You Have My Attention: The Harwood Spellbook First Lines
Stephanie Burgis's reimagined, magical, and gender role-swapped regency fantasy novella series is honestly one of my favorites. They're sweet and fluffy and a truly delight to read. But as with any author, Burgis has to catch her readers with those first few sentences. So let's see how she does it!
The evening of the Spring Equinox was cool and balmy, just as the weather wizards had--for once!--reliably predicted. The glittering guest list for the Harwoods' annual ball was exactly to Amy Standish's design.
As she prepared to descend into the lake that gently rippled, reflecting the full moon and stars, outside the grandeur of Harwood House, Amy knew she had organized the most important night of her life to absolute perfection. The only tiny, insignificant task left to do was to propose marriage to the right man by the end of this evening. Then she would finally win everything she had ever dreamed of, and it would be utterly perfect. She knew it.
-- Spellswept
Of course, a sensible woman would never have accepted the invitation in the first place.
To attend a week-long house party filled with bickering gentleman magicians, ruthless cutthroat lady politicians, and worst of all, my own infuriating ex-fiancé? Scarcely two months after I had scandalized all of our most intimate friends by jilting him?
Utter madness.
-- Snowspelled
It was bad enough to be deprived of my new husband before our wedding night. It was utterly unjust to be tormented by nightmares weeks afterward as I slept, still alone, in our marital bed.
For the ninth morning in a row, I woke up gasping and clawing at my throat, fighting to yank piercing thorns out from my skin...thorns that, of course, existed nowhere but in my dreams.
-- Thornbound
Dressing for a ball would always be a challenge for any lady who found it easier to analyze--from memory--an obscure spell from two centuries ago than to remember which sleeve lengths were currently fashionable across the nation. But dressing for a ball at Angland's first women's college of magic, where at least half the dancers were certain to add competitive spellwork to their costume and the enigmatic local fey were likely to make an appearance? That raised the standards--and the stakes--enormously.
-- Moontangled
There was this much to be said, Honoria supposed, for comprehensive public and personal ruin: once all that she'd ever cared about had been ripped from her grasp, she no longer had anything left to fear.
-- Spellcloaked
There was a fine line between ambition and foolishness, and I had spent most of my life walking it. Still, as looked around the crowded, fey-lit dining tables at Thornfell College of Magic for Young Women on the eve of our second Winter Solstice, I was forced to admit that--just this once--I might have aimed my goals a bit too high.
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My to-be-read list is quite extensive so I haven't settled on my next book but it's probably going to be one of these three.
It kinda depends on what my mood's going to be after I finish the middle grade audiobook I'm currently listening to.
If I feel like a light, fun adventure with a woman who was the brightest magician of her age until she lost her magic (and was the only woman accepted in the Victorian(ish)-time magic university) but now has opened a school for female magicians? Then the second book in The Harwood Spellbook series.
(also depends if I'm feeling like audiobook or not, the narrator in the first book was excellent so I'm planning to read the second book by listening too).
If however I want something heavier and completely new then Elatsoe looks like it's a very interesting read. A queer fantasy book focusing on a main character from a Lipan Apache family who can raise the ghosts of dead animals? Sign me up.
But yeah, I feel like that one will require more mental and emotional space in me, so I'll need to be in the right frame of mind.
And finally, if I feel like checking out the newest Brandon Sanderson book (which I've heard is getting excellent reviews). I'll read Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.
23. what book to movie adaptation do you love?
The Martian by Andy Weir. Great book, great movie. Had a lot of fun with both.
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Matilda by Roald Dahl. I've got a special place in my heart for that book because it's actually the first book I ever read. And the movie was everything that kid!me wanted it to be (including the ending, I'm still glad they changed Matilda's ending to not losing her power).
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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. And its absolutely perfect 2005 adaptation (though this is a bit of a cheat as I watched the movie first, but as it inspired me to immediately go read the book I'm going to count it).
26. do you use libby? (or other)
No. It's unfortunately unavailable in my country.
I do subscribe to Scribd, but I know that's not the same.
I spent 11 years in higher ed. I had my share of exam and dissertation nightmares. I have never dreamed of fae-influenced vines murdering me though, so Cassandra Harwood wins that competition on the eve of the opening of her school for women who can use magic in a regency-inspired, gender-role-swapped fantasy world. This is the second Harwood Spellbook novella, and it was truly a delight. Let's talk Thornbound.
Hey, hi, hello. There are SPOILERS below the break. Be warned!
Harwood and Wrexham are one of my favorite fantasy couples. They are GODAWFUL at communicating, but they figure it out in the most adorable way possible in the beautifully paced novella. And the fact that it's so well paced is extra impressive given how much is going on. Cassandra is starting a school, has to deal with a surprise inspection from a Boudiccate that is intent on forcing her to fail, has not yet had her wedding night because the magicians are running her husband ragged, has to deal with a prima donna teacher who only took the position because literally nobody else would hire him, and has to deal with a pissed-off fae woman who thinks the Harwood family went back on an ancient deal with her.
That's a LOT. It's honestly incredible that Cassandra doesn't snap sooner.
All these elements are handled quite well, and they tie into each other in surprising and delightful ways. But my favorite element from the first novella is carried over and further developed in this book: Cassandra burned herself out in a magical accident, and if she uses any magic, she will die. And yet she is still over here teaching other women to use theirs. She is human--the impulse to be jealous and bitter certainly crops up, but she doesn't let it drown her. Instead, she finds joy in her students' accomplishments and sets herself new goals and dreams to work toward. It's honestly incredible.
When Wrexham is kidnapped by our fae woman, though, Cassandra is over here like, "I WILL DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO SAVE HIM," and it takes her brother and sister-in-law a terrifying scene to talk her down and accept help from her students. The impulse was so understandable, but the prevailing of the collective and community rather than trying to self-sufficiently commit suicide with extra steps was awesome. Accepting help to give a goal a better chance of succeeding was a wonderful message, and honestly one I much needed in 2025.
I also appreciated the recognition that rigid gender roles ultimately don't benefit people, because people aren't that rigid. The recognition that flexibility and change are necessary was also really wonderful.
Overall, this was a delightful, fluffy follow-up to Snowspelled, and I cannot say enough good things about Stephanie Burgis's works.
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Ok, I'm on chapter 4 of Thornbound, and this has just come out of this man's mouth:
First of all: Fuck YOU, good sir.
Second of all: Just because ONE woman burned her magic out doesn't mean a BUNCH OF OTHERS don't have and need to learn to use their magic. How DARE you try to shut down a school of magic for women because you've somehow convinced yourself that societally established gender roles are some kind of immutable DUTY.