This is a cozy fantasy hint of a romance book about two sorcerers who are academic rivals. When they are forced to partner for a class a spell goes wrong and creates a bond between the two. Forced proximity ensues and the two set off into a magical forest filled with dangerous beasts to find a sorceress who can hopefully help them break the spell..
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving three stars.
I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed our two male main characters. I enjoyed the world building, the magic system, and the sorceress that they encounter.
Unfortunately, it felt like there were missed opportunities or that enough wasn’t actually happening in this book. It seemed like a lot of the story that could’ve happened was being saved for the next two books. Almost there’s a lot of pages to this, but not a lot is actually happening. I did enjoy it. I have posted my review stating that I enjoyed it on TikTok and YouTube I will read the second book, but I can only give this three stars. I liked it, but I did not love it.

⭐⭐⭐.5, but rounding up to a 4

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sorcery and Small Magics, a character driven fantasy with a very slow burn rivals-to-lovers MM romance, is the first in the Wildersongs Trilogy. This book follows Leovander Loveage, a scriver (someone who writes spells), on his journey through handling grief and figuring out a counterspell to a pesky accidental curse that was placed on him whilst practicing magic in class with his partner, Grimm, a caster (someone who casts spells).
Personally, I love books that are character driven, especially in the world of fantasy where so many books tend to focus on world building. That said, the characters and character growth felt fairly stagnant and almost disjointed to me. I did not think that there was much character growth, or at least very little convincing character growth, and I honestly was not very convinced of the building romance / did not feel much tension there (especially from Grimm’s end). The MC struggles with alcohol use as a means of coping and alcohol is very often mentioned (too often, IMO – felt like beating a dead horse at times). Between the alcohol and his insufferable self-sabotaging attitude, I found it very difficult to like the MC and this honestly made me struggle to pick up this book. THAT SAID, I really enjoyed many other components of this book and do plan to read the second in the trilogy to see if these characters can redeem themselves in my eyes. The magic system was really interesting, and I liked the idea of relying on a duo/team to cast spells. I especially liked the spellsongs component and am excited to see how this might further develop and become more widely recognized in their world throughout the trilogy. I loved many of the supporting characters and the twists and turns of Leo and Grimm’s journey to counteracting the curse. Overall, I enjoyed this book and many of its components! I just wished I had liked the MC a bit more and saw a bit more meaningful and fleshed out character development .

Be sure to check out Sorcery and Small Magics when it publishes on October 15th! I’d be interested to hear what you think, especially if you’re an avid fantasy reader!
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TW: death of a parent (past), alcohol use, power imbalance (there is magic that forces one character to follow another’s orders, though the power is not abused), guilt/self-loathing, brief violence

4.25⭐️: GIMMIE BOOK TWO NOW PLEASE.

I picked this one up thinking it was a stand alone. After reading it, I’m really happy it’s not.

Leo & Grimm are so adorable in their banter. The magic system was easy enough to understand. Especially since you learn as the narrator learns.

I feel like this everything you could want in a cozy romantasy: magic, slow burn, monsters, grumpy/sunshine… need I say more?

Such a cozy fantasy; perfect for fall reading!

I had such a fun time reading this book. It just kind of swept me away, and I was hooked from the very beginning. I enjoyed both Sebastian and Leo's characters. This book is the epitome of grumpy x sunshine, and the other tropes thrown in add to the whimsy-ness of this book. There was forced proximity, banter, rivals to...., and very very slow burn. The writing was fun, and I found myself easily whisked away into the story. The magic system was also unique, and I found it easy to follow and understand.

One thing I wish we could've had was Sebastian's POV. His character was hard to get a read on at times, and I wish we could've seen some of the plot through his eyes and heard his voice. I also wish there had been a touch more romance. This book is the very definition of slow burn, and while the banter is there, the actual romance is very subtle. The pacing was a little weird towards the end. It felt as though the story ended rather abruptly, almost as if the actual "ending" was missing. I think this book honestly could've been longer because it felt so compacted at the end.

Honestly, overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, unique, and made my heart flutter. This book is the perfect cozy, slow burn romance to read during fall. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.7/5

For a book that was a whimsical and funny and just all around fun as Sorcery and Small Magics is, I was not expecting it to make me ugly cry. This is a book that looked me directly in the eye and called out all of my insecurities and then told me I was worth loving.

So I’m going to fight it in a Denny’s parking lot.

Joking aside, I loved this book with my entire being and I am so honored that I had the privilege of reading an ARC (thank you NetGalley and Orbit)

If you like forced proximity, dumb gays who don’t realize they’re having feelings, and self-sabotage as a coping mechanism then you should stop whatever it is you’re doing and read this.

Did I mention it made me cry?

I’m only giving this 5 stars because my spreadsheet will break if I try to give it more. I need the sequel like Sebastian needs Leo to stop talking (any second now but five minutes ago would be preferred).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

RATING AND OVERALL THOUGHTS:

3.75 stars. This is pretty cozy, magical, and low stakes but lacks the filling to make it stand out. I did enjoy reading it but by the end I just wasn’t invested and the ending kind of left off in a fizzle which heavily impacted my rating. I will read book 2 because I do love the characters and want to see the romance between these two oblivious himbos going from budding to blooming.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

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“Perhaps it was dramatic to compare love to an injury, but that’s how this felt. Like something that needed to be mended.”

WHAT I LOVED:

- The characters, they were all very delightful and the highlight. Leo can probably be annoying to some but I kind of found him hilarious and cackled with being in his narrating thoughts.
- The writing was very easy and flowed really well. I would blink and find myself several chapters in.
- Sybilla and Beau. I want a whole book on Sybilla’s backstory.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

- The entire book felt very surface level in regards to the magic system and worldbuilding. It was just all so very vague. I wanted more details from it especially with magic being so important to the plot. I had to find myself going “just don’t think about it” as I read.
- The ending was a fizzle after a such a strong entry. It felt rushed and lacked any sensible conclusion. I feel no *urgency* to read more and while yes they have an idea of what they wanna do next, nothing about it is imperative to happen anytime soon and I am just not quite invested in that plotline because of the previous point.
- The plot felt like it meandered a bit there. Maybe the outlaws/traitors will come up in future installments but it really didn’t feel like they served much of a purpose in the grand scheme of things and that slowed the book down.

WHAT I AM NOT SURE ABOUT/WANTED MORE OF:

- I think this needed a Grimm’s POV especially with the ending, it lacked an impact without it. Didn’t need a lot of his POV’s but a few throughout the book really would’ve helped solidify that the curse didn’t break because of the counterspell but instead because Grimm actually started falling in love with Leo. Instead it was heavily implied but in a matter of “it happened now” and not the build up expected.

Sorcery and Small Magics is the story of Leovander Loveage, a sorcerer who specializes in writing small magics, like simple charms and cantrips, and avoids Grandmagic at all costs. However, after an unfortunate spell mix-up, Leo finds himself bound by a forbidden curse to rival classmate and sorcerer/caster, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is quiet and focused, the opposite of Leo’s impulsive and laid-back personality. As the curse’s effect worsens, they’re forced to work together and seek out a fabled curse-breaker in a mysterious forest before it is too late.

This was an enchanting read. I laughed, I cried, but mostly I smiled a lot and didn’t want to put it down. It had whimsy, magic, adventure, forced proximity, and a truly slow burn romance. I really enjoyed the magic system and how there was still a bit of mystery in the world for how it all works. The need for a spell writer and a caster also adds an interesting dynamic to the conflicts. Leo and Grimm are a fantastic duo and I love them. I am SO glad that it is going to be a trilogy so I can spend more time in this world with these characters.

Thanks to netgalley and orbit for an eARC. I couldn't put this book down. Amazing storyline, great character and world building. I highly recommend

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to give my honest review!

A story about academic rivals and how they become unexpectedly wrapped up in each other's lives. We follow Leovander Loveage who is a scriver, someone who can write spells for casters. Casters have the ability to use the spells and create magic. In the school Leo goes to, he has to be paired up with a caster and it just so happens to be his rival, Sebastian Grimm. Leo and Grimm despise each other but have to work through their problems to accomplish in class. This is especially necessary for Leo because he doesn't have that great of a record. While the two are working together, Grimm accidentally casts a spell on Leo that allows him to control Leo's body. They then try to figure out how to reverse the spell but it turns out to be harder than they thought. They have to go on an adventurous journey while having to deal with each other. Will the two tolerate each other or will sparks start to fly?

The one thing that I absolutely loved about this book is that it actually is a slow-burn! Whenever I pick up a book that claims to be a slow-burn, I'm always disappointed because the romance happens too quickly. In Sorcery and Small Magics, the romance takes a backseat but it is still there. As the book progresses, more romantic tension starts to arise but I won't spoil anything. I'll just say, I was dying for something to happen which is what I want a slow-burn to be. Speaking of the tension, I thought Leo and Grimm had great chemistry with each other. The second the two of them appeared on the page together, I knew I was going to be obsessed with them. They just have that classic opposites attract dynamic and I eat it up. They reminded me of some of my favorite couples such as Simon and Baz from the Simon Snow series. I noticed how similar they were around the end of the book, but it just made me love Leo and Grimm more. Imagine Simon and Baz but swap their appearances and you get Leo and Grimm. So, if you also love the Simon Snow series, please pick up this book!

I also loved the plot of this book. I thought it was equally hilarious and mysterious. The whole concept of trying to accomplish something but with someone you don't care for is always a hit for me. The author just has to make the chemistry between the characters reasonable and charming and I think Maiga Doocy accomplished that. I will say, I did enjoy the first half of the book more than the second. It was mainly because of the setting change. We went from the school environment which I really enjoyed, then to traveling through a forest. I thought the forest part was fun and interesting, but I found myself more invested in the school setting. The last half dragged on slightly and I was kind of hoping for the story to pick up. I think more people will like the latter half because more action and magic occurs, but I think it'll be a mix up of what you like. That's not to say don't pick up this book because I would absolutely recommend it.

One other thing I will mention quickly is the magic system. I have seen a magic system similar to this, but I liked how there were two classes. Whenever there are two classes and they have to pair up, I always love it. It's a great way to set up the story and the characters. I really enjoyed learning about this world's magic. Overall, I had such a fun time with this book even though I had some small problems. I fell in love with both Leo and Grimm equally and I'm excited to see what is next for them. I will for sure pick up the squeal when it releases. Please don't skip out on this book because it is the perfect book for the fall time!

4.25 🌟

Sorcery and Small Magics is a story that kept surprising me. Beginning with a curse, it's a story that takes us into the depths of forests, confronting our own past, and contemplating our future. At the heart of the story is a nemesis story. About two people who don't merely just dislike each other, there's pieces of each of them that hit on our insecurities. The things that bug us that we can't let go of. All the ways they're able to push our buttons, to take what they have for granted, and to dismiss us. Sorcery and Small Magics, like most enemies to not-enemies stories, explores changing our minds about people, about seeing through the illusions they present to the world.

i received an e-ARC for a review

okay so i need book 2, like, yesterday. holy fucking shit. i’m far too sick and sleepy to properly express how much i loved this book, but know that i did. immensely. i have a theory or two as to what’s happened and my GOD i don’t know if i can wait for the second book, i haven’t read a slow burn this slow and intense in years and it’s killing me!!! (in a good way, promise). i am so obsessed with their dynamics. i’m a slut for music magic and god did this deliver. i’m vibrating with giddiness from this story and fear that im going to have massive trouble getting these two idiots out of my brain. the world building is fantastic and im obsessed with all of the little magic nuances mentioned. as someone who isn’t the biggest fantasy fan, i can’t recommend this enough

This actually blew me away. It is absolutely everything I want in cozy fantasy—high personal stakes, low society/global stakes, character focused/driven, great worldbuilding but only exploring the small bit of it that is necessary, and a fascinating magic system. I appreciated the bits of class consciousness, the nuanced look at the rebels, and the very slow burn nature of the romance. By far my absolute favorite part was the magic system, which is good because it is front and center to all plotlines here. I found it unique and delightful. Great pacing, great prose. Can’t wait to read book 2!

I enjoyed this story so much! It is the first book in a series and I will be chomping at the bit until the next book is in my hands.

The magic system was very interesting. Instead of normal sorcery, it was split between people that can write spells and people that can cast them. This created a fun dynamic between our main characters. I really enjoyed Leo and Grimm - they are the definition of opposites and it was fun to read about them. Leo is absolute chaos of a character in the best possible way. There was not a lot of development in all of the side characters but I did really enjoy a couple of them and hope that we see them again.

The quest that our main characters go on was not at all what I expected, but I still really enjoyed the journey.

I did enjoy the writing style, but found that is was awkward at times. That might be due to this being the author's debut and first in a series.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a whimsical fantasy pallet cleanser.

Rated 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ebook ARC.

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

I was utterly captivated by this book when I didn’t expect to be. Sorcery and Small Magics is a light read from a brand-new author, and while I do like a good enemies-to-lovers arc, I am also somewhat wary of novels described as such, as the need to fulfill that prophecy can interfere with actually writing a good story.
This book doesn’t have that problem. Don’t pick this up thinking you will get instant gratification- instead, pick it up and enjoy the ride. Like a certain curse, it starts so slowly, you don’t even realize you are on a spinning ride instead of the Ferris wheel until it’s 1 AM and your headlamp runs out of batteries, and you stumble into the basement searching for more because you (obviously) can’t stop reading in the middle of a chapter. And because it’s 1 AM you also don’t consider just turning on the overhead lights.
I finished this book in one day (when I clearly should have been doing other things) and have no regrets because it was utterly delightful. Maiga Doocy uses a potent blend of sarcasm and honesty to make you (and certain other people, too) fall in love with the main magician, Leo. Doocy’s writing is full of dry wit, and some passages were as spare as a sword thrust and hit just as deeply. My initial hesitancy was also misplaced; there are no fantasy tropes in this novel (well, ok, there is an enchanted forest, but there are no villains to vanquish) just two people stumbling through the woods and figuring out that stumbling together is better than doing so alone.
This book was similar to A Marvelous Light, in that the story is about an unlikely pair of male sorcerers, but is more akin to Uprooted and For the Wolf in overall tone, as it is both occasionally irreverent and deeply impactful. I would also recommend Sorcery and Small Magics to readers of Ilona Andrew’s Innkeeper series (another charming and clever set of books with a little of the cozy vibe).
I was so excited when I reached the end of Sorcery and Small Magics and discovered that this is part of a trilogy- there will be more! Which is great, because I can tell that this is only the beginning (or the middle, maybe?) of the story of Leo and Grimm, and I want to read more. I am buckled in for wherever this ride ends up. 5 stars.

This book is definitely going to be in my top reads of the year. This had the best cozy, magical vibes and I loved getting lost in this book. This is exactly the kind of fantasy book I’m always searching for and it makes my heart so full that one of my most anticipated books was so amazing. From the very first page I was captivated with the humorous, yet lyrical prose. Sorcery and Small Magics is an enchanting story with musical magic, forest monsters, dangerous adventures, an accidental curse, and heartwarming romance. Two rival sorcerers at a magical academy get paired up and reluctantly have to work together. I fell in love with these characters immediately, the banter was already making me smile in the first chapter. I love the grumpy/sunshine trope but this book gave me a new favorite trope that I can only describe as reckless/serious. Leo loves nothing more than relentlessly annoying Grimm and I just loved this back and forth between them. Leo is definitely reckless, however he’s not careless. He cares too much, to a fault at times, and uses humor to disguise when he’s hurt. This balance of funny, yet tortured, and stern, yet understanding was a push and pull that left me on the edge of my seat. I mean, the chemistry is just phenomenal and I loved the way the romance slowly bloomed. There’s still room to grow for this couple in the sequel and I can’t emphasize enough how much I love that. It just makes me even more excited for the next book and I am going to be counting down the days once we have a release date.

Sorcery and Small Magics
By Maiga Doocy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a cute story, and I’m so mad that I am stuck waiting for the next book. Firstly, I love all the names in this book. Leovander Loveage is a name that piqued my interest. All the names were very unique and that stood out to me. The magic system is a unique blend of a handful of magic systems out there. There is a slooooow burn romance that I wish was a little more. Overall I enjoyed this book and I can’t wait for the rest of this trilogy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for allowing me to read! 😊

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Sorcery and Small Magics on October 15, 2024.

This book absolutely blew me away. I didn't expect to get hooked by the characters and world so quickly, but Maiga Doocy drew me in immediately with Grimm and Leo's academic rivalry in a magical school. It was easy to pick up on the magic system, but it still felt so unique and original to this world. I love the idea of casters and scrivers, showcasing how Grimm and Leo will eventually need to rely on each other, even if it's the last thing they want to do.

While I didn't realize this would be a sllooooooooowwwwwburn romance, I loved the little sprinkles of tension and longing we got from Grimm and Leo. The forced proximity with the curse helped them see past each other's flaws to the person underneath, and their trials in the woods actually had me on the edge of my seat. I expected the cozy vibes we got from the school and Leo's musical magic, but the monsters they faced and the life-or-death stakes had me gasping. If you want a truly SPOOKY, atmospheric book, look no further.

Am I devastated that I have to wait for the sequel? Of course. Am I positive it'll pay off in more high-stakes shenanigans and ramped up romance for these two idiots? Absolutely.

This is def one of my top reads of the month, if not the year, and it's perfect to pick up for spooky season!

Truly one of the best books I've read in a while, Sorcery and Small Magics has everything anyone could use for from a cozy fantasy. Grumpy and sunshine, a unique but easy to understand magic system and a little quest thrown in for good measure. I can already tell right now that this book is going to end up in my top books of the year. It was just such a well written, engaging piece of work.

A Sorcery and Small Magics was such a delight for me that I sat down on a Sunday morning and pretty much just read through the whole book because I was so enchanted with Leo, Grimm, and the world that Maiga Doocy created. I already can't wait for the next installment in this series, and for those who dislike cliffhangers, fear not - you will be satisfied at the end of this, but leave you pondering what sort of adventure will happen with our characters next. The best way to finish out the first book in a series.

Our main character, Leovander Loveage, is whiling away his final year at the Font, the magical academy. Leo specializes in small magics, like cantrips and charms, much to the disdain of his high powered family, and stays away from any larger magic. However, during his time at the Font he found himself a rival in Sebastian Grimm, who is a talented caster of magic of all magnitudes from a farming town, well-liked among the Font. While Leo hoped to go through his fifth year without issue, he and Grimm find themselves forced to working together in one of their classes, and that is where the adventure begins,

I imagine that other readers will find this, but I really struggled with Leo as our main character and voice in the beginning. I did not see a reason, beyond pettiness, that he had such disdain for Grimm, and I found him very classist, despite how Leo views himself. However, I'm so glad I trusted the process because seeing the character development of both of our main guys over the course of the novel was just lovely.

I would absolutely recommend this book - thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy.

4/5 I actually really enjoyed this book by the end, but I have to admit that it was a hard slog at the beginning. Now that I know it’s a trilogy, it makes a little more sense, because I found Leo really obnoxious for a *really* long time. We’re in single POV, so it’s all Leo, all the time, and he spends a lot of the time being privileged, petty, mean-spirited, directionless, and drunk. Leo deals with trauma by suppressing it, even from himself, and so it’s not until something like 75% of the way through the book that we learn the source of his trauma. He has spent up to that point being as obstructive, disruptive, and difficult as possible, making *his own life* difficult, and that was just hard to read, especially without more context. I wanted a better source of the tension between Leo and Grimm, and I wanted it to start to improve sooner than it did.

As the story progressed, I did get sucked in almost against my will to begin with. The magic was very interesting (paper spells, casting, spellsong), the accidental curse was nasty, and the Unquiet Wood was wild (in all senses of the word, lol). The allies and enemies were fascinating. Seeing Grimm and Leo actually work together was my favourite part—it just took a really long time for that to happen. (I think I’m more of a Grimm than a Leo, so sometimes, I was just really frustrated with our POV MC, lol.) If I envision this as 1/3 of the story, then the progress that we’ve made feels reasonable. Leo finally figures out some things by the end (the scene in the valley was epic!) and totally misses some other things (oh, clueless boys, lol).

I do like where we’ve ended at the end of this book. I still have questions and want more, but I can envision a happy future for Leo and Grimm from here. But I’m looking forward to the author’s versions and hope that we don’t have to wait too long until the trilogy is complete.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest review.