This is a delightful gas lamp romantasy! The writing is fantastic (reminded me of Spellshop) with dry humor, crow companions, and a library full of magic. Saskia is a “wicked queen” looking for a dark wizard to sort out her library. Felix is looking for sanctuary and is unexpectedly mistaken for a dark wizard. Hilarity ensues.

This book is very character driven so if you’re looking for more than a basic plot, this might not be for you. There are a few good twists, but the focus is mostly the characters and romance. It was cute and cozy. The writing style is more… adult? Hard to read? I’m not sure what word I’m searching for to describe it. It’s not “easy” writing, more classical with longer sentences. I’m not saying it’s bad (because it’s not- that I swallowed this book is two days should be proof); however, this style will certainly not be for everyone.

The blurbs and cover are a tiny bit misleading, especially the part about the magical library. The library is full of magical books. There are no flying or sentient objects. I was disappointed to find that magical library simply meant a library full of books on magic.

Thank you Bramble/TOR for the gifted arc!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve read Stephanie Burgis in the past, and while that book didn’t wow me, I remained open to trying again. And I ended up really enjoying Wooing the Witch Queen, especially as it has a lot of elements I personally really enjoy.
The setting is a tad vague, and hard to place, but I think that also works in its favor, especially with some of the quirkier elements. It’s somewhat tied to a similar pseudo-medieval type world that is common for Western fantasy, but Burgis also infuses her own spin on it. I particularly liked the way she included things like fountain-pens.
The two leads absolutely shine here. Saskia is so fun, and delivered the rakish wicked queen vibes. While her fearsome reputation is exaggerated to an extent by propaganda (feeling somewhat reminiscent of Wicked), she embraces this reputation, only exposing her truly good heart to those close to her. Felix/Fabian is a charming cinnamon roll, whose sweetness is the perfect complement for Saskia’s more prickly, fiery nature. I loved the dynamic between them, with their initial attraction building slowly through trust and really bringing out the best in each other.
With the romance being a slow-ish (medium?) burn, that did impact the pacing a tad. And this also at times fell into the pitfalls of the cozy fantasy of feeling a little too low-stakes. However, between the charm of the central couple and the promise of the supporting characters, the other Queens of Villainy, I had a lot of fun.
This is a charming read, and I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy cozy fantasy romance with prickly FMCs and sweet MMCs.

This book took forever to start getting good. There were a lot of gaps in the worldbuilding, which would have been fine if the romance were enough to keep me invested, since this is, after all, romance. But there was practically no romance until 40% of the way into the book. After that, it had a compelling plot and love story. But it took almost half the book to get there.

WOOING THE WITCH QUEEN was a cute and cozy fantasy romance that was a light read and one that held my attention. I think it’s perfect for those that love character growth, less spice driven romance, powerful female queens, and a cinnamon roll MMC.

I honestly thought this book’s strength was the cozy aspect of the narrative itself intermixed with the character development it had. Both were done well and were the focus of the book. The character’s and their changes came from learning to be themselves and accept themselves for who they are. It was incredibly wholesome and believable and a highlight of the novel.

The only thing I wish it had more of was the romance aspect. While I loved the character development, the romance felt a little rushed and the two characters just seemed to fall in love without really showing me as a reader. If this aspect of the book was more fleshed out, I would’ve loved it even more. This aspect might not be for everyone, but I just felt that, as an important part of the story, the romance needed more time within the book.

Overall, I liked the book. The world was interesting, the character development was well done, and the whole vibe was perfect for those that love a more cozy fantasy novel. I think if these things appeal to you, you’ll like this book!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Bramble for the eARC! Saskia is known as the wicked sorceress queen. She is feared and known to do whatever it takes to win and protect her people. Though she would prefer to spend her time holed up in her laboratory, the demands of her duties keeps her busy, and she most certainly does not have time for her library of magic. When masked dark wizard "Fabian" arrives at the castle, Saskia hires him on the spot and sets him to the task of bringing order to the library. Unbeknownst to Saskia, the wizard she just hired is really Felix, an Imperial archduke, and enemy to her people. But Felix has been misused and treated as a pawn in a political scheme and has fled to Saskia's kingdom for peace and sanctuary. As he works at setting the library to rights, Felix can't help but find himself drawn to Saskia, and Saskia feels the same, but can the two find a way to be together when the truth stands in there way?

An adorable cozy romance between a queen and a librarian. I feel like this was written for me? Fabian is so cute and dedicated. I love how invested he is in both the library and Saskia. I love how he was obsessed with her and so respectful. The way Fabian handled everything that happened made me so squishy. Saskia was really going through it. I appreciate that both main characters had their own growth and journey. Saskia being the more assertive partner was lots of fun. I'm definitely going to be reading the next one and I just know it's going to be hilarious.
A delightful, cozy romantasy!

Warring nations, political intrigue and meddling deities. This novel has all the hallmarks of an epic fantasy condensed (in a not entirely successful manner) into a traditional romance length novel. I *was* however, pleasantly surprised by how well these staples of the genre contributed to a narrative in a much more intimate setting.

"Wooing the Witch Queen" is, overall, *cosy* fantasy. The premise could best be described as idiot-introverts-in-love, which, let's face it, is adorable.

Sequestered in her lonely, eerie castle Saskia, wicked Witch Queen of Kitvaria has a reputation to maintain. It's tricky keeping up the evil chicanery of her facade however, when she'd much rather be left alone to her magical experiments.

Enter the sweetly humble yet magnetic and courtly stranger who arrives at her castle, seemingly in answer to this universes equivalent to a want-ad. Like any self respecting woman with shit to do, Saskia hires him on the spot to take care of her library.

BUT he's hiding a dark secret! Will they overcome their respective childhood traumas/identity issues/introverted faffings-about enough to make their romance work?

Overall, this was *fun* read. It's a sweet little fantasy that is perfect for fans of "Assistant to Villain". It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the stakes are just high enough to keep you invested without succumbing to melodrama.

I will say that it is a little slow through the middle, I would've liked a more natural and decisive progression of the plot, however, having said that, "Wooing the Witch Queen" is still a great choice for an afternoon snuggled into a chair and daydreaming of your own library (and a crow buddy to bring you buttons).

Thanks to Tor/Bramble, Netgalley and the Author for the opportunity to read this arc.

this book was interesting. good plot and the characters were cute. the ending was really good. I would recommended this book for sure.

Wooing the Witch Queen is another delightful installment in the cozy fantasy genre. The tone is perfectly irreverent and the characters are a lot of fun. All the hallmark elements of cozy fantasy are present here with found family, books and libraries, and relatively low stakes. Reading this book was like drinking a spiked cup of hot chocolate and I can’t wait to see the rest of the series.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest interview. I had a great time with this book! I normally don’t care for romance novels so I was pleasantly surprised that there was a lot more going on besides just the romance in this story. It is set in a fantasy world with trolls and goblins, magic and witches and dark wizards, and it is full of fun and lovable characters. The plot follows Felix, the somewhat-ousted Archduke of Estarion who takes refuge with Saskia, the witch queen of the nearby kingdom of Kitvaria. There is a misunderstanding when they initially meet that leads to Felix becoming Saskia’s personal librarian and dark wizard as she is trying to protect her kingdom from her evil uncle. I appreciate that this is a very complete story, even as it is setting up the premise for the next book in the series - which I definitely plan on reading!

I don’t really have any negative critiques of this book, like I said romance kind of makes me roll my eyes but that is 100% a me thing, and it could have been a lot worse. This book is fun and entertaining and engaging and sometimes that is exactly what is needed!

There was like no world building, supposed to be a bad witch but doesn't do anything bad theirs like no connection between the characters just felt like a knockoff assistant to the villain to me in a bad way.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on eGalley from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I keep waffling between 3 and 4 stars for this one. The story is cute, yet predictable. I liked the characters, but though they could have had more depth. The world building is there but thin. Mostly I struggled with something about the writing style; it just didn't flow well for me. To be fair I had the same issue with "Kat, Incorrigable" when I read that book by Burgis...so I may just not mesh well with Burgis's writing style. The whole thing (writing style, plot, characters) are all a bit simple for me.

The books switches viewpoint between Felix and Saskia. Felix is fleeing his home country and seeks refuge in the only place that could stand up to his uncle. That place happens to be the castle of the Wicked Queen Saskia. Saskia needs a evil wizard to organize her library; she assumes that when Felix shows up he's the man for the job and blindly hires him. As efforts to find Felix ensue, Saskia is drawn more and more into the politics she hates. Meanwhile, Saskia and Felix are incredibly attracted to each other. Let's just hope their attraction can overcome the secrets Felix is hiding.

This is all set up to have that whole dark villain thing going on, but none of the characters end up really being all that edgy or villainess. Basically, it's evil but only for show. As mentioned above, the whole thing was a bit too shallow and cutesy for me; I think it's the shallow part more than the cutesy part that bothered me. I also just don't do well with the writing style here; it doesn't flow in a way my brain can handle. I kept having to re-read parts, and that made it a bit clunky to get through. That happens to me with some authors, I have never been able to love Cassandra Clare's writing style or V.E. Schwab's writing style either.

I like the strange family in Saskia's castle, and I generally like Felix and Saskia as characters. I just felt like the whole thing (plot, characters, world, emotions) was a bit thin.

My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was an okay read. It is fun and quick. If you are looking for a cozy, fun, fantasy read with a little edge (and I mean a very small amount of edge) you might enjoy this. If you are a huge fan of Burgis's writing style, you might enjoy this as well. I probably won't be continuing this series, even though it is a cute premise. This also confirms for me that I am just not a bit fan of Burgis's writing style.

This was so good! Featuring a quiet thoughtful man and a wild powerful woman, this romantasy is a lovely, quiet romantic burn. The worldbuilding is top notch and sets up the future conflicts for future books quite nicely. It's almost so unbearably sweet and passionate that I'm contemplating re-reading it immediately just so I don't have to leave the world of Felix and Saskia.

Wooing the Witch Queen was cozy and sweet, but the relationship and romance between Felix/Fabian and Saskia was a flop.

WOOING THE WITCH QUEEN was an absolute delight, from its sweet, sensitive, traumatized cinnamon-roll hero to its introverted, reclusive, but decidedly not evil heroine. Add to that a castle full of found family, an alliance with two other “evil” queens (one a cool and logical ice queen, the other a capricious, unpredictable faerie), an Empire determined to eliminate nonhumans and their magic, and a neighboring kingdom bent on conquest. Throw in a perfect blend of humor, danger, and romance, and I was enchanted.

Having overthrown the wicked uncle who usurped her throne, Saskia is trying to keep her kingdom safe from outside threats while avoiding bothersome interactions with her subjects and her council. What she really wants to do is continue her work on developing spells to ward the borders. To do that, she needs her First Minister (and ex-lover) Mirjana to keep the kingdom running on her behalf. And she really needs a functioning library. . . but hers is in chaos. So Saskia hires a dark wizard to catalog it.

Felix is neither a dark wizard nor a librarian. He’s the Archduke of the neighboring kingdom. . .but only in name. In reality, his late wife’s father holds all the power, and Felix is fleeing for his life. But when he arrives at Queen Saskia’s castle in disguise, only to have the witch-queen mistake him for her newly-hired librarian, “Sinistro,” Felix discovers that in fact, he’s rather good at the job. He’s certainly safer here in Saskia’s castle than back in his own. And he finds his new employer fascinating—and quite, quite entrancing. I loved his quiet courtship of her, and the attraction that sparks between them under the surface.

I also loved the way Ms. Burgis weaves whimsy and humor, and more than a little of herself, into her writing alongside the more serious plotlines. Felix’s love of fountain pens echoes Burgis’s own, and the crow that adopts him reminded me more than a little of Burgis’s very affectionate and possessive cat, who often features in the author’s social media.* On a deeper level, the whole book reflects Ms. Burgis’s beliefs regarding freedom, inclusivity, and acceptance of people for who they are. Saskia’s love for and loyalty to the nonhumans who sheltered and raised her after her uncle’s treasury, despite other humans’ fear of them, speaks volumes.

While some aspects of the book are a tinge darker than most cozy fantasy fans might expect (most notably Felix’s back story), I think WOOING THE WITCH QUEEN will appeal to cozy fantasy readers as well as those looking for romantasy or fantasy romance. As for me, I loved it, and I’m already eager for the second book in the Queens of Villainy trilogy, ENCHANTING THE FAE QUEEN!


Would I buy or recommend this book? Absolutely! I preordered the paperback, and I’m planning to give a copy to at least one person on my gift list this year.



*Full disclosure: I follow Ms. Burgis on social media and support her Patreon, and I have interacted with her in both. I’ve been a fan of her work for over a decade. However, I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, not Ms. Burgis herself, and my review and rating are sincere and entirely my own opinion.

I thought this was witty and funny in some places but nothing held me into the world. Very character driven plot which is fine but it felt like there was no real setting. I felt really disconnected with everything despite enjoying the character personalities.

Listen, if you're looking for a cute, not super serious book that combines a little bit of fantasy politics with yearning and minor character development, then this is for you. It will fit the bill, and honestly, be better than somethings just like it.

So I really wanted to like this but i just couldn’t get into this. Felix are archduke and runaway just magically is able to escape his abusive father in law because fate wants him too and we never see him escape. And the wicked queen really didn’t do anything even morally gray all of the relationship felt summarized and just a brief overview. I couldn’t really connect to the character which is sad because i really wanted to like this. Overall it was just fine.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

5 stars and I can't stress this enough: cozy as HELL. It took me a minute or two to get used to Amanda Leigh Cobb as a narrator, but she has a slow drawling tone for Saskia that I enjoyed immensely, and her voices for the two queens were very fun (being able to swap between vocal fry for the ice goth and manic pixie dream girl for the hyper Fae is a TALENT).

I feel like, a lot of the time, books marketed as "cozy" fall through for me because I'm holding them up to the standard of Legends and Lattes. However, I've read cozy fantasy books that hold up to that standard, and this is one of them. I'm genuinely starting to think that the key to cozy, at least for me, is the autism or neurodivergence present within the story, since it speaks to me so specifically.

Wooing the Witch Queen is a very cozy, surprisingly kinky romantasy and I can't wait to hear about a potential sequel involving one of the other queens of villainy. Right off the bat though, these aren't actually villainous ladies. They're rulers who have taken up the mantles of villainy in an attempt to do what's right and rule their kingdoms in the ways they see fit, like our main character Saskia. She took the throne from her evil Uncle in an attempt to bring balance to the rampant racism and speciesism ongoing in the kingdom, and is now beloved by her subjects. However, the imperial archduke and her uncle are still causing a myriad of issues, so she enlists the help of a dark wizard to locate and take care of the duke.

Enter Felix, who at first planned nothing more than throwing himself at Queen Saskia's feet and begging for mercy and asylum. But after being mistaken as a dark wizard answering the hiring notice, he undertakes the task of reorganizing her magnificent library and finding the tracking spell she seeks, all while hiding his true identity behind the mask... But he's down so bad for Saskia, and she can't deny her feelings for him either.

So, it's a miscommunication cozy fantasy where two nerds who I WILL be calling autistic struggle to cope with being in the same room and not ripping each other's clothes off. Felix, aka Fabian, can't get anything done without first having a specific type of pen, bonds with an outcast plucky raven from Saskia's flock, and wears a massively oversized cloak and mask to hide himself away from others (even if it is mostly to keep his identity secret). He immediately becomes entrenched in organising the library and works at it without food or sleep for several days, and tries to tell the castle staff not to worry about his unhealthy habits because it's what he's "used to." Queen Saskia hates making public appearances, dealing with her two ally queens, and having to handle the diplomatic elements of ruling a kingdom, and would much rather spend all of her time working on experiments and magic studies in her lab. Between her hot new librarian wizard and her ex-girlfriend who is her diplomatic advisor, she's struggling to focus on anything she actually enjoys. They're both neurodivergent as hell and it makes them completely suited to each other. Which is perfect since they're so horny for each other it HURTS.

This is actually surprisingly kinky for such a cozy title, I was kind of shocked by how much of a sub/Dom relationship these two characters established (Saskia is dominant, Felix is submissive), but the enthusiastic consent and fun they both had made it super entertaining. There was a small scene upset where Saskia takes Felix's voice away right when he tries to tell her his true identity, and she is upset after their sexual encounter when she finds out about it, but he isn't blamed for not being able to tell her and they both enjoyed the scene. And NO, this is not a slow burn, this is a dry brush fire springing up immediately. Insta lust, insta-love. But it's clear that Saskia cares for Felix and would commit murders and malefic deeds to protect him, and he risks his life for her multiple times, proving his devotion.

I think this title is perfect for fans of the Princess Bride, Dreadful, and Legends & Lattes, and I highly recommend!

"Wooing the Witch Queen" by Stephanie Burgis is a Gaslamp fantasy that weaves magic, intrigue, and romance into a cozy tale. The story centers around bisexual Queen Saskia, a powerful sorceress dedicated to protecting her kingdom, and "Fabian," a mysterious librarian with secrets of his own. Saskia’s stern demeanor and sharp intellect make her an intriguing character, while Fabian, who is secretly an Imperial archduke in disguise, brings a touch of charm and slight humor to the narrative. Their dynamic promises a tale of flirtation, deception, and slow-burning romance—or so the synopsis suggests.

While the book excels in its cozy atmosphere, the romance left much to be desired. The chemistry between Saskia and Fabian felt rushed, falling into insta-love/lust territory. One moment Fabian is admiring Saskia’s beauty, and a few chapters later, he's having a inner monologue of how much he's in love with her. The buildup I’d hoped for—the wooing, the flirty exchanges—was fleeting, making it hard to invest fully in their relationship.

On the brighter side, the author’s writing style is enjoyable and fast-paced, and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ representation through Saskia’s character was a delightful touch. The plot itself, while lacking in significant twists or turns, fits the vibe of a cozy fantasy read. It’s not a book driven by high stakes or intricate romance, but it still manages to provide a pleasant escape.

Overall, "Wooing the Witch Queen" isn’t a standout romance, but it’s a solid, light read with charming moments. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, low-stakes fantasy with hints of romance and excellent representation, this might be worth picking up. Just don’t expect a grand, slow-burn love story or any wooing.