Thank you to Hachette for the gifted copy of the book.

The story and world building in this book was really well written and unique.

If you enjoy a bit of whimsy, LGBTQ+ teenage angst, magics and monsters, this book is definitely for you! The book itself is very character driven and the stakes are more personal vs the apocalyptic stakes you see in a lot of fantasy books.

I absolutely loved this. I was a bit shocked when I got to the end only to realise that it’s a trilogy, with no book 2 announced, but alas! Sometimes perfection remains unfinished. I will absolutely be able to handsell this title, it’s a wonderful little romance.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy.
Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes, I was excited for this book. It is well written and It has an interesting magic system. I didn't really like one of the main characters, I thought he could have used more growth. Side note: this book has a really pretty Fairyloot edition with sprayed edges.

Sorcery and Small Magics is a delightful blend of whimsy, heart, and slow-burn tension that completely charmed me from start to finish. Maiga Doocy’s debut is packed with clever banter, imaginative worldbuilding, and a romance that unfolds with just the right amount of bite and tenderness. Leo and Grimm are the perfect opposites—chaotic, magical, and unexpectedly vulnerable—and their journey through the Unquiet Wood is as enchanting as it is emotionally satisfying. A cozy, magical adventure with surprising depth—I adored it.

Sorcery and Small Magics is the first book of a YA fantasy trilogy by Maiga Doocy. Released 15th Oct 2024 by Hachette on their Orbit imprint, it's 416 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents.

This is a well written veeeeeeeery slow burn enemies to potential lovers YA fantasy trilogy. The magical system is interesting and well thought out with lots of cool synergistic effects (scribes who *write* spells work in tandem with mages who *cast* them). Hence the enemies to grudging partners plotline.

The characterizations are standard, but well rendered (curmudgeonly but handsome antagonist, "lazy" but secretly gifted mage bound to the other guy, clueless/cruel school administrators), there are monsters, side-quests, and always the snarky interplay between the two main characters. There's a wonderful bonus Diana Wynne Jones vibe which really adds a lot to the read (it's not derivative, but it's definitely there).

Well done, engaging, and worth a look for fans of romantasy. The two main characters are both male, so there's a queer romance friendly vibe, which is nice.

Four and a half stars. Currently no publishing info available for book 2, so expect to wait a while.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was such a fun and magical read. The writing was beautifully done and so fun. I literally consumed this book in 24 hours. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes us! I highly recommend this to lovers of magic and sarcastically funny (and quite the troublemaker) main characters.

First I want to thank NetGalley for sending me this ARC. My gay little heart is so full. This was the perfect book for the beginning of fall. I really enjoyed this whimsical story of two gay sorcerers on a journey to break a spell that was accidentally cast. I LOVED the grumpy/sunshine characters that Doocy created and am sad that I have to wait for the next installment. I NEED MORE!!!

Other reviews have said that this book is a slow burn gay GrumpyxSunshine fantasy romance. I would like to emphasize the slow burn part, of which I very much appreciate. But many other readers like faster moving romance, so they may become disappointed by the end of the book. I do also agree with the GrumpyxSunshine label; however Leo is our sunshine and he actually is a bit of a prick. Not awful, mind you, but the book is told from his point of view and he surely will tell you what is on his mind. If anything, perhaps the more reserved Grimm, the traditionally grumpy one, actually has a soft heart underneath it all. I think that’s also why it’s fun to read about these two characters working together.

The overall pacing, plot, and worldbuilding was quite well done. It’s on the slower side and feels whimsical. I think it’s a good cozy fantasy romance book for people who don’t like the Romantasy genre but like romance in their fantasy stories.

Leo, my darling idiot angel baby. I absolutely loved this and am sooooo excited it's not a standalone like I thought! I loved Doocy's writing so much. Oblivious idiots in love is one of my favorite tropes and these two fit that so well. I couldn't put this down once I started. Leo and Grimm were great MCs. Honestly the only thing that would've made this even better is if we got Grimm's perspective.

Leovander Loveage can write spells, Sebastian Grimm can cast them. They have been at odds with one another ever since joining the Fount, a university type setting for those with magical abilities. Leo doesn't care about any of it and only longs to be free from the Fount and his father, who held his inheritance over his head to go there. Grimm wants nothing more than to gain entry to the Coterie, where the best are recruited to. It's their final year and they have been paired together to work on spells, however a mishap occurs and not Leo has been cursed by Grimm. Now they must set off to find a way to end the curse, which requires a trip to the Unquiet Wood. Can they work together to end this and make it back in time for the Trials?

I'm in my cozy fantasy era and this was a solid addition with it's SUPER slow-burn romance and magical elements! I loved Grimm and Leo so much. The dynamics between the broody style of Grimm with the "I don't care" attitude of Leo was *chef's kiss.* While there is a touch of romance (and hopefully more to come in the next book) this rivals to pining - but they don't know it how much yet- was a wonderful read and one I definitely recommend that everyone pick up if you're looking for some cozy magic. I will be (im)patiently waiting for book 2.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit books for the ARC.

I went into this expecting it to be more of a romance but was pleasantly surprised that it was a really good balance of fantasy and romance. The world building and magic system were very well built and unique! I can't wait for the sequel. The character growth of Leo and Grimm and them realizing that they may have diffrent methods want the same things. I think they balanced each other very well.

I absolutely loved this book. This may be my favourite read of 2025. The story building and character development was really good and the dialog was perfection! I am so excited for the next one! A must read!

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

I really enjoyed the magic system in this book and found it to be so different and exciting. This was a fun fantasy book with a rivals to hesitant lovers plot that had me grinning from ear to ear. I loved the rivalry between the characters and how they slowly let their guards down around each other. I am curious to see where this series will go in future books.

I really enjoyed this one! The magical world was incredible, with two types of magicians: scriveners who write the spells and casters who cast them. We also love a good magic school series not created by a TERF, right?

Leo is an outspoken scrivener set on sabotaging himself. Sebastian Grimm is the grumpy caster to Leo's sunshine. When paired together in class, a spell goes terribly wrong, binding the two together.

This leads to an epic road trip comedy where they discover they don't really, actuality, hate each other. Definitely a slow burn, as the romance is only becoming obvious near the end of this first book in a trilogy.

The forest monsters were facinating, the side characters well-developed and Grimm and Leo were magical!

I received this ARC from publisher @orbitbooks_us through @netgalley. The opinions are my own.

Sorcery and Small Magics was released in October 2024 and is available at booksellers now.

I recently finished Sorcery and Small Magics, and it was an enchanting experience from start to finish. Maiga Doocy's debut novel masterfully blends cozy fantasy elements with a heartfelt slow-burn romance, creating a story that's both whimsical and emotionally resonant.​

The narrative follows Leovander Loveage, a scriver specializing in minor charms, who finds himself magically bound to his long-time rival, Sebastian Grimm, after a spell mishap. Their journey to break the curse leads them through the perilous Unquiet Wood, forcing them to confront not only external dangers but also their own prejudices and past traumas.​

Doocy's world-building is immersive, introducing a unique magic system where spells require collaboration between a scriver and a caster. The dynamic between Leo and Grimm is a delightful exploration of the grumpy/sunshine trope, filled with witty banter and genuine emotional depth. The slow development of their relationship feels authentic and earned, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying.​

What sets this novel apart is its focus on personal stakes. The characters' internal struggles and growth take center stage, providing a refreshing change of pace from typical fantasy narratives. Additionally, the inclusion of queer representation is handled with care and nuance, adding layers to the characters without defining them solely by their identities.​

While the story is primarily centered on Leo and Grimm, the supporting characters, like Sybilla and Jayne, add richness to the world and hint at deeper lore to be explored in future installments.

My only minor critique is that some aspects of the magic system could have been elaborated upon further, but this leaves room for expansion in the sequels.​

Sorcery and Small Magics is a charming and emotionally satisfying read that I highly recommend to fans of character-driven fantasy and slow-burn romances. I eagerly await the next book in the Wildersongs Trilogy.

This book had the misfortune of meeting me at the beginning of a reading slump but also the great honor of pulling me back out.

This story was a joy to read! There really is no plot I love more than “let's team up to break a curse!”, even better when the team in question regard each other as tolerable at best. It was a good old classic journey into spooky wood with a fun trickster and his studious and ever so serious rival.

I did ADORE our two leads, Leo and Grimm, but I found myself really wishing the world had been fleshed out more. I have a vague idea of what their world looks like and some of the societal norms, but overall I have MAJOR questions about how it all works and where exactly they all fit in which led me to perceiving the stakes these characters have as a lot lower than they were perhaps intended. That being said I know this book is the first of a series so I expect we, the reader, will be expanding our world knowledge through the travels of Leo in the future - I only wish I felt a bit more clued in.

I knew by name alone that Leovander Loveage would steal this story (obviously with a name like that I expected great things from him) but I was not prepared for how much I really did find myself caring for him in the end. If you love a problematic fav with a backstory or your favorite character is Monty from the “The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue” then I know you’ll fall in love with Leo too.

Overall I did enjoy this book and I absolutely will be returning for its sequels!

I wanted to love this one so much, but it just did not work for me.

I was really interested in the plot of Sorcery and Small Magics. The curse makes for really great tension and the potential for an angsty romance plot. I think the entire reason that I didn't enjoy this book is that I could not stand Leo Loveage. I really hate reading about characters who intentionally make their lives worse for themselves over and over again. His antagonism of Grimm was childish and mean which was a bad start to the "enemies/rivals to lovers" story. Even if the behavior had a reason or contributed to his overall character arc it made for a miserable reading experience.

I see why so many people loved this book. Unfortunately, my personal pet peeves with characters made it impossible for me to enjoy my reading experience.

I think the premise of this story is something that most would enjoy, but unfortunately did not work well with me. The mmc was a little too "woe is me" for my taste, and I didn't feel like he progressed enough in the story. I had also anticipated a little bit more romance going into this, so I think that may have affected my reading experience.

This is a duology, so I am hoping the relationship between the characters will develop better in the sequel! I think if you enjoy a cozy fantasy with spells and magic, where romance is in the backseat then this book would be perfect for you :)

Thank you netgalley and orbit for this arc ♥

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

If you have been itching for a cozy m/m romantasy with manners and forced proximity and fairy tale style world building…you’re welcome. I was enchanted by the world and the fairy tale feeling magic that forced the proximity mentioned above. Instead of grump sunshine it’s more snarky one and grumpy goody two-shoes, but Leo and Sebastian’s banter and chemistry just oozed off the page. I cannot WAIT to see what is in store for them next. I will warn you though that this is an incredibly slow burn romance that might be more across the whole series than just this first book, but the tension is all the better for it. But this book isn’t just great because of the banter and relationship, the quest to break the curse is so whimsical, enchanting, and fun. I really can’t recommend this book more highly and will be shouting about it for a while to come.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy to review.

Everything about this book was so fun and hilarious and comforting. The romance is a slow burn and I enjoyed the characters' dynamic with each other. This is definitely a new favourite for me!