dave

If you can't, then boycott these brands

Letter Count: 198

Your T Percentage: 7.58%

Average T Percentage: 6.95%

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Cover image and summary from Goodreads*

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

Super duper cute and fun! I greatly enjoyed getting to know Rook and Sun, Antonia and Fable. I loved the magical world building and the competition between Antonia and Fable's businesses - some of the jobs they take are so bizarre, I love it. While there's lots of cozy moments and places - like Fable's idyllic cottage by the magic forest and the whimsical cafe in the city - there's an underlying unease and inequality, which is the result of the controlling and always watching magical enforcement, Consortium. As Rook becomes more comfortable participating in the magical world that he was barred from, the more he's in peril of being discovered by the Consortium. And then there's his forbidden friendship with Sun, who is apprenticed to Fable, Antonia's rival. Their relationship - from "frenemies" to friends to more - is well paced and gave me all the feels! While there aren't as many Sun POV chapters, I did enjoy getting their side of the story (especially after a certain magical event occurs). I was extra excited that both Sun and Fable are nonbinary! Sweet, earnest, and full of longing and magic, Spell Bound is must read!

Let the man eat his Macdonald in peace, Yamada!

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