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its_vendetta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Confinement and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Injury/Injury detail
silence_underrated's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Minor: Confinement and Violence
ramakn22's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Confinement
rosemaryandrue's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.0
I read FT Lukens's So This Is Ever After last year, which I gave an A for the romance but found the other aspects of the story less impressive. But I'll try most things twice, and intrigued by the premise of rivals-to-lovers between a pair of sorcerer's apprentices I decided to request Spell Bound on NetGalley.
Lukens, of course, continues to excel at writing romance. Rook is an awkward genius and grumpy Sun initially treats him as a threat, but I found myself rooting for them right from the start, and found the way they drift so smoothly from acquaintances to friends to lovers wonderfully satisfying. Their banter is so funny and cute that it gave me all the warm fuzzies, and I was excited every time they appeared on the page together.
Unfortunately, I had a lot of problems with this book otherwise. While I thought the premise of the urban fantasy setting intriguing, the world-building itself left a good deal to be desired, the politics of Antonia and her interactions with the Magical Consortium unrealistic. After a very long set up, the actual conflict felt underbaked and the climax unsatisfactory, the happy ending unearned.
It's not a bad book, but it felt unpolished, like a first or second draft which still needed development. I wish Lukens had kept the stakes lower and written Spell Bound as a cozy fantasy in the vein of, say, Legends & Lattes instead.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Moderate: Confinement
arturo_luzen's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Violence, Cursing, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Deadnaming, and Injury/Injury detail
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Rep: Achillean MC, Achillean nonbinary neurodivergent Korean MC, NB SC
Moderate: Confinement and Cursing
Minor: Death, Grief, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: loss of a loved onethe_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Sun and Rook start off as enemies and slowly build a friendship with one another. They are complete opposites who work well together, and they have a great chemistry between them.
The world-building is great, and I love the secondary plotline of found family.
Graphic: Grief, Confinement, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders