension in the next installment.

"Remedial Magic" by Melissa Marr introduces readers to Ellie, an unassuming librarian in the small town of Ligonier. The story takes a fantastical turn when Ellie falls in love with Prospero, a powerful witch from the magical land of Crenshaw. The narrative weaves elements of fantasy and romance as Ellie discovers her own latent magical abilities and is drawn into a prophecy that suggests she holds the key to saving Crenshaw.

The novel promises a blend of magic, romance, and the discovery of hidden powers. The connection between Ellie and Prospero adds an intriguing layer to the story, and the mention of a prophecy suggests that there might be larger forces at play. Melissa Marr's reputation for world-building, as noted by Charlaine Harris, hints at an immersive and intricately crafted magical world that readers can explore alongside the characters.

If you've had the chance to read "Remedial Magic," feel free to share your thoughts on how Melissa Marr brings together elements of fantasy and romance, and how she unfolds the journey of Ellie as she discovers her magical abilities and becomes entangled in the fate of Crenshaw.

I didn't connect with the characters in this one, so I never really cared about the plot. I think it read kind of like YA with some sex thrown in, which makes sense, because the other books I've read by this author were YA. The end was next level disturbing, but I won't be checking out the sequel. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. I would recommend it to fans of Charlaine Harris.

Thanks to MacMillain and Netgalley for the eARC which I received in exchange for an unbiased review.

The cover and idea of a newly-discovered middle-aged witch and magical community college made me super eager to give this one a try. Sadly, I didn't love it as much as I hoped, and it had more trauma in it than I'd been hoping for (which is completely a 'me' issue and nothing against the book at all). It was a solid addition to the ever-growing sub-genre of quotidian magical fantasy, though.

I really wanted to like this but I stopped reading at the Harry Potter/JK Rowling reference. She doesn't deserve to have her work mentioned, especially in a LGBTQIA+ book. I hope others enjoy it though.

I think your experience of this will largely depend on what you expect from it, but if you're expecting lit-fic style prose a la The Magicians (as per the description of the book) you will be particularly disappointed. I DNF'd this book pretty early on, with the prose particularly bothering me. I grew tired of being treated as stupid, with every possible nuance flattened by the weight of over-explanation. There was no room for emotional vibe, no sense of atmosphere or unknown plot not being telegraphed way ahead of time. I love a cozy book that isn't interested in hard worldbuilding as much as the next person, but if that's going to be the case, then the emotional landscape of the characters is particularly important.

Is the second book out yet? I don’t want to wait!! While I did get slightly overwhelmed at first with so many characters, I quickly adjusted. I went into this book completely blind (yes I did choose it just for the cover) so to find out it was lgbtqia+ was a very welcome surprise. What a lovely different take on Witches and lore. . I would move mountains (literally) for Ellie and Maggie. And what I wouldn’t give to have access to a hob. Overall great story and I am excited to continue on their journey.