What if The Sins on Their Bones was a cozy fantasy? I had never considered that possibility before, but this book somehow provides the answer. I adored it!
This is the story of Cyril, a former Grand Mage of the Kingdom of Farsala, whose cat familiar, Shoestring, dies. Knowing that he is likely to follow, Cyril uses all his magic to travel back in time and attempt to amend all his failures—primarily his inability to prevent his husband and king, Eufrates, from descending into madness and cruelty.
This book is marketed as cozy fantasy, and it does have that kind of vibe—yet the stakes seem higher than in the average book in the genre. While we may feel confident that things will turn out okay, the reading experience is far from boring. The story is full of emotion, particularly in terms of the characters' personal growth. There are also plenty of funny moments, and the pacing is extremely smooth.
What truly made me love this book, however, were the characters. Cyril is such a gem. The book is essentially told from his POV, and it was great to see him trying to correct his wrongs and navigate this second timeline. I also adored how the romance was handled. The author skillfully blends various tropes. Cyril and Eufrates are so different from each other (it’s deeper than just grumpy sunshine), yet together they are everything. Given how estranged they were at the beginning of the story, I was curious how the enemies-to-lovers trope would work plausibly. Yet it did, largely because they never truly stopped loving each other. The level of pining in this book is incredible, and it’s essentially why I rate it 5 stars.
Speaking of characters, I must also mention Tigris, Eufrates’s sister, whose dynamic with Cyril is impeccable. The book generally has a strong found-family feeling, and I’m all for that.
Overall, it was a sweet, funny, and heartwarming read. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy fantasy with plenty of pining and warm, cozy vibes.

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did, but it was such a satisfying and cozy fantasy that I don't regret a thing.
Shoestring Theory is about bad decisions. About time travelling and love and letting people back you up even when you don't deserve it. It had magical elements but they never overshadowed the plot, which was perfectly paced. And its characters? They will steal your heart. Seriously. They did shady things but they were still so fun to read about and flawed enough to be relatable and they kept the plot moving to the extent I couldn't stop reading.

Yes!!! <33
What else does a reader need besides cozy books with a scifi element? The cat is just the cherry on top.

The time travel in this book was executed brilliantly and the writing was evocative. I’m so happy this book exists and I’m sure readers will feel the same when it eventually releases.

The Shoestring Theory is like being given a hug from multiple timelines and if you look to your left, there’s a cat.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is the exact sort of book I'm looking for in cosy fantasy - exciting with high stakes but not taking itself too seriously. Charming and cosy and intriguing with a harebrained plot that still somehow makes perfect sense by the end.

As soon as I saw the premise, I knew I HAD to read this book. I'm a huge fan of time travel, second chances, complex relationship dynamics and Shoestring Theory really delivered on a fun plot, endearing main characters and a compelling how-to-stop-the-world-from-ending mystery to solve which made it hard to put this book down! I absolutely love Mariana's writing style and while some parts could be predictable by some people, it really didn't detract from my enjoyment of this at all. The first 30% packs so much that it made the rest of the book super duper fun to read.

I absolutely love the bits we get of Cyril and Eufrates in the future, the past, and the new present. Their relationship is the highlight for me, and obviously, is central to the plot too. Eufrates was a delight to see through Cyril's POV, and it was fun to see Cyril have to navigate through reliving his youthful love for Eufrates while knowing what happens in his original timeline. The rest of the cast round our leads really well, and I absolutely love Tig's banter with both Cyril and her brother.

Honestly, my only major complaint is that this is only 400 pages because I could've easily read another 100 pages of this cast. The pacing wasn't too jarring, but I did get to the ending with a "Wait, can't we see more, please?" feeling. 🤣 That said, it is a fabulous standalone that also leaves room for a sequel if desired, which is always satisfying to me. Another minor complaint is that this reads a teeeny tiny bit YA-leaning, but that's not bad either.

I see that this is comped to Legends & Lattes and marked as a cozy fantasy and feel like that brings in the wrong expectations so I'm glad I only saw that post me finishing the book. While it is really easy to read like L&L is and there are some cozy elements, a better tone and plot comparison to me would be The Sins on Their Bones with needing to stop an evil ex-husband, but TSTB goes much darker than here as well as specific danmei titles, but maybe that's a bit too niche. 😂

I really can't wait to see what Mariana writes next!

I absolutely loved this queer fantasy debut by Brazilian author and professional illustrator @marinscos and published by @angryrobotbooks.

This book delivered on so many levels for me. The writing style was wonderful, with Costa able to weave so much magic and humour into the scenes, while at the same time as exploring dark and difficult moments throughout. The gay romance was moving, with the time travel element adding depth and complexity.

I adored Cyril and his journey, but the whole cast is intriguing and develop in their own way through the story. The twists had me second-guessing myself throughout, and I really couldn't put the book down. With great world-building and an interesting magic system, plus a queer-normative and diverse setting, Costa creates a place I really hope to visit again in future books!

It's a strangely cosy fantasy story, despite some dark and possibly triggering scenes, and it explores themes like grief, guilt, self-worth, trust, independence, sacrifice, and of course, love in all its forms. It leaves you feeling bittersweet and hopeful, and many of Cyrils points of growth and realisation really moved me.

I genuinely loved reading Shoestring Theory, and I hope to see more from Costa very soon! Thank you to @angryrobotbooks and @marinscos for this wonderful e-ARC - my opinions are my own, honest, and freely given.

This book is very inner monologue heavy...like to the point that I found it a little boring. So much I'd happening up in the characters' thoughts, and not enough is actually occurring. Was really looking forward to this one, but it wasn't my vibe.

⭐️⭐️.25/5

Shoestring Theory had potential, but the execution did not work for me. The characters and the character development felt odd and inconsistent. The book is marketed as cozy, but it felt more like an action-packed fantasy with high stakes and a few cozy moments. I appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation and lovely queer romance, but I also wanted to see more development of the world and magic system. I would still recommend this book to readers who have already had their eye on it!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!