Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

4.33 AVERAGE

treaduk's profile picture

treaduk's review against another edition

3.0
adventurous lighthearted mysterious 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

tiramisuuu's review against another edition

4.0
adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
This one was a fun read, easy and light hearted :)

epurcell's review against another edition

4.5
adventurous funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
A lighthearted and reflective book from the perspective of a funny and unreliable narrator.
zengoalie's profile picture

zengoalie's review against another edition

4.75
adventurous emotional funny 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: Complicated
Loved the characters loved the adventure. Can’t wait for more. Leo and Seb are entertaining to watch grow closer. Loved the world building.

alisawith3's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-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

maryewrites's review against another edition

4.5
adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lxreiter's review against another edition

4.25
adventurous funny lighthearted 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: Complicated
mrs_digriz's profile picture

mrs_digriz's review against another edition

4.0
Я не очікувала до останнього. І не повірила б, якби хтось назвав цю книгу тендітною та обережною. В хорошому сенсі. Але з другої половини і особливо заключна чверть саме такими і є, що позбавило мене морального права вліпити посередню трійку. Ну ось так, відчувати надію на те, що життя може взагалі-то налагоджуватись, а не тільки нестись вниз із гірки, - рідкість нині, завернула в хустинку та поклала в нагрудну кишеньку.
riley_pie's profile picture

riley_pie's review against another edition

4.5
adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
bibi_reads_writes's profile picture

bibi_reads_writes's review against another edition

5.0
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.

Note: I received an audio ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.

❤️ 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.

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