This was a very enjoyable fantasy story and in my opinion had one of the most unique types of magic that I've read. Usually magic is based on the elements, air, fire, water and yes, earth/plants. But in this universe, plants have almost a religious connotation, they are life giving after all, and because life is magic then plants can give you magic. Everything has to have balance though and while most of the magic users(Sages) are gentle souls, the power can also corrupt which is what causes the main conflict of the story. One of the most powerful Sages has gone mad from misuse of his power and it's up to the next most powerful Sage to protect the king from his wrath.

Of course, that king, Zaya, doesn't know about any of this. Magic has been illegal in his country for generations and he's shocked to learn that the man he's been lusting over, Col, is one of the most powerful Sages there is. It certainly makes him rethink his world view and falling in love only makes it worse.

I thought the relationship between Col and Zaya was very sweet. You could tell that their main attraction was to each other's minds. Which comes up at the end of the book in a very poignant moment. I personally wasn't the biggest fan of that spoilery plot point but it didn't significantly affect my enjoyment of the story overall. And enjoy it I did, I thought the romance and fantasy was very refreshing and would highly recommend this to readers liking for a unique light fantasy with a mm romance.

Overall it was a quick and enjoyable read. The novella is dialogue heavy, and I did struggle a bit in the beginning - the story did pick up though.

Overall I would rate this novella 2.5 stars. The pacing in the beginning was very choppy, and the world building was lacking. However, by the second half of the book, things had straightened out a bit and was much easier to follow.

One of my main issues with this novella was how dialogue heavy it was. The author frequently “telled instead of showed” which was frustrating because it took so much depth away from what this story could have been. The dialogue is especially heavy at the beginning, which was why the story was SO hard to get into, but it remained fairly heavy throughout which was frustrating.

Had it not been for the very short length and the fact that I want to get my Netgalley feedback ratio up, I definitely would’ve DNFd this at about 10%. Had I been reading this for pure enjoyment, I wouldn’t have made it past the first couple chapters, basically. I’m glad I stuck around, because the second half made for a more interesting story and romance.

Sage and King is full of magic, romance, and a well-built universe. Ringle has become an auto read for me after I read Lava Red, Feather Blue and Sage and King follows the same universe in a different place. Our protagonists are very understandable throughout the book- their motivations, hinderances, and doubts are clear and communicated. Their romance is beautiful and sweet, and very queer. 💛

I think the story could’ve been a bit longer, personally. The underlying plot is lost a bit as the romance is a big focus, as well as a bit of character development. I think if it was longer it could’ve been fleshed out into more of a tale for me, but I still really enjoyed it. This was a 3.5/5 for me and I can’t wait to see what Ringle does next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the ARC!

Lashrain has suffered a terrible tragedy in the death of the royal family, murdered by an assassin. Suddenly the Queen's brother Zaya, a dandy who prefers theater and beautiful men to that of royal duties and courtly intrigue, finds himself king. But that's not the only surprise in store for him.

Days after assuming the kingship, he is ushered to Heartwood, home of the kingdoms sages, to learn the history of the realm and prepare to rule. He is to stay here for 30 days on a time-honored tradition known as a hermitage. When he arrives he learns a secret known to very few - despite the kingdom's ban on magic, Heartwood, and its sages are magicians that study the magic of the world (found mostly in plants and their ability to decipher their uses and manipulate their growth). He is flabbergasted and disgusted, as all his life he has only known magic as evil. But a young sage, Col, is assigned to King Zaya to answer any questions he has about this new world that has been opened to him. And slowly, Zaya finds himself falling for Col, as Col begins to fall for Zaya too. They become closer and closer and passion and desire overtake them as they begin peppering their study sessions with secret sexual liaisons in quiet rooms, private spaces in greenhouses, and eventually the King's bed chambers.

But all is not as it seems, as the sages are keeping a very dark secret: King Zaya's brother, a sage long believed exiled and dead, is the assassin that killed the king's family - and now he's after Zaya. Secret's cannot be kept forever, and when the secret is revealed, everything Col and Zaya have built crumbles. Can their love survive betrayal and the powers of the assassin?

This book - my God this book. The worldbuilding is spectacular, the characters fully fleshed out, and the romance felt natural and unforced. The rules and laws of magic in the story are based on actual beliefs surrounding the plants (the real ones anyway, which are most of them in the story), both in commonly held senses and in Wiccan/pagan practice. The amount of research that went into this book is breathtaking. The sex scenes are written believably, with just enough erotic without verging into erotica. The writing is spectacular and beautiful.

I don't know if we will ever get more of these characters and this world, but I would gladly welcome it!

This might be the first fantasy romance novel where not only did I not want to gouge out the eyes of the protagonists at any point in the proceedings, I was actively rooting for their happiness because I respected every single one of their decisions.

Prince Zaya, third in line to the throne of Lushrain, spends his days being the frivolous young man about town, devoted to the theater and a mainstay of the newspapers' gossip pages. When his older sister the Queen and his older brother, her heir, are killed in a freak landslide, Zaya is suddenly thrust into power, a position that he neither welcomes nor enjoys. As part of his initiation to the throne, he's brought to the mountainside retreat of Heartwood, where he discovers an awful secret: magic, long outlawed in his nation, has been secretly thriving, cultivated here by the sages and advisors relied on by generations of monarchs.

Col may be one of the most powerful sages Heartwood has ever trained, but his relatively sheltered upbringing amidst them does nothing to prepare him for the glamour or intensity of the young king. Tasked with gradually introducing magic to Zaya, and hopefully earning his confidence and trust, he doesn't expect their initial attraction to grow into something more profound. But he's keeping a terrible secret from Zaya that could not only destroy their relationship but also the very stability of their kingdom.

This is literally the first time I've read a romance that deals with all of these topics where the protagonists are not also infuriatingly for-the-dramz. The obstacles between Zaya and Col are never of their own manufacture: even the misunderstandings are entirely reasonable to the outside eye. They're both mature, intelligent adults whose unique positions necessitate secret-keeping, but whose impulses towards trust and honesty are commendable without being foolish. While their attraction is instant, they fall in love gradually then all at once, with a sweetness and sexiness that reminds me of my own dearest love. This was, by far, the best fantasy romance I've ever read, with an intriguing plant-based magic system and a keen eye both for politics and for racial and sexual diversity.

Sage And King by Molly Ringle was published May 18 2021 by Central Avenue Publishing and is available from all good booksellers.

Sage and King is an incredibly interesting story about magic, kingdoms, romance and sibling relationships which drew me right in to the story. To later on realise this was inspired by BBC Merlin made me want to actually sit down and watch Merlin again. Sage and King has a really intriguing plot, but to me it was a little romance heavy to be a total knockout for me personally. The world is amazing, and the different plots going on in the background really helped drive the book forward for me. The complex relationships and the unknown assassin was really satisfying, and I'm really excited how much more LGBTQ+ fantasy books are being published by the day.

This is amazing for anyone who love the vibe of BBC Merlin, and who wants some good LGBTQ+ fantasy.

This was such a beautiful story. It had an amazingly crafted romance that was only aided by the intricate magic system and the deadly plot underpinning it all. This novel was able to convey so much in just 200 pages and I was enthralled the entire way through.

My only issue was that it could have been more developed if another 100 pages had been added. This is not a massive issue, but I was so enthralled by the narrative that I just wanted so much more development. It wasn’t lacking in any sense, I just think another 100 pages could have elevated the story further.

Overall though, it was a gorgeous LGBTQ+ fantasy romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Molly Ringle’s novels.

Laying out a plot, developing characters, and captivating your readers all in 206 pages is a tough ask, but Molly Ringle pulls it off.

At 28, Zaya never expected to be king, so to also learn that magic is alive and well despite laws forbidding it, becomes overwhelming. However, this doesn't stop him from doing the best he can throughout the novel. The more time he spends with Col, the more he understands the magicians' plight and he resolves to help. His character arc was remarkable. His acceptance of magic wasn't rushed, despite the romantic subplot, and its particularly challenged when he has to face the fact that magicians aren't all good or all bad. It's a constant journey to better himself that ends with him being a stronger character for it.
Col was also a delightful character. Measured but deeply passionate about the magicians' cause, he challenges Zaya at every turn while the two grow closer. Unlike Zaya, his character didn't have a profound arc, which I appreciated because of the book's shorter length.

A note on their romance. In this world, there is no homophobia and that was refreshing. Col is bisexual, with a preference for men whereas Zaya is gay, and neither is ever challenged for what it is. I rarely come across books like that even though fantasy worlds are ultimately at the hands of their makers, so do not need to include homophobia. I commend Ringle for taking this route, and hope to see more of it.

Finally, the villain. I really enjoyed Orzei as the antagonist because of his attitude. He's convinced he's doing it for the better, yet doesn't hesitate to be exceedingly violent in how he deals with obstacles that come in his way. He's by no means pleasant, or even charming, but he does have a lasting impact on the story.

My only complaint is the book was too short, I would definitely read more of Cole and Zaya!
CW: violence, body horror (parts turning into plants), and mentions of rape.

****Thank you Net-galley for this arc****
I was really looking forward to this one. I didn't know what to expect because I haven't read Molly Ringle before. I think it took a minute for me to get into the book, but 100 pages in and the ball gets rolling plotwise. I loved the magic in this book.
For me the books gets better as you go on and I really enjoyed the ending, I would love to see this continue as a series. There is so much left to discover. The power, the relationship, and how far the power of magic goes.

In the land of Lushrain, Prince Zaya is suddenly made King after his older sister, the Queen, is killed. Her death and the deaths of her entourage are the work of a magical assassin, Zaya's long lost older brother, Orzei. But Zaya doesn't know the truth behind his sister's death or that Orzei is even alive. Kept in the dark by the sages, Zaya is whisked away for a month long hermitage at Heartwood to undergo the mandatory initiation for all reigning monarchs. There he learns about the forbidden magic the sages wield and its place within the kingdom. Col, a young and powerful sage, is tasked with teaching Zaya about magic. But although they share a mutual attraction, will it be enough to help change Zaya's hostile position towards magic? Can a sage and a king find love against all odds?

Sage and King is an enjoyable and quick fantasy filled with romance and magic. According to the author, the novel is inspired by Arthur/Merlin from the BBC show Merlin and although I haven't watched the show I'm aware of the ship and definitely picked up on that vibe. I enjoyed getting to know Zaya and Col -- Zaya is the fun sort of royal, the playboy type who would rather go to plays than sit in on council meetings; Col is a sweetheart who longs for adventure and love that he can't find in the secluded lands around Heartwood. Zaya and Col's relationship develops nicely, from being stuck together and not happy about it to gradually becoming companions and then lovers. It's a bit of whirlwind romance with high emotions but it totally works for them. They also grow as characters as they are forced outside of their comfort zones and made to take on greater responsibilities.

While the majority of the novel takes place in the cozy bubble of Heartwood, there's also POV chapters from Orzei, the unhinged and creepy villain. These chapters give insight into the kingdom at large and also provide more context for the reason why magic is outlawed in Lushrain. Col and Zaya have long debates about magic and the law, both of them working together to try and forge a new path for their country. I really liked these conversations as they provided not only good bonding time for the main characters, but also additional world building and a deeper examination of the magic systems.

All in all, a sweet and satisfying read!

This book did not at all disappoint. In the past I’ve only read one Molly Ringle book. I lived that book and was glad that the second book I read by her I loved just as much! From the beginning of the book I felt like the world building was set up very well. We were able to get a good sense of both of our characters. Overall the book had a fast pace which I really enjoyed. The writing style was one I liked a lot. My only complaint was I felt as though in some moments we just jumped from scene to scene without really a grasp of what happened in between.

Release date: May 18th, 2021

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. Even though I was very intrigued by the premise (the magic system was the coolest thing about this novella of 200 pages), I just didn't mesh well with the writing style. I found that it was trying too hard to sound "old and royal," but at the same time, it felt very modern. Some sentences left me uncomfortable, and I skipped the sex scenes as I just don't think we needed that. I also felt like everything was spelled out for me. Even though I could infer a lot of things like emotions and thoughts through the writing, it was always followed by an explanation or something, which made it really repetitive. Not everything needs to be told, we can understand from what is implied. Also, I thought that the book suffered from "telling, not showing" approach. I really disliked how quickly the romance happened. And I'm not talking in terms of time here, but just in terms of writing. First Zaya discovers magic and tries to understand something that is completely against everything he was ever taught. Then, he's madly in love with someone. Okay.... I mean there was a bit of physical attraction at first, but going from 0 to 100 really makes it unbelievable. And I think it's because we were told how the characters felt, rather than being shown their romantic development. Like I said earlier, I did like the idea of drawing magic from nature, I think this was really interesting.

Anyway, maybe less picky readers will enjoy (although, once again certain sentences were a little bit icky), but this was not something I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC copy. All opinions given are my own.

First, I didn't realize this was slightly longer than a novella, but slightly shorter than a novel. For the length, I felt the plot and relationship between Zaya and Col was as developed as it could be. The plot was super interesting with the magic, how it was wielded, who the enemy was, and how it progressed. The relationship between Zaya and Col progressed quickly, but it had enough swoon-worthy moments and angst to evoke emotions.

I will admit I would have loved a longer book that delved into much more information of how their world worked. But honestly, it's so nice to read a high fantasy that's just long enough, just thrilling enough, and just romantic enough to hit the mark over the course of an afternoon.

I really liked the writing. It flowed SO well. There were parts that were a bit over-detailed, but I know that's part of the high fantasy genre I don't usually read. But I really enjoy Molly's writing and I will continue to read whatever comes next (and yes, I plan on reading her older works).

I dived into this book immediately after I heard this is inspired by BBC Merlin which is one of my favorite shows! It surely didn't disappoint me.
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Zaya is a youngest prince who was supposed to never be throned as a king of Lushrain, however, things get completely changed by his family's sudden death. He had to take the throne and in that process, he visited Heartwood where he met sages and learned about magic which was banned in Lushrain…
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I should mention it's more focusing on LGBTQ romance than the fantasy aspect. However, I love how the magic system works in this world, in which the sages get them through plants. The magics and the history of the world are well-explained. I wish I could read more about magic action, they are cool and also pretty ones😄!
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I love the main two characters, how their relationship blossomed rapidly. Their complicated family issues and obstacles in their sweet romance intrigued me.
I wish this story was longer hence I can read more interaction with the side characters, they seem quite interesting ones around.
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I recommend this book to readers looking for a light and sweet LGBTQ romance with a promising fantasy world!

I marked this book as 3.5 stars.

Short book about a king who has to learn magic to defend himself and his throne. It was entertaining and engaging. Once I started reading, I didn’t stop until I reached the end. I loved that the skill of magic had to be taught because it brought an air of practicality to the fantasy, and I found that refreshing. Plus, the main love story is between two men and that was even more refreshing.

This would have been a five star rating, but my one gripe was with how the romance felt a little rushed. I was expecting something more like the slow, built up development to love of Lava Red Feather Blue, so I was a little disappointed that we moved forward so quickly in this one (and yes, I do recognize that this was a much shorter story than LRFB, but still. I enjoy my slow burn, well developed love stories).

But apart from that, this was a grand story and I loved Zaya and Col both so much. I liked Zaya and how he was never meant to be king, how that made him a better ruler than anyone who was expecting it ever could be. I liked how open-minded he was, how he's going to bring change to the land, not only for magicians and sages, but for all people. I liked the little insights into how he cared about people, how he liked the arts, how he's going to make this place better. I adored Col and how he just wanted to live a quiet life, and how he fell for a king instead. I loved how he wanted to help Zaya make things better, how he was the most powerful sage. I really loved these two and their stolen moments in Heartwood, how they fell for one another, how they fought for one another.

Orzei was an interesting villain, and I almost wanted more from him, more interactions between him and Zaya and Col. I wanted a little more action in this story, especially since we built up this crazy, violent villain. But the ending was pretty grand, and I liked that final fight, how Col was willing to expose himself to save people, how Zaya wasn't afraid to let people know he loved Col. I loved them.

I really enjoyed the magic system in this story, the way different plants could give magicians and sages different abilities. I liked how powerful Col was, how he helped Zaya see the truth of magic. I love how these two found a way to be together, how they won't have to hide, how they'll bring change to their land, and educate their people to be better. This was just a really grand story, and I loved it <3

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a queer story about a King who didn't expect to ever sit on the throne learning hidden and forbidden things about the society of highly renowned academics that have been in service of the Crown for ages. He doesn't trust them, has bad experiences with their secret and would much rather be in a theater than ruling the country. However, he can't seem to keep hating the sage who tells him all these secrets.
I had fun reading this story; it was short, funny and sweet, which helped a reading slump I was in immensely. The worldbuilding was exquisite, well-explained with a thought-through magic system and vibrant history. The Characters motivations were clear and logical, the presentation and dialogue funny and detailed. I spent time laughing and smiling.
The Descriptions were detailed and made my mouth water and my heart soar. I really would like to visit Lushrain someday! I especially loved the side characters, there were some really interesting ones. I thought they were all fleshed-out and multidimensional. I also desperately want the love story of the princess of the nieghboring country and her bow wielding girlfriend.
The relationship between the love interests felt organic, though a little rushed. The length of this novella was detrimental in this point, as the romance felt less enemies-to-lovers and more I'm-fucking-terrified-to-instalove. I just wish there had been a couple more scenes in between. This book could've easily been novel-length, the material and plotlines were there. I also thought the description of the sex scenes felt a bit out of place, as the rest of the novel could have easily been YA. (Also this is mlm and written by a woman, which is not necessarily bad, but we've seen a lot of this lately, and it makes detailed sex scenes a bit iffy. But please refer to mlm reviewers on this, if you can.)
That being said, I can say that I can recommend this book overall, particularly to readers looking for a quick, light read to get them out of a slump.

This review will appear on my instagram tomorrow evening.

This is a short story, or at least it felt short, there was too much energy and good chemistry between the characters.
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Molly Ringle creates lovable characters that one cannot help but be found of them. Col and Zaya are incredible and the story around is excellent but it was very short, I would have liked to read more about them, I guess I still haven't gotten over Feather Blue, Lava Red ... which was very excellent and deeply enjoyed.
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A continent with kingdoms that coexist in different ways with magic and nature around him, a young prince who must see his world as new when he learns of the death of his family and a young wizard who is divided between love and loyalty to the order that welcomed him, and a assasin with out-of-control powers threatening them.
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It was short but very well compensated for how the characters meet quickly and the plot goes straight towards a fluid ending.
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Beautifully written Sage and King, it is a Lgbt fantasy that brings the magic and properties of nature alongside love regardless of gender.
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Thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley for give me this beautiful book , in exchange for my honest opinion, I really enjoyed reading it

Heavily inspired by BBC's Merlin, this story takes the classic prince and pauper dynamic and makes it gay. Be ready for fluff and a happy ever after!

Okay, so not strictly a pauper. But Col is a sage (a magician) in a country where those abilities are kept a secret. Zaya is the youngest prince of the royal family, a bit of a rogue, who had to grow up fast when his family is murdered by... Well, you'll just have to read it to find out!

From the synopsis I was hoping for some antagonistic banter between the two, forced to work together. Instead, it's more like instalove and just as I was hoping to get some tension between them, it was kissing and declarations of love. In short, this is a fluffy story, a quick read, and I felt the whole thing was over before it really got going.

It's perfect if you want fluff and just enough angsty drama to make it interesting but not keep you up at night. I did shed a year at the end though, so it gets the stamp of emotional approval ❣️

Thanks to @netgalley and #CentralAvenuePublishing for this ARC. The book comes out May 18!