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Magic Academia: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards and Lessons in Magic and Disaster

27 Aug

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards
by Sara Raasch
If you are a fan of STEM Romance novels and Fantasy set at Wizarding Schools then The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, that merges the two should be a delight. This is the first in the Magic and Romance Series. The story follows two wizards, a human-Sebastian and a half-elf Thio. Sebastian has trained in Evocation magic which creates new objects from spell components. Thio on the other hand does Conjuration magic which brings forth already existing objects. Both think their brand of magic is superior so are displeased when the Mageus Research Grant is announced as not going to one of them but both of them to work on a joint project. Although not as whimsical as Raasch previous adult series there is still humor derived from both the academic field and magic world (I loved the fun little between chapter announcements about magic chaos going on around the campus like an escaped basilisk on magical creature adoption day). The rivals to lover romance between Sebastian and Thio is steamy, but what I really enjoyed is how they helped each other work through previous traumas; love can’t heal all but a loving partner can help you navigate healing. Also notable is the strong friendship between Sebastian and his best friend Orok and how they negotiate supporting each other without fostering a level of codependency that would stop their own personal growth. I’m already looking forward to the next novel in the series which follows Orok’s love story and merges sports romance with fantasy.

Lessons in Magic and Disaster
by Charlie Jane Anders
I enjoyed Charlie Jane Anders adult novel, All the Birds in the Sky, and Unstoppable, her Young Adult Space Opera Series, so was excited to read her newly released novel, Lessons in Magic and Disaster. In this novel Jamie is not studying magic, but literature, but she uses magic to help her with her research and teaching her classes in subtle ways by making offerings of food at places where the human and the natural world have met such as a former road being overtaken by grass. In this way much of the story has less a fantasy and more a magical realism feel to it since it is not completely clear how much is real and how much is the characters perception of reality towards the beginning of the novel. Those who enjoy Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman will enjoy both the magical realism elements as well as the strong female characters depicted in the novel. When Jamie attempts to teach her mother, despite her mother seeming to have a natural talent for magic, things unfortunately do not always go as planned when her mother’s desires are often cloudy and unconcise leading to unexpected consequences. As with The Entanglement of Wizards there is strong LGBTQ representation in Lessons in Magic and Disaster with Jamie’s moms being lesbians, her partner is nonbinary, and she herself is a transwoman. It explores the complex and sometimes heartbreaking relationship between both married partners and mothers and their children.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Charming Romances: A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic and Written in the Stars

9 Apr

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic
by J. Penner
A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is the first in a previously self-published, Adenashire series now being published next Tuesday as a new special hardcover edition with new scenes from The Poisoned Pen Press, who publishes my favorite Phryne Fisher Mystery series. This a charming cozy fantasy for those who are looking for a Legends and Lattes read-a-like. The stakes are low, but the romance and recipes created are sweet when Arleta, a human woman, enters an eleven baking competition. She worries her lack of magic will keep her from winning the competition and even more importantly winning the heart of the head judge’s handsome and kind son. The story has strong themes about being open to friendship and that it is ok sometimes to ask for help as well as giving it. I felt Arleta was very relatable as a character and I enjoyed seeing her journey. I loved the idea of ice fairies being used for cooling the warm baked goods for icing so I wish there had been a bit more fantasy elements at times since sometimes the food, ingredients and cooking equipment seemed a bit too modern and “real world” for the fantasy setting, but on the whole I found the story to be a page turner and I look forward to reading the other two novels in the series focusing on Arleta’s BFFs. We will also see a fourth added in the fall that follows the next chapter in Arleta’s life post her happily ever after.

Written in the Stars
by Alexandria Bellefleur
In Written in the Stars, Darcy Lowell is setup by her brother, Brendon, on a blind date with Elle Jones, his new business partner, both women find each other attractive, but Darcy views astrologer Elle as being flaky and Elle thinks Darcy is a stuck up bore. But when Darcy fibs to her brother that the date went great something he then tells Elle about in front of her mom, both women decide to make a pact to act like they are dating through the holiday season. But when New Years rolls around both women are left wondering if perhaps they are more complimentary than they first believed. I enjoyed the banter between the two women and seeing how they both learned to open their minds and hearts as they learned more about each other. I listened to the audiobook version performed by Lauren Sweet, who has narrated over 100 audiobooks including several New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. If you enjoy Written in the Stars, you should also check out Hang the Moon which focuses on Brendon finding love and Count Your Lucky Stars which tells the story of Margot, Darcy’s fellow astrologer and bff.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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