A fun and cozy slow-burn romantasy! Queen Saskia is a strong-willed ruler with an incredible heart for her people. However, political tensions increase at every corner when the archduke of an enemy country has disappeared. Unbeknownst to her, the wizard she recently hired to organize the castle's library is the archduke in disguise. How long will the archduke be able to keep up his charade?

Amanda Leigh Cobb narrates this cozy fantasy read. Cobb seamlessly switches between characters making it easy for the listener to stay engaged in the book.

I'm looking forward to book two!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis is book one in the Queens of Villainy series. I had an ALC of this book and I really enjoyed it - I gave it 3.5 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and MacMillan Audio for my advance listener copy. The narration on this audiobook was by Amanda Leigh Cobb and she was fantastic. Okay, this book hooked from it's opening line: "It was a cool rainy evening in Estavial City when the Archduke decided not, after all, to give his in-laws the gift of his own early demise." I mean? The Archduke is a widower, and the loss of his best friend and wife, has him questioning things. He realizes his in-laws may decide to do away with him without his consent, so he sneaks away and decides to throw his lot in with the Queen. When he arrives at her castle, he is mistaken for a dark wizard they are expecting. This is an engaging story and there is slow burn romance developing between the Queen and the Archduke/dark wizard that I found really enjoyable.

I loved this first novel in The Queens of Villainy series! Wooing The Witch Queen is a delightful low-steam, slow burn romance between Saskia, a beautiful witch who recently deposed her scheming uncle for the throne of her country, and Fabian, a mysterious wizard, whom she hires to organize the royal library.

Of course, Fabian is really the “evil” Arch Duke who Saskia fears but Fabian is just running away from the true villain, his father-in-law, (Fabian’s wife is sadly deceased) whose political machinations place the blame for all that is bad in his country as Fabian’s fault.

What he truly is is a sweet cinnamon roll of a librarian who talks to his books and promises to protect them **swoon** and also develops protective tendencies toward Saskia and her crows. More Swoon! :)

Anyway, this is a fun read with charming world building and quirky characters and I’m looking forward to the next books that tell the stories of the other two Queens of Villainy!

The audiobook narrator gives an excellent performance and I would recommend this to anyone who loves romantic stories involving hidden identities and found family set in a lovely fantasy world.

Queen Saskia is a supposedly “evil” witch with a heart of gold, who is just looking to protect the people (of all species) in her kingdom from the bigoted neighboring kingdoms that are trying to conquer hers. When her enemy, the Archduke and the puppet ruler of one of the neighboring kingdoms, arrives at her door looking for sanctuary, she mistakes him for a dark wizard and gives him a job as a librarian!

This is an excellent all-inclusive fantasy novel that talks about heavy topics in an easy way. I love that Saskia’s mother was an anthropologist who taught Saskia to treat everyone equally, regardless of race, species, or magical ability. The contrast between Saskia’s views and the views of the other kingdoms shows the reader exactly how someone even a little bit different than the societal norm can easily be perceived as “evil.”

The slow-burn romance element was sweet. I enjoyed that they got to know each other well before they got together. The banter was excellent. The crow companion was aa absolute hoot!

DNF at 66%. This book is definitely within the cozy/goofy fantasy realm, and i think it will absolutely appeal to readers if “assistant to the villain.” It is deeply unserious, and the audiobook narration reflects that sense of silliness. It’s such a slow burn, but with so little going on in the plot (i have listened to these people basically move about a castle with no conflict or any romantic activity) it is outrageously boring. I never needed or wanted to hear so much about a fountain pen.

3.5 ⭐️

After reading a previous book by this author, I was eager to try Wooing the Witch Queen—a cozy fantasy romance that delivers on its charm, even if the worldbuilding still feels underdeveloped. The story follows Queen Saskia, a powerful and feared witch, and Felix, an archduke on the run who takes refuge in her castle by posing as a dark wizard librarian. Unbeknownst to Saskia, Felix is tied to the very people she’s fighting against, but as they grow closer, their relationship shifts from reluctant trust to genuine affection.

Felix is instantly lovable—nerdy, gentle, and kind, a perfect foil to Saskia’s fiery temper and prickly exterior. Their romance is a slow burn, built through trust, meaningful gestures, and mutual protection. It’s refreshing to see a fantasy romance where the female lead is the assertive one while the male lead brings the softness. Their dynamic has strong “golden retriever boyfriend and prickly bi-girlfriend” energy, which I think a lot of readers will enjoy.

The book shines in its cozy atmosphere and found-family elements, with Saskia’s magical non-human companions adding warmth and humor. Oskar the crow, Mrs. Haglitz the troll housekeeper, and the formidable yet supportive Queens of Villainy, Lorelei and Ailana, make the world feel lived-in. However, I do wish the world itself had been explored in greater depth. The stakes—while present—never feel particularly high, and the pacing at the beginning moves too fast, not allowing enough time to establish the characters before they meet.

Despite these drawbacks, Wooing the Witch Queen is an enjoyable, feel-good fantasy romance with a fun hidden-identity twist. If you’re looking for a whimsical and heartwarming love story with magical elements, this is definitely worth picking up!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the copy of Wooing the witch queen by: Stephanie Burgis, in exchange for an honest review.

This started out great and was giving me Assistant to the villain vibes but somewhere around the 30% mark I started losing interest and really did not find myself connecting with the characters and wishing for some slow burn/tension. Felix’s obsession with fountain pens definitely gave the golden retriever vibes, but I found it a little eye twitchy with how much it got brought up, literally like a dog’s obsession with a ball, ha! There were some snarky comments, but overall I did not get evil witch vibes from Saskia and found her friend annoying.

Overall this had an interesting premise by reversing a usual male villain as the center point and instead making the villain female, but ultimately the story lost my interest and just wasn’t for me. There is definitely a fan base for this one but that person is not me unfortunately. I will say the narrator, Amanda Leigh Cobb did a great job and I was able to differentiate between the characters voices.

Wooing the Witch Queen was an absolute delight to read. It’s a gaslamp fantasy that may now be one of my new favorite things. I really enjoyed the humorous and cozy undertones to this story as well as the black cat/golden retriever energy between the FMC and MMC. Speaking of the MMC, Felix is easy to adore with his fountain pen obsession and gentle nature. I also enjoyed how layered the FMC was with being the ‘evil sorceress’ on the surface until you get to know her more. I also felt the romance was believable and developed organically between the two. Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and it was used so well in this book. I also felt it was fairly faced paced making it easy to stay focused and enjoy the plot. The audiobook narration was incredible. Amanda Leigh Cobb excelled in this role and brought all the vibes and energy needed to make this an hit to listen to. I had no issues paying attention and loved every minute of the audio. I can’t wait to see where the series goes next.

I adored every moment of this one! I loved the nerdy main characters who are meant to be together but can't admit their feelings. The case of mistaken identity is hilarious and our love interest becomes a librarian-I swooned. The found family is incredibly heartwarming, I loved the romance, and I'm ready for more in this series-I need all of my queens to find love!

𝐀𝐑𝐂: Thank you so much NetGalley for the opportunity
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 🌶 - Fade to black
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: February 18, 2025
𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥: 9/12

I am so beyond grateful that I was able to read this book. I knew as soon as I saw the cover that I was going to fall in love and I was not wrong. I mean who doesn’t love an evil queen who knows she’s a badass?

In the last couple of months, I have been looking for more books where the Female is the one in charge and the males don’t really mind and are there to just support her. Because let’s be honest… women are amazing!

This book had such cute and funny moments that it was super enjoyable. I read it super fast and sad because I am already ready for book two which follows a very interesting character that we meet 👀.

This book has:
🌑 Evil Queens
🌑 Witches and Dark Warlocks
🌑 Crow Familiars
🌑 Evil Family Members

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Bramble for the advance copies!

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.

I listened to the audio while reading along and loved the Amanda Leigh Cobb as the narrator. She gave each of the queens a distinct voice and really brought the story to life.

This is a low spice, low stakes romantasy with a “hurt him and you die” witch queen. Absolutely feminist in the delivery of the plot which may take some time to get used to if you read a lot of books in the romantasy genre. Our main female character Witch Queen Saskia has come through an abusive childhood and is determined to protect everyone in her castle. That includes a man (Fabian) who arrives there seeking asylum (also from abuse) but ends up being hired as the Castle Librarian under false pretenses instead. Readers know from the start that Fabian is actually Saskia’s arch-nemisis Archduke Felix but the Queen is wholly unaware.

I love the ogre butler and troll housekeeper, and I especially love the crow familiar. And much to my surprise,  I also like Fabian as well as his fountain pen obsession. What I didn’t enjoy were the Queen Allies and the obviousness of the villains. We had clear revelation on who the villains were and there was never any subterfuge or mystery to figure out.

More details here: https://www.wilsonhillworks.com/reviews/wooingthewitchqueen

This is probably 3.5 stars but I've rounded down.

Thank you to Stephanie Burgis, Macmillan Audio, and Neutrally for the ARC copy.

Wooing the Witch Queen is the perfect cozy fantasy book to snuggle up and read in the dead of winter! Felix is an archduke seeking refuge from his tyrant father-in-law and plans to hand himself over to Saskia, the witch queen. After a misunderstanding, "Fabian" (Felix) is hired as a dark wizard to organize her library. Oskar, one of the witch queen's crows, takes a liking to Felix, and it doesn't take long for Saskia to catch feelings for her new librarian either!

I thought the narration was perfect and I'm looking forward to the second book in the Queens of Villainy series coming out in 2026!

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and Stephanie Burgis for an early audiobook copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cozy and whimsical with the perfect dash of magic and intrigue, this is no ordinary romantasy.

Both MCs have quite the tragic back story, but by sheer luck with some divine intervention, they fall in love despite multiple kingdoms and conflicting circumstances pulling them apart. Felix is the dark haired, bookish golden retriever you never knew you needed, and he’s the perfect choice to warm Saskia’s cold, scarred heart. The narrator does an amazing job of voicing all these characters which made me love this listen even more. If you need a cozy read to warm your own heart this winter, don’t pass this one up!

Wooing the Witch Queen is a cute, cost and very lightly spicy romantasy. Perfect for people who want and slow burn romance with a lot of yearning but prefer a bit more if a proper romance.
A cute romance between a strong and fearsome witch queen who does absolutely terrible things like giving all the sentient creatures who live in her kingdom equal rights and a dark wizard librarian who is hiding the fact that he can't actually do any magic and is supposed to be her worst enemy. Both working to overcoming the trauma of their past and defying societies expectations of evil to chose kindness.
Great for fans of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst.

3.5/5 and 1 chili pepper

This was cute! I’m interested to see how the world as a whole develops. The characters had some depth and the romance, while seemingly unprompted, was really sweet. An easy read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up

Wooing the Witch Queen is a lower stakes rom-com fantasy with light and approachable world building. Witch Queen Saskia and Archduke Felix meet while Felix is seeking asylum from an abusive family. It results in a case of mistaken identity where Felix becomes “Fabian” and takes a position in Saskia’s queendom as a dark wizard librarian.

I absolutely loved this book. In a market filled with alphaholes, this book is an absolute breath of fresh air. Felix is perhaps one of the most green-flag non-toxic MMCs I’ve read. I love a badass FMC and a cinnamon roll MMC and this book delivers! I also loved how both characters complement each other and grow because of each other. While the overall spice is low, there is tons of angst, tension, and yearning.

The epilogue has a sneak preview of the next book that made me want to immediately pick up the next book but unfortunately I will need to wait until it is released.

Amanda Leigh Cobb did an excellent job narrating and giving each voice a unique flair.

What to expect:
- Bi4bi 🏳️‍🌈
- Companion / familiar crow 🐦‍⬛
- Cinnamon roll 🥐
- Found family
- Secret identity 🤫
- Fierce witch queen 👸
- Female friendship
- Touch him and die 🔪

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for providing an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook. DNF @ 50%.

This is a romance that essentially begins with an infatuation that speedruns its way to the first physically intimate scene that occurs before the 50% mark. Simply not for me because I just know I'd actually love this novel as a slowburn. And I mean a proper slowburn where the the couple bonds through multiple scenes where they get to understand each other, rather than like two(?) instances of them talking and then a fastforward of a few months. Individually, Queen Saskia and Felix do make interesting characters; I liked Saskia's assertion & sass and Felix's gentle demeanor. But I can't get past my annoyance of the borderline instalust and I don't want to taint what pleasant experiences I have with these two thus far. Hence the DNF. MAYBE I'll pick this up again one day, when I'm in an extremely generous mood.

Amanda Leigh Cobb is a great narrator though, and I especially love how she effortlessly gives personality and distinction between three separate women (the series titular Queens of Villainy) talking in the same scene.

This cozy romantasy was a quick enchanting read! It was a nice bit of fun after a long week. I could easily follow the story and the found family was the cherry on top.

I was immediately drawn to our protagonist, the "evil" queen and could identify with her desire to be left to complete her experiments and improve things for her people. This was a cute romance while also allowing our main characters to come together to fight their foes. I also loved all the side characters in this, seeing them come alive and have in-depth roles in the story was great! I am excited to see where this story goes in the next book.

The audio narration was so fun and gave each of our characters distinct personalities and qualities that brought the story alive. It was very enjoyable to listen to this.

If you are looking for a low stakes cozy romatacy I would definitely pick this one up. For me the tone of this really stood out. I would recommend it for moments that you just want to feel comforted! Thank you to the publisher for providing an ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Found family, Accepting yourself, Realizing your own power, Rising above prior hurts...these are all themes that you will find in Wooing the Witch Queen. I loved this book! I listened to the audiobook (thank you NetGalley) and the narrator did an excellent job- she really brought life into each of the characters. I will absolutely read/listen to the second book of the Queens of Villainy series when it releases. I love a morally gray MMC, but this book has the morally gray FMC and it is done so beautifully. I was afraid that it would make the MMC weak, but the author did such a great job making him strong in his own right. Other things to note: I love that the MMC is obsessed with fountain pens, and that both the FMC and the MMC are obsessed with libraries/books and have commonplace books.