I can't tell y'all how excited I was to receive this ARC from Net Galley - F.T. Lukens has been one of my recent favorite authors, and the premise of "Spell Bound" sounded super intriguing. This is another delightful win - although I still think "So This is Ever After" remains my favorite (I couldn't stop laughing while reading that book). This one is sweeter & slower, with a lot of emphasis on the building relationship between our two main characters. All of the characters are fun & endearing, and definitely the highlight. I like the way magic works in this world (some other reviews I notice mention it works similarly to another book, but I haven't read that book so I can't compare), although I wish we got a peek at the magical language of the world to further develop world-building. Either magic words or some special language would have been a neat addition. I'd also love to see a map (I love maps!) to get a better idea of where all the locations are. My only complaint would be that there are some surprise characters that arrive late into the game & I wish they were set up a bit earlier. I feel like a few threads could have been tied together (like we never get a ton of information about Antonia's previous apprentice although their secrecy is big for the plot, but at the end, I was sort of wishing to hear that maybe Rook's grandma was actually the apprentice - this is not what happens, but I think it could have been an interesting surprise). Either way, if you come in wanting a cute LGBT+ friendly cozy magic world, I think you'll be delighted. Rook's connection with Antonia lightly reminds me of Luz & Eda in "The Owl House", so if you're looking for something to fill your Owl House void, I think it's perfect for that as well. As always, I look forward to F.T.'s next novel, and hope they continue delighting us with cozy fantasy worlds!

Every time I read one of FT Luken’s books I think they can’t possibly get any better. And yet each one is somehow better than the last.

I feel like I've been put on this earth to rave about F.T Lukens' books. In Deeper Waters was great. So This is Ever After was amazing. Spell Bound was amazing. I don't think they could ever write a bad book.

THE PLOT:

After the death of his grandmother, Edison Rooker decides he wants to apprentice for sorceress Antonia Hex at her hex/jinx/curse-breaking business, so when he walks into her office he quickly charms her over. He wants badly to be part of the magical world despite having no magic himself. While working on an app that detects ley lines (the source of magic) he risks it all by confiding in Antonia who does NOT have a soft spot for the Consortium their magical government. When he meets Sun, the apprentice of Antonia's rival Fable, he quickly falls for the introverted brooding boy. But when the Consortium gets wind of the Spell Binder app, Rook quickly finds himself teaming up with Sun to rescue Antonia and Fable.

THE CHARACTERS:

I loved how fully realized Rook felt. He's determined, clever, and not one to shy away from flirting with a cute boy. Sun is a moody, anti-social grump who is the perfect balance for Rook. I did wish we got a longer glimpse into Sun's world.

Antonia is a hot mess and that's probably why I loved her so much. Her rivalry with Fable is entertaining, but both sorceresses bring so much to the table.

THE PLOT:

Wholly original. We have a world of magic that is not fully explained and doesn't have to be. This is a character-driven book in a Miyazaki-type world where magic is accepted, regulated and part of normal life. The story was fun, exciting, funny, and heart-wrenching all at once. I'm in awe of the way authors like Lukens can write entire stand-alone books that hit all the beats and all the marks and still not feel rushed.

Overall, I flew through this book. I couldn't wait for bedtime because I got to pour my veggie chips into a bowl and sink into my blankets with my kindle. I'm a forever fan and cannot wait until I get to hold this book in my hands.

I just wanna say that Lukens never disappoints me. The fact that I was given the chance to read this books over a month before it’s released was a dream come true. So let’s get into the review.

Rook and Sun are both remarkable characters that are easy to relate to, and I see myself in both of them from Room’s need to find community to Sun’s antisocial tendencies. The pain of losing a loved one at 16 and not knowing where to go is real, and I couldn’t help but remember losing my dad. Sun is shy and antisocial, but they will do anything for those they care about.

Antonia and Fable are both amazingly powerful sorcerers that live these two apprentices, and Mavis is the best big-sister character I’ve seen in a long time. These three would do anything for Rook and Sun. It’s a beautiful found family with a magical layout.

The LGBTQIA+ representation in this novel is amazing in the way that there is no discrimination. Sun and Fable’s non-binary identities were never questioned, and no one batted at eye, or even judge Rook and Sun for wanting to be together. This is my favorite read of the year so far.

*4.5 stars

While I have read F.T. Lukens' works before, this one could not be more different-- in all the right ways. Go into reading this with no expectations, leave having fallen in love with the main characters & their development, the magic, and the adventure you go on!

Thank you F.T. Lukens, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for sending me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review! 💕
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Spell Bound was on my most anticipated list for 2023 as I loved both In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After, so I was so honored to have been approved for an ARC! This story is told in dual perspectives of Rook and Sun. It was a little slow at first for me, but that could be because I was in a reading slump, but it picked up about halfway through and I quickly read the rest. I really enjoyed the magic system in this book as magic users have to draw their magic from leylines and these leylines have varying power stored. Antonia, Rook’s teacher, reminds me a lot of Eda from The Owl House. As both magic users are very powerful and feared by the magical government. I also like how 2 out of the 4 main characters in this book use they/them pronouns and they are never misgendered. I loved the characters of Rook and Sun so much! I think Rook had a lot of funny moments including this line that made me laugh out loud: “...I took off running. They weren’t going to catch me. I was the motherfucking Gingerbread Man”. (quote is taken from ARC and is subject to change). Overall, I really loved this book and definitely see myself coming back to reread it in the future! If you're a fan of F.T. Lukens’ other books then you will definitely enjoy this one!
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Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens comes out on April 4th!

4.5 stars

What an amazing read! I had such a good time reading it, just couldn’t put it down!

The characters were really sweet and loving, the dynamics were absolutely perfect. Not only between the two main characters - grumpy X sunshine -, but also the found family trope the author uses so well. I loved Rook and Antonia’s relationship so much!

I really liked the world build, even if it isn’t the most original of settings. The Consortium reminded me of the Ministry of Magic in HP, which I think is the point - bigotry, gatekeeping, corruption, personal agendas of those in power. Anyone who doesn’t fit the mold isn’t welcome and deemed unworthy.

Rook longs for a community he used to be part of and was cast out when he no longer fit the rules. The complete disregard the community and the consortium show him is warming enough that changes are necessary and that the rules are only serving a small part of the community.

The only thing that wasn’t completely satisfying to me was the lack of development about Rook’s grandmother and about Antonia’s former apprentice. I expected more of these small characters, some resolution, some connection, anything really.

Overall, a great book that I can’t wait to add to my shelf.

This story is told in a dual-perspective format by Rook and Sun, two teenage apprentice rivals turned frenemies, turned something more? The blossoming romance between Rook and Sun was adorable and I enjoyed getting to see their growing feelings from both their perspectives. I also loved that this book was one with LGBTQ+ representation where things were bad, but not because anyone was queer. It felt really refreshing to escape to a world where queer identities and sexualities felt like the norm and did not need to be fleshed out because they simply were. There were definitely some cheesy moments, but they did not feel out of place in the plot. Most of the action happens towards the end and as a result the story feels more cozy than action-packed. I think the characters had distinct personalities and there is some growth as the story progresses. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author.

This book met and exceeded all expectations for what I assumed. The book's cast was well written, and each had their own personality. Personally, I fell in love with Ms. Hex and wanted more of her within every chapter. One area where this book excelled was the non-binary characters, referring to them with gender-neutral pronouns. I had never seen it done before and was so excited to see the representation within the book. The magic was also a great portion of the book, showing various curses, hexes, jinxes, ley lines, and personal magics. The book set up a great for future novels, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for this world! Highly recommended!

Once I picked up this book, I had a difficult time putting it back down, and I stayed up late to finish it because I didn't want to stop reading. The worldbuilding is fun and feels natural and I had no issues suspending my belief once during the story. I loved the characters, and how even side characters felt fleshed out instead of just being paper people. Rook and Sun's relationship from frenemy to more made me wish this was a book I could've read as a teen. I was sad to see the story end because I loved the characters so much, but I wasn't left wanting. Easily one of my favorite reads and I'll be checking out more of this author's work.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy from NetGalley

This is my first time reading F.T. Lukens, and I can pretty solidly say that I definitely want to read more of their work after this. Even so, I still enjoyed the first 70-80% of the book a lot more than the last 20-30%.

In a world where magic is known by all even if it's not shared by all, I would place it closer to an urban fantasy than a high fantasy, and there's just enough world-building to support that plot. You don't get paragraphs of exposition, but through Rook, you get insight into this magical community as he learns about it himself.

The premise itself is quite interesting with the idea of fighting a magical bureaucracy to save your mentors and your magic. But there is decidedly a lot less fighting the magical government than you would think. In fact, Antonia and Fable, the kidnapped mentors in question, are not taken until more than halfway through the book. And the resolution to everything definitely seemed a little rushed and just tied a bow on it to kind of make the problem go away.

The best part about the book is definitely Rook and Sun's relationship.

This book is kind of sold as a rivals-to-lovers with two rival apprentices, Rook and Sun, having to team up to save their mentors. I, for one, believe this is wholly a friends-to-lovers situation. (It also definitely fits the grumpy/sunshine trope.) There might've been a millisecond or half a scene where Rook and Sun could've been considered rivals, but even when Rook playfully calls Sun his "frenemy," they really are just friends. If anything, they are rivals by circumstance only because of the competitive nature between their mentors.

That being said, I loved the buildup of Rook and Sun's relationship. While there is a connection between the two from the Their friendship grows to be so beautiful and wholesome; all of their scenes had me cheesing so hard. Lukens definitely takes care in crafting their relationship.

Which is why their getting-together scene seemed a little off to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but after all the buildup throughout the entire book, it was just a little anticlimactic and something that the author just needed to get out of the way before the big face-off scene.

Overall, this was still a cute and enjoyable read. I wouldn't exactly recommend it as a fantastical adventure, but if you want an adorable grumpy-sunshine, friends-to-lovers fantasy romance, this would definitely scratch that itch. 3.5 stars (rounded to 4)

Spell Bound is a beautiful book, and what caught my eye was the cover created by F.T. Lukens. Nevertheless, the story is excellent. There is a nice style to the writing, and the characters are clearly defined.

I really enjoyed this one! I had expected to, but after a string of disappointing reads, I was a bit worried. Clearly there was no reason to be, because this book was tons of fun!

My favorite thing about this was definitely the found family. Even if you ignore everyone but Antonia and Rook, it was adorable. Watching these two interact had me grinning from ear to ear. And the dynamic only got better when you added Fable and Sun in. Admittedly, I was shipping Fable and Antonia. I wouldn't complain if we returned to this world and got a romance between them... Anyways, I loved all of the characters and their interactions!

I also really liked the writing style. That's not something I say very often, but I thought the style worked great for Spell Bound. It was down to earth, and the humorous bits were legitimately humorous. I looked crazy a few times when this made me cackle in the middle of class.

I'm not sure if we're getting a Book 2 for this, but I would love to have one! I feel like there's so much more to address in this world, and these characters deserve more page time. I'd recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Representation: 5
Emotion: 4
Characters: 5
Plot: 4
Pacing: 4
Romance: 5

Actual Rating: 4.5

I'd recommend this book for people who are more focused on romance than action. There is some action and some tense scenes later in the book, but the first half focuses more on building Rook and Sun's (they/them) relationship. The first half also feels very episodic, with mini curse-breaking adventures, where the second half has more of an actual antagonist.

One character I feel like should have been mentioned Somewhere in the beginning. They were introduced three-quarters of the way in but somehow became part of the "found family" atmosphere at the end. There were certainly opportunities to introduce them earlier, so I'm not sure why Lukens didn't.

Another note: I don't think Young Adult books need to avoid swearing, but the F-word is said 34 times, and that seems excessive for the intended age group.

Review:
Spell Bound is my first of Lukens books and I am hooked. They have a very unique voice and a way of drawing me in that is fun and interesting. The main characters, Rook and Sun, are so different and still well paired together and their respective sorcerers are well rounded and dynamic. The magic system in this world is unique and I can see the care that was put into making it not only make sense but be interesting.

Rook and Sun are apprentices for frenemy sorcerers and they start off in an antaganistic way and I loved seeing them decide to be friends and then get throw together because of the rules of magic law in this world. Sun as a cat - well I didn't know I needed that but it was fantastic. One of my favorite parts of this book was the buildup. I didn't feel like it was rushed or forced. It felt natural and Lukens does a good job of showing this isn't all happening in one or two weeks. I appreciated the ending, but felt that was the one section of the story that was rushed and not entirely cohesive. That being said, I'm glad it ended the way it did so I'm not too upset by it all.

Synopsis:
Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

F.T. Lukens really turns the magic up a notch with their third book Spell Bound, both literally and figuratively. Not only is this book full of sorcery, curses, and jinxes; it also captured my heart with it's loveable queer cast, and a story that I enjoyed even more than their other works (In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After, respectively).

In Spell Bound, we follow a golden retriever in human form by the name of Rook, who is on a quest to fill his life with magic again after his sorceress grandmother's passing. He doesn't possess an ounce of magic, which means he is relegated to spend his days in sectors of the city with other non-magical folk - much to his misery. With his newly minted diploma in tow, he goes to the one magical place that might accept him: the office of sorceress Antonia Hex, infamous in the magical world but maybe the one person who'd stoop to offer him a job.

Things quickly take a turn when Antonia's rival, Fable, and their crabby apprentice, Sun, start to pop up more and complicate Antonia's business. Eternally grumpy and always dressed like a void, Sun makes Rook's life a whole lot more interesting, as he is determined to get their tough exterior to crack with his goofy smiles and unceasing cheerfulness.

I absolutely adore Sun and Antonia, I enjoyed the setting (completely different than Lukens's other books), and I was constantly smiling due to the antics these characters got up to. This is a perfect example of the grumpy/sunshine trope without ever feeling angsty. Not only is the love interest non-binary, but a few other characters are, too. It was lovely and definitely my favorite Lukens thus far.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

This was really interesting. Fantasy is not my go to, but when I saw this, I was like "oh this actually sounds good." The GRUMPY/SUNSHINE, FRENEMIES to LOVERS, the FOUND FAMILY, like this is what I have always wanted in a book.
I absolutely adored Rook. He is like a little cinnamon roll and I just wanna give him a hug and be his friend. He is a literal icon.
Sun I also really like. They're a grumpy emo like teen, and I'm living for it. And I love how much he changes throughout the book. Being a grumpy, not wanting to be friends, turning into a lot more vulnerable & open. They are like the curtains are finally opened after being shut for so long.

Also, Antonia & Fable were ICONIC, like they were always trying to one up each other, which normally I do not like, but it worked so well. Especially Antonia being the baddest b---h anyone can ever ask for.

The only thing preventing me from giving this a 5 star would honestly be the plot. It's not necessarily bad, it just felt like it was not timed correct. Like the first 2/3 of the book was kinda slow, and then the last 1/3 was way too fast & rushed.

Without spoiling it, I wish the main conflict came earlier than when it came. It would just make this so much better, but it does not takeaway the fact that this book is amazing. Rook & Sun are adorable. Antonia & Fable are literal Queens.


Thank you NetGalley for letting me have an eARC copy of this for an honest review.

FT Lukens continues to be one of my favorite new authors in the Queer YA realm. This is their best book yet! Not only is Spell Bound just a feel good story, but it's genuinely magical. I wish I knew the secret of imbuing books with magic like Lukens is capable of, because this book is full of magic, laughs, and adorable features that even the most serious of readers will smile over.

Rook and Sun are both apprentices to some well known sorcerers in this universe and when their teachers disappear they have to rely on each other to solve the mystery around their disappearances. This book will grab you in chapter 1 and won't let take those hooks out until you finish the book and discover all the magical secrets. Throw in some healthy dashes of friendship, found family, and romance and you have this masterpiece.

I am SMITTEN with this story and you can best believe that I will be purchasing this story as soon as it becomes available. I found myself smiling at my kindle over and over and I know many other readers will feel the same way.

This book was cute and fun. It was an enjoyable light-hearted read. At times the lack of vocabulary took me out of the book. There were quite a few repeat words and too short of sentences. However, I would recommend this book as almost cozy fantasy. The characters were at least somewhat well rounded and had depth.

Ever since I read In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens they have been an auto-buy author for me. This book did not disappoint.

I was truly captivated from the very first chapter and I needed to know what was going to happen next.

I highly recommend this book.