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.