What an excellent read!

Lukens excellently balances magic and technology in a way that doesn't feel forced, but insteads is intriguing up to the last page. Rook and Sun, or MCs, are fully developed characters and this never falters, The side characters are also fully developed, and memorable.

I want to be friends with Rook and Sun, and the growth of their friendship is excellently written.

This was a wonderful world to be in.

Lukens has become one of my auto-buy authors. Everything he writes makes me smile and leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Spell Bound is a fun jaunt through a world of magic, following two young apprentice sorcerers as they try to save their teachers from the very magical government that they all work for.

Rook and Sun are the perfect depiction of the Grumpy and Sunshine trope, and I loved every minute they were on the page together. Their growing friendship, and then love, was so cute, and set at a pace that worked for me.

If you’re in the mood for a queer, medium stakes, cozy urban fantasy, then I would definitely recommend that you try this one out.

I have absolutely adored every single one of F.T. Lukens’s books, and ‘Spell Bound’ was no exception. I just loved this book so much from the gorgeous cover to the fantastic world building to the romance - as well as the super intriguing magic system! - and I highly recommend this complete gem. If I could give it ten stars I would!

I liked this more than So This Is Ever After. The characters in Spell Bound feel more fleshed out, the pacing is better, and the relationship between Rook and Sun felt believable. Wouldn't mind another jaunt through this world, to see what becomes of the Consortium.

Arc provided by Netgalley

I ended up waiting fo the audiobook of this and I really enjoyed it I thought it was a cute story and I liked the main characters. I do think the magic system was a little confusing/didn't make sense.

F.T. Lukens upped their game with Spell Bound, which I feel is easily their best work to date! The story grabbed me from the first line, and I am a little obsessed with the magical world its set in. I enjoyed the dual perspectives, but Rook was definitely my favorite character in the story (besides maybe Herb the magical coatrack). I wish I could read another book set in this world, because I really love the ways that F.T. Lukens played with the divide between the magical and non-magical communities!

My Recommendation-
If you enjoy urban fantasy, Spell Bound is going to be a MUST READ for you! I think this book perfectly embodies the genre of urban fantasy, and was such an addictive read

Edison Rooker desperately wants to be magical, but he's just smart and cute. Once he loses his connection to magic when his grandmother dies, he approaches a powerful sorceress in the hopes of a job. He gets one, but it pits him against both the powerful Magic Consortium and the sorceress's rival… who happens to have a cute apprentice as well.

My main complaint about this book is it reads like a middle grade story rather than YA. Many things are handwaved away (like Rook's ability to create a magical detection device). The romance is cute but without tension or substance.

Pluses: welcome nonbinary representation here and the cover is spectacular

This novel has a fun magical ecosystem that more directly interacts with the non magical world. A coming of age, with found family, and a few fantastic twists we follow a technology savvy main character as they try to find their place in the world. What follows is an adventure that changes the structure of their society, and they may even get a date along the way. 4/5
Thank you Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending the book for review consideration. All opinions are my own!

This book was cute, but was a bit of a let down. I found myself just not reaching to pick it up and was kind of slogging through it.

The main characters were so sweet and I want nothing but the best for them, but I didn’t really see a ton of growth in them throughout the story.

The bit of romance was sweet and lovingly predictable, but helped my enjoyment of the book:

I'm a fan of F.T. Lukens' other books, so I (rightly) assumed I would like this one too when i requested.

This was a fun magical story!
I really enjoyed the grump/sunshine aspect and the found family trope is almost always a win for me.

The adventure was fantastic, and I think readers will enjoy this! A great YA read.

This was my introduction to Lukens work and I will absolutely be seeking out their other books. This was such an excellent blend of cozy, snarky, and adventurous. One of my favorite reads so far this year!

Spell Bound is about non-magical early high school graduate Edison Rooker (Rook) working for the most powerful sorcerer at her call center as office staff, while simultaneously trying to learn magic in secret.
Spell Bound started off kind of slow for me, but ended up being a really fun book. When I began my reading journal I was really into YA but as I read more adult novels, it's harder to connect with a genre I once found very fun and cute, this book kind of re-sparked that though for me. It was silly, and had a lot going on, and although the start was slow it was pretty well paced throughout. Like most YA books, the conflict though was resolved in an entirely unrealistic and far too easy way.
The consortium was a delightfully frustrating concept, it's essentially the magic cops, and there was a lot of back and forth between the two groups of characters, one being pro-magic police and the other being against it. This whole plot line made me very sweaty, but overall I was pleased with the message it send across.
This book would be good for this who are anti-capitalism, and who enjoy found family and rivals-to-lovers.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions are my own.

THIS WAS SO CUTE!!

Spellbound is a story about two apprentices of rivalry sorcerers who get into some trouble.


I’ve read F.T Lukens past two books and this one has the exact same vibe. Its fun, queer and heartfelt. Definitely recommend any of their books.

This was a sweet read. I enjoyed the story and the queer representation. The concept is unique and I will read other works by this author in the future. I felt the dialogue was not always super believable but overall, I had fun reading this magical adventure! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I received this book from #NetGalley as an arc thank you so much for that! I really enjoyed this book it was an amazing magical ride. The world building was awesome and the characters were all phenomenal and although opposite they completed each other so well! The romance was also super cute and fluffy (no pun intended) I also didn’t think my favorite chapter coming out of this was going to be Antonia but it definitely was! I can’t wait to read more books by F.T. Lukens.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

In F.T. Lukens’ YA Queer fantasy Spell Bound, there’s a world of magic that the protagonist Rook is sadly on the periphery of. But fear not, gentle reader, Rook doesn’t stay there long & that’s part of the fun of the book.

Rook had a magical grandmother so he’s aware of what magic is. Also that he doesn’t have it. But he seizes his destiny—or at least, part of it—by approaching a hex breaker & fighting for the chance to work with her, eventually as her secret apprentice.

That’s how he meets Sun, an apprentice to a different wizard.

There’s a sweet & gentle grumpy & the sunshine relationship between Rook & Sun, greatly based off respect including when it comes to touch.

There’s also a winning growth arc for the characters, especially as they make choices to change, found family, & a really cute closing chapter.

This is a fun story & a definite YA win.

4⭐️. Out now!

Please see a trusted reviewer's list of CWs.

ID: Jess' white hand holds the ebook in front of a sunset. Trees and a green field are in the background also.

Oh F.T. Lukens how to just wrap my heart in a warm blanket that makes me just want to stay there! This book was so fun! it was full of magic and mystery, emo boys named Sun and free-spirtied ones named Rook. This book had drama, love, found family and everything in between. I highly enjoyed the magic system in this one and the way they used it. This author has definitely became a must buy for me!

Every character in this book, no matter how minor, has a personality with incredible depth. They're endlessly charming. The story itself is interesting enough on its own, but it's the characters that pull it over the top. They're what make it absurdly funny at the most snort-inducing moments.

I absolutely adored Spell Bound! The magic system, the world building, the characters, everything worked so well together to weave a truly magical tale. There was just the right amount of quirkiness (i.e. a cursed doormat that trips anyone who steps on it) mixed in with more hard hitting topics such as personal identity and conforming to societal norms.

All of the characters were unique and so well written. Rook and Sun were the epitome of opposites attract and grumpy/sunshine and I was rooting for them the whole time. Rook is such an optimistic, cinnamon roll full of determination. Sun is grumpy, anti-social, and sarcastic. The two of them together was pure magic.

I highly recommend Spell Bound and will definitely be checking out more works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing/Margaret K. McElderry Books, and F.T. Lukens for an e-arc of Spell Bound in exchange for an honest review.

I freaking loved this book so much, I just had so much fun reading the book and going on the journey with the 2 main characters.