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A review by thebookshelfmonster
Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens
4.0
Spell Bound by F. T. Luken is a fun and fast-paced queer fantasy novel with loveable characters and an endearing romance. I loved reading this book, and would definitely read other books by the same author.
The story is set in a world where access to magic and who can wield it is regulated by an all-powerful body called the Consortium. Rook and Sun are apprentices to two rival sorcerers, Antonia Hex and Fable, who have very different perspectives on the Consortium's control over magic. Rook and Sun themselves have different goals in life, even as they keep inconveniently running into each other and develop an inconvenient attraction for one another.
For Sun, their apprenticeship is a step forward in their trajectory of becoming a prodigious sorcerer with a good standing with the Consoritum, under the guidance and care of the rule-abiding Fable. Rook, on the other hand, has no magic, a potentially illegal magic detection device that he designed, and a desire to be a part of the magical world he had been deprived of after his grandmother's demise. And Antonia Hex is the perfect chaotic mentor with disregard for authority to help him realize his goals. However, the Consortium is not one to stand by and allow magical knowledge to exist that they cannot control, and Rook and Sun must work together to save not only their lives and those of their mentors, but also the ability to have a say in who gets to learn and have magic in their world.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was its world-building. The magical world and the magic system in it were complex and interesting with layers of intrigue and history that the reader gets to explore with the progress of the novel. The different characters and their motivations also become clearer the more one understands and explores the world that the author has created. Through the world-building, there is a fairly nuanced exploration of themes of belonging and othering, power and disenfranchisement, and loneliness and homecoming.
The characters, though initially appear to be simple in their motives and behaviour, are revealed to be complex and interesting in their own right. The prominent depiction of non-binary characters like Sun and Fable and their normativity in society, added to the richness of the understanding of the world. The relationship between the different characters was endearing and a delight to read, not only the growing friendship and more between Rook and Sun, but also the changing dynamics between Antonia and Fable. The plot was dramatic and full of surprises and twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged throughout the story.
The story is set in a world where access to magic and who can wield it is regulated by an all-powerful body called the Consortium. Rook and Sun are apprentices to two rival sorcerers, Antonia Hex and Fable, who have very different perspectives on the Consortium's control over magic. Rook and Sun themselves have different goals in life, even as they keep inconveniently running into each other and develop an inconvenient attraction for one another.
For Sun, their apprenticeship is a step forward in their trajectory of becoming a prodigious sorcerer with a good standing with the Consoritum, under the guidance and care of the rule-abiding Fable. Rook, on the other hand, has no magic, a potentially illegal magic detection device that he designed, and a desire to be a part of the magical world he had been deprived of after his grandmother's demise. And Antonia Hex is the perfect chaotic mentor with disregard for authority to help him realize his goals. However, the Consortium is not one to stand by and allow magical knowledge to exist that they cannot control, and Rook and Sun must work together to save not only their lives and those of their mentors, but also the ability to have a say in who gets to learn and have magic in their world.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was its world-building. The magical world and the magic system in it were complex and interesting with layers of intrigue and history that the reader gets to explore with the progress of the novel. The different characters and their motivations also become clearer the more one understands and explores the world that the author has created. Through the world-building, there is a fairly nuanced exploration of themes of belonging and othering, power and disenfranchisement, and loneliness and homecoming.
The characters, though initially appear to be simple in their motives and behaviour, are revealed to be complex and interesting in their own right. The prominent depiction of non-binary characters like Sun and Fable and their normativity in society, added to the richness of the understanding of the world. The relationship between the different characters was endearing and a delight to read, not only the growing friendship and more between Rook and Sun, but also the changing dynamics between Antonia and Fable. The plot was dramatic and full of surprises and twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged throughout the story.