Sorcery and Small Magics is a highly character-driven story, but the setting and world-building are equally well done. It leans more towards "light academia" rather than dark, with the characters spending a good deal of time away from the school. One of the highlights for me was the realistic portrayal of family dynamics, which added depth to the story.
The romance is very much a slow burn, and the story is told entirely from the point of view of one of the male main characters (MMC). Personally, I would have preferred a dual POV, as I wasn’t too fond of the character we followed.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job. It had a relaxing, almost background-music quality that made it easy to enjoy. Although I liked the book, it didn’t engage me enough to make me rush to pick up the sequel. I’ll likely read it at some point, but it’s not high on my priority list.

Thanks to Netgalley, Maia Doocy and Hachette Audio for this ALC

I admittedly don't read a ton of books about men or narrated by men. But, I was delightfully surprised by Sorcery and Small Magics. The narration was consistent throughout, and read very well. The story held my attention from start to finish, and I loved each character. The growth and development we see throughout the story were SO satisfying and I can't wait to read (or listen to!) the next book!

First of all, this book had me loling in chapter one. Leo is delightful 💕

The story is perfect for autumn, I was given an audio arc and it was the best for just cozy listening and the narrator DELIVERED 💅🏻

This books is very character-driven, slower paced low stakes with a ✨ hint ✨ of romance. If you are looking for a quick, high fantasy soaked in romance you will not find it.

That being said, I loved the humor and I love Leo, but those elements are not what make a fave book for me personally hence why I am giving it 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio arc.

I’m obsessed. The slow burn and yeeeearning🤌. Sometimes I read a book blurb and think it sounds perfect for me, only to be disappointed by the execution or poor writing style. Not here! Doocy delivered. I loved the humor, the characters, the pacing, the coziness. I cannot wait for the sequel (I already have an idea where one unfinished storyline is headed and I can’t wait to watch it unfold).

“What is Magic if not a performance?”

Sorcery And Small Magics was a super nice read, funny and original. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator enhanced the tale effect. I loved his voice and the dynamism he put into the narration.
That story was the perfect Hero Journey.
Leo seems he couldn’t-give-a-damn about the academy of magic he’s enrolled into, and even less about his future career. He prefers glamor charms to grand magic, and playing violin at parties a lot more than studying. No matter how powerful his family is, he’s on the verge of being expelled from school if he makes another error during the school year. When he is forced to work as a team with Grimm, his academic nemesis, everything goes wrong.
A curse later, they embark on a quest full of trials, opponents and helpers, cross villages and hostile territories and finally discover themselves (and each other). Even if the story’s structure is pretty classic, the story is very addictive and full of varied feelings. The characters are very “fleshy”, nuanced just like I love them. The world building, and especially the magical system, is enchanting. I love that people are forced to work as a team to create magic in this world, that nature is both dangerous and benevolent, and that music has a very special place that allows both Leo and Grimm to overcome their personal difficulties/weaknesses.
Romance is the core of the book, but very secondary all at once. We can consider this is a (very) slow burn, as a permanent question mark.But the sparkle is clearly there, and I can’t wait for book 2!


Thank you Maiga Doocy, Hachette Audio, Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Rate 4.5/5

THIS IS GOING TO BE A TRILOGY???? Call the police, I’m gonna riot because I don’t want to wait for the next one!!!!
Ok this is going to be a strange take, but this was giving the same vibes as Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material…but make them sorcerers. And I am All. About. It!!! I enjoyed this book so much, especially on audio. The narrator did an absolutely spectacular job - five stars on the audio, for sure.
Story-wise, I was LIVING for the academic rivals to reluctant friends (and maybe one day lovers???). The world-building and magic system were on the simpler side, but still very intriguing and very cozy. I appreciated that the plot drove the story, and the romance (if you can even say that there is a romance yet?) is secondary. I just have so many questions about the ending!! It wasn’t quite a cliffhanger, but there are definitely questions to be answered and adventures to continue — and romance to be had. Ugh I just love Leo and Grimm I can’t wait to see what’s next for them!

4.5⭐ rounded up to 5. This light and easy-to-read cozy fantasy was a nice surprise. I loved the vibes, the whimsy, the main character, the pace, the refreshing spin on popular tropes.

❤️ Fun trainweck MC who seriously gives NF about what people think
❤️ Tons of whimsy
❤️ Weird creature galore
❤️ Spellsongs! Foragers! Blue mushrooms! A marshmallow wolf who can teleport!
❤️ Romance not taking centre stage
❌ Abrupt ending
❌ Lack of chemistry between the two MCs

Trigger warnings: violence and murder, blood and gore, injury and injury detail, death and grief, classism, kidnapping.

Plot:
After a forbidden spell goes wrong, academic rivals Leo and Sebastian are forced to stick together and venture deep into a dangerous magical forest to seek the help of a recluse witch. To solve their problem, they will need to work together, but also face past trauma and confront their biggest fears. And while searching for the counterspell, they start to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.

Yes, there are clichés and popular tropes (forced proximity, grumpy vs. sunshine, one of a kind MC) packed in. But still, this book felt refreshing as compared to many romantasy novels I’ve recently read. The witchy vibes, the whimsy, the (seemingly) unrequited loved, the animals and mythical creatures, the spellsongs… I loved it all. However, I wished Leo and Sebastian had ventured into the forest sooner, because it was my favourite part of the book. I think it took slightly too long to get there. Many aspects and characters piqued my curiosity, so I fully plan on reading the second book.

Characters:
Leo cracked me up! Most MCs are self-righteous with a hero complex and all, but he was a walking disaster… and I was totally here for that. I didn’t quite warm up to Sebastian, but I think his character has potential. Their growth was very well done, and I can’t wait to follow them again through their next adventures. I also hope to see more of Sybilla and explore her relationship with Leo. Jane and Leo’s brother also piqued my curiosity.

Writing:
I enjoyed Doocy’s light, yet sharp, writing style. I would read more from this author.

Audiobook:
Voice actor Ciaran Saward did a great job! He could read me a recipe book using Sebastian’s voice and I’d probably swoon.

I found this to be an enjoyable and cosy fantasy. I did enjoy watching how everything played out for Leo and Grimm after the wrong spell was cast between them, I was really hoping to feel more of an emotional connection between the two, but sadly I found that to be lacking. I also felt sorry for Grimm, and felt annoyed by the way Leo treated him at the start of this book. I didn't really warm to Leo. Still, this was a fun little read. I really enjoyed the narrator. This just din't work for me personally. I would still reccomend giving this a read or listen if it is on your TBR.
Many thanks the Netgally and Hachette Audio for gifting me this to listen to.

A perfect cozy fall read! I’m such a sucker for a good Bildungsroman, and this one didn’t disappoint at all! It’s packed with adventures, and the magic system completely drew me in—it was so unique and fascinating! I loved every twist and turn. If you're looking to add a little enchantment to your fall reading, definitely give this one a try. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to curl up with a blanket, a warm drink, and just lose yourself in its magic!

What a delight! I enjoyed this spin on fantasy academia with two stubborn protagonists representing two very different areas of magic. The enemies to lovers romance was an incredibly slow burn--necessitating a sequel ASAP! I can't wait for the next in the series!

Readers who are seduced by character driven stories should not sleep on Sorcery and Small Magics!

We follow rival Sorcerers as they find themselves working together to undo the dark magic that is inconveniently binding them together. There's witty banter, magic forests, and some seriously adorably slow burn romance.

As mentioned, the characters are truly what makes this debut worthy of your shelves. Leo and Grimm are written with such love and warmth that you can't help but feel invested in the story. The plot itself is somewhat low staked but you'll be rooting for these two like they've been your closest of friend for a lifetime! It also gave me some seriously big Sophie/Howl vibes!!

I was lucky enough to listen to audio version of this and the narrator was nothing short of dazzling. The cadence in which he read really brought this story to life and I will be seeking out other narrations by the reader!

This book had been a surprise highlight for me. It's cosy but with stakes, and it's so slow burn I was aching for these wonderful idiots.

I needed the audiobook to just dive into it all over again, and it did not disappoint. The narrator is bringing across the clumsy, the soft, the grumpy and everything else.

5/5 stars

Thank you so much for the ALC!

Thanks so much to Orbit, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the chance to listen to this ALC, all opinions are my own.

I am so happy to have another amazing book to add to my favorite reads of 2024 list!

Book review: Sorcery & Small Magics by Maiga Doocy had everything I love about fantasy - cool world building, unique magic system, lovable misfits, a quest, cool magical creatures, and of course, some drama.

This is the story of Leo (told from first person POV), who is from a wealthy sorcerer family, attending a magic school with students whose aim is to enlist in the magical army to protect their country from “wild” magic. Unfortunately, Leo’s magic always goes a little haywire, getting him into trouble often. When he is paired up with an academic rival, they accidentally miscast a spell that literally forces them to be together. In an effort to break this spell they must (begrudgingly) go on an epic quest together to find a cure and the drama ensues!

The plot was fun and interesting and even though the twists weren’t shocking, I still felt myself fully engaged with the story at every turn. I also loved the unique magic system and the idea that no magic can be created alone and you must work with someone else. I also liked that magic had a cost and could be harmful if you aren’t careful. Plus I loved the way we got to see the different uses of magic in the world (and of course the inequality of it's usage).

But truly the best part of this book were the characters. Leo is of course an epic but lovable disaster, always leaping before he looks. There is a reason he is always getting into trouble! And Grimm is the grumpy to his sunshine. I loved how we slowly get to learn about Grimm as Leo does and how he quickly becomes a sympathetic character. And without giving away any spoilers, I love the way the spell starts to weave its way into their lives and makes them question what is real and what is not.

While you can tell that there is going to eventually be a romance between theses two (I hope!!), there is no actual real romance taking place in this book. You need to enjoy the slooooow burn. It is really about the development of their friendship and coming to understand each other and work together to be successful with their magics. I didn't miss any romance at all and you can just tell that the tension is going to be delicious in the next book! I can’t wait for more!

Audiobook review: I am not familiar with Ciaran Saward but I thought he did a fantastic job bringing this book to life. When a book is first person POV you really need a narrator who can find the voice of that character and draw you into the story. Ciaran was a perfect Leo and provided a great balance of emotion and humor throughout the book. The pace was good, there were no weird inflections or pauses, and all of the different characters were distinguishable through different voices. I know this excellent narration contributed to my love of this book!

Audio arc*

Reading this book feels like reading a fanfic of carry on, an already famous parody of harry potter. Even some names are oddly similar ( Sebastian Grimm vs Baz Pitz-Grimm )

The story is fine. Nothing about it stood out which in itself is a bit of a crime since I want books to hook me in something.

The writing feels the same. It sure wasn’t the worst I ever read.

The main characters main trait seems to be that he’s annoying and bad at what he does and the love interest is just kinda grumpy but at least that’s understandable. In the end I just didn’t feel like I got attached to any of them.

The romance on the other hand is incredible odd.

*Spoilers*

We get to know the “mind control” spell the LI accidentally casts is actually a love spell and it just made the relationship post spell feel really icky. I know this is just book one but I’m not a huge fan of hoe it played out.


In the end I don’t think i’ll continue the series. While it’s far from the worst book I really did nit care for anything in it enough to feel like continuing it would be worth it.

This is one of those rare instances when I am so sad that I don't have more than five stars to give. I adored Maiga Doocy's debut novel Sorcery and Small Magics. I was about 1/3 in, and I just KNEW this book would give me a huge book hangover. It's the type of world-building that makes you want to stay in the story, and it made me jealous of future readers who will get to pick up this book when the entire series is published so they can stay with the characters even longer.

What did I love about it? The writing was beautiful. There is nothing simple about the way she described the scene. The dialogue was funny, and the characters were so multifaceted.

One of the first things I loved about the book was its unique magic system. To have two parts of a magic pair (a Scriver - one who writes spells and a caster, one who casts spells) need to work together to make magic was the perfect setup for this enemies-to-lovers tale (although there are no sparks yet in book one). The forced proximity, the twists and turns, the backstory of both main characters were all so well done.

This is one of the few times I was not annoyed at having read the first book without all the others being out. It finishes in a satisfying place (despite me desperately wanting more), and I look forward to re-listening to the book when the next ones comes out in the series!

Truly a very fun story. I was into it basically from the start. The magical school setting with a good rivalry will always win me over and so it did here again. And then there was a wonderful adventure with glorious character moments. I’ve grown incredibly fond of Leo and Grimm. They are both idiots in their own lovable way. Their relationship reminded me of some amazing fanfiction I read and I mean this as the highest compliment.

The world building was very cool and I loved the magic system. It feels like a lot of thought flowed into it and I can definitely appreciate it a lot!

I already cannot wait to read the next book in series and see everything develop even more. Especially with the promise of a great relationship and very interesting world building.

The audiobook format lent itself well to the book. The narrator brought the characters to live beautifully. However, it was extremely slow so I definitely needed to increase the speed.

This book is enchanting and one of my favorite reads of 2024. Pick this up during the fall and cozy up under a blanket by the fire while diving into this wonderful world created by Maiga Doocy. Leo is a writer of spells who sticks to smaller charms when the bigger magic seems to blow up in his face. Brooding rival Sebastian is a caster of spells. The two are forced to work together and unexpectedly bonded together in a magic they set out to undo. They venture out into a forest filled with beastly creatures and untrustworthy characters in search of a sorcerer’s help. The slow burn of Leo and Sebastian’s connection had me craving more and the well-paced adventure kept me turning the pages. Read this is if you like The House on the Cerulean Sea, Harry Potter and/or Simon Snow. I listened to the audiobook, which is perfectly narrated by Ciaran Saward. I was grateful to receive an ARC from NetGalley and can’t wait to read more of this delightful series!

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy is a warm fantasy full of magic, slow burn romance and creatures with unsettling numbers of mouths that happen to enjoy music.

The cast was delightful, from the poor put-upon friends to the mysterious sorceror in the woods(agree with Leo there, goals.) 
Our two mains, Leovander Loveage the totally-definitely-above-caring joker and stick-in-the-mud Sebastian Grimm, absolutely stole my heart. I am perhaps not the biggest fan of slow-burn, and this was scream-at-fictional-characters grade slow, but it is a testament to how much I enjoyed them that even at their thickheadedest I was still more than happy to go along with it.

This is billed as cosy fantasy, and while I would definitely agree that the vibes are very cosy, there are definitely moments of life-or-death stakes and even hints of a system in need of changing. Both our mains also have some tradgey in their past.

The main plot treads some well-known ground, but I find that’s really where the main cosy element comes in, sometimes stories don’t need to utterly surprise us to be worth reading. There is a lot of creativity on display in the smaller details, from the monsters in the woods, the magic tower, as well as both the magic system itself and the ways it allows the characters to interact, and I am definitely looking forward to see where the story goes from here. 

Also I’m a sucker for musical harmonizing. Inject that straight into me please. 


I had the pleasure of listening to an audio ARC and, as a big fan of audiobooks, I know a good narrator, as well as good direction, can really elevate a story. Such was the case here, all the praise to the team behind it. Ciaran Saward does a wonderful job with Leo as our narrator and just as well with the rest of the cast, giving great voices that, where needed, can be funny, but never vering into grating. Likewise the acting was never too much but suited perfectly to the material. I can hardly imagine the story without Saward’s voice and will definitely continue the series with audio.

Many thanks to NetGalley as well as Hachette Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's a quiet book without a very dense plot, with little at stake for the protagonists. I really liked the world and the magic system. The relationship between the characters evolves in a curious, gentle way. The secondary characters have personality and depth, adding richness to the story.
It's supposed to be the start of a series of books, but I feel that the ending is rather closed and I don't know where the story might continue.
I would recommend it to people who like cozy, quiet fantasy, with an original magic system, completely opposite protagonists who then complement each other perfectly, and adventures through enchanted forests full of monsters.
Really liked the narrator.

I loved this book. The narrator has such a pleasant voice, too, I am glad I got it as an audiobook!

The story is about two rivals at some kind of university for magic. Leo studies spell composition and Grimm is training as spell caster. One day, they are paired up for the semester in one of their classes and need to work together, but in there casual bickering they do not notice a different spell in the pile Leovander wrote, so Grimm accidentally puts a curse on Leo that controls and binds Leo to Grimm.
Since cursing people is illegal and Grimm has his careers to worry about, they go on a quest to try and break the curse.
The book is full of magic and Creatures and adventures, but I also really liked the writing of it - the characters' dynamics and the slowly developing friendship.

Overall the book felt very cozy and perfect for autumn.

In the end-credits it said this was book 1 and I do hope book 2 will be about the same characters because I want to see them grow even more close and their life together.
I will also need to look into the narrator's back-catalogue.