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bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Thank you to Netgalley & Libro FM for the ALC!
The audiobook narrators were fantastic: Em Grosland, Kevin R. Free & Natalie Naudus.
Gosh, this was so delightful and absolutely adorable. Each book from FT Lukens just gets better and better! I thought Spell Bound was my favorite, but this has surpassed it 😍
This is a cozy urban fantasy about Ellery (I may be spelling this wrong because I read the audiobook, so I’ll double check after I write this review hehe), who lives with their cousin Charlie & her girlfriend Zada, in the city. Ellery & Charlie swoon over the “hot weird guy” that comes into their café, but Ellery comes to “hot weird guy”’s rescue one day when he is attacked by ethereal creatures nearby. Hot weird guy is actually Knox, who was once a sort-of supernatural being, Arabelle’s “familiar.” Ellery is actually from a more rural area, where their parents still live and are struggling on their farm since they are in a prolonged winter (going on *years*!!!!). Knox and Ellery team up to end the winter, and with their close proximity on this adventure, they begin to stir up feelings towards each other.
I absolutely adored this story, and I would watch a Friends-style urban fantasy sitcom about this found family! Their banter was delightful, and I really felt like Charlie and Ellery were close cousins, with Charlie acting as a bit of an older sister to Ellery. Charlie and Zada’s relationship was almost too sweet, but I was just happy to see sapphics thriving and hopelessly in love.
Most of the book was focused on relationships rather than plot, which is fine! I felt like the plot lines of ending winter and saving Knox from his fate in the titular “other world” still simmered below all of the character development, and you knew it was the driver for many of the characters’ decisions. Overall, I was captivated as I listened to the audiobook from start to finish, and I am manifesting a tv or movie adaptation please!
Thank you to Netgalley & Libro FM for the ALC!
The audiobook narrators were fantastic: Em Grosland, Kevin R. Free & Natalie Naudus.
Gosh, this was so delightful and absolutely adorable. Each book from FT Lukens just gets better and better! I thought Spell Bound was my favorite, but this has surpassed it 😍
This is a cozy urban fantasy about Ellery (I may be spelling this wrong because I read the audiobook, so I’ll double check after I write this review hehe), who lives with their cousin Charlie & her girlfriend Zada, in the city. Ellery & Charlie swoon over the “hot weird guy” that comes into their café, but Ellery comes to “hot weird guy”’s rescue one day when he is attacked by ethereal creatures nearby. Hot weird guy is actually Knox, who was once a sort-of supernatural being, Arabelle’s “familiar.” Ellery is actually from a more rural area, where their parents still live and are struggling on their farm since they are in a prolonged winter (going on *years*!!!!). Knox and Ellery team up to end the winter, and with their close proximity on this adventure, they begin to stir up feelings towards each other.
I absolutely adored this story, and I would watch a Friends-style urban fantasy sitcom about this found family! Their banter was delightful, and I really felt like Charlie and Ellery were close cousins, with Charlie acting as a bit of an older sister to Ellery. Charlie and Zada’s relationship was almost too sweet, but I was just happy to see sapphics thriving and hopelessly in love.
Most of the book was focused on relationships rather than plot, which is fine! I felt like the plot lines of ending winter and saving Knox from his fate in the titular “other world” still simmered below all of the character development, and you knew it was the driver for many of the characters’ decisions. Overall, I was captivated as I listened to the audiobook from start to finish, and I am manifesting a tv or movie adaptation please!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Grief
micaelacccc's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Grief
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? No
4.0
Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for an advanced copy of Otherworldly by FT Lukens to review! Lukens has quickly made themselves a staple in YA cozy fantasy, and this book might be the coziest of them all. I loved the little found family that was at the core of this story, and Knox's goal to just have fun? It made for such a lovely, engaging story.
This book is told in a dual perspective between Knox and Ellery, and I thought they both had unique enough voices that it didn't get confusing. It allowed their voices to shine through, adding to the emotional side of the story. It helped build the core romance between them, and also helped with the world building at times. Plus, there is lots of great casual queer rep, which we always love to see in fantasy stories.
By the end, I also appreciated that there's just as much importance placed on the friendships as there is on the romance. There's no one version of love, and seeing that in a romance focused story is always excellent.
Though there's a bit of action and the stakes are high at points, for the most part, the story is more focused on the quiet, emotional moments. The friendships. The relationships. The emotional growth. You'll get drawn in with the characters, and you won't want to leave them by the end.
All in all, if you love cozy, queer YA fantasy, definitely pick this one up when it comes out in April!
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Cursing, and Grief
eternallyicarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
great book will explain why later i am too lazy to write a full review and also my brain is not working i read the entire book in one day. but this author has developed a formula and i eat that shit up every time. also perfect recovery read from the poppy war (which i literally finished less than eighteen hours ago)
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Cursing, and Grief
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