Sorcery and Small Magics follows Leo and Sebastian, rivals at sorcery school until a magical accident forces them to work together. It has a unique take on magic in which people must pair up, with one person writing the spells (Leo) that the other performs (Sebastian). Leo and Sebastian are opposites, with Leo looking for fun times while Sebastian won't risk his career by goofing off. They hate each other because of their preconceived ideas. Sebastian sees Leo as wasting the opportunities he was handed, while Leo sees Sebastian as an uptight bore. The reader has insight into why each acts the way he does, and it was delightful to watch them get to know each other and realize their ideas were wrong. The fantasy world was solid, and I appreciated that the plot had enough conflict to be interesting without the characters being in constant danger.
Desperate to undo the curse binding them together, an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell - only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together. An irresistible cosy fantasy for fans of A Marvellous Light and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.
Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics, content to spend his days thinking up charms that can summon butterflies or turn hair pink. That is, until a mishap with forbidden magic compels Leo to obey his longtime rival, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is…
I love fantasy but find it stressful to read so-called dark fantasy or stories with a lot of trauma and evil. On the flip side, a lot of cozy fantasy focuses on setting and vibes, with less action or plot conflict. Wooing the Witch Queen is a perfect mix. Felix is tired of being a pawn for his family and runs away when he suspects they plan to murder him; with nothing to lose, he heads for the castle of the sorceress everyone fears, Saskia. When he arrives, she assumes he is a wizard responding to her job posting for a librarian and hires him. The story has enough conflict with the politics brewing and the secrets being kept, but Saskia is powerful so that the story is not too stressful. A lot of time is spent in the castle as the couple falls for each other, and the story has fun bits like a crow sidekick.
Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis is the start of a delightful, funny and seductive romantasy trilogy, set in a gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests and genteel court intrigues can turn deadly . . .
'This is a warm and lovely story with a big heart' - Sangu Mandanna, bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that,…
Books & Broadswords contains two novellas and each was a perfect, low-stress romantasy in which a human falls in love with a person who is secretly non-human. The stories focus on the characters getting to know each other and had low-stakes plots: Feora steals the king's gold to buy books until a persistent knight begins interfering, and Zenira is forced to sell her beloved rock collection to pay the rent, and sets off to find a mysterious collector. The fantasy worlds were not anything unusual, but that made it so easy to slip into them quickly and enjoy the stories, and the emotions felt real. They were perfect bedtime reading.
This novella-length volume includes two romantic fantasy stories set in a shared world, each with a guaranteed happily ever after, plus a new bonus epilogue.Books & BroadswordsThe only thing Feora likes more than stealing the king’s gold is using it to buy books. But when a handsome, persistent knight interrupts her day, Feora must decide if saving his life is worth revealing her true nature.Rocks & RapiersZenira never wanted to sell her rock collection, but when the new landowner raises her rent, she’s out of options. Armed with a sketchy rumor about a collector who will pay for stones others…
He’s the blacksmith. But she’s the one playing with fire.
After a fairy seduced her, fathered her child, and tried to take that child, Jane swore she’d never trust one again. Surely she can find a suitable human man to be a companion for herself and a father for little Elle, right? So when her housemate mentions a new apprentice blacksmith, Jane leaves Elle playing in the yard and heads to the smithy.
Rowan is rugged and handsome but clearly not interested. Disappointed, Jane has just left the smithy when a sudden shadow swoops over the village. Jane races home to see a dragon snatching Elle. Jane is distraught. Then Rowan mysteriously appears and offers to rescue the child. He insists the dragon won’t hurt Elle—apparently fairy children apprentice with dragons to learn fire magic. How does Rowan know so much about fairies? Turns out, he is one.
Jane will do anything to rescue Elle, even if it involves the F word—a fairy. But climbing into the mountains with Rowan is risky. His reticence keeps Jane guessing, but she can’t keep her mind off him: he’s even more handsome out in the moonlit woods, with that deep voice and those capable hands. When Jane and Rowan run into trouble, Jane must take charge. Because it turns out, Rowan needs rescuing too.
The Fire Apprentice is a grumpy/sunshine romance—or maybe more of a brooding/effusive romance—that’s perfect for fans of Throne in the Dark or Jenna Wolfhart’s Falling for Fables cozy romantasy series. Each book in the Sylvania series can be read on its own but might contain spoilers for previous books. The Fire Apprentice contains love scenes and a heroine with pelvic floor pain.
