Wooing the Witch Queen

What a FUN adventure! I absolutely adored this light-hearted fantasy romance. The whimsical and low level of seriousness reminded me of Assistant to the Villian.

Felix is on the run from his controlling father in law who seeks to have him killed and take his seat of power. He escapes to the witch queen's castle to beg for her support. Unfortunately, Queen Saskia mistakes him for an evil wizard who answered her call to help assassinate him. Felix accepts the position as evil wizard here to organize her chaotic library despite not being a wizard or a librarian. The ensuing adventures find Saskia and Felix unable to deny their chemistry and feelings as they try to navigate the politics of the emperor trying to seize lands and Saskia's uncle trying to dethrone her as an unstable wicked witch queen.

The audio was absolutely CHARMING! The narrator was fabulous and I adored all the characters. Highly recommend a listen!

Check this one out if you're looking for:
Unserious, charming romantasy
Vibes like Assistant to the Villian
An alliance of Queens of Villiany
Fun, whimsical fantasy adventures

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and Bramble for the ARC/ALC. My opinions are my own. Wooing the Witch Queen is on shelves February 18, 2025!

This book was a lot more fun than I expected. I've never read a book by this author before, so I didn't know what to expect. A queen with magical powers and her dark wizard librarian. He's actually an archduke in disguise.

Lots of good conflict and world building. This wasn't a high stakes fantasy romance like I usually listen to or read. It was more chill than that. There was good romantic tension and connection between the hero and heroine. I loved all the unique characters. The writing was good. I was pleasantly surprised and fulfilled by this romantasy story. The narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life. Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Wooing the Witch Queen is a perfectly pleasant and inoffensive cozy fantasy romance, but it had the potential to be so much better, and by the end of the book I was really frustrated by that.

Right off the bat, this story is doing something interesting with its gender dynamics. It delivers exactly what it promises: a powerful, fearsome sorceress and the hapless, slightly pathetic librarian who falls in love with her. Unfortunately, that’s sort of… it. Both of these characters remain pretty flat and archetypical. Their “romance” is very surface-level, which is surprising, because the groundwork is laid for more - both characters are traumatized by abusive childhoods and both have grieved terrible losses of loved ones. But the book is thoroughly uninterested in letting them explore or actually connect based on those things, treating them instead like set dressing in the background.

Ultimately, though, my biggest problem with this book is that one glaringly obvious tweak would have made it a million times better: Saskia should have realized Felix’s identity immediately. (Or initially suspected it and quickly confirmed it. Or just figured it out very quickly after hiring him.) I cannot stress enough how much this would have fixed. The initial premise - Felix accidentally obtains work in his political enemy’s castle due to an improbable misunderstanding - is fun and silly in theory, but it becomes increasingly strained as the story goes along, until it is way, WAY past the point my suspension of disbelief can handle. Maintaining this misunderstanding/secret identity becomes EXCRUCIATING, forcing the story to constantly bend over backwards to accommodate it and making basically every character seem clueless and incompetent along the way.

That’s a particular problem for Saskia, becomes it causes the book to narratively undermine itself. Saskia is this character who is both an outsider (magically) and simultaneously a woman in a man’s world, struggling to hold onto her power and authority. She faces constant challenges from other characters who want to undermine her, and she’s righteously self-assured of her own competence. Except… that doesn’t land so well when she IS actually kind of incompetent. Like, ridiculously so. Like I can’t even believe how stupid this character has to be in order to continue NOT noticing who Felix is.

Alternately, if she had realized who he was and chosen to pretend not to, I would have actually believed she’s this clever, competent character she’s supposed to be. It could have created some fun cat and mouse scenarios. We also could have gotten a more genuine, deeper connection between the characters and avoided a sex scene that… well, I won’t quite call it “ethically dubious,” but I certainly didn’t like it.

I doubt I’ll read book two, but I might skip it and still pick up the third one since it will be sapphic.

Honestly, this book is about two introverts wanting to be left alone but society says otherwise.

The book's standout feature is undeniably the dynamic between Saskia and Fabian. Saskia is a force to be reckoned with—tough, intelligent, and fully in control of her kingdom. Fabian, on the other hand, is endearingly nerdy, a bit out of his element, and constantly finding himself in over his head. Their slow-burn relationship is equal parts sweet and hilarious as they navigate their differences and uncover each other's secrets.

Perfect for readers looking for a fun mix of fantasy, romance, and a touch of humor.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

this was a fun and quick, low stakes cozy romantasy, emphasis moreso on the fantasy and political intrigue rather than the romance, which i’m not mad about! i mean, who doesn't love a dark librarian as the love interest (;
i always find that i enjoy when a romantasy is more fantasy than smut, and this was rather tame.

the narrator did a fantastic job!

i’m excited for the next book in this cozy romantasy series!

This was a cozy but dark read. I enjoyed how the queens take no shit from society and ally together. Protecting one another but also not taking crap from each other either. The development arcs in the side characters as well was good to see. It was also good to see a mc who isn’t this territorial asshole that goes completely base urge as soon as they fall in love. They trust each other and protect each other. A real bond and good team dynamics.

This book was an amazing surprise. I don’t think I expected to enjoy it as much as I did, and I definitely did. World building and the characters were good, but I really love the humor. I was quickly drawn in to the story and I never got bored. I enjoyed the will they, won’t they aspects of the main romance. They were very cute together, and complimented each other very well. I also love Felix so much and I would love to get my own Oscar. Saskia was a great MFC. It was fun watching her grow more confident in herself and her decisions will still remaining to true to who she was. . I’m very excited to see what the series goes. So if you’re looking for a cozy romantic, witchy read look no further. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone. Amanda Leigh Cobb narration was excellent as always.

4.5 ⭐️

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillian Audio, and Team Stephanie Burgis for this audiobook!

"Wooing the Witch Queen" by Stephanie Burgis was a fun and delightful romantasy featuring a bisexual witch queen and her dark wizard librarian. I enjoyed the well-written characters, simple world-building, and slow-burn romance. The presence of mystical creatures like ogres and goblins added an enchanting touch to the story.

Amanda Leigh Cobb's narration was engaging, giving each character a unique voice. While the stakes were high, the story felt cozy and low-pressure. Overall, this was a fun and charming audiobook that left me looking forward to the next installment. I felt like this book had the same fun magical vibes as How to Summon a Fairy Godmother by Laura J. Mayo, so definately reccomend if you enjoyed that one (or reccomend that one if you enjoy this one 😂).

If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy romance between a bisexual witch queen and her dark wizard librarian, this is the book for you! I had such a great time reading this book. The characters were great, the storyline was well written, and the world building was simple and fun! There’s ogres, goblins, and many other mystical creatures who complete this cozy fantasy.

The romance was slow, sweet, with a bit of spice thrown in.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ARC!

‘Wooing the Witch Queen’ by Stephanie Burgis is a delightful romantic fantasy. The lighthearted story and slow-burn romance make it a perfect choice for cozy fantasy fans. The likable characters and easily resolved conflicts were enjoyable. Amanda Leigh Cobb did an excellent job with the narration and gave each character a unique style and sound. Very much loved listening to the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.

If you heard screaming, it was me over this book. I loved this so much! It's such a fun, cozy fantasy. It may have had high stakes, but it felt cozy and low stakes. I loved the reversal for certain tropes and the relationship that unfolded. This was just so fun. I had such a great time listening to this! I think the narrator did such a great job and loved how she read this. I can't wait to see what happens next. This was so good. I also love Felix so much and I would like my own Oscar.

Wooing The Witch Queen:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio for my gifted copy! #MacAudio2025!⁣
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This book was.. dare I say.. bewitching? It was so charming!!⁣
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I obviously did a running and reading for this since Georgia decided it wanted to be 72 degrees this week. I finished in about 3-4 days and I didn’t want it to end. The audio was decent. Wasn’t my favorite audio, but it didn’t hurt my ears! If you’re in the moving and grooving phase, check this audio out. ⁣
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It was whimsical and fun. I adored the characters and also used the word dastardly to describe Count von Hertzendorff (who am I?) I loved Felix. He was just so kind and gentle. I mean, he cried the first time we met him and I thought, “wow, I actually love this”. ⁣
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Honestly, it made me want to go find a fountain pen (a legit one) and wave hi to the crows instead of be terrified. ⁣
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Out Feb 18th, this was a warm hug with a little kick of tamale.

{ Wooing the Witch Queen }
by Stephanie Burgis

★ ★ ★ ★
Narrator(s): Amanda Leigh Cobb
Length: 8h 34m
Source: ALC - NetGalley, Macmillan Audio
Release Date: February 18, 2025

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Fabian, aka Prince Felix, has been the punching bag for too long so he flees to the neighboring land that belongs to the terrifying Witch Queen, Saskia. She mistakes him for a dark wizard to organize her library and Felix officially becomes Fabian.

This was a cute story. I really liked how Felix got to know the real Saskia. Their relationship was founded on friendship which was a nice change of pace. The way SHE protects him is just—superb!

I loved the side characters and how Felix came to care for all the beings he misjudged. The other Villainous Queens cracked me up, especially the fae queen. She was nuts and I believe her book is next. 😂

Overall a really cute fantasy—maybe even a cozy fantasy because there was very little drama and lots of swoon with a rating of pg-13ish.

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
🐦‍⬛ romantasy
🩵 hidden identity
🐦‍⬛ slow burn pg-13
🩵 no 3rd act break-up

{I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All reviews are my own.}
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Wooing the Witch Queen is the first novel in the “Queens of Villainy” series. Thanks to Netgalley for an opportunity to listen to the audiobook narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb. It’s a fun Fantasy about an Archduke, disguised as a Dark Wizard Librarian, who falls head over heels for the Witch Queen. Quick read and sure to please readers of Romance/Fantasy.

This book was light and fun. The narrator does a good job and kept me invested. It’s nothing deep or groundbreaking, but it was fun and I will read the other two.

I thought this was such a fun romantasy to read! It was filled with witty banter, forbidden love and magic! This was a strong start for a series, and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you Net Galley

Wooing the Witch Queen- Stephanie Burgis
Narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb

DNF at 40%. I liked the premise of the book, but I could not get past the blatant and continuous mispronunciation or the emphasis on the wrong syllable of some words.

3.5/5 stars

I've never read anything from Stephanie Burgis before after this I will. I really liked the writing style, it reminded me of Assistant to The Villain.

This was a great audiobook listen!

This is a fun world of humans, witches, wizards, trolls, goblins and so much more! The overall vibe is more of a cozy fantasy romance but there are also some darker themes which added depth to the story.

I loved our evil witch and duke in hiding! They were both interesting and complex characters and I found myself so invested in both their happiness!

The narration was phenomenal! The intonations were perfect and I can’t imagine this book being done by anyone else!

I definitely be recommending this book and audiobook to friends!

I was looking forward to this book and while I did have a decent time in this story, it was not at all what I expected. It was definitely more quirky and trying to be funny. It did remind me a bit of that vibe from Assistant to the Villain, so if you really enjoy that slap-stick interactions between characters, this might work better for you. I do not think I will continue on. This story does come to a conclusion and the snippet we get for book 2, is it follows some side characters from this book.