Incomplete Trope List
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Found Family
• Queernorm World
• Magical Apprentices

If you’re anything like me, that all sounds amazing. Some of my favorite tropes, really. And for the most part, it was everything I wanted. It was cute, and sweet, and while I may not have laughed out loud it definitely made me grin at times. One of my favorite things about this book was just how queer-normative it was – no one assigned labels to anything, no one ever judged or even commented. We had multiple characters who used they/them pronouns, and it was never once a source of drama or comment. Even a flyer at one point used the correct pronouns. I loved it.

Beyond that, Rook was a delightful ray of sunshine and I related to Sun perhaps more than I like to admit with their prickly attitude and aversion to unprompted physical touch. I really appreciated their relationship, especially how easily Rook respected Sun’s boundaries and their anxiety. Everyone, take note.

Overall, it was super cute and I’d highly recommend it! I can’t exactly put my finger on what’s keeping it at four stars for me rather than five, just that something kept me from fully connecting as deeply as I’d like, but judging by my recent reads I fully believe that’s a me-problem and nothing to do with the story itself. So if this sounds interesting to you, I’d suggest picking it up!

Release Date: April 4, 2023
I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
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.

I loved this book so much. It was such a fun book. I loved Rook and Sun. I also loved the found family trope within this book. The magic system was so unique and I loved the urban feel to it. I was hooked from the start. I have loved all of F.T. Lukens books but this one has been my favorite so far!

Have you read anything by FT Lukens before? Then you’ll like this book.
Do you like found family, grumpy-sunshine romance, stories about magic, or mysterious over powered government organizations? Then you’ll like this story.

FT Lukens consistently delivers adorable diverse casts that you love to cheer on. I spent the majority of time reading this with a ridiculous grin. Loved every minute of it.

i was so excited to get this as my first ever arc. i have become a fan of f.t lukens having read in deeper waters and so this is ever after and could not wait to read spell bound.
spell bound is a lovely light heartened queer fantasy. the pace of the book was fast and had an easy flow to it. it definitely is more character driven than plot driven. like lukens others works, i often feel like there is just enough plot to guide the story along but never truly evolves more than that.
the relationship that unfolds between rook and sun was well done. the found family that the characters create is perfect. i absolutely love the non-binary representation in this book and adore the character of sun. there were some parts, especially towards the end, that did feel a bit rushed. i wish we knew more about mavis. her entering to the story felt a bit sudden so i did wish this aspect was expanded upon a bit more. but overall i enjoyed the story immensely and would recommend it to anyone who was looking for an easy but pleasant read.
there is always something so comforting about lukens works. the story/characters are always well done and enjoyable. i am a sucker for happy magical queer stories and lukens always delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This book was excellent! It’s my first time reading one of the author’s novels, but I’ve wanted to read one for a while.

Things I liked:
1. The characters!! It is told first person POV from two different people, Sun and Rook. Both voices are very distinct and I had no trouble telling them apart, which is something I normally struggle with while having multiple POVs.
2. The romance!! It is pretty obvious that they are going to get together, nobody ever comes between them. They are literally the sunshine x midnight rain couple, which was fun to read about.
3. Because Rook doesn’t know much about the world, his boss Antonia has to teach him all about curses and jinxes. These acted like info dumps but they didn’t feel like one because the main character had to learn everything the reader learns about their world.

Things I didn’t like (as much):
1. This felt more like a romance with a fantasy subplot rather than a fantasy with a romance subplot. It didn’t really bother me, but I wish there was a little more about the larger impacts of magic in this world and nonmagical people. We only really got to see a few characters with magic, and I would love to read more about this universe.
2. It was a little slow to get the main plot started, but I wasn’t annoyed by that because I enjoyed reading about the characters' interactions a lot.

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens is an adorable mid-stakes fantasy with a MLNB relationship. This book was fast-paced, cozy, and gave me lots of laughs and lots of feels. This book involves magic, found family, and discovering how one belongs in the community.

All of the character in this book have very distinct personalities that play off one another and seem to jump off the page. Sun and Rook have a grumpy x sunshine dynamic that was a delight to read, and Fable and Antonia's rivalry was a joy to read. Lukens paints a beautiful picture with his words, and I was able to see every scene playing out before me as I read. The end had me very emotional, as Rook discovered where he belonged and finally found a community and was allowed to relax and just be a kid again.

I do wish this book had showed us a more clear resolution to the reform or dissolution of the consoritorium, the oppressive governing body that keeps magic regulated and away from those that cannot see ley lines. The climax felt slightly stunted and like we did not get true closure because of that. Overall though, I absolutely adored this book and would happily recommend it.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for this early Netgalley copy of Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens.

What happens when an ambitious young customer service agent with a secret agenda and a surly—yet adorable—sorceror with a mysterious power team up with a common goal?

Edison “Rook” Rooker has been alone for a year, and all he wants is to re-enter the magical world that he loves so deeply. Enter Antonia Hex, the most rebellious and powerful sorceror in Spire City; Fable Page, Antonia’s longtime rule-following rival; and Sun, Fable’s deadpanning apprentice. Along with this cast of vibrant characters, Rook will inadvertently change the magical world forever… and maybe fall in love in the process.

Let me start by vehemently expressing that I’ve never read a book this unapologetically cute.

Lukens has packed this novel full of classic, irresistible tropes: frenemies to lovers, sunshine vs. grumpy, found family. These tropes can be easily forced or obvious, but never in Spell Bound did they feel heavy-handed. At its heart, this is a story about community and belonging, and about what (often desperate) lengths we will go to, each in our own ways, to feel welcome somewhere we long to be.

It’s hard for me to say anything negative about this book because it was just so well-meaning and precious. Perhaps the dialogue was a tad unrealistic at times. Perhaps the plot went from occasionally meandering to suddenly rushing by. Overall, my admiration of the characters made these nitpicks seem trifling in comparison. If it all ends happily and I enjoy the lighthearted ride, how can I complain?

Spell Bound could perhaps be compared to Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, but I actually preferred this book. The story was more original and easier to follow, and the characters were absolutely undeniable. How do you not root for Rook and Sun? For Antonia and Fable? Lukens has done an excellent job of creating magical characters that are also charming, relatable, and accessible—and all likable, which to me is certainly a feat.

This young-adult fare is suitable for young teenagers and up. I recommend it for fans of Rainbow Rowell, readers of fanfiction, and trope-loving Tumblr users. Speaking of, did anyone else think of Buzzfeed Unsolved after looking at the cover art (beautifully done by Sam Schechter)?

CW: occasional profanity.

☆ ☆ ☆ - GOOD

I wanted to enjoy this one but I found the plot, story, and characterizations hard to follow and not really resonate the best for me at times.

Five Starss ⭐️
Really cute book
I have read books by this author before and i absolutely loved them , i was interested in this book from start to finish. Really thankful to have been given this arc :)

This book felt like a hug. It was comforting and supremely affirming.

The characters, dialogue, and dual POV were simply magical. The magic system was super interesting and the Consortium was a fantastically grounded in real-life evil.

The found family trope stole my heart and the romance was so fantastically sweet.

I wish the book had a little more world-building, I feel like it would have rounded out the world of Spire City a bit more. I also wish the courtroom showdown was a little longer, the bulk of the fight seemed over super quickly and a little too neatly for such a formidable bad.

Is a sequel planned? I would happily read a bunch of books in this magical universe!

Edison Rooker is lonely and looking for a place to belong when he walks into Hex-a-gone to ask the notorious and powerful Antonia Hex to give him a job.

After his magical grandmother died, leaving him without family, he was tested and found to be non magical and shunted to a piece of the city with not even a glimmer of magic.

He’s missed the connection to magic and wants to be a part of it, even if he can’t do spells himself.

Soon he finds himself gifted with a special name, meeting a special person, and getting tangled up in rule breaking that brings the Consortium (the magical government kinda) down on him.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publisher F.T. Lukens and NetGalley for the ARC of Spell Bound.

I loved this book. The characters are so relatable—Rook with his optimism. Sun is very cautious and shy at times, I don't usually read YA, but I saw the cover art, read the description, and decided to try it. The book starts off jumping right in. Everyone knows about magic, but only some people can use it. Rook is trying to find belonging in the world of magic. The world-building is fantastic. It felt like I was there. It is based on modern times.

This book delivers on the grumpy/sunshine trope. Sun wants to be left alone, while Rook is trying to find his place in the world. I love how Rook interacts with the customers. It is sweet. Sun is very introverted and wants to do the work without talking to anyone.

I recommend reading this book if you love fantasy and YA.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc

I would like to first clearly state that my reason for reading this book was because of the summary sounding very modern Merlin-esque. And that was all that was needed to make me interested.

This book was everything I wanted. It gave me soooooo many feels and the grumpy-sunshine romance? Pure perfection! I literally read the entire book in the span of 4 hours, mostly because every time I tried to put it down, I picked it back up.

I have decided that this means that I will probably like anything that F.T. Lukens' writes. I mean 3 books out of 3 being highly rated by me has created an auto-buy author.

I highly recommend this book!

When non-magical Rook finds himself entering the humble offices of the most powerful sorcerer in Spire City, he doesn't anticipate that he will be welcomed. After all, he's been thrust out of the world of magic since the passing of his magical grandmother, resorting to building a device that helps him to see magic. But when Antonia Hex agrees to bring him onboard as office staff, Rook finds himself allying with one of the Consortium's biggest pains. Through his work, he meets Sun, the apprentice of Antonia's rival, Fable. Together, Rook and Sun work to uncover the truth about Antonia's past, and discover just how far they're willing to go to be a part of the magical community.

F.T. Luken's "Spell Bound" is a quick read, one that is lighthearted and doesn't spend too long on withholding the action of the plot. While the story is pretty straight foward, the reader doesn't get enough of an immersion into the magical world that Rook and Sun are a part of throughout. Having read Lukens' "In Deeper Waters," I knew what kind of writer they were, and its wonderful to see that playful tone continue in this novel. On the whole, unfortunately, I just didn't connect with the two lead characters in the same way I have with the others; both of them just felt a little too one dimensional, with the constant burgeoning romance between the two as a very one-note throughline. This isn't to say the book isn't good, but it felt like something that has already done before. I will give the book points for being a self-contained or standalone story as too often we find these books as the beginning of series, and because of that, the initial book is nothing more than a 300 page setup for the rest of the books to come. That said, the story is open ended enough that should Lukens ever wish to revisit this cast, I think it would be a welcome read and one that could explore the aftermath of the final portions of the book in an interesting way.

4 stars

This was a cute magical romance. My one problem with this book is that it took almost 150 pages for something to happen. Other than that, it was a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

Spell Bound two rival apprentices having to work together to save their teachers, with going through their own struggles. Rook is a genius who was not allowed into the magic community after his grandmother passed and Sun was a grumpy boy who has been with magic forever .This book was phenomenal and I enjoyed it so much. I loved the relationships between all the characters. Rook and Sun's relationship is so cute and I loved how they had little sayings between them. Their relationship made me happy with Rook having a "sunshine" personality and Sun being the grump. This was such a nice read and I'm glad I was able to read it early. I also loved Antonia's rule breaking self and her love and trust in Rook, which showed him that he belonged in the magic community. I will definitely be recommending this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

Let's start with a question...
Did I finish this book in one day? Yes, definitely!

Dear reader,
I asked you to pre-order this book now, because It was very VERY GOOD!!!!!

First, Spell Bound had a comedic storyline. I laughed a lot when I read this. Both Rook and Sun were so funny, not to mention the other characters. It didn't miss or hit comedy punchlines, it was all hit!!

Secondly, Their characters and relationships were so adorable and moving. I really liked how FT Lukens made Sun and Rook relationship seem like Antonia and Fable, with a bit of romance of course!!

Third, Representation of what it felt like to be part of a community, even if you didn't have a big thing in common with them.

Fourth, Rook and Sun's sweet and adorable romance. They were perfect. No Debate!! It was slow
burning romance.

Fifth and one of the most important things... A certain character that turned into CAT!!!! IT WAS SO CUTE AND ADORABLE!!!

Overall, It was just so good.... I really wished I could read this book like the first time again.

What I enjoy about all of Lukens' books, this one included, is how seamlessly they bring you into their fantasy worlds. Sci-Fi and fantasy are genres I really enjoy, but like a lot of people I often struggle to get started do to the sometimes overwhelming world-building and info-dumping needed to set the stage. Lukens never has that problem, throwing you straight into the story and giving you pieces of information as you need them. This makes you easily able to delve into the story without having to worry about keeping up.

This story is very warm and cotton-candy sweet. The stakes don't feel high, and I would never say I was at the edge of my seat or unable to put the book down. But, that can be a very good thing. Sometimes you want to relax and just be happily entertained by an easy, happy story, and that's what this is.

The four main characters are all lovely and engaging. You are rooting for Rook and Sun from the start, and instantly like both of them. The main conflict doesn't start until you are halfway through the book, so this isn't the book to read when you are wanting a heavily plot driven page turner. But this is the book to curl up with on a rainy day to make you feel warm and happy and peaceful.

Spell Bound is a warm and sweet story about Rook and Sun, the apprentices of two rival sorcerers in Spire City. Our two protagonists embark on a journey of self-discovery, romance, and finding where (and with whom) they belong.

I really liked both characters from the beginning.and felt that they had distinct narrative voices. The sorcerers that they work for and other side characters were interesting to me as well. The budding romance between Rook and Sun is sweet and did not feel forced. I appreciated how accepting everyone was of Sun's non-binary identity and pronouns as well.

I would have preferred for the fantasy conflict of the book to begin. a bit earlier; it felt a little underdeveloped and rushed to me, but I did enjoy what we were given for the conflict, I just would have liked it to be a bit more fleshed out.

Overall, this is a sweet and fun YA fantasy with a strong emphasis on found family and believing in yourself.

Now this is a world I wouldn't mind returning to and getting lost in.

Overall, a good, solid read. I loved the world building and how it expanded throughout the story, rather than just being a big ole info dump right at the start. I adored the characters and found myself rooting for them as the story progressed. And the magic world itself that we are pulled into was a great approach.

Plus, I am such a sucker for the grumpy sunshine trope. Rook was a great lead character and his developement overall was strong and consistant. If I had to pick one gripe, it'd be that the switching POVs didn't really feel different from one another. Inside the dialogue, you could see how Rook and Sun differ, but outside, the sarcasm and humor was pretty similar. Perhaps that just goes to show how Rook and Sun connect, and it wasn't enough to really deter me from the story, so I'm not holding it against the book.

Though the book did wrap up nicely, I - selfishly - want more. I want to know what happens later on down the road; both with the characters and the resolution of the main conflict.