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.

I felt like this was a let down for me. The writing wasn’t bad but the storytelling wasn’t there. I had high expectations from the way this was marketed.

Minor Works of Meda truly felt like a warm hug. It was a captivating exploration of character and plot, skillfully weaving together the lives of its protagonists. The novel centers on Meda, a complex figure whose journey unfolds through a series of seemingly disconnected yet deeply intertwined vignettes. Caruso's narrative structure allows us to experience Meda’s multifaceted personality from different perspectives, revealing her growth and struggles in a nuanced manner.

The strength of the novel lies in its richly developed characters. Meda herself is portrayed with remarkable depth—her contradictions and vulnerabilities make her both relatable and enigmatic. Supporting characters, each with their own backstories and motivations, contribute significantly to the novel’s emotional and thematic resonance. Caruso excels in crafting interactions that feel authentic, making the relationships between characters a driving force in the plot. And don’t get me started on the beautifully grey MMC, Kalcedon. I’ll let the character speak for himself when you pick this story up.


Plot-wise, this novel is a mosaic of episodes that coalesce into a coherent and compelling narrative. The episodic nature of the story reflects the fragmented yet interconnected nature of human experience, and Caruso’s ability to weave these threads into a cohesive whole is a testament to her skill as a storyteller.

Overall, "Minor Works of Meda" is a thought-provoking and richly textured novel that engages readers through its well-crafted characters and inventive plot structure. Caruso's work offers a profound exploration of identity and connection, making it a standout addition to contemporary literature.

❀❀❀❀ 𝟰,𝟱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟱 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀!
𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥, 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜, 𝐟𝐚𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐟𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. ⋆⭒˚.⋆

⋆⭒˚.⋆ In the enchanting world of Minor Works of Meda, readers are immersed in the captivating story of Meda, a determined witch engrossed in ancient spells, and Kalcedon, her potent yet moody half-fae counterpart. Despite lacking powerful magic and social skills, Meda aspires to hone her witchcraft skills. When the protective magic safeguarding the islands of the Protectorate begins to fade, they are thrust into a race against time to unravel the mystery. Throughout their journey, Meda and Kalcedon are compelled to forge an unlikely bond, encountering new allies and foes, all while navigating the blossoming of romantic feelings between them. ⋆⭒˚.⋆

''𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒?'' 𝘩𝑒 𝑤𝘩𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑.
''𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒,'' 𝐼 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑.

⋆˚⟡˖ ࣪⋆⭒˚.⋆

This book had me under its spell from the moment I laid eyes on its dreamy stunning cover (I mean, look at It!), and I was very much intrigued when I read the synopsis + when I discovered that the characters are in their 30s. I have a weak spot for anything witchy & fae, so I had quite high expectations when delving into the book's pages with excitement. When I stepped out of the pages, I came back with so much joy. Because I really enjoyed my time reading this one. While following Meda and Kalcedon's journey, there was found family, rivals to lovers, an interesting magic system, a quite cosy feeling of worldbuilding, entertaining character interactions and an underdog storyline for our heroine Meda. I really liked the story and its characters and getting to know them better. I really felt for them. Seeing Meda and Kalcedon navigate their way through a world where they both are seen as ''different'', breaking free from that while learning how to trust both each other and themselves, to see them grow, was such a lovely journey. And I really really liked the sunshine/grumpy x grumpy element. I found myself kicking my feet multiple times and doing the happy jumps while reading quotes of Meda and Kalcedon to my boyfriend, and multiple times interrupting him with: ''Can I tell you something of something that happened in the book??''. Even though there is a lot of adventure and high stakes, the book never stops feeling cosy!

There's not anything in particular that I didn't like, but I do feel like the pacing sometimes felt a quite bit off to me personally. In my opinion, I felt like the middle of the book seemed to drag on, while the ending felt rushed. I felt myself beginning to lose attention during the middle of the book, but I was kept engaged by the overall concept of the story, the endearing characters, the simple yet charming and delightful writing style, and the cosy magical atmosphere of this book. Towards the end, I became more invested in the story again, but I felt like the ending didn't give me that much closure. There were some plot twists and revelations that felt hurried and not fully fleshed out. I would have loved and would love to spend even more time exploring the world with Meda and Kalcedon.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ This all being said, overall, I loved this book! I think you'd like this if you'd enjoy a fantasy romance between sunshine/grumpy x grumpy half-fae & a witch in their 30s going on a journey of self-discovery, unlikely alliances, the transformative power of love and acceptance, set against a richly imagined backdrop of magic, adventure, and ancient secrets with a cosy warm fuzzy feeling. ⋆⭒˚.⋆

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author, for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review. ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡

•☽────✧⋆⋅☆⋅⋆✧────☾•

update (26/08/'24) aahh, kalcedon and meda captured my heart and i want to read more! i need a prequel or a sequel! i still have so many questions!! (ㅠ﹏ㅠ)

Thank you to Netgalley and Julliet Caruso for the arc.

I started this book without any expectations, worried at first that I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve recently fallen in love with the friends-to-lovers trope, and this book only deepened that love. Kalcedon was a great character, even if he could be a bit brutal at times. Meda was the perfect FMC—rational and very well-written. Oraik was probably my favorite character; his reactions when he thought he was going to die were hilarious. I would definitely recommend this standalone to anyone who loves witchy reads and the friends-to-lovers trope. This book really exceeded my expectations.

Loved this quote,
"Sometimes the worst thing we can do is
think."
It's so real.

4.5 / 5.0

Minor Works of Meda is an academic rivals, enemies to lovers, fantasy romance (not a romantasy). This book gave me A Sorcery of Thorns vibes and I ate it up. There is potential for more stories in this world and even for this book to be built out more. And if a true romantasy version of this was ever released, I'd probably enjoy that too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read the eARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, this is my unbiased review!

I'm usually one to dip my toes in a story, I give myself time to form an opinion to not get ahead of myself, but this time I was hooked from the very first line: "Fortune save me from the incompetence of men".
That's one hell of a shared statement, so I knew I was in for a ride, and so it was!

The world building was very interesting, and I love watching an MC figure out ways to move in a reality that is personally challenging for them: Meda dreams of becoming a powerful witch, but she hasn't been graced with powers, or social skills for that matter. She's extremely smart, but severely underestimated despite showing her resourcefulness.

I would classify this as a cozy fantasy, and I'm a sucker for the platonic relationships weaved into the story, the way they were built and how it showcases Meda's progress through the story. Oraik was a personal favourite, I really loved his development.

Overall, it's definitely a recommended read, the writing style was fascinating and pleasant, the character's personalities well crafted, and the dialogues really fun to follow.

I believe the author did a great job in depicting emotions and all the intricate consequences they can have on people, as well as in combining everything into a colourful and fascinating world. The only element that doesn't make this book a 5star read is the pacing, I found that after halfway it felt a bit off, almost like the book could use an extension into a duology because of the many elements to consider and plot lines to solve, but overall it was a great book and I think I will be buying a physical copy!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Okay, I do enjoy cosy fantasy. I liked Lattes and Legends, I enjoyed Jenna Wolfhart's cosy fantasies and stuff. I just wasn't connecting with this one.

Our main character is autistic, or at least is autism coded, which is great as we need more representation. My problem is that I just found her pretty unlikeable - she had a superiority complex despite the fact that she has almost no magic and constantly insulted our male main character, which I found pretty mean considering he's a literal outcast because of his half faerie heritage. I was interested to find out how he could be half faerie, given the spell that keeps the isles away from the rest of the world, but I didn't want to read far enough to find out.

So apart from my issue with the main character, the other problem was that I just didn't particularly care about anything in the world. It's a problem you can have with cosy fantasies - the stakes are low, and sometimes that works for me. It unfortunately didn't this time, but I can see this being a beloved favourite of others!

I absolutely loved the Minor Works of Meda. What a beautifully written romantic fantasy!

Stunning imagery with an interesting magic system - I was completely swept away into this fantasy world of fae, witches and humans. Following our main character Meda was such a joy and I adored watching her grow and increase in confidence with her magic as the story progressed. The tension and chemistry was delightful and I fell in love with both Meda and Kalcedon. Oraik provided some much needed comedic relief and brought out a different side to Meda (even if they could all be rather clueless at times). Watching them navigate through a whole host of different challenges was so much fun. I really didn’t want to leave them and this world behind, 10/10 escapism!

I would definitely recommend this story! I can’t rate it highly enough.

A feel good story about a young witch discovering herself and finding love

4/⭐
1.5/🌶️
-Enemy to lover
-Fantasy
-Fae
-Witchcraft

ARC Netgally

Story:
Meda is an apprentice/assistant from a seer together with a half fae named Kalcedon.
When the ward breaks and their "teacher" dies. Our witch with almost no power is trying to figure out why the ward stones break and save her human world from the dangerous fae the wards protect them from.

What i loved:
-The main characters-
Their are 3 main characters in the story with an unique relatip

Meda: a slightly moody insecure witch that grows in to a more happy and proud person.
her character development in the story is beautifully written and is really relatable for me. Not fitting in anywhere directly and in general a smart introvert person

Kalcedon: a grumpy/moody character that learns that he can show/feel his emotions
The relationship with Meda gives a set of funny discussions.

Oraik: A rich prince that doesn't want anything more than to go on an adventure and have fun, see the world and make friends, he loves social contact and is over trusting bringing him into difficult situations. His friendship with Meda is beautiful and forgiving.

-a feel good story-
It really is a feelgood story with short chapters. It really reads easy even after a difficult day at work and i just really like the writing style.

-world-
I loved the world they were in, i even wanted to know more about it
The small villages, the history, ...

What i missed/liked less

-the end-
The end was beautiful but i wanted more chapters, building more tension before the story unfolds itself and this is the reason it is not a 5star for me

-more background -
I still have some questions left
What happened after the wards went back up ? And what happened when they fell besides wat was already in the book was there only damage to 1 city ?
What do they do to bring the wards back up ? Can they come down again in the same way ?
How do the sigets look on paper ?
I want to see the castle the dad lived in
How old do the fae get ?
Will Kalcedon also become very old and outlive Meda ? ....

So moral of the story:
I love this book and i need a prequel and probably also a sequel 😉
If you need a feelgood fantasy story with love, a bit of passion and a beautiful friendship this is for you!

Thankyou @ netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the copy in exchange for a honest review

I did overall enjoy the book. I believe it ended beautifully. I also enjoyed the romance between the grumpy fae and the know it all neurodivergent witch (I am unsure if it was marketed as her being autistic but it was very much coded that way.) I wish we saw more of the romance develop on page.

However, the pacing was an issue for me. There were several long stretches where it was incredibly boring and put me in a bit of a reading slump. Also I am confused by the magic system, I would have enjoyed to learn a little bit more about how it works.

All in all it was a decent book with an interesting premise.

✨ "𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆?" 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅.
"𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆," 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅.✨
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
🔹𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🔹 ⁀➴
💜ᴍɪɴᴏʀ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ᴏғ ᴍᴇᴅᴀ, is the journey of Meda, Kalcedon and Oraik. It is the story of their adventure to save their world from falling to the cruel fae by attempting to fix the failing ward spell!

As we dive deeper into their world, we get to know more about our FMC Meda and her rival (*later became her lover!) Kalcedon. This is what I liked more about the book. I love their constant bickering!
Our FMC is a very determined, stubborn, intelligent and a bit underpowered witch, but she is very kindhearted.She could go to any limits to save her friends and her family! I love her for that strength and dedication!

🫧I loved how the author has beautifully developed the characters, emphasizing more on building trust, love and friendship. I personally loved the beautiful world building, the fairy 🧚🏻🧌world and the magical wars.

🌼Overall I enjoyed the read !🤓, the magical world of meda had me sucked into it. I am more in love with the gorgeous cover, she caught my attention as soon as I saw her!😍🤩if you love romantic fantasy lover than do pick up this read!🤓

.
.
Thankyou @ netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the copy in exchange for a honest review 😊

Juliette Caruso skillfully wrote another great cozy romantic fantasy. I was introduced to her writing from reading The Knight’s Bride and I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Minor Works of Meda, thanks to the author and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest reviews.

Meda is a stubborn and determined witch who works alongside her magical rival, Kalceon, a rude and grumpy fae (who is also grey and hot). After losing their mentor, Meda goes on an enchanting journey, where she encounters the hilarious Oraik. Several statements that come out of Oraik’s mouth made me giggle, and I loved the friendships he developed with both Meda and Kalcedon.

Kalcedon and Meda’s rivals-to-friends-to lovers relationship was so well written - it showed the deep complexities around relationships developing and everything in between. I appreciated watching both of them process their own flaws (like Meda’s impulsivity and Kalcedon’s rudeness) and work on changing those after recognizing their impacts on each other. Real relationships are messy and imperfect, which made the characters relatable for me.

I kind of wish the ending was a bit more climactic after everything the characters went through, but overall this was such a fun read - Caruso’s writing is so unique and takes you on a journey each time.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a great enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance story of Meda, who practices endlessly and works on the magic and its spells - and Kalcedon, who just has that innate magic, even if he gets bored sometimes. But the two are written as true rivals - and I love that dynamic of one being prenaturally gifted and the other who can siphon all of that magic and write the best spells. This was such a fun read, and I enjoyed the magic system of sygils and spells as well!

For the first 75% of this book I was the most excited I have ever been to review a book. I couldn’t wait to have other readers discover Meda’s story. Then I realized that this was not in fact the start of a new series, but a standalone. And based on the writing, it seems like the author realized it at the same time I did.

For the majority of the story, the pacing is perfect. I felt like we got the right information at the right time. I loved how much neurodivergent representation there was in the main character. Meda was real, she had complex emotions and problems, and they weren’t glossed over. The supporting characters added so much color to the story, the magic system was unique with just enough information provided for the reader to understand what was being done, and the villain was a mysterious and looming threat hanging over the characters heads.

At least until the last 25% of the book when suddenly the writing changes pace. It's almost like Juliette had a set number of pages she was allowed to write and panicked when she realized she was almost to that number. To say the ending of this book felt rushed is an understatement. Now because I didn’t go into this book knowing it was a standalone, I feel like my feelings about the book are slightly colored by that. However, I think it’s important to note that this book could be an awesome standalone too. I just felt like all of a sudden all the complexity had to be wrapped up in a neat little bow and details be damned. Not to mention that a major issue is introduced in the aftermath of the climax but is glossed over in the epilogue style ending.

All of that being said, I did love the majority of this book. I love the way Juliette writes, it sucks you in, you feel like you’re really there watching this story play out. The concept for this story could have become so much more. Meda’s magical ability allows her to read the spell work in a way that others can’t, even if she doesn’t have the power to cast herself. Juliette could have turned this into a series to rival the Air Awakens series in uniqueness and the cult following of Throne of Glass. But in my opinion the ending needs some serious work for it to reach its full potential!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to write an honest review of the ARC for The Minor Works of Meda!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
My review was posted to Goodreads and Amazon on 7/30/24.
My review will be posted on Instagram on 8/3/24.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

The Minor Works of Meda is a captivating fantasy novel; cosy, while still managing to have some actual stakes and tension.

Meda is an interesting character; in the beginning I found myself quite confused by how much she missed, about her love interest specifically. He’d say things that were clearly romantic, despite his grumpy attitude, and there would be very little reaction from her. She cared more about her reading, her work.
Then I realised that it’s like looking in a mirror. Meda is just like me.

I loved Kalcedon, unexpectedly. I’m getting so used to the grumpy Alpha male toxic love interest trope- and Kalcedon was anything but that. Despite his grumpy attitude, despite the fact that his love language is insulting Meda whenever he can; it’s very clear to the reader that he’s a softie. (He’s just so babygirl.)

The plot was always moving - fast, not overly complicated. I could’ve done with the world building being a bit more thorough in the first half of the book, I didn’t feel like I had a true grasp on it until halfway through.

Overall, a fantastic book, I look forward to a possible sequel!

I honestly devoured this book! It was just what I wanted to read at the moment. I think this authors world building was really great and I liked all of her characters! The main character is very quirky and I loved how special she was. It was enjoyable to read as the story developed! Every time I went to put it down thinking there was going to be a lull, the story line would pick right back up and it was so hard to stop reading! I think if you really like fantasy adventure novels this is for you. Not so much on the romance side of things but I didn’t even mind because the story was so easy to read.

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley, Juliette Caruso, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op!

This book is a breath of fresh air in the cosy fantasy genre, offering a delightful departure from the usual tropes with its older female main character (FMC). It's rare to find FMCs in their thirties, and Meda's maturity and life experience bring a refreshing perspective to the story.

One of the standout elements of this book is Meda's portrayal as an autistic woman. Caruso handles this with grace and authenticity, ensuring that Meda's personality shines through without being overshadowed by stereotypes. Meda is strong, despite having minimal magic of her own, and her determination, cleverness, and self-sufficiency make her an incredibly compelling character.

The mythology-based fantasy world created is richly detailed and thoroughly engaging. The magic system is fascinating, with its unique use of sigils and gestures with their 'heat'/power to perform spells. This inventive approach adds depth to the world-building and keeps the reader intrigued by the mechanics of magic throughout the story.

The romance is another highlight. The slow-burn progression from rivals to lovers is beautifully executed, complete with witty banter and endearing squabbling. The dynamic between the main characters is both entertaining and heartfelt. I especially appreciated the twist of having the male main character (MMC) being inexperienced and Meda guiding him—this reversal of roles was refreshing.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic subplot, I found myself wishing for a bit more of it. The chemistry between the characters being explored even further would have been great.

Overall, Minor Works of Meda is a wonderfully crafted story that blends mythology, magic, and romance in a way that feels both fresh and timeless. It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys well-developed characters, a unique magic system, and a romance that builds beautifully over the course of the narrative.

Love a mythology based book, and with hades 2 being a major obsession seeing media whom I havnt seen much for it just was great timing and a well one story

Where to begin. This was a fabulous YA Fantasy that was fun and enjoyable from the get go! I was a little stressed towards the end that it wasn't going to wrap up and resolve things but it really happened so perfectly.

Meda is such an independant character that doesn't often feel heard, listened to, or even acknowledged. Everyone thinks just because she doesn't hold a lot of magic, that she can't be brilliant. Well. Meda is going to show you all! She's smart as a whip, pretty self sufficient, and manages to get herself out of some tight situations (albeit with some help from her friends).

I love that Meda's love story really took a back seat here (ie it isn't the main plot driver), and it really made her shine. I also loved that she was an older FMC, which just made her relateable as an older ready, BUT I would also argue that she is a great role model for younger readers because she thinks she's got it all together, has all the perfect ideals, but not everything falls into place for her all the time. She's got to work hard, and it pays off!

The lovable oaf that is Oraik, was such a great comedic relief. He was hilarious and just the perfect addition to Meda's life. She really needed Oraik, and Oraik really needed Meda. I LOVE their friendship and felt it nailed what it's like to have real friends that you can rely on. He checked in with her when he felt she needed it, he insisted she actually have some fun, and was willing to sacrifice his wants and needs... eventually for Meda.

Kalcedon was so... grumpy, even to Meda. So much so that Oraik doesn't even want a bar of him. I felt like his role to was to make sure Meda shined, even when he was being a bit of an ass sometimes.


Overall, I really enjoyed this book and loved the writing style of Juliette. Definitely recommend it, especially if you're looking for a YA Fantasy with a really solid plot!