There was a lot to like about this book, including an interesting world and magic system, but it ultimately fell a little flat for me.

The pacing was a little slow, and it took me a while to get into the book. There were a lot of interesting ideas going on, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care about any of it until I was a little over halfway through. I considered DNF’ing the book multiple times. Once I did get into it, I really enjoyed it.

I think part of the reason I struggled to get into it was Pandora. It had strong “not like other girls” vibes from her that made it harder to care about her. The chapter is actually called that as if it’s supposed to be a fun nudge to the audience, but it was mostly annoying. She’s supposed to be the most powerful mage of her time, maybe ever, and is just so tiny and also not very pretty! Her name is just so on the nose (Small when she’s really short, get it?). The first several chapters are full of constant reminders of just how not like other girls she is. Also, sometimes we don’t have a good grasp of how powerful she really is. Apparently she can break all the rules in some ways because of her powers, but also she’s terrified of breaking them… I don’t know. I wish her characterization had been better rounded out. I’m not completely sure Beacon is so into her right from the start except for the fact that he’s the romantic interest.

I do like some of the character transformations we get. There are characters we might not like at the beginning that have interesting characterizations or behaviors later on. Unfortunately, some of the side characters have more development and depth than Pan and Beacon. I don’t know why they automatically trust each other, and neither of them has a lot of growth.

I also enjoyed a lot of the worldbuilding elements. The monsters and magic systems for the most part were vivid and interesting, although some things were hard to grasp. Overall, the plot had some exciting twists and turns, even if I thought it was ultimately predictable how things ended. I also was a little frustrated that when it comes to the ending, she could have done that all along and only at the very end decided to solve the issues.

Overall, I really enjoyed the second half and liked the regency-esque setting. I just wish the characters had been rounded out more and that the first part hadn’t been so slow.

I fear I’m in the minority with this one but I just couldn’t get into it. I do think it could have just been picked up at the wrong time for me as I have a lot going on and needed something I could immediately get lost in and unfortunately for me, this wasn’t it. I gave it 3 stars since I do think this is all on me and I also have plans on picking it back up in the future when life calms down lol. I loved the premise of this story, the mystery I was promised and the fact that some are calling it for fans of Divine Rivals so I will definitely be picking this back up one day!

I couldn’t get into this one as much as I wanted, the idea was very cool and the world building was well done, something just didn’t grab me! But I would definitely recommend it still! I honestly can’t pinpoint what it was, no specific reason so therefore I think if you like magic, slow burn, powerful FMCs, high stakes, and mystery - you will like this one!

This was such a unique read and fun magic system to read about! I feel like it was a little slow to get into at the beginning but once I was in, I was hooked!

Spoiler ahead:
I can't say how much I appreciated that they didn't follow the awful trope where "girl with powers gives up her powers to save everyone in the end". I feel like it would've been an easy cop out and I love that the author went in a different and more fulfilling direction.

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley from the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

I have been reading Laura E. Weymouth’s books since her debut The Light Between Worlds, and she has not disappointed me yet! She has become an auto buy author for me, and I will continue to read whatever she writes. Steel & Spellfire has a unique magic system, murder, mystery, court intrigue and romance all in a Regency Esque setting. It totally gave off Bridgerton vibes and I was here for it!

Pandora Small has two objectives. First, she wants to keep the extent of her power secret, where mages are both feared and persecuted. Second, she wants to find her patron who stole her childhood from her and turned her power into a weapon. To meet her objectives, she is posing as an Ingenue to gain access to the royal court’s social season, where the girls are groomed to find a husband and patron to control their magic.

When Pandora arrives at court, Kit Beacon, a member of the royal guard, quickly discovers the magnitude of her powers. Beacon has sympathy for mages and the difficulties they face, so he decides to keep her power a secret. However, as someone begins murdering Ingenues, with a power that’s quite similar to Pandora’s, his trust is put to the test.

Beacon’s duty as a royal guard is to protect all the girls at the palace, so he will have to decide if Pandora is a suspect or an ally. To gain Beacon’s trust, Pandora must share more about herself, who she truly is and what she has done. The pair soon discover that they must work together to find Pan’s patron and Beacon’s murder suspect to ensure justice.

Pandora and Beacon were both very likable characters that I enjoyed getting to know. I found myself rooting for them as they raced to solve the mystery and find justice in a society that was oppressive to people with magic. I really enjoyed the magic system and the world in which these characters lived. The story was fast paced, and it wrapped up well for a standalone.

I definitely recommend to fans of Laura’s and to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy!

Ahhh, I haven't had this much fun with a YA fantasy in a long time. This absolutely kept my attention and kept me turning the pages so easily. I'd definitely read more from this author or this world again in the future.

This had the best YA fantasy vibes. It features a clever FMC and the best slow burn romance with her royal guard who is keeping her secrets yet also may suspect her of doing potentially nefarious things.

This story is a fantastical mix of the regency era and swords and sorcery. The way the magic is done and controlled in this world will have you begging to tear down the patriarchy, but also thoughtful in how the world handles and protects against the monsters that are pouring through a rift in the world.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @simonteen for the eARC! All thoughts are my own.

an appropriately YA fantasy romance. Adventurous and exciting. Very unique idea for a story that I will hopefully be passing to my teen

I received a complimentary copy of this book by Simon and Shuster through netgalley. All opinions for this book are my own.

3.75 rounded up! this was a surprising regency-inspired fantasy that mixes royal intrigue, a unique magic system, and a murder mystery vibe. pandora is a powerful mage forced to hide her abilities while navigating a strict society and a killer on the loose, and ellis beacon is hopelessly obsessed with her in the best (and sometimes borderline comical) way. the chemistry between them is undeniable, even if the insta-love felt a little much. the story moves fast, which kept me hooked but also meant worldbuilding and pandora’s character development got shortchanged—i wanted to know more about the magic and who she really is beyond just being powerful. still, the plot twists and unreliable narration kept things exciting, and the regency balls and royal court setting nailed the vibe. overall, a fun read that’s a bit light on depth but full of charm and tension.

Thanks to NetGalley & Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This had a pretty strong start but fizzled halfway through. It's entertaining enough but I feel like the issue with the book is that it's trying to be a million things at once. It's a murder mystery, it's fantasy, it's romance, it's action....it never quite figures out what it wants to be.

I'm usually bad at solving the mystery but I solved it halfway through...not a good sign, ha. I feel like the whole "learn how to fit in society" magic school aspect was fast-forwarded through and I would've liked to read more on it.

There was a lot of worldbuilding jammed into this book and everything didn't get fully fleshed out. It was still entertaining though.

I won’t be adding this to my favorites list but it certainly was unique with an interesting concept. I’ll admit that it took me a while to really get into it, and the romance between Beacon and Pandora didn’t quite click for me. It was sweet at times, yes, but it was one of those romances that felt like it existed just to be there and have a romance.

I think I wanted a bit more worldbuilding in terms of the Ingenues. We’re really dropped in the middle of their last “phase” so to speak, so it took me a bit to catch up and learn their whole purpose. Their role in society was interesting, as was the entire storyline about being bound but also kind of gave me the ick due to the consequences and stipulations.

I didn’t guess the “twist” which is a plus for me but then again, I’m bad at guessing them anyway. I liked that Pandora found a true family. The ending wrapped up nicely though, considering it’s a standalone and a fast-paced one at that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura E. Weymouth, and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing/Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure what I expected from a book that was described as a Regency romantasy murder mystery, but this was quite the surprise!

Pandora Small is an Ingenue, a mage that's expected to enter society and be bound to a patron to keep their powers in check. Little does anyone know that Pandora actually holds a lot of power within her, but can't show it unless she wants to be arrested and executed. She escaped her patron, whom she's known for her entire life as someone hiding behind a mask, and trying to live under the radar. She meets Ellis Beacon, a member of the Royal Guard, who has the power of magesense- the ability to sense who has magic in them, who discovers the extent of her powers. When Pandora's fellow Ingenues start showing up dead, Pandora and Ellis have to work together to find out who's killing them and how to stop them before it's too late.

I loved the regency setting of the story! It gave me Bridgerton vibes with the Ingenues coming to the royal palace to present themselves and finding a patron to be bound to. There were plenty of balls, pretty gowns, and high society to give it the perfect vibes for a Regency-era book.

Now, I need to talk about Ellis Beacon, because holy crap, this man is down HORRENDOUS for Pandora Small. Literally anything Pandora asks him, he does. He's the kind of guy who'd be like, "You killed someone? Get my shovel and let's go hide the body together." (This isn't an actual scene from the book, by the way. That's just an example of the kind of guy he is.) It's so painfully obvious he loves Pandora. It's a little insta-lovey for me, and he's such a simp it was almost comical, but I love that I could tell that Pandora cares about him, too. It's not something I can say for a lot of characters/couples I've read about in recent history, and their chemistry was something I could feel radiating off my phone screen as I read the eARC.

The story was fast-paced, but I think that was its own weakness, which is the biggest issue I had with this book. I felt that there wasn't a whole ton of "filler" chapters/content, which is a good thing because it felt like every chapter and everything that happened had a bigger purpose and was significant and relevant to the plot. However, I felt that the plot was moving TOO fast. The pacing was fast, yes, but a lot of worldbuilding and character development was sacrificed in the process to make the romance shine. The concept of the wellspring, AKA the source of power that runs through Valora, was super cool to read about, but I wish that we got to learn more about it.

Additionally, I felt that not enough time was spent on character development, specifically Pandora's. We know right away (literally from the title of the first chapter) that she's literally not like other girls, considering she's probably the most powerful mage in Valora due to her patron. However, aside from that and her falling for Ellis Beacon, I couldn't tell you a single thing I liked about her. It's not that she's an unlikeable character. I think she's super badass, knowing she has all this power, and she's trying to get to the bottom of who her patron is so she can stop them from hurting more people. That's the only thing I can say about her, though, which is kind of sad considering I can tell you more about Imogen, and she's a side character and Pandora's enemy/rival from school.

(Also, is no one going to address the random use of SAT vocabulary all throughout the book? I had no problem reading it, but I thought that the random use of overly flowery language and words was somewhat unnecessary at times. Like, the last time I saw the word "ebullient" used in a sentence prior to reading this was in ninth grade when my English teacher made us take weekly SAT vocabulary quizzes to prepare us for the SAT...even though none of us actually took the exam until 3 years later.)

If you're looking for a unique magic system, royal court intrigue, all with the backdrop of a Regency setting, this might be the book for you! It personally wasn't the book for me, but I liked the premise, and I can see how other people can enjoy this more than I did!

Thank you to Simon Teen for the ARC and finished copy of Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth. All opinions are my own.

Steel & Spellfire is a unique young adult fantasy with royalty, dangerous magic, and a deadly mystery. It has an interesting plot, sweet characters, and danger lurking around every corner.

One of the first things I noticed and enjoyed about this book was the magic system. I can’t think of any other books I’ve read where the magic works quite like it does in this book. Magic, also known as spellfire, had many rules surrounding it put into place by those in power. It was the cause but also the solution to a lot of issues in this magical world.

I loved the main characters in this book and the bond that they formed through their secrets. Pandora was such a brave and kind protagonist, and I really felt for her because of all the things she endured when she was younger and the power of the spellfire she had to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Beacon was such a tender and protective character. I loved how quickly he trusted Pandora and cared about her wellbeing. While I didn’t always agree with his choices, I admired that he was willing to apologize and make up for his shortcomings.

The romance, while not the focal point, was so sweet. I appreciated the vulnerability the characters showed, and I liked how they grew to really care for one another.

I thought the mystery plot was interesting, and I really had no idea who was behind all of the attacks throughout the book. I hadn’t guessed the culprit until they were revealed, so I thought that part of the plot was well done.

There were times I was a bit confused with how the magic in this world worked, and a few things seemed a bit convenient, but I overall had a great time reading this book and would be happy to read other books by this author.

Thank you to Simon Teen for this ARC.

I enjoy Weymouth's writing style. She's always such an easy read, and I like them.

Steel & Spellfire was a fun YA fantasy book, with high stakes. It is also a standalone, so everything is self contained, which is nice! The world building was good (and while it wasn't super in depth it was enough so that you got an idea of what the world was like) and I enjoyed the characters. The magic system was intriguing to me, because at first I was a little confused, but the book does explain more down the line, so it's kind of like a reveal later in the book.

This was a quick read (I read it in one evening), but it was fast paced and kept my attention throughout the book. To be honest, I thought all the characters were lovely, and I especially loved Pandora. I thought she was such a fun FMC for a YA fantasy.

This is a dual POV book, so we get chapters from out MMC and FMC. And might I add the chapter titles are hilarious. Especially because I feel like they give clues.

One thing I will note is that this is a regency inspired story as well. So that was fun! I would definitely say a comp title would have been Allison Saft's A Fragile Enchantment.

Steel & Spellfire by Laura E.
Weymouth
adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character Strong character development? Yes Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for sending me an eARC of Steel and Spellfire! I loved the writing style of this book and think that it's perfect for YA fantasy readers. The magic system is so interesting and I love how the two main characters end up working together. It was a great read!

My favorite element of Steel & Spellfire was the magic system and the world. I love the idea of patrons and magical Beacons. It creatures this dichotomy of power and choice. I am so intrigued to see where the rest of the series goes because the world Weymouth creates in Steel & Spellfire is amazing. The world wants to control Pandora, but little do they know she's already bound. They have created weapons out of these essentially debutantes, but Pandora is even more dangerous than they know. Not only because of the strength of her power, but what she was trained to do.

This was a fun faced paced fantasy that really had my turning pages as fast as I could to see how things would play out. I liked the magic system and the way their social construct was done. With the pace being as fast as it was, I didn't feel that I was as invested in the characters as I could have been. This in turn kind of put me off of the romance part of the story. Plot wish I did really enjoy this and think that there are those that are going to fall in love with the characters and their romance.

Ok, this was hard for me to get into but the actual story was really good! Definitely for a younger audience but the story was written well and I enjoyed the characters.

Intriguing and mysterious…I found myself enthralled by the unique magic system and the society built around it. The mystery surrounding the protagonist adds another layer of depth to the story. With distinctly detailed settings, I could envision myself standing in each scene myself.

3.5 ⭐️

This was a fun young adult fantasy! I enjoyed the world building. It was a little confusing at times, but still enjoyable. The relationship between Pandora and Beacon was cute. Overall, a quick read that is bound to draw you in!