Take a photo of a barcode or cover
popthebutterfly 's review for:
Spell Bound
by F.T. Lukens
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Spell Bound
Author: F.T. Lukens
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: BIPOC side character, Main Character with Anxiety, Non-Binary Asian American Main Character, Non-Binary side character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, paranormal, fantasy, LGBT, romance, magic, queer, urban fantasy
Publication Date: April 4, 2023
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (language, grief, anxiety, gore, death, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is some cursing in the book. There are scenes with grief and anxiety. There is some slight blood gore. There are mentions of death. There is a romance.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.
Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.
But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.
Review: I thought this was a really great fantasy read! I loved the story, which is a duel POV narrative featuring rivals. One main character is trying to break into the witch world in order to feel closer to his late grandmother and another main character who is just trying to complete their apprenticeship with a rival magic shop. The two continue to have a rivalry until they are forced to work together to help free their rival employers. The world building was well done, the way the story was laid out was amazing, and I want more! I love magical paranormal contemporary set reads and I can’t wait for another read in this genre.
The only issue I had with the read is that I felt like the book was a bit too fast paced in some parts, but overall it was an evenly paced read.
Verdict: I loved this read! Highly recommend!
Book: Spell Bound
Author: F.T. Lukens
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: BIPOC side character, Main Character with Anxiety, Non-Binary Asian American Main Character, Non-Binary side character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, paranormal, fantasy, LGBT, romance, magic, queer, urban fantasy
Publication Date: April 4, 2023
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (language, grief, anxiety, gore, death, romance)
Explanation of Above: There is some cursing in the book. There are scenes with grief and anxiety. There is some slight blood gore. There are mentions of death. There is a romance.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.
Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.
But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.
Review: I thought this was a really great fantasy read! I loved the story, which is a duel POV narrative featuring rivals. One main character is trying to break into the witch world in order to feel closer to his late grandmother and another main character who is just trying to complete their apprenticeship with a rival magic shop. The two continue to have a rivalry until they are forced to work together to help free their rival employers. The world building was well done, the way the story was laid out was amazing, and I want more! I love magical paranormal contemporary set reads and I can’t wait for another read in this genre.
The only issue I had with the read is that I felt like the book was a bit too fast paced in some parts, but overall it was an evenly paced read.
Verdict: I loved this read! Highly recommend!