Adrienne Tooley is one of the best voices of our generation, and her sapphic stories will never not be the best!

Sweet and Bitter Magic is incredible: unique, surprising, touching, and wonderful. I found myself startled by several twists which, in retrospect, had the groundwork laid for them. I loved both characters and adored their voices. It's hard to believe this is truly Tooley's debut, it's just that good. I'd give it six stars if I could.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me, I did enjoy the witch aspect but I found that I just didn’t connect with the characters.

Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley was a fun, unique twist on witches and the chosen one trope. From the get go I could tell that I loved Tamsin. Wren was a pretty great character, too, though a bit gullible and innocent. Of course, that's what made her a perfect pairing for Tamsin when everyone else steered well clear of her.

Tamsin committed the greatest sin imaginable to the witch Coven in order to save her twin sister. Instead of death as she deserved, she was exiled to live a life outside the Coven.

Years later when a plague sweeps across the world, a Coven-wide witch hunt begins to search for the perpetrator. The one who finds the evil witch can ask the Coven for anything, and Tamsin sees this as an opportunity to earn her spot back in the Coven.

It's not so simple as that, though. At first, Tamsin is willing to ignore the whole thing, but Wren convinces her to go. Wren has her own motivations for finding the evil witch, because her father has fallen victim to the plague that the evil witch has created and it's her hope that stopping her will save her father.

As they journey, Tamsin and Wren discover that Tamsin's past is intrinsically tied to current events and old enemies come back to bite her.

This premise leads to a great story that moves along at a good pace. But readers will wonder about the romance. It's not forced at all, and in fact could be classified as enemies to lovers. Considering that Tamsin originally tricks Wren out of her love for her father and only promises to give it back if Wren helps her find the evil witch.

What's this about taking love?

Part of Tamsin's exile is that she has also been stripped of all feeling and emotion. Her great love for her sister is what caused the initial offense against the Coven to begin with, so the Coven removed her ability to feel anything. Meaning that Tamsin is a cold, calculating person when we first meet her.

In order to enjoy the simple pleasures of life like a hot cup of tea or the feeling of the sun on your skin, Tamsin needs to take the love of other people for herself. Their love only powers her feeling for so long, so she must ration it. The greater the act of love, the longer it lasts. But once the love is gone from the one she takes it from, it's gone forever.

So in Wren's case, if Tamsin doesn't return it, she'll never love her father ever again.

As Tamsin and Wren travel together, something strange happens, and the curse upon Tamsin begins to lift all on it's own.

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I'm not typically into witchy books, but my book club wanted to read it, and I'm glad we did.

I give Sweet & Bitter Magic a 4 out of 5 stars.

This was a greatly written book about a powerful witch named Tamsin who is exiled from her Coven and can't feel any love also there is Wren who is a source that is taking care of her father. A plague arrives and Wren's father gets it which means that Wren must make a bargain with Tamsin to help her catch the dark witch responsible for the plague.

This was an enjoyable book and it was well written. I was instantly hooked into the beginning of the story because of the author’s persuasive writing. The author knew how to write an amazing journey with wonderful characters that learn about love and friendship. Though I wished there was more magic fights then the magic explained. The author nailed it when the magic system but I wish the magic was used more in the book since like Tamsin is known as the most “powerful witch”. This book is written in two povs which readers can get different perspectives and the main characters reminds me of Elide and Manon from Throne of Glass.

The main characters are Tamsin and Wren. I enjoyed both of the characters and their character development throughout the book. I mostly enjoyed Wren’s POV because she was an energetic character who is loving and caring. I mostly enjoyed her character development in the book which you will see at the end when you read it. There weren’t many huge side characters in this book like I usually read in fantasies but the few mentioned I did enjoy. The antagonist was well done and was a surprise in the book. This book has LGBTQ+ romance that will make you swoon over.

I thought that the ending was well done and needed for what the characters have gone through. I enjoyed this book a lot but I didn’t see why people were really hyped about this book. Like it was great but not “my favorite book of the year”. Though I recommend reading this book because there is not enough LGBTQ+ fantasy books and this one was well written. Perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and A Dark and Hollow Star.

I mean we love a sapphic witchy romance. Thus I really loved everything about this book except that, for a standalone, I felt like a lot was left unanswered. Could also be because I don’t read many standalones and maybe leaving people with questions is the vibe authors are going for nowadays. But worth mentioning.

A wonderfully surprising sapphic fantasy! I loved every moment of this book, and I want more. It’s so exciting to read a sapphic fantasy that is able to check so many of my boxes. The magic in this book was so purposeful and well executed. This is the future of YA fantasy.

What a amazing book! I feel in love with this one. The story is spectacular, all the characters are super vivid. I recommend with my heart.

This was such a fun fantasy with Magic! I didn’t have any expectations set so it was a quick enjoyable read for me!

“Tamsin wanted to count every single one, commit them all to memory so that even when she closed her eyes, she would see a constellation of Wren.”

THIS NOVEL WAS SO SWEET AND AMAZING. A really great character driven, emotional story. Tamsin, having been cursed to never feel love, is completely closed off and cold to the world. Meanwhile, Wren is her polar opposite, as she is so giving and naïve to sacrifice for other people, even without being asked. What I loved about their love story was that they learned from each other to address their insecurities and grow as people. I love that this story really focused on both girl's personal growth! They went on a journey to find the witch starting the plague, and had to face a lot of their inner demons along the way. I found this story to be really emotional and moving! And of course, I loved Tamsin's and Wren's love story. It was just so beautiful and sweet!

Adriene Tooley's book is a pretty fun dive into a magical world where magic is viewed with some suspicion, because of the evils that 'black magic' can create. It's an interesting balance - magic is harnessed either by the witch herself, by a source (who carries magic but cannot use it), or by the Earth. Harnessing magic from the Earth creates an imbalance, but it's also very powerful.
The protagonists - a witch and a source - learn a lot about themselves as they try to stop the end of the world, and discover who's causing these natural calamities by practicing 'black magic'.
The book dives into aspects of familial and romantic love, and the challenges that Tamsin faces when she must make a harsh decision. The plague in the book is interesting as well - the natural calamity affects human beings and attacks their memories, slowly wiping memories away till the person becomes a shell of themselves, lost and alone in the world. It was a very interesting take on life and memory, on how vital memory is to humanity, and how a person alive, but with no memories, is singularly devastating.
The book also discusses aspects of magic that I haven't seen often in fantasy novels - that of consent. The relationship between a witch and her source is consensual - which means a witch can use the source's power only with the source's consent - it's this bond that makes the witch's magic stronger. Part of the reason black magic is so devastating is because that power is taken without consent, which inevitably wreaks havoc.
I look forward to reading more books by Adrienne Tooley, I greatly enjoyed this novel.

I really liked this! I thought the world-building and characters were great and it kept me interested until the last page. I can't wait to see what Adrienne does next and I know I will be here for it all!

Sweet & Bitter Magic is a fun YA fantasy with complex characters and a magical plague that ravages the land. The story follows Tamsin, a powerful witch who got exiled from the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. Although, she can steal love from others. Wren is a source, so she is made of magic. But Wren is hiding her ability so she isn’t sent away to train. Wren has a sick father who fell victim to the plague and needs Wren to take care of him. Wren offers Tamsin a deal in an effort to help the both of them - Tamsin helps catch the witch responsible for the plague and Wren will give Tamsin the love she has for her father. Will the girls be able to work together in order to both get what they want? The story is fast-paced and character-driven. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a fun, light-hearted YA fantasy.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for giving me access.

Sweet & Bitter Magic was really enjoyable - a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed it.. Tooley spins a tale of what happens when one uses dark magic and all the consequences that come with it. That's not something we really get a visual of - let alone get to experience in most YA fantasy books.

I loved the relationship between Wren and Tamsin, how it grows over the course of the story into something more. Their story gives you hope, that even souls that cannot love, love.

This magical journey has twists and turns the reader won't see coming. Seems to be preparing for a sequel.

Sweet & Bitter Magic was one of the books I was most looking forward to in 2021 - a sapphic YA fantasy with enemies-to-lovers and witches? Yes, please!

The novel follows Tamsin, a witch cursed with the inability to love, and Wren, a magic source who has had to hide her powers due to her magic-hating father. When a dark magical plague sweeps the countryside, Wren's father falls ill. In order to save him, she strikes a bargain with Tamsin: in exchange for Tamsin's help, Wren will give her the love she has for her father. What follows is a journey across the realm in search of the dark witch responsible for the plague, complete with the one bed trope.

The characters are complex and wonderfully written: Wren is determined and full of light, and Tamsin is morally gray (and yes, this only makes me love her more). They compliment each other really well, and their budding romance is so soft and sweet. I would have preferred a bit stronger enemies-to-lover vibes, but I'll take what I can get!

Sweet & Bitter Magic is an utterly charming and magical way to spend a few afternoons. (I am so glad I ended up purchasing it through OwlCrate!) I look forward to reading what Adrienne Tooley writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is the witchy sapphic YA fantasy I always needed, but was hard-pressed to find as a questioning teen. I LOVED this book. I loved the slow burn, I loved the bonds of sisterhood, the exploration of obligation/duty versus the heart. I love that it’s a queer-normal world.

I do think there was a missed opportunity in exploring Within more. I was so excited for them to get there, that it felt a bit anticlimactic when there were only a couple of very insular scenes. I would LOVE spin off about a witch living Within, or even a sequel about Marlena exploring Kathos. 🥺

Sweet & Bitter Magic is part of that group of fantasy books that feel like dipping your toes into a warm bath at the end of a long day, except it's got magical plagues and wonderful characters instead of bubbles. I found it a really enjoyable read, so easy to get lost in, but still substantial and satisfying by the end.

The plot is not a complicated one, with our two main characters setting out in an attempt to stop the dark magic user whose actions have caused a plague to spread across the land, but that was a strength. The physical journey towards their end goal helped pace the story well, as well as building up anticipation for what would await them when they finally got there. I also thought the antagonist, the dark witch whose use of magic had caused a magical plague to spread, was a really good choice, because of the already existing rapport with other characters. It's hard to go into more detail, but having this witch as the antagonist help give another level of complexity to both characters and magic system, drawing on relationships and the idea of magic having consequences.

Our two main characters, Wren and Tamsin, are very different, and while they certainly clash because of this, they never felt disjointed in a way that made them hard to root for. Wren was a very caring character, evident in her determination to try and stop the plague even though she was untrained and lacked experience regarding most things magical. This worked really well as a counterpoint to Tamsin's slightly prickly character, due to the fact that her ability to love was removed as punishment. Their interactions grow really naturally, and even though Tasmin can't love the way she could before, seeing her grow to care for Wren in her own way was really special.

One of the things I loved most about this world was the nods to fairytales, with lines here and there alluding to common elements in a way that added to the world without detracting from the story. They don't necessarily play a main role in the story the way they would in a retelling, but the blend of tropes, like the classic 'locked in a tower' as well as references to various characters who lived through fairy tales worked really well in fleshing the world out without making it feel like an information dump.

I do wish this had been a story spread out over another book, because there were some elements that were cut short from their full potential and could have used more expanding on, but overall I really liked this book. It's the kind of fantasy that is so easy to get lost in, taking you right into the story alongside the characters. Tamsin and Wren were great, and I'd definitely love more stories set in the world.

Tamsin, a witch without a coven, banished from the Within and cursed to never feel love.

Wren, a village girl who has devoted her life to caring for her ill father.

When a plague caused by black magic sweeps the countryside, the unlikely pair begin an adventure together that takes them places neither of them could have guessed.

As far as a debut YA Fantasy goes, I was fairly impressed by this one. One of the major stumbling blocks of debut fantasy seems to be world building, but I would absolutely hold world building up as one of the most enjoyable things about this one. The world we are placed in is magical and whimsical, and has just the right amount of familiar fairytale references, without going overboard. I loved the spun gold and magic beans.

I was a bit surprised that this turned out to be much more character driven than I was expecting. I reached a point where I expected the book to be over based on plot but realized I still had almost 15% of the book left. There was still plot in the last section, but it seemed much more to be for the purpose of developing characters further. This may very well be a plus for some readers, but it wasn’t for me.

Overall I enjoyed the F/F romance aspect, and thought it was well done. I love a good Sapphic fantasy, and had this one on my most anticipated queer reads of 2021.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

I was very much looking forward to reading this, and it did NOT disappoint! Enemies-to-lovers, as well?!?! Take my heart! A great premise, and I cannot wait to see more from this author! Will highly recommend!