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idktheyear's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.25
A light hearted read that whisked me away to a magical past. I enjoyed the banter and friendship among the characters. Also, Kit and Niamh were so fun to read about. Both have some character development and grow. I loved how Kit teased Niamh and how she could see through the walls he put up.
One complaint; sometimes Niamh would mention the Fair Ones. There wasn't a whole lot of explanation about the fair ones. I think they're where the magic comes from?? Then, for the marriage, their vows involved a bishop and were under God. I guess the magic/religion bugged me because I don't feel like it was explained enough.
Overall though it is a very pleasant book that left me with happy feelings.
One complaint; sometimes Niamh would mention the Fair Ones. There wasn't a whole lot of explanation about the fair ones. I think they're where the magic comes from?? Then, for the marriage, their vows involved a bishop and were under God. I guess the magic/religion bugged me because I don't feel like it was explained enough.
Overall though it is a very pleasant book that left me with happy feelings.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Child abuse
readbyjaimes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book!
I really did enjoy reading this book! It was super fun and the world was so magical. I enjoyed Kit and Niamh together I thought their relationship was really sweet (I also loved that they were both queer). The ending just felt really rushed to me, but besides that, it was pretty good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Classism, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse
bujo_bellel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was absolutely beautiful, I'm very tempted to buy a copy for myself because of the story and the beautiful cover!! I really liked reading Niamh and Kit's love story, I liked reading about the politics and also really enjoyed the magic system in this book. I really liked the writing and how it's closed door(I think it's implied). The characters are well thought out and I really like the addition of Rosa and Miriam would LOVE to read about their story (talking to you, Author). Rosa and Miriam are so cute together and I really want to see how the rest of their story unfolds and what happens with the politics. I really hope that Jack and Sofia fall in love so they won't be in a loveless marriage and also be able to share their burdens with each other. I think Jack and Kit's relationship although is complicated, but after knowing the reason why both sides react that way, you can't help but see that they love each other, just that they don't know how to express it properly due to their upbringing. I hope to see in the next book (hopefully there is and is focusing on Rosa and Miriam) that we get to see how being married to Kit has affected Niamh and her family and their business which Miriam also works at ( i think). Really enjoyed this book and went in almost blind and I was not really expecting to enjoy it this much because I didn't really enjoy A Far Wilder Magic that much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Homophobia and Xenophobia
Minor: Death of parent, Child abuse, War, and Sexual content
shadowinferno's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Despite some questionable world building choices, I really loved this book thanks to every single one of the characters (and the plot going harder than it really had to). It made me deliriously happy. Real kicking my little feet in the air vibes :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Colonisation, Homophobia, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, War, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Drug use
jennanaps's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Racism, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse
skypotion's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book makes me feel exactly the same way that Pride & Prejudice (2005) makes me feel, and that is a profound compliment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Outing
Minor: Child abuse
krisalexcole's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Classism, Chronic illness, and Alcoholism
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Colonisation, Grief, Homophobia, Blood, Cursing, Child abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Infidelity, and War
linguistique's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker is hired to design and create the wedding wardrobe for a prince in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland. However, what was supposed to be a simple job is quickly complicated by scandal, political unrest, and Niamh’s attraction to the groom.
One thing Saft excels at is making each character feel like a fully developed individual, with their own personalities and mannerisms. All of the characters are motivated by their desire to protect and care for the ones they love, but each of them have unique ways of attempting to do so, which allows for their differences to shine. I loved the banter and playfulness in the dialogue with the side characters, especially Sinclair, Rosa, and Miriam. The dialogue itself is so realistic that it feels like you as the reader are right in the room with the characters, overhearing their conversation. There is also good LGBTQ, chronic pain, and (strongly implied) neurodivergent representation. I would add a content warning for homophobia for any future readers.
My main complaint is that I found it difficult to keep track of all of the different plot threads at times. The novel is extremely fast paced, and Saft drops you right into the action from the beginning. There is Niamh’s own work on weaving emotions into the garments, her desire to financially support her family, her attraction to and aggravation with Kit, her chronic illness, her investigation of the Crown Prince’s dealings, all over the backdrop of the protests of the Macklish workers and a politically-inflammatory gossip columnist. Overall, I enjoyed that Saft didn’t shy away from more complex topics or limit the plot to only the romance, but it was easy to lose the threads and get lost in the story, and I think the novel would have benefitted from having more focus.
While this isn’t my favorite book that Saft has written, I’m still a huge fan of her writing and am optimistic that I will like her upcoming novel, A Dark and Drowning Tide.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
One thing Saft excels at is making each character feel like a fully developed individual, with their own personalities and mannerisms. All of the characters are motivated by their desire to protect and care for the ones they love, but each of them have unique ways of attempting to do so, which allows for their differences to shine. I loved the banter and playfulness in the dialogue with the side characters, especially Sinclair, Rosa, and Miriam. The dialogue itself is so realistic that it feels like you as the reader are right in the room with the characters, overhearing their conversation. There is also good LGBTQ, chronic pain, and (strongly implied) neurodivergent representation. I would add a content warning for homophobia for any future readers.
My main complaint is that I found it difficult to keep track of all of the different plot threads at times. The novel is extremely fast paced, and Saft drops you right into the action from the beginning. There is Niamh’s own work on weaving emotions into the garments, her desire to financially support her family, her attraction to and aggravation with Kit, her chronic illness, her investigation of the Crown Prince’s dealings, all over the backdrop of the protests of the Macklish workers and a politically-inflammatory gossip columnist. Overall, I enjoyed that Saft didn’t shy away from more complex topics or limit the plot to only the romance, but it was easy to lose the threads and get lost in the story, and I think the novel would have benefitted from having more focus.
While this isn’t my favorite book that Saft has written, I’m still a huge fan of her writing and am optimistic that I will like her upcoming novel, A Dark and Drowning Tide.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Child abuse
immovabletype's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Homophobia, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Alcohol, Outing, Genocide, and Terminal illness
Minor: Cursing, Child abuse, Confinement, and War
booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is an emotional story of complicated paths to happiness, featuring a seamstress who falls in love with the prince whose wedding clothes she's designing. With much to prove and everything to lose, Niamh tries to hide her feelings in order to not make a volatile political situation even worse by upending the upcoming wedding. But, as they spend more and more time together, her feelings become impossible to hide, and his protectiveness is starting to include her wellbeing.
The worldbuilding is excellent, working with the characterization to set up a fantasy version of regency England (Avaland), complete with a magic-fueled but no less terrible history with fantasy Ireland (Machland), including calling out this fictional version of the potato blight and contributing policies as genocide. One of the core tensions in the book is that Kit's brother and current regent, Jack, is ignoring the frustrated calls for better treatment and redress of concerns from the Machlish. Niamh is a Machlishwoman, invited to Avaland for her magic and skills as a seamstress. She finds herself falling in love with Kit when she's supposed to be making the clothes for his wedding and the formal appearances leading up to the bit event. Rosa, his betrothed (from what I'm pretty sure is fantasy Catalan or perhaps Spain), is as personally uninterested in the wedding as Kit is, but they are both going through with the political union for the sake of others. This leads to a very fun narrative space where Niamh is trying to navigate her feelings for Kit, but isn't automatically breaking someone else's heart in pursuing her own happiness. The mysterious gossip columnist, on the other hand, keeps having something to say about it, driving the threats of scandal even if the parties directly involved don't see it that way.
I love Kit and Niamh's chemistry. I'm a sucker for most variants of grumpy/sunshine, and especially for brooding (masc) characters who get pulled out of their shell, and this one is excellent. As the story unfolds, Kit's initial combativeness and disdain makes much more sense. I laughed and laughed when I got to the part with the very first item Niamh made for Kit. It's such a fantastic bit of characterization and plot, just the idea of that coat as his first real introduction to her skill in a public-facing setting. They've both become used to putting aside their own wants and needs in order to sacrifice for others, but each of them has been going about it in different ways. Kit has been floundering and frustrated because none of his direct attempts make it through to his brother and he's oscillating between desperately trying and abandoning all hope. Niamh is using up her time and body by being reckless with her energy when she has a hereditary chronic illness which will eventually turn terminal. They've both been trading pieces of themselves to help other people, and their relationship is the first positive and selfish thing either of them has attempted in a long while.
I'm very pleased with the ending, it's even better than I could have hoped for and more than any of the characters dared to dream. I'm looking forward to what this author does next.
The worldbuilding is excellent, working with the characterization to set up a fantasy version of regency England (Avaland), complete with a magic-fueled but no less terrible history with fantasy Ireland (Machland), including calling out this fictional version of the potato blight and contributing policies as genocide. One of the core tensions in the book is that Kit's brother and current regent, Jack, is ignoring the frustrated calls for better treatment and redress of concerns from the Machlish. Niamh is a Machlishwoman, invited to Avaland for her magic and skills as a seamstress. She finds herself falling in love with Kit when she's supposed to be making the clothes for his wedding and the formal appearances leading up to the bit event. Rosa, his betrothed (from what I'm pretty sure is fantasy Catalan or perhaps Spain), is as personally uninterested in the wedding as Kit is, but they are both going through with the political union for the sake of others. This leads to a very fun narrative space where Niamh is trying to navigate her feelings for Kit, but isn't automatically breaking someone else's heart in pursuing her own happiness. The mysterious gossip columnist, on the other hand, keeps having something to say about it, driving the threats of scandal even if the parties directly involved don't see it that way.
I love Kit and Niamh's chemistry. I'm a sucker for most variants of grumpy/sunshine, and especially for brooding (masc) characters who get pulled out of their shell, and this one is excellent. As the story unfolds, Kit's initial combativeness and disdain makes much more sense. I laughed and laughed when I got to the part with the very first item Niamh made for Kit. It's such a fantastic bit of characterization and plot, just the idea of that coat as his first real introduction to her skill in a public-facing setting. They've both become used to putting aside their own wants and needs in order to sacrifice for others, but each of them has been going about it in different ways. Kit has been floundering and frustrated because none of his direct attempts make it through to his brother and he's oscillating between desperately trying and abandoning all hope. Niamh is using up her time and body by being reckless with her energy when she has a hereditary chronic illness which will eventually turn terminal. They've both been trading pieces of themselves to help other people, and their relationship is the first positive and selfish thing either of them has attempted in a long while.
I'm very pleased with the ending, it's even better than I could have hoped for and more than any of the characters dared to dream. I'm looking forward to what this author does next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Bullying, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Vomit, Death, Grief, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Infidelity, Genocide, War, and Death of parent