I was very intrigued when I heard about this book and who wouldn't be? It's queer! there's time travel! there is a crow familiar! and a cat! all of that sounds interesting enough for me to grab this book and hold it close to my chest. and yes, of course, it had all of these things and other quirky details as well, however it wasn't that... captivating. I liked Cyril and I thought he was good as the magician, who travels back through time to make sure that disasters that formerly affected his and others' peoples lives don't actually happen. But the problem was that I hated Eufrates. In the beginning I didn't have any problems with him, but as the story progressed, I kept catching myself getting annoyed by him. Unfortunately that never changed, so that definitely affected my experience with this book. Although I kind of liked the author's style, the story itself wasn't that engaging either. I might have set too high expectations for this one, that's why it was harder for me to enjoy the book.

Thank you Angry Robot and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Love the cover but this was decidedly not for me. There was just something about the writing style that didn't quite work, which is unfortunate because the premise of this book sounded EXCELLENT.

Shoestring Theory had a really intriguing premise, and I was excited to dive in. The worldbuilding is creative and unique, and I appreciated the queer representation and slow-burn romance. That said, I struggled a bit with the pacing, some parts felt drawn out, and it took a while for me to feel fully invested in the story. I also found the writing style a bit dense at times, which made it harder to stay engaged. Overall, I did enjoy the book.

Quantum Cat Time Travel magic, royal siblings named Tigris and Eufrates, terrifying Great Aunt who is a Grand Mage, a second chance romance between ex-husbands. I don't know why this is being marketed as a cozy fantasy a la Legends and Lattes, but this is NOT cozy; all of the above makes for some truly chaotic hijinks! I received an ARC for this from Netgalley ages ago, but stalled out reading the print version pretty early on because of how bleak and indulgently depressing the beginning is with a suicidal and grieving Cyril, and honestly, it was incredibly triggering, so I had to stop. But even in that beginning was some very refreshing narrative structure/linearity and worldbuilding that I couldn't help but go back to it in audiobook form. I'm so glad I did because the narration helps to get past the bleak beginning and into the heart of the story, the beating heart of which is Queen Tig and her formidable stint as a mage's familiar and terrifyingly competent older sibling to a potentially unhinged King. The twists and turns of uncovering and preventing decades old mysteries, saving future apocalypse aren't the most surprising, but the banter and capers and the relationships really work wonders to shake a nihilistic protagonist out of his funk and make for a beautiful and chaotic found family fantasy. For a story relying on time travel and time jumps, it doesn't fall into the trap of being so beholden to the mechanics at the cost of character development, and the character dynamics are EVERYTHING in this. Looking forward to whatever the author writes next!

I didn't get to finish this book, but it's on the shelves in my library currently and I'll be picking it back up for sure. A stem romance is never a bad choice.

I really liked the main characters but wasn’t really convinced by their relationship. It was a bit too long, which felt unnecessary. Definitely think that it has an original plot which I haven’t read before (the plot is too complicated, sorry I can’t explain lol). Lastly, once again women are better than men.

An absolutely beautiful romance / romantasy novel with such fun twists throughout. One part mystery, one part magic, and a whole bunch of enemies to lovers - through second chance romance - was such a fun read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I feel like I have a very hit-or-miss relationship with a lot of newer fantasy novels, but this was definitely a hit. It was deliciously dramatic, emotional, and tooth-rottingly sweet. The second chance romance was so cute to the point where I was squealing like a teenager when it was finally fulfilled.

I adored this one! Very funny and satirical. If you grew up reading Sabriel, Chrestomanci, The Once and Future King, and Discworld, or if you're looking for things to read similar to Running Close to the Wind or Someone You Can Build a Nest In, you'll love it. I immediately added it to my Staff Picks shelf.

I loved every bit of this! The familiar enemies to lovers trope—with second chance romance thrown in, too—feels fresh here. I found the story inventive and sweet, and I couldn’t put it down. An easy 5 star rating from me!

Emotional and really fun read — the band of characters were entertaining too. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would!

So, first of all, if you want to read this book, I recommend checking the trigger warnings. The beginning of this book packs a punch and is almost uncomfortable to read at times. Then it turns into a wild ride with a cat (or..?), ex husbands, a lot of humor but also a lot of heavy themes. It's definitely very unique and I'd check out this author's next book! There just was a bit missing for it to be a full five star read- perhaps it was too weird and convoluted at times, or the pacing wasn't perfect- I'm honestly not sure.

So, first of all, if you want to read this book, I recommend checking the trigger warnings. The beginning of this book packs a punch and is almost uncomfortable to read at times. Then it turns into a wild ride with a cat (or..?), ex husbands, a lot of humor but also a lot of heavy themes. It's definitely very unique and I'd check out this author's next book! There just was a bit missing for it to be a full five star read- perhaps it was too weird and convoluted at times, or the pacing wasn't perfect- I'm honestly not sure.

I unabashedly loved this.

Do not let the Legend&Lattes comp deter you (or fool you, if you liked that book). This is a contained, character-driven time-travel fantasy with plenty of adventure, tight plotting, and high stakes - though it never feels particularly stressful, and it's got the cheesiest ending you could think of.

The first half of this was genuinely immaculate. I loved watching Cyrus travel back in time to try and fix the world which his ex-husband king, turned tyrant, had essentially ruined, only to re-live the most difficult days of their lives. The characterisations, the painful nostalgia, the romantic tension!! The elderly witch auntie! Phenomenal.

It is let down by its twee streak, which makes it so its bite (and there are seriously dark themes here) is always sanded off by cutesy statements&moments which make its characters (all very much adults) act like teenagers.

Still, incredibly engaging, borderline unputdownable, great atmosphere, and it felt like a big hug.

4.5

I am unfamiliar with illustrator and author Mariiana Costa's previous works, but was eager to read this story as it sounded intriguing:

A middle-aged mage, Cyril, is devastated and alone after years together with his husband, Eufrates, the king of their country. The king was crowned after his sister Tigris, the Queen, died unexpectedly of a wasting disease. Eufrates only ever wanted to be a bard, and was unhappy ruling, gradually becoming harsh and paranoid, to the point that Cyril no longer recognized the man. Cyril hatches a risky plan to kill Eufrates by sending his consciousness back to the time when Tigris was still alive, in an effort to prevent Eufrates from ever becoming the king.

Of course things go wrong almost immediately, and Cyril discovers that not only has he sent himself back, but he's also sent middle-aged Eufrates back into his twentyish-year-old body, thanks to a spell Cyril created at their future wedding to bind them together, forever.

Eufrates is cruel tp Cyril, and upset to be back, and Cyril is unsuccessful in his attempt to kill Eufrates. Cyril is eventually forced to tell Tigris what is going on, and there are numerous conversations between the pair. Cyril makes no progress on figuring out what is really going on politically and what happened between Cyril and Eufrates till late in the book.

The story is cozy, in that the stakes felt mostly pretty low. But, I found the pacing to be uneven, and sometimes felt that scene transitions and even character motivations were a little clunky. I also did not understand why Cyril loved Eufrates (beyond the fact that Eufrates was gorgeous and used to be kind), while Tigris seemed to come across as a more fully-realized person. That may be because of the back-and-forth between her and Cyril throughout the novel.

I also found Cyril to be repeatedly stupid (which he eventually admits) but I found this trait incredibly irritating in a main character. I could not understand how this person could be seen as the best grand mage of his generation, much less why Eufrates loved him. I also did not care that much about Eufrates, either. But I loved Tigris, and her love for adventure.

I think there are things to like about the book, in the sense that
-Cyril and Eufrates love each other deeply,
-Cyril's grand aunt is the freaking best, and her familiar, which is a crow, LOVES raisins,
-Cyril's familiar's name
-Tigris.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Angry Robot for this ARC in exchange for my review.

An intriguing premise gives rise to a sweet, if at times overly complicated romance novel.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and Cyril was easy to like as he is so desperate for a chance to do things over. I liked his romance with his husband and seeing them fall in love was really cute. I'm not the biggest fan of time travel, but this was a sweet romantic do-over.

Soft DNF at 35% in.

When I started reading this, I was in the right headspace to read it, but then I suffered a bereavement so I had to pause reading it.

I will be back to read it in the future.

Shoestring Theory is a queer time travel romance. The book opens on a present world that is dying because of the decisions of King Eufrates Margrave. The kingdom of Farsala lies broken and former Grand-Mage of the High Court, Cyril Laverre, has spent the last decade in isolation (with his beloved cat) in a crumbling seaside shack waiting for the world to end as he bares immense guilt for not trying to stop the kingdoms downfall. When Shoestring dies, Cyril decides to try one more spell and travels back in time, to before the tragic events to try to prevent Eufrates from becoming king.
Shoestring Theory is about second chances, love in any form, and redemption. This is a treasure of a book with compelling characters and story, and an immersive, beautiful, and interesting world, and an emotional and heartfelt story.

"A queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance" is the perfect tagline for this book!

t Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa is a queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with the future of the world at stake. This is a humorous, emotional, and hopeful story with complex relationships and a touch of magic, that I enjoyed reading.

Shoestring Theory is emotional but also funny, with strong character development and very lovable characters. One of my favourite characters was Tigris and I loved her banter with Cyrill and Eufrates. It is a very cosy read without missing its plot twists.

Ended up mainlining this over the last few days of the year, and it's honestly a pretty damn well executed time loop to try to fix the shitty ending you come from and maybe not fuck up so much this time, except maybe everyone's strings are being pulled by something else. Does have the feeling of a serial you might find on AO3, but it's still fascinating to watch everything unfold, and the tropes it does have, it does well. Worth your time.