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heathyfox's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have many thoughts on this book, which I'll have to come back and write down later.
Right now, though... Reading this book was like listening to a grand symphony of prose, a unique magic system, and charming characters full of potential, and JUST when you think the beautiful, stirring music of all these elements is about to come to an outstanding crescendo... All you're left with is the pathetic, prolonged squeak of a rubber chicken.
I had to seriously adjust my expectations about halfway through the book. This is not the fantasy with Regency romance vibes I was hoping for... This is a Regency romance with fantasy waving in at the window outside, begging to be included in the party.
I still highly enjoyed it, but I am left wishing it was something different.
3.5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐
Right now, though... Reading this book was like listening to a grand symphony of prose, a unique magic system, and charming characters full of potential, and JUST when you think the beautiful, stirring music of all these elements is about to come to an outstanding crescendo... All you're left with is the pathetic, prolonged squeak of a rubber chicken.
I had to seriously adjust my expectations about halfway through the book. This is not the fantasy with Regency romance vibes I was hoping for... This is a Regency romance with fantasy waving in at the window outside, begging to be included in the party.
I still highly enjoyed it, but I am left wishing it was something different.
3.5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Classism, Colonisation, and Cursing
not_another_ana's review against another edition
Painfully boring and vapid, I'm shocked that this is from the same person who wrote A Far Wilder Magic. Once again, Allison Saft uses real life events, existing countries, and religions, and just changes their names and then refuses to do any world building. I wouldn't be so upset if, with that out of the way, she had focused on the characters and their relationships but what we got was so superficial and bland. And the romance was so insta love it had me rolling my eyes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Classism, and Colonisation
vagrantheather's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
A cute sunshine and the grump, forced proximity, chaste romantasy. Nothing explicit. Nice longing and desire. The magic system was not very well developed, but novel. It is perhaps a bit unfortunate that the MC's brand of magic is essentially emotional manipulation. She's a sweet character who isn't using it in a corrupt manner and it still verges on unethical. But that is perhaps too nitpicky.
The political dynamics of the kingdom are thinly veiled remarks on the generation immediately following the English genocide on the Irish.
Parts of it, especially in the first half, made me laugh out loud. I loved the scene with the first coat she made for Kit, and loved the impertinence of their developing relationship.
Lightly addressed living with chronic illness in a way that was not disagreeable.
The political dynamics of the kingdom are thinly veiled remarks on the generation immediately following the English genocide on the Irish.
Parts of it, especially in the first half, made me laugh out loud. I loved the scene with the first coat she made for Kit, and loved the impertinence of their developing relationship.
Lightly addressed living with chronic illness in a way that was not disagreeable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Biphobia, Colonisation, Classism, and Homophobia
nataliealane's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
What I liked:
-The friendships
-The romance is so sweet and full of yearning. Kit and Niamh have a lot of personal work to do and trauma to unpack, but that doesn’t mean that aren’t worthy of love or a relationship right now/as they are healing and still messy.
-Niamh’s character. She is clumsy, diehard romantic/idealist, and unapologetically feminine and loves pretty things. She is also loyal (to a fault perhaps) and stubborn, and I love her magical ability. I’ve only read a couple other books that have fabric/sewing-based magic.
What I didn’t like:
-The last third of the book fell flat for me. It seemed rushed, the characters made some really dumb decisions in a last ditch effort to save the day, and everything kind of seemed to magically resolve/tie together nicely with a bow despite that.
-I wanted more magic! I always want more magic though😂 Maybe that’s why romantasy isn’t really my favorite
-Technically, the romance is cheating/an affair as Kit has a fiancée (albeit a purely political match/“marriage of duty”).
Overall, A Fragile Enchantment is not my favorite book from Saft, but it was so fun to read! I read it as an e-ARC, but I do think I will eventually pick up my own physical copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism and Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Self harm
drtx_bwt's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Terminal illness
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Interesting world and lovely romance would have liked more focus on the political context instead of the romance.
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation, War, and Sexual content
kirstenf's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Classism, Death of parent, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Death
Minor: Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, War, Antisemitism, and Cursing
cityinkwell's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Thank you for providing me an ARC on Netgalley. I didn't get to it before its time ran out, but I'm glad I read it!
So this book is not for me. Literally. It is an unapologetic teenage-brained story. I still loved it! I'd say there are two major factors for how hard this hits; how appealing you find Romantic Fantasy (the fantasy-historical romance genre popular in Korea), and how compelling you find young adult stories about big teen emotions.
A Fragile Enchantment's setting is an allegory for Ireland and the British empire, where the colonized Machland have fought to earn their freedom from Avaland 35 years ago. The devastation Avaland's colonial oppression and isolation of Machland has wrought - the magical equivalent of the Irish famine included - means that even though they're a free nation, they are pulled into Avaland in search of work to support their families. The main character, Niamh, is one such hopeful, using her divine magic of stitching emotions into her creations to create clothing for the second prince's wedding.
A note: the reason I say this appeals more to Romantic Fantasy SPECIFICALLY than anything else is because in Romantic Fantasy, you do not need to know the rules of this fantasy world, only that it is fantastical and internally consistent. Golden-blooded individuals with magic powers are born sometimes. Anything more is irrelevant to this romantic arc. "It doesn't have enough worldbuilding" is like asking for the hard magic system of a fairy tale.
Best parts: I think the opening and everything after the back half of act 2 is impeccably paced. Everything pulls together very neatly, and when you figure out the actual conflict, it only serves to build tension. Niamh and Kit are adorable and compliment each other wonderfully; Niamh is obviously just attracted to him because he's beautiful, but she puts honest work into understanding Kit, and the origin of Kit's pull towards her is heart-aching. And oh god, oh GOD the sibling drama. I loooooove a good angst about siblings.
Also, surprise! This is a very queer book. The main characters are bi, the supporting characters are gay, and their romantic entanglements colour how they engage with one another and the nobility. It's implied Kit is so attached to Sinclair because they're both interested in men and found solidarity in one another despite not being romantically interested. Genuinely shocked me.
Downsides...
Oh, I cannot go any higher than 4 stars, and I think I'm being a little generous. The plot around 3/4 of the way in has precious little follow-through, paced like a sequence of scenes necessary to make the romance make sense, and otherwise poorly tethered to the rest of the narrative. It's not until the last of these awkwardly paced moments, the latter half of the visit to the Hall, that things kick off and go at a tight pace that doesn't let up. It is...serviceable, I guess.
This book also has a sort of...not therapy-speak, but impatience with its own characters. These characters who met like last week are capable of pinpoint accurate psychoanalysis of people who have dedicated their entire identity to hiding how they feel, because that analysis is necessary to trim the pacing down. Characters will sometimes just narrate their entire character arc too. It's not "show don't tell" - it very much shows that these traits exist before they look directly into the camera and explain their narrative arc - but it feels crude, unrealistic, and patronizing. I felt insulted that the story could not spare even the slightest bit of messiness on any of these character details.
And these characters have big, crazy Romeo and Juliet Twilight New Moon emotions. This aspect isn't bad, it's just young adult. Not for me. Where it gets a problem is the end of act 2, where...like, you know where I said they can't be spared messiness? The whiplash I experienced was unfathomable. These are 2 Big Emotion moments that make sense on their own, but together they just feel ludicrous and unfocused, undermining the impact of both. It didn't help that despite repeatedly telling us Kit used to be violently mercurial, he's mostly just been grumpy, so it came off as deeply silly.
And the way the plot comes together feels as if events just sort of fell in that direction. Things are escalating, but everyone involved struggles with autonomy in the narrative. They do not ruminate or struggle with plans or express themselves clearly; we only have Niamh, where she's miserable and awash with emotion, and not much else. The pacing is good, sure, but it doesn't prioritize the right information as it breezes through and left me unsatisfied.
Less relevant but kind of a summation of these issues; we're introduced early on to the concept of her friend going missing, and that plotline meandered into the background so thoroughly I almost didn't realize that it actually got explained. In fact, there are two explanations, neither of which are the definitive answer because it was backburnered so intensely. Incredible to witness, because this subplot was what drew me into the story.
Overall: I think it's very important that the central relationships in a romance book are functional, and the setting introduces intrigue. Both of these are true, so it is greater than its flaws. It was a nice read.
So this book is not for me. Literally. It is an unapologetic teenage-brained story. I still loved it! I'd say there are two major factors for how hard this hits; how appealing you find Romantic Fantasy (the fantasy-historical romance genre popular in Korea), and how compelling you find young adult stories about big teen emotions.
A Fragile Enchantment's setting is an allegory for Ireland and the British empire, where the colonized Machland have fought to earn their freedom from Avaland 35 years ago. The devastation Avaland's colonial oppression and isolation of Machland has wrought - the magical equivalent of the Irish famine included - means that even though they're a free nation, they are pulled into Avaland in search of work to support their families. The main character, Niamh, is one such hopeful, using her divine magic of stitching emotions into her creations to create clothing for the second prince's wedding.
A note: the reason I say this appeals more to Romantic Fantasy SPECIFICALLY than anything else is because in Romantic Fantasy, you do not need to know the rules of this fantasy world, only that it is fantastical and internally consistent. Golden-blooded individuals with magic powers are born sometimes. Anything more is irrelevant to this romantic arc. "It doesn't have enough worldbuilding" is like asking for the hard magic system of a fairy tale.
Best parts: I think the opening and everything after the back half of act 2 is impeccably paced. Everything pulls together very neatly, and when you figure out the actual conflict, it only serves to build tension. Niamh and Kit are adorable and compliment each other wonderfully; Niamh is obviously just attracted to him because he's beautiful, but she puts honest work into understanding Kit, and the origin of Kit's pull towards her is heart-aching. And oh god, oh GOD the sibling drama. I loooooove a good angst about siblings.
Also, surprise! This is a very queer book. The main characters are bi, the supporting characters are gay, and their romantic entanglements colour how they engage with one another and the nobility. It's implied Kit is so attached to Sinclair because they're both interested in men and found solidarity in one another despite not being romantically interested. Genuinely shocked me.
Downsides...
Oh, I cannot go any higher than 4 stars, and I think I'm being a little generous. The plot around 3/4 of the way in has precious little follow-through, paced like a sequence of scenes necessary to make the romance make sense, and otherwise poorly tethered to the rest of the narrative. It's not until the last of these awkwardly paced moments, the latter half of the visit to the Hall, that things kick off and go at a tight pace that doesn't let up. It is...serviceable, I guess.
This book also has a sort of...not therapy-speak, but impatience with its own characters. These characters who met like last week are capable of pinpoint accurate psychoanalysis of people who have dedicated their entire identity to hiding how they feel, because that analysis is necessary to trim the pacing down. Characters will sometimes just narrate their entire character arc too. It's not "show don't tell" - it very much shows that these traits exist before they look directly into the camera and explain their narrative arc - but it feels crude, unrealistic, and patronizing. I felt insulted that the story could not spare even the slightest bit of messiness on any of these character details.
And these characters have big, crazy Romeo and Juliet Twilight New Moon emotions. This aspect isn't bad, it's just young adult. Not for me. Where it gets a problem is the end of act 2, where...like, you know where I said they can't be spared messiness? The whiplash I experienced was unfathomable. These are 2 Big Emotion moments that make sense on their own, but together they just feel ludicrous and unfocused, undermining the impact of both. It didn't help that despite repeatedly telling us Kit used to be violently mercurial, he's mostly just been grumpy, so it came off as deeply silly.
And the way the plot comes together feels as if events just sort of fell in that direction. Things are escalating, but everyone involved struggles with autonomy in the narrative. They do not ruminate or struggle with plans or express themselves clearly; we only have Niamh, where she's miserable and awash with emotion, and not much else. The pacing is good, sure, but it doesn't prioritize the right information as it breezes through and left me unsatisfied.
Less relevant but kind of a summation of these issues; we're introduced early on to the concept of her friend going missing, and that plotline meandered into the background so thoroughly I almost didn't realize that it actually got explained. In fact, there are two explanations, neither of which are the definitive answer because it was backburnered so intensely. Incredible to witness, because this subplot was what drew me into the story.
Overall: I think it's very important that the central relationships in a romance book are functional, and the setting introduces intrigue. Both of these are true, so it is greater than its flaws. It was a nice read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation and Racism
Minor: Addiction
alexijai98's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A predictable and lighthearted read, if a bit repetitive. The main characters were pretty flat and I found myself skimming the last third of the book just to get to the conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Classism, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: 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
4.25
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: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Blood, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, War, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Sexism, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use