This was lovely! An engaging, quick read: I picked it up to read a chapter and ended up finishing half in one sitting.

Burgis balances well the fantasy elements, the political world-building, and a charming romance.

Such a fun twist on the wicked witch trope, with a sweet wizard librarian and a lovely cast of supporting characters. I especially liked the role that Saskia's crow flock played in moving the story along, crows being such intelligent and crafty creatures. This was a slower burn of a romance than I normally love, and in my opinion there was some awkwardness with the intimate scenes (especially when Saskia casts a restrictive spell during one). I appreciated how the author made Saskia so tender hearted and protective of her found family of goblins, trolls, crows, and a mysterious librarian. The action all took place in a bit of a rush at the book resolution, which tied things up but also left the door open for the next book in the series. Grateful for access through NetGalley to this early copy, I think fans of cozy fantasy and magic will enjoy this a lot!

“Fabian” is on the run from the abuse of his father-in-law. Fearing his planned death, he runs straight into the neighboring territory of the fearsome witch queen. Preparing to throw himself on her mercy, he finds himself welcomed into the castle due to a case of mistaken identity. He takes on the position of a dark sorcerer, set with the task of organizing her library. Except he has no magic and finds himself falling for the not-so-wicked Queen Saskia, who prefers working in her lab to concerning herself with affairs of state. Will his identity be revealed? What will the consequences be?

I kind of adored this book. It’s delightfully cosy and has super lovable characters. Saskia and her allied queens are called the Queens of Villainy, and I loved their dynamic. Like most powerful women, Saskia is labeled wicked, but while she can be a little imposing and over-the-top (she has a bone crown!), she’s all about creating a safe haven for non human and magic users. “Fabian” is a total cinnamon roll, and the secret/mistaken identity aspect was quite fun. Other elements I loved were the crow familiars (living the dream!) and unexpected fountain pen subplot!

If you are looking for a cosy romantasy to enjoy this winter season, to read snuggled up with your crow familiar and piping hot coffee, this is really delightful.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I saw another read do an early review and jumped on to grab it.

Oh my gosh, what a fresh take on a wicked witch fantasy read! I was hooked and read it all in one day, I got sucked in and didn't want to come up for air. The dual POV between Felix and Saskia moves the story along wonderfully along with gives you more character depth and world building. I loved how Felix was and how the roles were flipped, it added to the story and made you root for him so much. Saskia and her witch "gang" were a trip and fun to read, I am very much looking forward to each of their stories.

Review:
Okay first thing first. This book is mainly a romance with elements of fantasy. If you’re looking for high fantasy this book is not for you. It is a fun and fantastical romance though. I loved the MCs’ Felix (a.k.a. “Fabian”) and Saskia’s banter with each other. The whole cast of characters are developed really well.

However, the romance felt more physical than emotional since our MCs lust after each other after they’re first meeting, but they don’t act on anything until halfway through the book which is why I say this is a slow burn.

I felt like the entire book was a buildup to the 75% part of the book when HUGE plot points actually start happening. But then the entire plot is resolved within 2-4 chapters which was highly disappointing because I wanted more details and conflict at the end of the story since the buildup was so long.

All in all, I enjoyed the story, but found I was missing the high fantasy elements that I was craving. If you’re craving a Romance Fantasy for February I’d recommend this book.

Thank you @netgalley and torpublishinggroup for letting me read this book in advance in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I absolutely inhaled this fantasy romance featuring an "evil queen" and the ruler (in disguise!) of a neighboring land.

Felix is the Archduke of Estarion, and he's such a little sweetheart! Also he's been terribly abused by his regent/father-in-law, kept away from the actual governance of his land, and since his wife's death, at danger of being assassinated really any day. So he runs to Kitvaria to throw himself at the feet of its ruling witch queen only to be confused for the dark wizard she advertised for. Although he planned to come clean about his identity, he realizes that his reputation as the Archduke is pretty terrible, so he figures he'll lie low and catalogue her library for her...

If you love romance and you like fantasy, this is the book for you. I'm differentiating it from romantasy because the fantasy elements are set dressing for the romance: this is a false identity romance with a little magic on the side. It also includes two of my favorite character types: the intellectual cinnamon roll MC and the "unlikable" FMC. (She's really not all that unlikable but everyone thinks she is.) Like I said, I loved it.

This might be a great book for romantasy readers who want to try out a more romancey book, or for historical romance readers who find fantasy world building to be a little much. It's steamy but on the lower heat side.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This book was so good!!! The is an absolute perfect cozy romantasy book to read while drinking hot cocoa on a rainy day. Or perhaps someone just trying to get out of a reading slump. I adored the characters and the romance. It was so sweet watching everything develop and play out. 10/10 read!

I think a lot of readers are going to be thrown off by the opening chapter's style. In comparison to the rest of the book, the exposition from Felix’s side is a little clunky but that's to be expected when there are so many titles and epithets thrown around.


This is immensely reminiscent of Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis- which a high compliment from me given that I adored that book.

The dynamic between Saskia and Felix is just so delightful. I am an absolute sucker for the male main character in the pairing being a bit wimpy and timid compared to the FMC. The mutual pining in this is honestly a thing of legend, a much needed break from the high heat and spice most books of the genre err towards.

Also all the side characters are so much fun- I'm glad that this appears to be a part of a series because I absolutely need the other queens respective books.

This has been my biggest and most favorite Netgalley review session because all the books I’ve been reading are amazing! This one is truly something special for me, I love female rage

This was an absolutely delightful read.

An Archduke flees the abuse of his advisors, intending to throw himself on the mercy of Queen Saskia, the "wicked" sorceress of the neighbouring polity. However, a misunderstanding results in him being hired to sort out the castle's library. Saskia has established a magic border to keep her kingdom safe from the invaders; she's created a haven for non-humans and those with magic. All she wants to do is experiment in her laboratory but instead she has to manage a complicated political situation.

She and the librarian quickly grow close, despite the secrets surrounding them. Watching each negotiate past trauma and current secrets to build a relationship is fantastic.

The secondary characters are also charming and fully realized, from the grumpy housekeeper to the crows. Highly recommend for those looking for a mostly cozy read, with charming inter-personal relationships and enough politicking etc to keep the brain engaged.

🧙‍♀️👑 ARC REVIEW 👑🧙‍♀️

Wooing The Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
4/5 ⭐
Pub date 🇺🇸 : Feb 18th, 2025

This book had me hooked from the beginning! It was sweet, funny, and had two perfectly imperfect main characters. I finished it in less than 48 hours 😅

The story begins with an Archduke seeking asylum with the wicked witch queen, and through a series of misunderstandings, becomes her librarian in disguise 🥸

Please read if you like the following:

🐦‍⬛ Powerful female main character with a nerdy side
🐦‍⬛ Sweet and supportive (and sexy) love interests
🐦‍⬛ The wickedness of a witch queen's court
🐦‍⬛ Masks 🎭😘

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bramble for this advanced copy!

🏷️ #NetGalley #Romantasy #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #instabook #bookrecommendations #read #bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookshelf #bookaholic #bookblogger #booklovers #booklove #booktok #reader

I absolutely adored this book and devoured it in one sitting! I immediately fell for the MMC, Felix, during the first few chapters. Paired with our bisexual Queen Saskia, this romantasy is a fun and flirty palate-cleanser.

This book is a stand alone story, but will be part of an interconnected trilogy featuring different characters. I'm already impatiently awaiting the next book!

A hot male librarian who is befriended by all the crows was not a book boyfriend i was anticipating. But here i am. In love.
This slow burn magical romance was everything and more. I had so much fun with these characters and this world. The magical elements tied into the political games that come with royalty was done very nicely. Our nerdy hero and powerful queen were so easy to fall in love with. I enjoyed their romantic development immensely.
The harsher subjects were dealt with delicately and with respect. There is a dark side to this world that balances out the story.
loved the ending, getting a taste of more to come in the next book. Which I am super excited for!
Thank you so much to the author@stephanieburgisinwales and@brambleromance for an opportunity to read and review this work. I had a wonderful time reading!

Review copy provided by the publisher. Also the author is a dear friend.

MAGIC NERDS IN LOVE. For some of you this is enough, you’ve just navigated out and clicked pre-order.

For the rest of you: Felix and Saskia are both nominally the rulers of their countries, but politics dealt each one a difficult hand. Felix’s Regent is deeply controlling and abusive, to the point where he quite reasonably fears for his life–he has no control over his lands despite his nominal Archducal title. Meanwhile Saskia–the titular Witch Queen–has taken her throne reluctantly. She’d rather experiment with potions and reagents, but her evil uncle couldn’t be left in control–he was viciously oppressive of all of her people even remotely connected with magic–and she has to deal with the shambles he’s left behind him when he was ousted.

The two of them find each other in stressed and unlikely circumstances, not knowing nearly all they need to know about each other (people who have read this book just started giggling about what an understatement that was for lack of spoiler purposes), and they have to find their way to trust in each other not only for their personal relationship but for the sake of their countries and people.

For me this was an extremely cozy book as well as a fun one, but it got me thinking about how people read coziness differently. Both of the protags are coming out of abusive situations that are clearly though not graphically described, and for some readers, that throughline cannot be cozy–even though the plot is entirely focused on escape from it into building something better. This one has a determinedly nurturing troll housekeeper, an amazing modern invention called fountain pens, and lovingly described meals–but it also has the bite of the world actually having consequences. Cozy is in the eye of the beholder, but this is a good read whether you end up thinking it’s cozy or not.

Thank you to Tor Bramble and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

I'm a huge fan of Stephanie Burgis’s other series, Regency Dragons (which features the heartwarming and fantastic Scales and Sensibility and Claws and Contrivances), so I was beyond excited to pick up her latest work, Wooing the Witch Queen. Wooing the Witch Queen is a cozy and wholesome romantasy and reading this light and fun novel is much like receiving a warm hug from a friend you haven't seen in some time. Wooing the Witch Queen features two likable protagonists, Archduke Felix and the eponymous witch queen, Saskia, who slowly catch feelings for one another. With royalty though, their romance has big implications for the world at large.

Like all of Burgis's works, Wooing the Witch Queen has an ingenious premise. Saskia, a feared wicked witch, has just managed to wrest back control of her kingdom from evil uncle. Unfortunately for her, there is no rest for the wicked, and she finds herself up to her eyeballs in political machinations. Unable to devote herself to her research, she jumps at the chance to hire a dark wizard to organize her magical library. Unbeknownst to her, the mysterious gentleman in question, Felix (alias Fabian) is actually the archduke of an enemy empire, with a lot more to him than meets the eye. Naturally, it isn't too long before sparks fly.

“But for the first time since she'd repossessed this castle, she found herself thinking that she might not mind spending more of her own time in the library, from now on.”

Wooing the Witch Queen is interesting in that it is both a slow burn and it isn't. Saskia and Felix/Fabian feel a pull towards each other the moment they meet, with their interactions over time leading them to want to get to know one another more. I'm not a fan of insta-lust myself, so I was glad to see that the two didn't leap into anything from the get go and take their time to get to know and appreciate one another. Despite their status of royalty from warring nations, their relationship is more friends to lovers than enemies to lovers. Fans of the former trope will undoubtedly find plenty to enjoy in their blossoming regard for one another.

“According to the stories he's heard, Queen Saskia not only delighted in surrounding herself with vicious, inhuman monsters—she was one herself and always had been.”

I was really excited for the prospect of an evil queen getting a happy ending, but admittedly, I was a little disappointed by the execution. Despite her reputation, which does proceed her, Saskia is never really evil. In fact, she's a wonderful human being who wants rights for all, not just humans, and will stop at nothing for equality for all sentient beings, which is considered quite revolutionary. Despite being the strongest sorceress in the world, readers never see her doing anything villainous or committing many extreme acts of powers, let alone any evil ones for the greater good or anything.

Instead, the rumors of her misdeeds are greatly exaggerated, created by her uncle as propaganda in manipulating the people into believing he needed to rule. While this is pretty adorable and all well and good, I personally would have loved to see the queen wearing a crown of bones and using crows as familiars be a teensy bit more bloodthirsty and devious. However, that's just my personal preference.

“Truly, she should have known better, by now, than ever to have worried. A dark wizard who spoke to everyone he met with kindness, respected all nonhuman members of her staff, and looked after her most impudent young crow with unfailing sweetness was a rare and precious find. She wouldn't let herself forget that again.”

But Saskia isn't the only character with a heart of gold, the male lead, Felix/Fabian is even more of a cinnamon roll than her. It's so nice to read a romantasy novel without a problematic male character. There is no controlling behavior or toxic masculinity to be found here, as Felix is not at all emasculated by his love interest being the most powerful woman in the world at all. Instead, he sees Saskia for who she is as a person and not for what she can provide for him.

For me, it was a bit too obvious that these two characters would work out any challenges that arose due to Felix’s secret identity, past lovers, or anything else. The two were just too sincere in their affections to let anything hurt the other. I would have liked to feel a little bit more tension and suspense during moments where problems came up, but I have that problem with a lot of cozy fantasy novels, which is kind of the opposite of what the entire genre is about. So, take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Reading the preview of the next book in the series leads me to think that there will be less of a wholesome romance between the two new leads, and more of contentious one, which will undoubtedly be very entertaining. Readers who enjoy cozy fantasies/romantasies, especially fans of The Embraced/Embraced by Magic series or Elisa Kova’s Married to Magic will find plenty to love here.

Such a lovely, heartwarming, cinnamon roll romance with a wonderful found family of fantasy characters!
When Felix, the Archduke of Estaria, flees the abusive oversight of his father-in-law, he doesn't have a strong plan except to throw himself at the mercy of the neighboring ruler, the evil witch queen, Saskia. But a case of mistaken identity means he's given a job, organizing her magical library and assisting her in helping find the missing Archduke Felix! With strong tones of forgiveness, healing from trauma, and finding acceptance, this wonderful story will have you cozying up in your favorite spot with a strong cup of coffee and your favorite familiar! Come for the romantasy, stay for the ogres, trolls, goblins, and crows!!!

This story was so silly and fun and charming. I love our witch queen and our cinnamon roll MmC. The setting is fantastic as well. I love books that have such wonderful setting descriptions because you truly feel so immersed in the story. This is a fun one that’s perfect for spooky season!

A green flag for the guy you like is when he befriends all the crows he happens across...and he is a stationary-obsessed girlie...and a librarian...

Super fun and easy to understand writing with easy to love characters and clever political scheming and plotting...I love some good political drama situations in a fantasy novel.

And of course, we've got quite the cinnamon roll MMC. I've been a big fan of of those lately.

And we've got witches, so reading this in October felt appropriate.

This does feel a bit slower burn though, for those wondering about that part of the romance in this book. These characters don't want to admit to their feelings to themselves, therefore, they actively try to avoid acting on their feelings. And I much prefer a slow-burn to an insta-love!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Newly crowned, Queen Saskia is trying to protect her kingdom by strengthening her magical barriers. Archduke Felix arrives on her doorstep seeking sanctuary and is mistaken for a dark wizard and librarian and made to work is Saskia's library. As the two navigate their new realities, they find a true friendship that could be more, if not for the lies and politics that stand between them.

This was a great comedic romance. There is so much character growth in this novel. Felix starts the story very broken and beat down but given space and a chance to explore, he grows into someone with agency. Saskia fights the mold of queen and her need to take care of everything on her own as she learns to trust other people. I loved all the secondary characters too.

Wooing the Witch Queen is a short and sweet cozy romastasy! We have Felix, the gentle scholarly Archduke with no control over his own life, and Saskia, the powerful yet misunderstood witch queen who everyone views as a monster. They made the perfect pair and I really enjoyed the slow burn romance. There’s also a bit of politics, mysteries, past trauma, found family in the form of trolls and ogres, and lovable crow familiars. I’m excited that the series is going to continue and I’ll be looking forward to reading about the other “Queens of Villainy”.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.