I enjoyed this queer YA horror/romance/fantasy so so much! Set in a realistic world where magic does exist in secret, there was a lot of relatable content (queerphobia and hate). I loved that this was a completely different direction for author Jason June and I was totally here for it!

This story features a gay magical cowboy, a spell casting competition to "cull" out the less magically gifted, found family, scary monsters, loss, love and everything in between. This was also GREAT on audio narrated by the author himself and the way things ended left it open for a sequel or series (fingers crossed)!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review! The overall message of the power of love to conquer evil and hate was powerful and applicable to the everyday life queer teens are faced with all the time.

I absolutely adored this book. This was the first book in a while that I’ve been able to finish in almost one sitting. I loved the vibe of this book, from the setting, to the world building, to the characters! It was also perfectly set up for a sequel. As a person who does not particularly enjoy fantasy, I loved this book.

i think i would’ve liked it more if i read it when i was younger. still it was a really cute book and i enjoyed it a lot!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The synopsis and the cover absolutely spoke to me. It sounds like such a great book, I mean, who doesn’t want to read about a queer cowboy in a fantasy romance? Sadly, this book was not for me. I had a hard time getting into it, and I think Jason June’s books must not be for me. I liked Jay’s Gay Agenda, but I did not like Out of the Blue, however I wanted to get Jason another chance. It was a mistake. For a fantasy book, it felt like it was more of a subplot and the fantasy/magic was not fully thought-out and I was disappointed. I love fantasy romances, but it seems to be more romance than anything and there wasn’t a lot done on the fantasy aspect. Overall, the book also feels very rushed, and I feel like it could of been split up in a few books where Jason could have explore this world and its characters a lot more. Go more in-depth in the magic side, and overall create a better, more entertaining story. This book is not *bad* by any means, it just does not fit my preferences in a story, nor did it met what I was expecting when being compared to books such as Cemetery Boys and Carry On. It holds the groundworks for a really amazing series, if Jason went that route instead.

3.5 🌟

This book was a really enjoyable read! I struggled a little to get into it because there were a lot of pop culture references, something I'm not a huge fan of but that's just personal preference. Once I got past that, I realised that the story at the heart of this book was super heartwarming with loveable characters and an extremely diverse cast. I've never read any of Jason June's works before and this was definitely a great introduction to his writing.

The Spells We Cast was fast paced, there was action on nearly every page and the world building was really fascinating! We follow Nigel, a cowboy with magical powers that have been passed down through his family for generations. In the magical society that he's a part of, there is a culling every year for all the 18 year olds which decides whether they get to keep their magic or have it stripped away forever! During the first task, Nigel meets Orion, a fellow magic weilder with whom Nigel feels an immediate spark.

The romance in this book was so cute, and I don't feel that it took away or overpowered the plot at all. Both things worked really well together, with the romance influencing the plot and vice versa. There are also lots of side characters which are well fleshed out and interesting in their own right.

The only reasons I didn't rate this book higher were the constant pop culture references, which I feel won't age particulary well, and the fact that the romance moved extremely quickly for the time period that the book was set over (less than a week). Other than those small hang ups, this book was delightful and I'll definitely be looking out for the sequel, especially after that cliffhanger!

I’ve never read a magical western before but it was a fun theme that stayed unique throughout. I also appreciated that our main character was a cowboy but everyone else had their own theme so the whole book wasn’t just magical cowboys. It was perfect how his mind turned to farm animals as a way to solve problems.
The romance felt a little one sided, which is often the nature of a grumpy/sunshine trope, and also the nature of first person point of view. Ori had a reason for being grumpy which worked for plot but it hurt the romance aspect. I didn’t mind the soulmate trope because it felt like it was tied to their magic and not just the romance, and the power boost was later revealed to sometimes happen among close family members, which made sense.
I liked that the entire book focus wasn’t on the trials but got interrupted by something bigger which actually helped the plot. I shouldn’t be surprised that there was a cliffhanger leading to a second volume since it felt like the world-building here lent itself to more stories.
Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys some fantasy elements with their romance.

Just the cutest queer cowboy story! All magicians must go through the culling, because magic needs to be culled to be safely controlled. Nigel and Ori should be rivals, but all Nigel has ever wanted is to find his people and have true relationships with people he doesn’t have to hide his magic from, and Ori is determined to ignore Nigel, tragically fighting to have what killed his older sister. The boys are opposites in many ways, their type of magics are strong individually but together? It’s beyond what’s anyone’s ever seen and as great as that sounds it’s not what’s expected of them and causes lots of unforeseen issues. The boys are in trouble, they must fight their way through the culling, keeping their magic secret but their connection refuses to let anything be that easy. A crushing system pits all these teens against each other, the pressure from the adult magicians is intense and the way forward is rarely easy and clear but this blooming relationship will surely endure all and come out swinging

The Spells We Cast is a YA, LGBTQ romcom that follows Nigel Barrett, a teenage magician, as he embarks on the adventure of his lifetime: the Culling. The Culling is a spell-casting competition, used to determine whether or not a teenage magician should keep their powers. Sparks fly when he meets Ori Olson, and the competition really ramps up.

The book is incredibly fast-paced from the jump, which definitely makes it a compulsive read. However, I would argue that there is simply too much going on for one book -- especially in one that already seems so clearly set up to be part of at least a duology, if not a longer series. This book desperately needed to slow down and flesh out its characters and its world. Instead of the insta-love and insta-friendships that we got, I would have appreciated some more thoughtful explanations of the history of magic, the numerous magic systems, the Guild, and the Culling itself. It was difficult to invest in anything that was happening because it all seemed to get resolved in a matter of pages. The entire book takes place over just a few days, and I'm not sure when our characters even had time to breathe during that time, much less build real relationships and demonstrate their magical skills.

June absolutely has a fun and adventurous story to tell here. If there is a second book on the way, I hope that the history and magic systems can be explored more in depth, and that the characters have the chance to really interact in meaningful ways. I think readers of June's other works will definitely enjoy the story that's developing here.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book.

There has better be a sequel coming soon, please! You can’t end on a cliffhanger like that and not expect me to beg.

Guys, The Spells We Cast was such a fun ride. The main character is a magic cowboy, for crying out loud; how would this book ever not be a hoot? Nigel Barrett is a sweetheart, a born and raised cowboy who wants to find where and with whom he belongs, having just been dumped, and hopes that making it through the Culling, a magic competition which decides if teenage magicians get to keep their magic or not, will finally give him that. And then, he meets Orion Olson during the first task.

From the first moment they meet, Nigel is weak in the knees, filled with sparks and develops the mother of all crushes. It's adorable. It’s also magical. Whenever these two touch, their magic gets amplified, causing a lot of problems that are in desperate need of fixing. Stat.

The only issue I have with this book is that the whole thing takes place over about 3 days. Don’t get me wrong, that makes for an exciting and fast-paced adventure, but for romance, it makes it a lot unbelievable. Though still cute, and I plan on reading the next instalment if/when that arrives.

This is a good book for fans of Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and Cemetery Boys, filled with magic and fantasy, while still being grounded in the issues of the real world. really enjoyed the overarching theme of love and acceptance of all overcoming darkness. There were a lot of interconnected conflicts and characters that I hope to see and get resolved in a sequel. While there were parts that were slow at times, there ended up being a lot of twists that I didn't necessarily see coming. Even if there were parts that felt cliche at times, the cliffhanger ending and relationships between the characters made me like this book!

This was amazing. I read a lot of books this year, but The Spells We Cast just landed at #1 for me. Nigel is an absolute delight and I just can’t get enough of this sweet, adorable cowboy who finds his person. June masterfully develops Nigel, Ori, and Bex into the next Golden Trio and I can’t wait to see this evolve into an entire 3…4…5 book?! series for me to share with my students.

We need more stories where love wins.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The above is my honest opinion. Also, thank you Jason June - for without you, I never knew what I was missing when I ate a Trashy Taco.

Jason June's The Spells We Cast was a super fun, super queer YA romantasy book (that I seriously hope is the first in at least a duology?). I thought the premise of the fantasy story was an interesting one, and I enjoyed seeing how the different types of magical characters used their powers to progress through the challenges. As with similar books in this vein, the fantasy setting felt more like a vehicle for some of the romance and friendships, than a fantasy for its own sake, but I still found myself sucked into the story and the plot along the way. I recently enjoyed F.T. Lukens' Spell Bound, and think that fans of that book would also enjoy this one.

My biggest not-quite-issue, but question, is just whether this book is intended to have a sequel, because it leaves off on a kind of abrupt cliffhanger, and I haven't been able to find any indication online about whether to expect a sequel. I imagine yes, and am working on that assumption, in which case I look forward to reading the next book, but if not, then I would definitely take some issue with the way the book ended.

Overall though, I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to checking out more work by Jason June!

"The Spells We Cast" by Jason Dune is an absolute amazing story and I am so honored I was chosen to read it first. The character development is amazing, The storyline is well thought out and easy to read. You truly fall in love with the characters and the story. This will be a great fall read and I think Halloween season is the best time to release this novel.

Confusing plot (waaaaaay too much going on here), unexplained magic system, unlikeable characters in an unbelievable romance...I just can't in good conscience recommend this book.

"."

TL;DR: If you like Jason June's other YA books, you'll probably like this one.
An overly-stuffed, whiplash-inducing fast paced, queer cowboy romance with a fantasy subplot (more on that below) that has so. much. potential. That potential is ultimately glossed over in the interest of another physical-attraction-is-romance story where "Love" is the main magic. Ticks all the boxes for a YA Fantasy Epic, but fails to engage with them or do something different.
Heads up: if I love a book (or straight up hate it), my review is going to be fairly short -- I want you to read it, to experience it for yourself, and my needlessly gushing for 1000 words isn't going to really tell you much more than my initial thoughts.
But when I'm frustrated by a book, my reviews tend to be longer -- because I want to explain that I'm not bashing or attacking the story for arbitrary reasons, but trying to explain why I was frustrated, what I found problematic, and what didn't work *for me.*
<i><b>I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i></b>

Vibes: IDK. Honestly, this was all over the place.
Harry Potter + Hunger Games + Yellowstone + a chaotic mish-mash of magical systems & creatures.

Genre: True YA Queer Romance.
There are fantasy parts to this story, but this is, first and foremost, a romance story.

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
See above.

Character MVP: Probably Bex -- Nigel's "best friend" (I use scare quotes because they seriously know each other for 2 days and are like, "BFFS!") who seems to be the only one who has some sense.

Verdict: 2.5 stars, rounding down.
This book made me mad. And when I wasn't mad, I was eyerolling.
Warning: Massive spoilers will abound below.

So, I did what I said I wasn't going to do, which is read another Jason June book. I tried their first 2 books, and was very "meh" about them, one for admittedly personal, subjective reasons. But it's Pride Month -- and I love queer stories, and I love supporting queer authors, and I really, really, really wanted to love this book.

But.

I didn't.

And before I get into why, let me just reiterate that two of my biggest pet peeves are:
(1) lackluster world-building and
(2) when MCs in fantasy stories -- specifically those with High Stakes World Ending Events that the MCs are trying to stop/solve/thwart -- stop their mission to be romantic. (I don't mean a tearful kiss goodbye; I mean a full on make-out session or throw a party.)
There's a reason that the Fantasy Greats are just that -- "great." It's because the world is so carefully thought and planned out, the magic system so carefully crafted that it (largely) makes sense. No series is perfect -- there are always going to be questions and minor plot holes; why *didn't* Gandalf just fly with the eagles to throw the One Ring into Mount Doom? -- but for most of the series, it seems logical and inevitable, and you accept it.

That did not happen here.

Before I get into why, let me clarify what I think Jason June did well here:
✓ -- as always with Jason June's stories, the representation is one of the saving factors. There's so much diverse representation -- not for the sake of diversity -- that it's normalized and inclusive and feels natural.
And if I had a voracious reader -- particularly a LGBTQ+ teen -- I'd probably recommend this book to them, based on that fact alone. But I think that there are queer authors doing great worldbuilding work *and* character development -- like Kalynn Bayron or Anna-Marie McLemore or Tracey Deonn -- that I'd recommend them first.
✓ -- strong female characters. Both Bex -- Nigel's friend -- and Meema (Nigel's grandmother) are unapologetically strong female characters, and I appreciate that.
✓ -- creative potential. There's a strong potential here, and the chapters where June focuses on what should be the main focus of the story (e.g., the second Culling task, where Nigel and Ori work together) are some of the strongest in the book.

But, just as they did with [book:Out of the Blue|58931216], the fantasy elements seem to be this creative way to support the romance, rather than a fully developed magical system.

Here's what didn't work for me:

✖️ -- Telling, not showing.
So much telling. Not nearly enough showing.
The whole magical system is info-dumped in the first few chapters, and even emotions are told. Nigel is "so lonely," "so guilty," etc. There's so much potential for emotional depth here, but since it's told, I didn't feel connected to any of the characters.

✖️ -- An overstuffed plot.
This book is about ~350 pages, and honestly? There are *at least* 3 books' worth of content here.
Book #1 -- we learn about the magical world Jason June is building, and are introduced to The Guild and The Culling. We should see more of Nigel's interactions his grandma and sense of loneliness and isolation, as well as the tension he has between his magical and non-magical lives. Also, more interactions with his dad, because that relationship is supposed to be an emotional underpinning of the book -- his dad is awful to him! -- but it just falls really flat. We'd also be able to *be shown* more of the magical world, and really understand the threat of the Knife. (<-- The Big Bad, who is just that; a Big Bad that you know will inevitably be defeated because there's no depth there.)
Book #2 -- after ending Book #1 with the trial -- or imprisonment of Nigel & Ori -- we focus here on getting the magical implements needed to defeat the Knife. Because this is like, literally 2 chapters. The focus here could be on the clear corruption within The Guild and set up that plot and characters and make their turns and "betrayals" deeper and more poignant. There's a solid point there, but Alister (and Laurel) feel like one-dimensional villains with vague motivations -- Money! Power! -- who just hate Nigel because...he's the MC and needs conflict?
Book #3 -- the defeat of the Guild and the Knife. Because honestly? The Knife is also defeated in like one chapter and I honestly skimmed it because it seemed predictable.
There is another book planned, so clearly there are more twists planned, but so much more needed to be developed.

✖️ -- One of my major discomforts with the book is the premise of the magical system.
According to June, "Ancestrals" (full magical creatures -- elves, goblins, fae, sprites, and nymphs) gave humans magic to balance out the hate in the world. When did they do this? Good question:
<i>"When settlers first came to America, cruelty was on high, as you can imagine. Genocide of the Native populations, enslavements everywhere you looked. The awful beginnings of our country created Depraved in numbers the Ancestrals had never before reckoned with."</i>

Which...okay. Let me be very clear: the colonization and settling of America was a horrific time. The treatment of Native peoples and enslaved peoples was unequivocally cruel, awful, and wrong.
But there's something about this being the moment that magical beings stepped in that just didn't set well me. At this point, humans have been around for thousands of years, and *this* is when Acestrals step in? It seems awful America-centric, especially as we're given no indication that magicians exist in other countries (like only Americans were given this special gift) and what about the suffering and evils that existed before America was colonized? IDK. Even Rick Riordan acknowledged that America was only the current heart of civilization and it had existed many places before Manhattan; and even JKR -- as misguided as she was in some of those portrayals -- didn't portray magic as something only the British had.

✖️ -- The Punishment of the Culling is to have your magic ripped from you, forever.
I'm going to give Jason June the benefit of the doubt here -- with a plea to engage with this more in the sequel.
The magicians in June's world -- if they fail to advance in The Culling -- is to have their magic horrifically and painfully stripped from them, leaving them a hollow shell of themselves.
To me, this seemed to be a parallel of "conversion camps," which "promise" to reprogram gay teens into "normal" ones. It's awful, barbaric, and just plain wrong.
But the idea that something which is so innately a part of you -- something you're born with, something you don't choose, something that IS you -- can be ripped away from you, isn't really engaged with.
Now, maybe Jason June meant for the reader to draw this parallel on their own, and felt that would be enough. That just making that connection would be enough to understand how awful and damaging it is.
But no one in the book really seems to question it. Some characters question The Culling itself, and the Guild, but not really the practice of stripping away the magic. And I would think that Nigel, being a gay teen, would have emphasized the Wrongness of that more. Instead, it just feels like an "oh, yeah, this is something bad that could happen and I'm afraid it could happen to me." And that didn't sit well with me either.

✖️ -- Another instance of Jason June's romances being centered on physical attraction. Which, as I've said in my reviews of the other 2 books, I don't deny is a key element of a relationship! Physical attraction is VERY important. But here, again...
(1) From the moment Nigel meets Ori, their relationship is defined by 2 things: (1) the "warm tingles" Nigel gets every time they touch (cue Cascada music) and (2) the snarky disdain Ori treats Nigel with.
Yes, a reason is provided for this -- but lord, y'all. The cringiness of this reason...
(2) <i>"There's a magic version of that, too. Your whole body lights up when you meet that *someone,* and in magicians, it boosts their power. It's what I was telling you before. There's a power in love. A love magic."</I>
And, then, later:
<i>"A bond that's instantaneous, built on unexplained, yet undeniable attraction.[...] It can be summed up simply: You're soulmates."</i>

Which...*sigh*
Yes, a few pages later Ori does make it clear that he doesn't *love* Nigel yet, because he's only known him a few days! And Nigel begrudgingly admits that he also doesn't love Ori, because again, ITS ONLY BEEN A FEW DAYS.
But while both MCs admit that it's not love, they're also deemed soulmates based solely on physical attraction. And when you have a magical connection between your characters, you don't have to develop the relationship or show WHY they love each other -- the reader is just supposed to know that They Are Soulmates and They Are In Love. Despite one MC never really being very nice to the other one. It's a really frustrating instance of telling, not showing -- particularly because this could have been a really interesting plot point, if it had been developed and curated over the course of the story.

✖️ -- Plot Holes.
As I said before, no story -- especially a fantasy one -- is going to be devoid of plot holes. But I shouldn't spend the whole book scratching my head and asking questions and being frustrated that I don't know things.
Here are just a few of the things that bothered me:
--Why would Meema *legitimately* keep Nigel isolated on the ranch? I know there's the "reason" of "no one can see Dad and the demons!' but this is even further undercut by the end of the story. As a senior Guild Member and descendant of The Great Savior, wouldn't she know that alliances and networking and connections are important?
--Seriously -- in 250 years of Magician history NO ONE else has ever formed this magical love connection? Especially when we've seen 3 instances of it in this story alone?
--Why does Magic get depleted? This is a crucial plot point, but it's never really explained.
My initial complaint was that it seemed like a liability -- if you only have X numbers of magicians, all of whom can be depleted during a battle, why would you have the Culling at all?
Again, this is somewhat addressed at the end, because it's revealed that The Culling didn't really need to exist, but still. Magical creatures gave humans magic to battle Evil, but it's a finite resource? Linked to emotions and intentions? This seems problematic, and I have questions.
--Why does Alistair hate Nigel? Before he knows about The Magical Love Connection? If he's concerned with money and power (I'd say spoilers, but not really) wouldn't he want to ally with the family? Wouldn't he want to, like, marry Nigel to Laurel to consolidate their power and wealth and positions? He reeks of Lucius Malfoy, but like, a flatter caricature of him.

I really, really wanted to...if not love, enjoy this book, especially as my last read was "meh" as well. But the lack of cohesive worldbuilding and the lost potential for something different or a powerful social commentary on hate, prejudice, intolerance was just frustrating.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure the Secret Magician Bex is taking them to at the end is Nigel's mom. Which is something I think TJ Klune did at the end of one of his Extraordinaries books? That just seems like a "Chekov's gun" placed at the beginning of the story that seems like it's going to come back into play.

I really enjoyed The Spells We Cast by Jason June.
It was a lot of fun and I really liked the characters!

This was actually the first book I've read by Jason June, so I'll definitely be checking out the rest of their work!

I highly recommend this book!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another Stormer from Jason June, who seems to have found their niche in LGBTQ+ fantasy adventure space. A joyous read!

Thanks Melissa de la Cruz Studio, Hyperion, and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Jason June has done it again, each book keeps getting better and better! Hidden in our wild is a magical world of good and evil. The Guild, made up of human descendants of five magical beings, fight the evil Depraved, magical creatures born out of fear and hatred. The five groups that make up the Guild are sprites- they can make effigies with their magic, fae- who use their voices to create magic, goblins- who can shapeshift, nymphs- who can control one of the elements, and elves- who can conjure magic. Nigel Barrett is descended from one of the most powerful elf lines. His time for the Culling, a competition for young magical beings to determine who is worthy of magic and joining the Guild, has come. But what he didn’t expect is his connection to the sprite Ori or how their magic reacts to each other. Can the two put aside their differences and figure out what’s going on? Will they make it through the Culling? A magical tale full of heart, whimsy, and cowboy hijinks! I was drawn in from the very beginning and thrilled until the end! Nigel is the lovable reluctant magical badass that we queers need! And who doesn’t love a grumpy but really a softie love interest! Through in a shapeshifting best friend determined to better the Guild and this trio packs a punch! It’s not out till October 2023 but we’ll worth the wait! Luckily this is Jason June’s second novel of 2023 and Riley Weaver Needs A Date To The Gaybutante Ball is equally fantastic! Highly recommend The Spells We Cast to all readers, especially if you like to mix romance, fantasy, and magic all together! Can’t wait to read this one again!