This book was given to me for a honest review from Netgalley. Thank you.

This book is currently available for purchase

Wooing the Witch Queen is romantasy because of the blossoming romance and the fantasy elements such as magic.

This book is about a queen trying to protect her heart and her land. Her kingdom is vulnerable from a neighboring kingdom what wants to invade and conquer and Saskia is in an alliance with two other kingdoms to prevent this.
She is recovering from a breakup and a death in her family. She has a reputation as not being kind and she is feared. No one really knows the queen as she stays behind her magic wall in her castle.

There is a new mysteries librarian Saskia hired with his own secrets as she thinks he is a dark wizard but he is not. Felix is in charge of the library as Saskia would like him to organize. As Felix gets to know the queen he realizes her reputation is not exactly what he thought. Will she forgive him when she learns the truth of why is is in her castle, will she use him for her further gain? There is a book two and I am excited to see where this story goes.

This book is also in two of my special edition book subscriptions and I can't wait to get my physical copy!

If you like books like Assistant to the Villian, then you will like this book!

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis is the inaugural installment in the captivating Queens of Villainy series. This spellbinding tale is brimming with charm, wit, and enchantment, featuring two impeccably crafted main characters and a romance that will leave readers swooning. It is truly irresistible and I found myself thoroughly enjoying every moment of it.

This was very fun. I liked that the usual trope of the third act breakup doesn't really happen and that the Witch Queen is actually smart and strategic and didn't fall to the usual tropes of the genre. I think it was great theme of not listening to the narratives controlled by powerful people and instead finding the courage to come forward with the truth when sometimes hiding behind the mark is easier...both physically and metaphorically for these characters. I'm very intrigued to read the next in the series!

I thought this was a lovely and sweet light romance. Well, as light as a romance involving dead parents and hostile takeovers can be. Felix is such a simp for Saskia and I am here for it. I love having a heroine who need to learn how to be emotionally vulnerable while the hero is a soft sweethearts. And they're both competent and complement each other's strengths and flaws beautifully. I love the world building and I'm very much looking forward to future books.

I was impressed by the richly atmospheric and magical world we encountered. The diverse magical systems and complex politics were thought-provoking. While certain elements of the story were foreseeable, the reading experience remained delightful. Slow burn romances are a favorite of mine, and this narrative meets my expectations. The hero, mistakenly identified as an enemy by the heroine, is in fact seeking her protection. Having overheard her disparage the Arch Duke, he opts to maintain his disguise and enter her service.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far, I truly had such a great time reading this book, it hit all the right vibes for me. My bookstore just got a few copies of this in, and it went RIGHT to my staff picks shelf.

Ahoy there mateys! This was a romantic fantasy about an "evil" queen who hires a dark magician to organize her library.  Queen Saskia is actually highly loyal to her country and friends.  The dark magician is a case of mistaken identity.  Felix is an archduke on the run from his minister who has abused him his whole life.

I am normally a huge fan of this author's work but have to admit that this one was not to my taste at all.  Surprisingly, I had problems with the characters and the world building.  Everything seemed too simplistic.  The romance was too much of insta-lust.  Even though the queens are supposed to be the focus of the story, we got a lot more of Felix being the central character.  Saskia felt immature and threw temper-tantrums.  Even the plot was just okay.

I did like the bats.  I don't have a lot more to say given how little this worked for me.  I will not be reading the rest of the series.  I am in the minority though because other fans of the author are loving this.  Arrr!

3⭐️ Normally, I’m all for a more cozy fantasy read. This likely was a timing issue more than a story issue. There are cute moments. Queen Saskia has a notorious reputation to be very evil. As a powerful sorceress, she was used by her uncle for her power. Now, it’s her time to poor into her lab a strength her spells. Not for evil though. She is genuinely caring. Fabian is her new librarian. He’s nerdy and Saskia can’t help but be attracted to him. But he has secrets she will eventually find. Will it work out or will they crash and burn.

Thank you to @netgalley, Stephanie Burgis, and Tor Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy.

I did like the strong female lead. I also enjoyed the premise of the story but I was not convinced by its execution.

So here are my issues with the story.

World Building? Where was it? Did I miss it? I felt like I was quickly thrown into a world that I had to completely imagine on my own which means it became visually in my mind, a Disney princess villain. I am sure that was not the intent but without the world building this is where my mind went with evil villain/witch. Speaking of evil queen, I am not sure the author ever convinced me that Saskia was evil. Yes she did almost kill someone who was attempting to harm Felix/Fabian first but how is that evil? Instead of evil I just saw her as an introvert who preferred being alone vs entertaining pointless conversation. Until Felix/Fabian of course. I also would have expected Saskia to be clever enough to figure out who Felix/Fabian is sooner. I just got the vibe she was intelligent and not so easily swayed.

Over all this was not a bad read, just not for me. I can see it’s appeal though. If you enjoy a slow burn romance with magic this may be the read for you.

Wooing the Witch Queen is delightful and heart warming. It's a story about being cast as the villain and what it means to either fight against it or embrace what they think makes us villains. Is it our power? Is it that we had to fight against tyranny and the murder of our family? We can try so hard to be the hero, that we forget that maybe there's nothing wrong with it? Wooing the Witch Queen also tells a story of challenging our expectations.

3.5 ⭐️

Was so looking forward to this but in the end felt kinda meh about it! Wasn’t necessarily bad but definitely wasn’t blown away by it either 😕

This was kinda like a gender swap of your typical romantasy which I think is a great and decently unique concept. I loved the tropes too - hidden identities, a little miscommunication, forced proximity, and accidental enemies to lovers 👏 However I was never really pulled in by the story and never got attached to any of the characters (except maybe Oskar love that little guy🐦‍⬛)

But because I wasn’t ever really invested in anything, I’m not sure I would’ve finished this book if I had picked it up on my own 🤷‍♀️ I just wish the writing/story was more compelling one way or another

For example, I felt like there was way too much showing rather than telling - like both the FMC and MMC are daydreaming about each other but they barely had any actual conversations to show why they were infatuated with one another

Also… Lorelei drove me up the wall for some reason 😭

Love, love, love. This is the exact type of book I love to read. Doesn’t take itself too seriously but at the same time is able to hit important and vulnerable topics. Also, Oskar!!!

I really loved the idea and concept behind this book and the cover is stunning. I think what I had an issue with is that sometimes I have harder time to connecting with characters that are so young, especially our MMC. I'm only 30 but even still more then half the books I read in adult fantasy no one seems to be over the age of 27. Despite this little hiccup for me the world was built at an appropriate scale for the story that was being told, and the characters were interesting enough to keep the flow of the story going.

I also wasn't a fan of the instant lust. I like a little build up some tension and pining and not the instant "I'm so enamored with this person I would do anything for them". The spice was good and the conclusion felt good as well. Despite some of the hang ups that I had with this book I still enjoyed it and I would read the next ones in the series. All in all a good romantasy to read when you want all the romance and a comfy blanket.

Thank you to Bramble and Macmillan Audio for my ARC copies of Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis which released on 2/18/25!

This was my first novel by Burgis, and I fell in love with her smart, witty dialogue, and cozy found family vibes. This is book 1 of a new Queens of Villainy series, which will connect with readers who enjoy the vibes found in the Assistant to the Villain series, or anyone who has ever truly loved a new fountain pen!

Queen Saskia is known as a wicked sorceress, feared by all, but she'd much rather work on her spellcraft than be bothered by the boring administrative tasks of running a queendom, or organizing her library. When Fabian, a dark mysterious wizard, arrives at her doorstep, Saskia hires him to put together her library while also searching for a unique spell that will assist her in locating her enemy, the Imperial archduke. Fabian is running from his own secrets, including his identity as the archduke Saskia seeks, but the longer he works for Saskia, the more he falls for her, while exploring his own magical identity.

You can expect:
Hidden Identity
Magical familiars (Oskar the crow!)
Hurt/comfort; finding safety in a partner after abuse
Cinnamon Roll MMC/Black Cat FMC
Slowburn romance (all the whimsical gestures.... "You deserve poetry.")
Bisexual representation
Political intrigue and twists

Narrator Amanda Leigh Cobb did a wonderful job capturing the variety of characters, including the troll housekeeper, and bringing Burgis' irreverent writing style to life. From the nuanced poetry of sweet, gentle Felix, to Saskia making a grand entrance wearing a crown of bones, Cobb delivered the ups and down of the action perfectly.

Wooing The Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis is the start of the Queens of Villainy Series.
 
I always love witchy stories and here this is combined with a villain aspect and that was really cool. Queen Saskia is a wicked and powerful sorceress, and she is feared by many. But she’s actually very sweet and only wants to protect her citizens and to assure that she experiments with spells and that was such a unique aspect of magic that I’ve never seen in a book before. I liked how this book blurred the lines of who a villain is and how leaders are perceived. Saskia is just so confident and strong, and I love her.
 
Her library is a mess, and she can’t find anything there and that’s why she hires Fabian. He is super sweet and loves poetry, music, and art in all of his forms. But he is actually in disguise, and I loved seeing more of him and his secrets. He has also experienced grief and his moving on with his life in a different way and I appreciated how this was shown.
 
This romantasy is cozy and has so much heart. The best way I can describe it is it feels like Assistant to the villain but with reversed roles and a bit of Maleficent mixed in. And there were so many cool extras like the raven companions. And I loved all the little moments between Saskia and Fabian, and it was a great start to their romance, and I can’t wait to see more of that in the next books.
 
If you’re in the mood for a slow-burn romantasy with lots of magic and heart, you need to check out Wooing The Witch Queen. I adored the characters and can’t wait for the next book. 4 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

(4.5/5 stars)

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis is a fun cozy fantasy romance.

Queen Saskia successfully wrestled her throne back from her evil uncle, and formed an alliance wither two other witch queens in an attempt to keep her people safe from a nearby empire. She'd much rather spend her time in her workshop, so to bring order to her chaotic library of magic she begins seeking a new librarian. The "dark wizard" who shows up at her door isn't what she expected, in more ways than she initially understands.

I love a good enemies to lovers story and really enjoyed my read! I also always love a good prickly heroine, and I think the slow burn romance was really well done. I inhaled this book, and finished the audiobook in one day. The narrator does a really wonderful job!

There are definitely some stakes in this book, but it really feels like it's kept on the back burner and is handled fairly quickly in the end. At least for the time being! I really enjoyed Saskia's crow army and wish I had one of my own.

There's good bisexual representation in Saskia, which is lovely to see. Her ex-girlfriend is one of her cabinet members and I could totally see why they were together at one point but are friends now. I also really hope that her ex-girlfriend is the potential love interest for Saskia's ally, the Winter Queen.

If you're a fan of cozy fantasy romance you should absolutely give this one a try!

Tropes in this book include: enemies to lovers, hidden identity, slow burn, bisexual representation

Did not finish. The plot was intriguing but the style of writing was not for me. Will be very popular with fantasy romance readers.

Queen Saskia is a wicked sorceress. When a dark wizard arrives at her doorstep, she immediately hires him to organize her library. As he gets to work organizing the shelves, things start to get a little bit flirty and fun. But the wizard is actually, not a wizard at all. He's an archduke with no magic and a lot of enemies.

This book was cozy and fun in all the best ways. It felt pretty low stakes, but was still really interesting and charming. Saskia's character was fiesty and strong, and Felix was more gentle and thoughtful. Their romance was sweet and I loved that it grew and developed throughout the book. It's definitely a slow burn with fun and playful banter. My favorite character was Oskar the crow, but I also loved Mrs. Haglitz the troll housekeeper because she had a ton of personality. Overall, this was a really fun read and I'm looking forward to book two.

Many thanks to Bramble for the advance copy!

I had such a great time reading Wooing the Witch Queen!!

I loved the characters, Saskia is this badass queen doing everything she can to keep her people safe, and I loved seeing her marshmallowy heart under all that power she wields. Fabian aka the archduke, is adorable and nerdy and I loved seeing him grow and fall for Saskia. THEY ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER!!! The writing and world-building was amazing, it had me sucked into the story immediately and rooting for our main characters.
There are some great heartfelt moments, I laughed out loud, and was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next!!

I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

3.5 Stars

This was a sweet and cozy romantasy—light, fun, and full of witty banter. While the its a first of a series meant limited worldbuilding, the political intrigue felt underdeveloped and mainly served to push the romance forward. As a result, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic wasn’t as strong as I prefer, but Saskia and Fabian’s chemistry was still charming. I loved how they supported each other’s growth, making their relationship feel heartwarming.

Highlights:
✔ Engaging writing—natural dialogue, fun banter, and satisfying character development.
✔ Oskar, the crow—adorable and perfect.
✔ Strong female friendships—Saskia’s bond with the "villainous queens" was a delight.

Minor Quibbles:
✘ The "Villainous Queens" didn’t feel all that villainous.
✘ Ailana intrigued me more than Lorelei—wish her story came first!

Overall, it is a fun, cozy read, and I’ll be checking out more from Stephanie Burgis!

Thanks to Stephanie Burgis, Tor Publishing Group | Bramble and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book. “Wooing the Witch Queen” is on sale now.