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A review by asreadbykat
Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley
3.0
True Rating: 3.75/5 Stars
It's very rare that I manage to find a sapphic fantasy that doesn't end in the "Doomed Lesbian" trope. I picked this up in the hopes that I could avoid that kind of ending, and thankfully, I did! "Sweet & Bitter Magic" is a story of the intricacies of love (both platonic and romantic), and how important it is to accept not only who you are, but who others are as well.
That's easily what I enjoyed the most about this story: the themes behind it. This is the kind of book I wish my high school self could have read; the me who always pushed down my own feelings and interests for other people. The overarching messages in this novel are very important for young adults today, so I'm glad it's out there for them to find.
The novel's biggest pitfall, in my opinion, is the romance itself. While it isn't quite insta-love, it does feel very rushed -as does the climax and conclusion. The book is very introspective of the characters, so things such as the journey or the actual "adventure" are skimmed over. We get the bare minimum of a journey, and then we're in the thick of things, and then it's over. This would have been okay if the characters had actually interacted more in that time, but as I said, the novel is "introspective." Most of the time our two characters are together is spent with them stuck in their own heads, rather than actively interacting, so the romance does feel rushed and almost forced. They're sweet together, but I would have liked to see more actual interaction, and not just thoughts.
I also, personally, wasn't a fan of the ultimate conclusion of the adventure. Trying to avoid spoilers, it very much felt like a "Happy Bandaid" being slapped on in an effort to avoid a sad or bittersweet ending. Bits of the conclusion had never been hinted at and seemed to come out of nowhere, so it, like the romance, felt rushed and almost forced into the Happy Ending category.
Overall I did enjoy the story, and I'm definitely going to keep an eye on the author's future books to see how their writing improves over time.
TL;DR Great themes and conversations to be had, but the relationship and ending feel rushed and a little forced. Still would recommend!
It's very rare that I manage to find a sapphic fantasy that doesn't end in the "Doomed Lesbian" trope. I picked this up in the hopes that I could avoid that kind of ending, and thankfully, I did! "Sweet & Bitter Magic" is a story of the intricacies of love (both platonic and romantic), and how important it is to accept not only who you are, but who others are as well.
That's easily what I enjoyed the most about this story: the themes behind it. This is the kind of book I wish my high school self could have read; the me who always pushed down my own feelings and interests for other people. The overarching messages in this novel are very important for young adults today, so I'm glad it's out there for them to find.
The novel's biggest pitfall, in my opinion, is the romance itself. While it isn't quite insta-love, it does feel very rushed -as does the climax and conclusion. The book is very introspective of the characters, so things such as the journey or the actual "adventure" are skimmed over. We get the bare minimum of a journey, and then we're in the thick of things, and then it's over. This would have been okay if the characters had actually interacted more in that time, but as I said, the novel is "introspective." Most of the time our two characters are together is spent with them stuck in their own heads, rather than actively interacting, so the romance does feel rushed and almost forced. They're sweet together, but I would have liked to see more actual interaction, and not just thoughts.
I also, personally, wasn't a fan of the ultimate conclusion of the adventure. Trying to avoid spoilers, it very much felt like a "Happy Bandaid" being slapped on in an effort to avoid a sad or bittersweet ending. Bits of the conclusion had never been hinted at and seemed to come out of nowhere, so it, like the romance, felt rushed and almost forced into the Happy Ending category.
Overall I did enjoy the story, and I'm definitely going to keep an eye on the author's future books to see how their writing improves over time.
TL;DR Great themes and conversations to be had, but the relationship and ending feel rushed and a little forced. Still would recommend!