It was my birthday on the 30th and I was pretty sure that I would absolutely love this book after I read the blurb, so I decided to read this book for my birthday and I did a perfect choice, because this was just everything I wanted to be reading about.

This book was just perfect for me. I don’t even know how to describe how much I loved this book because this was just everything I enjoy reading about. The sorcerers setting in this book was so fantastic and add in a trival to lovers trope and I was in heaven.

This book was just everything I ever could have asked for, so thank you for providing me with such a wonderful reading experience.

The absolute LOVE I feel for everything F.T. Lukens writes is out of this world.
I adored this story with my whole heart! Cozy queer fantasy is my safe place, my happy space, and this book is like a warm hug of belonging. All the stars!

Super duper cute and fun! I greatly enjoyed getting to know Rook and Sun, Antonia and Fable. I loved the magical world building and the competition between Antonia and Fable's businesses - some of the jobs they take are so bizarre, I love it. While there's lots of cozy moments and places - like Fable's idyllic cottage by the magic forest and the whimsical cafe in the city - there's an underlying unease and inequality, which is the result of the controlling and always watching magical enforcement, Consortium. As Rook becomes more comfortable participating the magical world that he was barred from, the more he's in peril of being discovered by the Consortium. And then there's his forbidden friendship with Sun, who is apprenticed to Fable, Antonia's rival. Their relationship - from "frenemies" to friends to more - is well paced and gave me all the feels! While there aren't as many Sun POV chapters, I did enjoy getting their side of the story (especially after a certain magical event occurs). I was especially delighted that both Sun and Fable are nonbinary! Sweet, earnest, and full of longing and magic, Spell Bound is must read!

“you” i said.
“me” they said.

Y’ALL this book. this mother f-ing book. it was exactly what i needed right now. after a few recent flops, i needed something quick, something fun, something that would tug at the heartstrings. and this did all that and more.

now it’s no secret that i’ve adored f.t. lukens’ two predecessors to spell bound. and of course, when you have an author that is quickly and easily becoming an all time favorite, you always worry that their next release will live up to hype. all that worry was truly for nothing. something, some specific way f.t. lukens has with their books, it just grabs me by the collar and immerses me deeply into their worlds. from the first page, i was hooked. rook’s opening interactions with antonia, it felt so real to me, so raw, and it only got better from there.

we followed rook through their beginning stages working their way (back) into the magical world. trying to prove himself, doing whatever it took. we saw him bond with sun (sun, my sweet summer child we’ll get back to you soon, i promise). we saw him grow his skills as an “office staff”. we saw this little found family fight for each other and for what’s right. i cannot say how much i loved being mostly in rook’s footsteps. seeing his determination first hand. the sunshine to sun’s grump. i just, i have no words for how truly deeply i felt for rook.

on to sun, the grump with a heart full of love, buried deep down. sun, my short enby royalty who wears all black and hates to be touched by others without specific consent and only by certain people. are you me?? like truly, i cannot believe how much i saw them and was like, holy shit, that’s me. am i bit more outgoing, maybe? but only as a survival mechanism (haha kidding… sort of). i just, i love sun so deeply. they see things no others can, literally and figuratively, and they deserve all the love from those around them.

i loved this queernormative, urban fantastical world. i loved these characters and how they interacted. their humor. and i especially loved rook and sun, they own a special little place in my heart, tucked neatly alongside f.t. lukens’ other pairings. and i wish i had more of this world. more of this little group, doing the mundane magical things.

i didn’t know much about what this book was about going into it, just that there was magic. and beyond that i didn’t need to. i trust this author with my time. i know that i can open a door into their worlds and get lost in it. and with spell bound, i can easily push f.t. lukens into an all time favorite authors list. i wholeheartedly (and very impatiently) cannot wait to see what’s next. next for their books and for them.

F.T. Lukens always delivers. I can honestly say I’ve deeply enjoyed every book I’ve read of theirs; and Spell Bound is no exception. 



Spell Bound is about a magical world, much like ours, hello coffee shops and crappy apartments. Rook and Sun give the reader a duel perspective of the world and their respective apprenticeships with their powerful mentor sorceress/ers. There was a cute grumpy/sunshine, frenemies-to-lovers romance. They were never truly *enemies* exactly, just apprentices of rival sorcerers; who weren’t actually enemies either. But you get what I mean. The reader goes on this journey where every character is kind of looking for where they belong and acceptance. Mix in a corrupt magical government, a kind of kidnapping and a trial for show; and you’ve got a busy book you won’t want to put down until the last page.



I would recommend this book to those that enjoy a good magical apprentice book such as, but not limited to: Harry Potter, Howl’s Moving Castle, Uprooted, Shadow and Bone, and The Ancient Magus Bride. This one is good for those looking for some Nonbinary representation done right; as well as those willing to go searching for what they want, no matter where the road takes them.

This is the third book I’ve read by F.T. Lukens, and their books are a guaranteed delight.

This book is fast paced, some light fantasy (I’d say light fantasy? It’s not like super intense world building, and I’m totally okay with that because light fantasy is more my speed), there’s witty and humorous dialogue.

All the characters are so great, Antonia and Fable, Rook and Sun (my heart 🥹) Mavis is sort of randomly thrown in near the end but it’s okay she’s part of the team. If you love found family novels, this for SURE for you.

F.T. Lukens has easily become a must read author for me. Anything they write, I’ll read it. This book is such a fun time, I laughed out loud quite a bit, if you love cats 🐱 I’m excited for you to get about 60% in because what a wonderful surprise for you 😂.

A full review will be published on Instagram on April 5th at 6:00pm on @abookwormsgarden.

I was a big fan of So This Is Ever After, so I was excited to read Spell Bound. I adored Spell Bound. Rook and Sun were both fantastic characters. Their relationship development was phenomenal. I loved this world. I loved the ending. If you are looking for a fast paced read check out Spell Bound!

Thank You to Netgalley, Simon&Schuster and Margaret K. McElderry Books for allowing me to read this book!!

Plot: 6/10
Something about the pacing in this book felt off to me, but I think it's because the summary of this book kind of gives away the whole plot. The pitch of this book places a late, major plot development as the sort of initiating event, which isn't even slightly the case. A good half of this book is build-up to that moment, and it works just fine on its own! The tension between Antonia and Fable (and subsequent issues for Rook and Sun) is perfectly good at developing the plot on its own.

I've read Lukens' books before, namely So This Is Ever After, and they basically write romcoms that happen to benefit from the fantasy world they're set in. However, in Spell Bound, there is involvement with a bigger, more world-impacting plot, and I don't really like it that much. The conclusion feels very rushed, and Lukens' short-form and standalone style doesn't really have the space to properly address what this book is trying to do. Personally, I think this book should've been maybe a duology, even trilogy, that looks into the Consortium, its corruption, and more carefully deals with how Rook and the people around him would reform it. The ending is basically just Rook and Sun saying, "and now things are changing" which ultimately feels unsatisfying.

Characters: 8/10
I think the characters are the strong point of this book, especially when it comes to the romance. Rook and Sun, our two protagonists, don't have a ton of development, but they're fun characters from the beginning, and their growing relationship with each other is adorable to watch. Like I said, Lukens' books are rom-coms set in fantasy worlds, and Rook and Sun have it all. A meet-cute, a coffee shop date, only one bed, on the run together after breaking tons of magical laws—ok, maybe that last one isn't a trope, but it creates a lot of great situations for them to work through together.

The most interesting character, point-blank, is Antonia. Antonia Hex is the city's premier curse breaker, but she's known for more than that. Her magical power is so extreme that she could easily take down the Consortium and even rule the world. She's also banned from taking an apprentice, for reasons Rook is set on figuring out. She's just so interesting and has this crazy backstory; I'd be content with reading a book just about her!

The other major side characters, mostly Fable and Mavis, are a little underdeveloped. They seem to have a couple personality traits and really nothing else, but there is one other thing I liked about the characters. Queerness is treated as just utterly normal in this book; Rook and Sun's relationship is only an issue because Antonia and Fable hate each other, and Sun mentions they prefer they/them pronouns in their first meeting with Rook and their gender is never brought up again.

Writing Style: 7/10
I appreciate that Lukens decided to place this story in a modern equivalent fantasy world. One issue I had with So This Is Ever After was the extremely anachronistic language, and the modern setting pretty much solved that. It still wasn't amazing writing, but it kept that lighthearted tone going through the whole book. Rook and Sun are both very casual in their speech, which feels realistic, and this book successfully avoided the overused, annoying pop culture references that often inundate contemporary novels.

Overall: 7/10
Overall, I just found this book good. It was a quick, light, easy read, and it's definitely a welcome reprieve from the intense fantasy I normally read. The magic is pretty fun, and I really liked the romance. The plot was a little too much for so quick a book, and some of the side characters aren't as fleshed out as I'd like, but this is definitely a great book to just relax and blow off some steam while reading. It isn't a masterpiece, but I'd still recommend it, especially if you're just looking for a little fun.

This book was PURE MAGIC. I love the way the found family was woven through this story of taking down a corrupt government agency. As expected with Lukens, the queer representation was perfection. Charming, funny, and heartwarming.

Almost a 5 star for me! I found this story to be medium-fast paced and the characters to be quite enjoyable. However, I do think it was a little slow at the get go. It seemed to pick up at roughly 30% for me. I feel like this is the perfect summer read. I cant wait to read more from this author.

Not me over here thinking I'm Fable because I can't remember to water plants.

F.T. Lukens is back with yet another incredible fantasy romance! And personally, I think this one might be my favourite yet! SPELL BOUND takes two rival apprentice sorcerer's set in a contemporary magical society and forces them to work together to save their mentors. maybe they'll become friends...or even more along the way!!

This was such a joyful and interesting read, while still feeling genuine. It takes some of the classic tenets of a magic society and puts a new spin on them. I never felt like I was reading parts of some other book, although it did definitely make me want to work on an idea I've had on the back burner.

While the story didn't quite develop with the pacing or in the ways I expected, I still greatly enjoyed what it ended up doing. It ended up being pretty hard to put down despite the looming threat of my unfortunately non-magical life.

Another thrilling, fantastical read by F.T. Lukens! SPELLBOUND was everything I’ve come to expect from Lukens’ writing and so much more! I certainly found myself feeling spellbound as I tore through this thrilling story of magic, found family, morally gray badass sorcerers, and cursed objects. The rivals-to-frenemies dynamic between Rook and Sun was so much fun to watch blossom, and their adventure against their magical, oppressive government was something I didn’t foresee happening the way it ended up playing out. Overall, this was an exciting, heartwarming read that I can’t gush over enough!

4.5 stars

This is definitely my favorite book by Lukens. It feels different from the others, maybe because it's set in a world much closer to ours than the other books I've read? Whatever the reason, I adored this and basically binged it because I couldn't get enough.

The main characters are well developed and interesting, with Rook being funny and optimistic and Sun being introverted and sarcastic. Their relationship was so cute and I loved how Rook kept pursuing a friendship and didn't let Sun push him away. It was a fantastic grumpy/sunshine pairing.

The story was well paced, with plenty of magic, drama, and excitement. Antonia is a great side character, she's so anti-establishment and enjoys little rebellions. Can we be best friends?

I had a fun time reading this and highly recommend checking it out!

<i>I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's and NetGalley for the copy.</i>

Spell Bound follows 16 year-old Rook, who, after the death of his grandmother, was ousted from the magical community because he seemingly doesn’t possess any magic of his own. Refusing to lose his connection though, Rook created a ley line detector and marches straight into the office of the most powerful magic wielder of his time to ask for a job.

Antonia, while scary, can’t help but warm up to Rook pretty quickly. When Rook meets Sun, the apprentice of another local sorceress, the both of them can’t seem to stay away from each other, despite their frenemies situation. After all, Sun is a stickler for the rules, just as their sorceress teacher is. Whereas Antonia…has a long, difficult history with magic, apprentices and the community of her own and what starts as a fun way to defy the powers that be might just end up with all of them paying the ultimate price.

F.T. Lukens just knows how to pack a punch. Spell Bound has so many great components. There’s adventure and escapes, mutinous curtains and an unexpectedly cuddly cat.

One of the best parts of Spell Bound (and really, any F.T. Lukens book) is the worldbuilding. The magic system is pretty complex but Lukens manages to make it all easily digestible while showing the strengths and advantages of everyone and their individual magic.

I also loved the dynamic of the characters and how it mirrored society at large. Rook is being kept out of the community simply because he is believed to have no magic but Antonia sees something in him that reminds her of herself at a younger age, the underdog fighting to belong. Antonia, meanwhile, is struggling with the thumb she’s been kept under ever since something happened with her previous apprentice. It’s clear that Antonia is an incredible powerful sorceress and her breaking the rules is as daunting and ultimately thrilling as you’d expect.
There were also subtle hints at gatekeeping and especially with the magical overlords who hold strong to their traditions (read: backward ways that need to be eradicated already) and don’t want to see how things are changing, you can’t help but think of today’s society. I absolutely loved how nuanced this discussion was and how we had queer, neurodivergent characters who challenged the system and turned the world upside down – really, you can’t root enough for these characters.

And of course, we have the fun grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Sun and Rook that made this book even better. I absolutely adored Rook’s sunny disposition and his passion for magic. And I loved Sun who has so much going on in their head and takes a while to warm up to Rook but once they do, you can just tell they’d go to the ends of the earth for him.

On top of that you have people reluctantly teaming up to save the people they care about, the concept of finding a home when yours has been taken from you and the dangers of being different than the norm, which made for an intoxicating, action-packed and fast-paced story. All I can say is, if you need a break from reality, then this book is for you.

Following two rival apprentices that just can’t stay away from each other, Spell Bound is a magical tale filled with fun transformations, grumpy/sunshine vibes, intriguing conversations around what it means to be lost and lonely but inevitably found and a sweet hint of romance that will tug at your heartstrings.

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens delivers a heartwarming charming story about a boys quest to get back the feeling of the magic his dearly departed grandmother used. This is a true testament to the heights that can be achieved in YA Fantasy. Rook, Sun, Fable and Antonia, are all really well realized fully fleshed out characters. The story interesting cover to cover. The magic system is clear and concise. This is a book that I would recommend to anyone of any age or reading taste, and I am confident they would enjoy it. It will definitely ending up being one of, if not my favorite read of the year.

This story is fun and full of heart. Rook is a really quirky character who wears his heart on his sleeve, and that is something I always enjoy. The way he interacts with every character is just really interesting to read. The story takes its time building up, and that is fine because the banter between the characters is more than entertaining. The found family aspect of the story is surprisingly well done, and it’s only su[rosing because it was mostly unexpected. I didn’t really have a huge grasp on where the story was gonna turn or where it was going, and I mean that in a good way. F.T. Lukens does a really good job of pacing out the story in an almost slice of life way. The main conflict is always there but it blends so well into the reality that the characters live in that you don’t really feel it coming until it’s right in your face. For a large part of the book it kinda gives a romance vibe which I overtly enjoyed. This really makes me excited to see what else Lukens has done, and I feel like she gave me new hope for the YA Fantasy genre after not reading it for a long time.

I really need there to be some sort of sequel to this. I’m not convinced there will be, mostly because Lukens has not done one, and the story raps up pretty nicely. I just really enjoyed the world building and would love to see what Lukens could do next here.

The story did have a couple of close calls. Mavis does show up out of nowhere and so it’s a little hard to mess her into this small cast of characters that is so well fleshed out. That is a very minor issue for me though because it didn’t feel like she was included as a last resort in the story. I feel like she sped up what could have been aimless meandering in a longer book. For a book that clocks in under 350, a lot happens and I don’t think any time is wasted.

Overall I think this book stands out in the same way it’s cover does. A much needed pop of color on a sometimes over produced landscape. 10/10 loved and would recommend to anyone who will listen.

This book was provided via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review!

In Spell Bound we follow Rook who is looking for a way that he can connect to magic again after the death of his grandmother. He’s hired by Antonia Hex, a powerful sorceress and quite frankly a whole mood, who runs a curse breaking business aptly named Hex-a-Gone. Rook can’t see the magic lay lines magic users use to access magic in this world but he’s made a device that might be able to detect them and his new job should give him the chance to test it out. Along the way he meets Sun who is apprenticed to Fable, and who sometimes work together with Antonia to break larger curses. When the Magical Consortium gets wind of Rooks device they come for Antonia and Fable and Rook and Sun have to work together to get their mentors back.

Rook working at Hex-a-Gone was a really fun and great introduction to the magic system how things work in this world. As the story progresses the relationships between the characters and their personalities bring so many fun interactions and emotional moments. This book is like a warm cozy sweater, it’s an absolute delight. It has magic, rivals, lovable characters, and adventure. F.T. Lukens is always a must read for me and this is no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Spell Bound was so cute and fun and I absolutely LOVED IT!! It's definitely a perfect cozy urban fantasy and I loved how, even though it was a magical romp, it felt realistic and true to life. I really enjoyed all of the character, but Rook and Sun were absolutely adorable. They truly brought out the best in each other and made such a great pair worth rooting for. Antonia and Fable were also great and both made me laugh a lot throughout the novel. All in all it was a light, magical read with a dash of romance, some humor and some great writing by F.T. Lukens!

(3.75 Stars)

It’s time to dive into another enchanting world created by everyone’s favorite Fantasy YA Author!

Edison Rooker may not have magic, but he does have technology and his new invention, the Spell Binder. After losing his grandmother and his last connection to the magical world, he convinces one of the most powerful sorceresses to hire him as a secret apprentice.

Antonia Hex has some other secrets of her own, including why she’s been forced by the Magical Consortium to only answer house calls for jinxes, hexes, and curses. Not to mention they have to make sure to stay out of the way of her rival, Fable, and their apprentice, Sun.

But when the Consortium discovers they’re trying to combine technology and magic, Rook and Sun only have each other to defend themselves from the organization. They have a lot of work to do, as it’s either that, or risk losing their magic forever.

When reading a new fantasy book, it can be daunting to learn new rules, creatures, and settings. Lukens achieves what they do best beautifully in Spell Bound by developing a whole new universe for their reader without holding their hand the entire way. They know when to begin backing off on further explaining the mysterious Consortium’s rules and regulations without leaving anyone in the dark.

The only reason it’s difficult to give this novel a four star rating is because of how long it took to pick up. By the time the main conflict was revealed, the novel was almost over! However, as slow paced as it was in the beginning, the complex characters of Rook, Sun, and their counterparts make Spell Bound impossible to put down. The character growth throughout is compelling, especially towards the modern argument of tradition versus technology, and the reason why three stars was not enough. Perhaps Rook’s next invention should be a new number!

If you enjoy being fully immersed in all things mystical, but still enjoy a side of modern technology, be sure to pick up Spell Bound starting today! Many thanks to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens is a YA fantasy romance novel. Edison Rooker isn't magical and with the death of his grandmother he's lost his only connection to magic. So with wits and determination he strides right up to power witch, Antonia Hex's business and asks for a job. Surprisingly, the Hex-A-Gone owner gives him a new name, Rook, and hires him. Rook does have a itty bitty secret, however, in the form of an illegal device that can detect magic.

Keeping the contraband technology away from the magical government - the Magical Consortium - isn't easy especially when Rook's path keeps crossing with Antonia's magical rival Fable and her grumpy apprentice, Sun. Despite Rook's best efforts, the Consortium catches on to him and Rook has no one to turn to but Sun if either of them hopes to save their mentors or magic for them all.

I was really impressed by this novel!! I'll admit I was a bit hesitant to read this one given that I was disappointed by another novel by F.T. Lukens, but the premise - and the cover!! - of this one really grabbed my attention and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.

Rook and Sun - sunshine and grump - were so cute to read about and I couldn't stop grinning half the time! I loved how their relationship progressed throughout the novel.

Set in the real world, this novel also was easy to connect to and not get lost in the world of magic. The magic system made sense and was interesting, especially in a few hilarious ways (the coatrack and the carpet!).

I'd definitely recommend Spell Bound to lovers of fantasy romance, witty interactions and LGBTQ+ stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Children's publishing for an eARC of this novel. All thoughts and opinions contained within this review are my own.

Firstly, can we get a big standing ovation for whoever does the art on all of F.T. Lukens' covers? Every single one is so beautiful and this one is just :chef kiss:. I had so much fun reading this book. I loved the magic system and world building. All the characters felt like real people and I LOVED Rook. So good!