Wooing the Witch Queen was a sweet, cozy fantasy romance that gave reverse gender Apprentice to the Villain vibes. Saskia is an “evil” witch queen trying to navigate politics in a queendom where there are people plotting against her, and Felix is an archduke on the run, looking for asylum at the last place he thinks anyone will look for him. In a case of mistaken identity, Felix is tasked as the librarian in Saskia’s court, while she tries to find the missing archduke, not realizing that he’s the sweet librarian that she’s falling for.

I enjoyed this book well enough, mainly because I really loved Felix. He’s such a cinnamon roll MMC. Saskia was supposed to be this evil witch queen, but I didn’t get evil from her at all. She was a bit naive and inexperienced, but never outright mean or evil. I also didn’t really feel like much happened throughout the story. Despite that it was an easy book to listen to. The story flowed and the audiobook narrator was really good. I’m not sure this will be a story that sticks with me though. And I’m not sure I’ll be continuing the series. 3.5 Stars.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.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 Burgos
Narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb
4 ⭐️

This is a book to grab when you want a really fun, mildly political, not terrible complicated, sweet underdog gets the girl romantasy. My favorite components: male infiltrates a spunky girl gang, he also infiltrates a library with a man in the iron mask vibes, and there’s a Zazu-ish crow bff involved. The audiobook was good too. I thought Cobb did the boom justice and was solid as a solo narrator.

Audiobook ARC curtesy of NetGalley, Stephanie Burgos, and Mamillan audio - thank you! 👑

This book came across as a cozy romance, including your very cozy favorites of a library, a crow familiar and found family feel.

Felix under the alias of Fabian a dark wizard wants to escape his life and decides to try to find sanctuary under the protection of the "evil" Queen Saskia, she's looking for someone to organize her library and when he walks through the doors she hires him on the spot wanting to quickly return to her laboratory.

I enjoyed the narrator very much, I do feel like Felix's character was a little flat at times.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced listening copy for my review ! This was a wonderful listen, Amanda Leigh Cobb is one of my favorite narrators and she did an excellent job bringing the characters to life . This was cozy and enchanting all the way through , I enjoyed all of the characters and magic woven throughout . An evil queen, magic crows, a beautiful library and a wonderfully sweet and kind male love interest . Great listen or read for those that love cozy fantasies!

I finally got into this right at the end. Even though this was a Romantasy I felt the characters read very young in the way they interacted and dealt with making decisions. I also didn’t want to be told about the fantasy world but experience it: that is why I think I finally enjoyed the end of the book. I am hoping I like the next book in this series more.

Such a great change of pace from the standard fantasy. I love that our queen is the moody and powerful one, while our librarian is sweet and attentive. This would be a perfect fall/early winter cozy read! Please note, that misunderstanding/ miscommunication is a HUGE plot point, like the whole plot. The narrator did a wonderful job. I love the voice she chose for Saskia!!

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis is a cozy, romantic, and empowering adult fantasy with Apprentice to the Villain vibes- the perfect primer for readers new to the fantasy genre.
The characters are endearing and Amanda Leigh Cobb brought them to life with her narration. I particularly like all the trolls that worked in the castle, and the crows are also a very sweet addition to the cast.
While I understand that is a character driven story, there are times I feel the novel could benefit from a bit more world building. I was fascinated by the dynamics within the empire and also the intricacies of the magic system, but most of it is explained quickly through exposition and not delved into in any meaningful way.
At its core, Wooing the Witch Queen is a tale of trust, vulnerability, and the power of love. Burgis’s writing is full of warmth, humor, and a dash of whimsy, making it a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a cute romantasy with strong heroines and found families.

First story in the Queens of Villany series and I am ready for the next!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with all of the characters - especially Mrs Haglitz and Morlokk.

A cozy fantasy romance with witches, fae, evil emperors, trolls, goblins and a runaway archduke pretending to be a dark wizard.

Archduke Felix Augustus von Estarion is miserable, to say the least, in his own kingdom. His very own father-in-law, who is the current regent, the Count, treats him most terribly and may be plotting his demise. Hoping to gain asylum from the one person who wouldn't be cowed by the Count, Felix snuck out of his own kingdom, and straight into the enemies.

Archduke Felix is ready to plead his case to the Wicked Queen of the East when a curious turn of events leads him to make a different play. Hoping it won't backfire, until he is ready to tell the Queen the truth, Felix becomes the new masked dark wizard in Kitvaria.

While Felix is away, the Count continues his plans with the emperor to attack Kitvaria in the Archdukes name. And suprise, Queen Saskia's evil uncle is in cahoots with the Count as well as he hopes to take back her throne.

A slow burn romance stirs between Queen Saskia and her new dark wizard/librarian, Archduke Felix (AKA Fabian). Her castles' inhabitants, while non-human and unfamiliar, begin to warm to Fabian as they see how he cares for Saskia. Offering courtly advice behind a mask draws attention from the two other witch Queens in the Queens of Villany trio - Queen Lorelei of Balravia and Queen Ailana of Nornne. The witches warn Saskia of the plans of the Estarion Archduke against their kingdoms and that they must work together to fight against him.

Secrets have a way of being drawn into the light and soon Felix fears his ruse will be at an end along with his life. How can he convince Saskia that he is not her enemy and keep her kingdom from falling into the hands of their enemies? Will their love be enough to keep from tearing them apart?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
I REALLY wanted to love this and hate having to leave a review like this, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I believe the story has a lot of potential, but was executed poorly with a lot of telling and not showing. It started off great with the character descriptions and then there was really no development after the introduction. It didn't have depth or make me invested in any of the characters, but I did enjoy the pet raven. I'm not really sure what the plot was (besides what I read in the description) and I feel like the romance portion was underdeveloped. I really liked the nerdy aspect for Felix, it was a cute touch. The relationship between Felix and Saskia was strange to me and didn't quite catch when It started. There wasn't really much build up or any slow burn. I had high hopes from reading the description, but unfortunately this wasn't for me.

This was a fun cozy fantasy romance featuring a bisexual “fearsome” witch queen and an archduke disguised as a dark wizard librarian. The stakes are quite low - this, along with the writing gave it that cozy fantasy feel. I truly had no idea where this story was going which was what made it so fun and it kept me guessing the whole time.

I listened to the ALC of this and really enjoyed the narrator.

I will definitely be continuing this series which seems as though it’ll be some interconnected standalones!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun cozy fantasy. It was exactly what I was wanting. Saskia was the perfect FMC...heart of gold but outwardly needing to be an "evil queen".

This story is about romance and family at its heart, but not blood family. It's definitely about the family you choose. Saskia built herself a wonderful family after her uncle was a terrible person.

I loved seeing the relationship between Felix and Saskia grow throughout the book from an almost indifference on her end and fear on his end to love on both their parts.

The side characters were some of the best, especially the castle staff. I loved how much they cared for Saskia, almost as more of a daughter than their queen.

Narration was phenomenal. I felt like the voice actor did a great job bringing the characters and story to life.

Overall, this was a cute book that felt like a warm hug.

Spice level: 🌶️/4

Felix is an arch duke on the run from his wicked father-in-law and brother in law. Saskia is the witch queen of a neighboring land, with a reputation for being wicked. Felix decides running to Saskia is better than being caught by his uncle again, but due to a series of miscommunication leads to Saskia believing Felix is Fabian, a dark wizard here to take care of her library.

Mistaken identities, a disguise, and individuals not living up to their reputations (in a good way). This cozy, lower stakes, fantasy with some romance is so cute. It reminded me of an intersection between Assistant to the Villain and Legends and Lattes. There is political intrigue and an alliance with the other Queens of Villainy, setting up characters for more exploration of their stories in the future. Amanda Leigh Cobb does a great job with narrating, giving texture to the characters voices.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio for an
advanced listening copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published 2/18/25. I will post on Instagram closer to publication.

This was cute and fun, but there wasn't much else to it. Everything was a bit too simple, even the few challenges faced were solved too easily. I also wish there had been more one on one moments with the love interests. I need more chemistry, more yearning. My least favorite part of this though, was the narration. I'm a firm believer that there should be an entire cast for audiobooks. Listening to someone raise their voice an octave for the FMC, to immediately lowering it 3 more octaves for the MMC is extremely difficult to listen to.. This isn't any shade to this particular narrator either, she has a great speaking voice - it just takes me out of the story when only one person is speaking for all characters. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I am too jaded to fully and completely love this one but I liked it. I loved the narration. It is cute! The book is really cute.

This book was such a fun cozy romance. The world building wasn’t huge but enjoyable. This book actually had me laughing out loud. It was also a very quick read…..like a before I knew it the book was done in one sitting kinda book.

• newly crowned queen saskia hires fabian, a mysterious wizard who arrives at her castle, to help organize her magic library. turns out he's actually the imperial archduke in disguise with no magic training at all. when his identity is revealed, it's up to them both to prove if their love can save them.
• this is fun & silly & a quick read that had me laughing & rooting for the main characters.
• it’s camp in the best way, leaning into classic magic tropes, & the romance was one i could believe in.

Meh. I Found myself not drawn to pick this one up much. I think it has fantastic audio narration but overall i was left pretty neutral on the story itself.

A wicked sorceress who overtakes the throne from her evil uncle but would rather work in her laboratory and an archduke on the run, disguise himself as a wizard in order to seek refuge in her kingdom start to fall for each other and secrets begin to unravel... what can go wrong?

I truly enjoyed this Gaslamp- lit world! Such an interesting plot line and I LOVE the reverse role where the FMC is the one to say "who did this to you" and sets out for revenge. I love Saskia's character, a morally grey FMC who needs no man to protect her but is still sensitive and wants to be loved on her terms. Like a black cat. And "Fabian" is a literal German Shepard. He's soft and kind towards her but would absolutely rip your face off if you hurt her. He writes her poetry letters *swoooon*. Together they make the perfect team to run a kingdom. The spice is perfect, it definitely scratches the itch. Great balance between plot and spice.
Highly recommend the audio. Amanda Leigh Cobb did a fantastic job with the narration. You can tell the difference between each character, which to me is huge, especially in a fantasy book.
I'm excited to read book 2 when it comes out!

I was given the arc audio to review and I am so grateful for the opportunity!
Thank you Netgalley, Macmilan Audio and Stephanie Burgis for trusting me with the work.

I really enjoyed this story. It was like Dark Romantasy, but make it cozy. It doesn't start off cozy, and as child abuse is a major part of the backstories for both leads, and there is a scene of dubious consent later in the story, I think that there should be some content warnings addressed in the foreword. I'm not sure if I will read the next book in the series because it centres one of my least favourite characters from this book, but I will definitely be seated when the third Queen gets her story.