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arturo_luzen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Violence, Cursing, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Deadnaming, and Injury/Injury detail
twistykris'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? Yes
4.75
This was a super sweet, queer fantasy novel that was just a wonderful read for this time of year (September). I loved both Rook and Sun's journeys of self-discovery as they both struggle with finding their place in the world and eventually discover that they are enough. And Antonia and Fable were just wonderful (and I know she's not the same, but for some reason Antonia gave me Eda vibes from The Owl House). Not really enemies-to-lovers, but more a sort of academic rivals vibe with some grumpy-sunshine and found family tropes sprinkled in.
The whole section of
Sun being a cat and chasing leaves and meowing and cuddling and purring just made me so smiley 🥹
The only reason I'm removing a .25 star (and may just change to a 5-star in the future) is because of a couple things. One being that it repeated itself a few times, like almost word -for-word sentences (namely when Rook thinks/ talks about the butterflies his grandmother made with magic that he'd catch in the summer). And then the ending felt.. a little less than satisfactory. There's this whole "fight the system" arc that turns into "appealing to the better nature of the oppressors and things change." I wasn't wishing for violence or a full-blown revolution, but it kinda took the wind out of my sails.
Overall, a really fun, inclusive late-summer-turning-to-fall read, and I'm looking forward to reading more from F.T. Lukens!
Oh, and a quote that had me laughing like an idiot:
The whole section of
The only reason I'm removing a .25 star (and may just change to a 5-star in the future) is because of a couple things. One being that it repeated itself a few times, like almost word -for-word sentences (namely when Rook thinks/ talks about the butterflies his grandmother made with magic that he'd catch in the summer). And then the ending felt.. a little less than satisfactory. There's this whole "fight the system" arc that turns into "appealing to the better nature of the oppressors and things change." I wasn't wishing for violence or a full-blown revolution, but it kinda took the wind out of my sails.
Overall, a really fun, inclusive late-summer-turning-to-fall read, and I'm looking forward to reading more from F.T. Lukens!
Oh, and a quote that had me laughing like an idiot:
They weren't going to catch me. I was the motherfucking Gingerbread Man.
-Rook
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Deadnaming
arxchiell's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Deadnaming
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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 Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens to review! At this point, I think F.T. Lukens has firmly established themselves as the YA author writing fun, queer, fantasy adventures. You know you’ll get quirky characters, a fun magical world, and epic adventures whenever you pick up one of their books.
Spell Bound is no different. Right from the beginning, you will likely fall in love with the characters. Rook especially. He is just looking for a way to reconnect with the magical world, and I loved that Antonia gave him a chance. And his relationship with Sun! Sun was equally lovely. They formed a strong connection with Rook, and I loved how they interacted with each other.
The world building was also really well done. It’s a pretty unique magical system, and it was fun to learn about. Antonia’s many magical puns also add to the somewhat whimsical nature. But don’t be fooled, the stakes do get pretty high at the end. You’ll want to keep reading to just find out what happens next.
All in all, if you’re looking for a fun magical adventure, definitely check this book out in April!
Content Warnings
Minor: Deadnaming and Death of parent
literarycavy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Deadnaming
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