From the Bookshelf of Between The Pages…

Spell Bound

F.T. Lukens

Start date: April 1, 2023

Finish date: April 30, 2023

Discussion: BOTM Discussions 2023

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BOTM Discussions 2023

April 2023 BOTM Discussion: Spell Bound
By Sylvs (NOVELt… · 4 posts · 5 views

last updated Jul 02, 2023 01:04AM

June BOTM: Imogen Obviously
By Sylvs (NOVELt… · 4 posts · 3 views

last updated Jul 02, 2023 01:03AM

What Members Thought

Jan 24, 2023 Ashley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-whimsical, swoon-worthy-love-interest, arcs, cover-lover, witches, diverse-reads, enemies-to-lovers, growing-up-coming-of-age, lgbtqiap, fantasy-and-magic

Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars

Another magical, adventurous & delightful read from F.T. Lukens!

One thing I love so very much about F.T. Lukens is that there’s always a promised HEA. Their novels are always lovely, chaotic (in the best way), & entertaining. I love that I always know I what I am getting into— A WONDERFUL TIME !

I have to say, this may have been my favorite so far ! The character development was fantastic & the MCs were on a long trail of disaster after disaster with even more magical mi ...more

33 likes · Like · see review

Apr 03, 2023 Sylvs (NOVELty Reads) rated it really liked it

I just finished Spell Bound and I have such a large grin on my face.

If you've seen all the advance reader praise around this book and wondered if the hype is worth it, take my word, it is. This book was full of magic, banter, laughter and love and (pun intended) I was totally spell bound.

This book starts off slow. The main storyline follows Rook, a boy who loves magic and wishes to be a part of the world his grandmother introduced him to. He joins Antonia Hex, the most powerful sorcerer in the I just finished Spell Bound and I have such a large grin on my face.

If you've seen all the advance reader praise around this book and wondered if the hype is worth it, take my word, it is. This book was full of magic, banter, laughter and love and (pun intended) I was totally spell bound.

This book starts off slow. The main storyline follows Rook, a boy who loves magic and wishes to be a part of the world his grandmother introduced him to. He joins Antonia Hex, the most powerful sorcerer in the world at her company where they break jinxes, hexes and curses for all sorts of folk. However, Antonia has competition in her rival, Fable, another notable curse breaker and their cute but grumpy apprentice, Sun. When Fable and Antonia get into hot water with the Consortium, a government body overlooking the regulation of magic in Spire City, Sun and Rook need to get past their differences to work together to find their mentors and free them.

The book benefits a lot from the slow build up of characterisation and backstory. For plot focused readers who like to go straight into the action, this book probably won't be for you then, but for me, a reader who thinks characters and character building is the most important element in a book and everything else comes second, I absolutely devoured this layering, character development and subtle pining. No scenes felt too quick and the romance in the book felt utterly natural, focusing on the small little moments like small, shared smiles and holding hands for the first time. For readers who love magical realism with a bit of romance, this one is definitely for you.

I loved the dynamic between Rook and Sun. Their relationship was a frenemies to lovers sort with flirtatious banter sprinkled in. Rook was like the sunshine in the relationship whereas Sun was the grumpy one. The way the grumpy x sunshine trope played out was fun and added a playful element to the book. I loved every single interaction between these two and the chemistry was almost palpable on the page. Easily one of my favourite fictional pairings I've read this year, and maybe in general.

This book seemingly was more tailored to the younger end of the YA spectrum but nevertheless, that shouldn't put you off. This was fun, playful, witty and such an enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book to any fans of magical realism, romance and fantasy.

ACTUAL RATING: 4.4 STARS ...more

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