If you've ever looked at a historical romance and thought "this needs fewer balls and more murders" then this book is for you. If you've ever looked at a historical romance and thought "this would be really improved if all of her friends were killed off one by one and she finds a way to blame herself" then this is for you. If you've never thought those things, wow, um, yeah, me neither? hahaha, why are you backing away from me?

The magic system where mages are bound to patrons to control their magic and the debutantes get to keep their magic unbound until they can find a wealthy patron at court? I was utterly fascinated by it and I loved how even though it was accepted by society as the norm, the book absolutely made it clear that it was messed up.

Beacon is my perfect cinnamon roll. And Imogen grew on me (okay I loved her from the beginning but that's because I am a simple bisexual who enjoys strong women bossing me around).

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry for the free copy of the book! I loved every second of it.

If you love your historical fantasy with equal parts secretive magic, smoldering tension, and emotional depth, Steel & Spellfire will absolutely cast a spell on you. Set in a glittering Regency-inspired world where danger hides behind ballgowns and polite society, this story brings together forbidden power, hidden pasts, and two characters who are so much more than they seem.

Pandora Small is a standout heroine—sharp, self-contained, and brimming with untapped magic she’s desperately trying to conceal. Her past? Utterly heartbreaking and deeply layered. That backstory gave her character such richness and made me root for her even more. On the other side, Ellis Beacon—a guard who can sense magic with a touch—is both loyal and unexpectedly tender. The moment he realizes that Pandora is far more dangerous (and powerful) than she appears? Chills.

Told through dual POVs, the story offers insight into both characters’ fears and growth, which made their connection feel earned and compelling. I adored the magic system—it’s thoughtful, a bit eerie, and full of potential. And the secrets! So many secrets, which kept the tension high and the pages turning.

That said, I did find myself wishing certain elements had a bit more room to breathe—some aspects of the world and secondary characters felt underexplored. I just wanted more of everything!

Still, this book is gorgeously written, emotionally resonant, and crackling with magical intrigue. A beautifully dark and romantic fantasy worth diving into.✨

3.75 ⭐️
Overall, I enjoyed Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth! The worldbuilding and magic felt unique, and the mystery kept me turning pages.

A couple of things threw me off: the pacing felt uneven, especially in the beginning, and the frequent switch between the character’s full name and nickname (Pan/Pandora) got a little distracting.

That said, I’d call this a good read with some really original elements and a strong finish. If you enjoy fantasy with political intrigue, hidden identities, light romance, and a touch of murder mystery, this one’s worth checking out.

Thank you NetGalley, and Simon and Shuster Children’s Publishing for gifting this eARC.

This book had everything I love in YA fantasy: secret magic, courtly intrigue, and a slow-burn bond forged under pressure. Pandora is a sharp, compelling heroine with a haunted past and powerful magic she’s forced to hide. I was especially intrigued by the darker layers of her backstory—it added emotional weight to the sparkle of the Regency-inspired setting.

The magic system felt fresh and different, and the twist? Completely caught me off guard in the best way. I never felt the pacing lag, and I stayed invested from the first page to the last. The romantic tension with Beacon was so satisfying—protective, thoughtful, and a little bit dangerous.

This was such a strong, unique YA fantasy romance. I’ll absolutely be picking up whatever Laura E. Weymouth writes next.

Steel & Spellfire is a Regency-inspired YA romantasy where there is a unique magic system that young women are "bound" to a patron to help control their magic. If they are not bound, they unfortunately, are put to death for "crimes". Pandora Small is sent to this home to make her "debutante" debut essentially to be married off or bound to someone where she meets Beacon, a guard who is in charge of protecting the girls until they are married.

There is a murder mystery within the subplot, but like most reviews, I did find myself skimming the pages in the beginning. I don't see the comparison to Divine Rivals, but I think for the target audience this would be a great, romantasy, murder mystery read.

This was a fantastic YA Romantasy story, full of secrets and a fantastic world building. In a world where mages have very strict laws, one intrepid mage will stop at nothing to find who she really is.

Pandora Small is a very powerful mage, but she has learned to control the extent of her powers in order to survive. Her mission in life is to maintain a low profile of her powers and to find the person who gave her all these powers to control her. As she infiltrates into the royal court where she is pressured into finding a husband, she meets the swoony Kit Beacon. He is a promising member of the royal court, and he find out just how powerful Pandora is. What comes next is a series of amazing event that will take the reader on a magical journey. I absolutely loved the ending and can’t stop thinking about it.

This is a historical-inspired YA fantasy in which the setting feels a bit like a regency setting (the girls are not supposed to be alone with men, they are looking for marriage as their only real option in the upper classes, society revolves around the Queen and Consort) but with magic. Upper class women born with magic are trained to be wives who can do magical parlor tricks if they are strong enough, but killed if they are too strong. Our FMC must dance along this delicate balance, knowing that if anyone discovers her true strength, she will be killed immediately, all the while trying to find the mysterious person who made her so powerful as a child and stop them.

The world building has some unique elements--the concept of banning mages but allowing these female-only ingenues who are bound to a husband whose death will kill them is the main aspect, though it seems that there are other types of bindings (to a master of an estate) which are also permitted but not really explored. I would have liked to have explored a little more of how this binding system would actually impact society as a whole, how magic is used (it seems very coveted in a wife but also they don't want their wives to be powerful and only train them in parlor tricks? there's a lot of contradictory elements that I am not sure work). I also feel like the negative side effects of the wellspring, particularly the monsters, left a lot of questions in my mind as well. I appreciated that this is a standalone and that the plot wraps up in a single book, because I think that the plot could not have stretched to a second book, but I do feel like maybe some of the world building could have been cleaner or maybe reduced to better fit into the single book. Some of the world building felt like it existed just to have a big twist reveal instead of being well integrated into the story.

The romance aspect is fairly standard for a histrom: she's above his standing despite lacking wealth and must marry well, he's the only person who cares for her as a person. It's complicated by a few of the magical elements but fundamentally is a familiar trope. I liked both the FMC and the MMC, and I liked them together, even if I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between them.

Overall I found this to be a solid YA fantasy romance, for fans of The Rose Bargain.

🤍 Thank you @simonteen for the arc of this book

I loved that this book was a true YA fantasy! It focused a lot on the plot and character journey, with a dash of romance.

The magic and set up of the story was unique and I liked the idea of how the author used magic binding and forbidden powers.

However, I think because this was a standalone that I struggled with feeling like not everything got enough attention.

Out July 22nd
★ ★ ★ ☆/5
Steam: kisses

Steel & Spellfire is a regency inspired YA fantasy featuring a murder mystery told through dual POVs. What really worked for me with this book were the characters, the amazing chapter titles, and the magic system. I really wish more books would bring back chapter titles rather than just a chapter number. These titles definitely kept me entertained. The characters were well developed and engaging. I enjoyed Pandora’s interactions with Beacon, Imogen, and Theo. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep my attention although the pacing could use more balance. I do wish the world building was more developed and that more attention was paid to repetitive writing. The audiobook narration was clear, easy to understand, and engaging. i appreciate the choice to use two narrators to align with the story being told from dual POVs. Both Meunier and Norbury did well in their roles and did well to bring their respective characters to life.
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Overall rating: 3.5

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth is a third person dual-POV YA romantic fantasy with a Regency flair. Pandora Small is posing as a potential Ingenue who has one shot to join the court and find the patron who turned her power into a living weapon. Ellis Beacon is a guard who can sense magic through the touch and he realizes before anyone else that Pandora is a lot more dangerous than her appearance implies.

Pandora is determined to not get anyone, including Beacon, wrapped up in her cause. Even when she knows she's using someone, she still tries to make sure she isn't harming them and seems to feel genuinely guilty when someone is affected by her actions. I thought this was interesting because this makes Pandora a character who will set aside her own natural inclinations for the sake of goals but will still try to do the right thing when she can.

The magic system is a bit on the softer side. We know that there are patrons and bindings and the magic the Ingenues use is called ‘parlor magic’, but it's not a super hard magic system that only works in very specific ways. It has limitations and the laws create even more limitations which help give it some rhyme and reason besides ‘magic can do anything.’ We do know that it can be very destructive, though, as a mage five years ago tore the kingdom apart and released demonic creatures into the world.

Pandora and Beacon fit the Tol and Smol trope as Beacon is described as being a giant and Pandora is a few inches shorter than five feet. Early on, Beacon doesn’t see Pandora as anything special until he can feel her magic and then he slowly starts to see what makes her shine compared to the other Ingenues. It’s not love at first sight for either of them by any means but they do fall in love reasonably quickly.

I would recommend this to fans of YA romantic fantasy who want something that has a touch of the courts of Regency and Victorian, but don’t want to go full Regency romance and readers of YA fantasy who are interested in a mystery element in their fantasy.

Steel & Spellfire follows Pandora, a powerful mage. In a kingdom where mages are feared and persecuted by the law, Pandora has to do everything in her power to keep her magic secret. To do so, she poses as an Ingenue- a high class woman with limited magic. After graduating the school which builds up Ingenues, and entering society, she dedicates everything to hunting down her patron- a mysterious figure who tried turning Pandora into a weapon as a child. Her plans change when she meets Beacon- a member of the Royal Guard. When Pandora’s patron starts killing off other Ingenues, it’s up to Beacon and Pandora to find them, and stop them once and for all.

I liked the overall story, but unfortunately, I think some things didn’t land the mark. For one, I was confused for the first half of this book. Both the magic system and the backstories of both main characters weren’t touched on enough to make complete sense of the world and this story. I also felt like the romance was a bit insta-lovey. Beacon was attracted to Pandora much before I thought he would be. Despite that, there were some great lines concerning the romance that was closer to the end of the book. Overall, I liked the story, but wished there was a little bit more to it.

Thank you Simon Teen for the ARC!

3.75⭐️ Thank you so much to Simon Teen for both the gifted physical and digital ARCs of this book!
All in all, I would recommend this one and had a good time with it! I do feel as though I had some trouble getting into it as well as staying invested. Usually the second half of a book feels so much quicker than the first, but for me the rest of the story did feel dragged on a bit in terms of the pacing.
The worldbuilding here is great and pretty easy to understand, and overall delivers a great YA fantasy plot!

Pandora is about to get her revenge. She's finally at the end of her training at an Ingenue academy, and about to embark to live among the "first set" at Palace Hill, where the highborn elites that run court life in Valora live. The rest of the Ingenues are there to find their patrons, members of high society who magically tie themselves to the young female mages and employ, or exploit, their skills. It's the law for any mage to become bound to a patron by the time they're 13; otherwise, they'll be killed so that their power does not grow unchecked. Pandora, of all people, knows this price. After all, becoming an Ingenue is the only way she will be able to find the mystery patron that tortured her for most of her life before she was able to flee. But to be let into the palace, Pandora has to go through one final test, where a guard with magesense ensures that none of the Ingenues have an unnatural amount of power, which would risk the lives of the queen and prince consort. Unfortunately for Pandora, even her incredible power can't be completely held back, but Beacon, the younger guard assigned to her entrance test, shockingly doesn't turn her in. For once, Pandora starts to open herself up to the possibility of having someone truly know her without an ulterior motive... but her patron continues to lurk in the shadows, trying to make her finally lose her control.

Enter Pandora's box. (Okay, not really; she's trying distinctly to avoid death in a steel box, but that's a problem for later). The worldbuilding here is excellent. I have a great understanding of the society that we find our protagonist in, and the strict, cruel laws that regulate the magic of the land. As an audience, we're able to understand Pandora--both her pain, power and resolve as well as her waning hope for her future. Especially with a look into the experiences she had, it's easy to see just how difficult her circumstances are. Similarly, with Beacon, it's easy to see where his values come from. His admiration for Pandora may be a surprise to him, but based on his life and personality, it feels only natural that he would find her compelling, especially in her ability to control her magic. The Ingenue system (and the way magic is regulated, period) is infuriating, and an excellent commentary on why we need feminism and laws that support equity and equality, not just those who search to harness and increase their power. In this story it's literal, but it's easy to translate to real-life scenarios.

The relationships are well crafted, especially between Pandora and Beacon; it doesn't feel forced in the way some YA romantasy can. Truly, I greatly enjoyed both the exploration of agency and the confrontation of trauma that the book weaves. The murder "mystery" of it all also kept me at the edge of my seat.

The various twists we encounter weren't always complete shocks (certainly not the ultimate villain reveal, which I suspected about halfway through the book), but they're still well done. My only qualm comes from the way Pandora's revenge concludes; despite the wonderful message, finding power or hope in friendship doesn't feel like a proper in-world counter to the wellspring (pun intended) of power that our primary antagonist possesses. It does beautifully demonstrate an abstraction of the classic Greek myth of Pandora's Box, allowing for hope to conquer all bad things, but the quick wrap-up fell a bit short for me.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Steel & Shellfire. I'm very excited to see what Laura E Weymouth has in store for readers next. And if you'd like a thought-provoking, easy-to-read (but at times so relevant to today it may make you angry) fantasy, I'd highly encourage you to pick this up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K McElderry Books for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4.25 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: July 16, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/cd11e2d7-e33b-496a-9d6c-1d373556bf73?redirect=true)
Review posted to Instagram: PENDING

I loved how interesting the magical world is in Steel and Spellfire! The world building, magic system, all of it was so well done.

Also the slow burn was slow burning. I love a good slow burn so I loved seeing this. I adored Beacon and the way he treats Pandora. I’m super excited to read the next book!

Thank you so much Simon Teen for the e-arc!! This young adult fantasy had me hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed learning about mages and Pandora’s powers. The theme that the mages were feared made me think of the things that I loved about Heartless Hunter, but it felt like a totally fresh idea. I feel bad that she has been stuck in a game as a pawn, but I love how she works together with Beacon in an arrangement. The world building is really interesting and the imagery was beautiful. There were twists and turns I did expect, but enjoyed nonetheless and great growth in character development! It is important to note that this is young adult so the characters do act younger which is to be expected. Pandora did act a bit selfish at times. But they have a lot of responsibilities which make them very brave. I think this was solid and I’ll be reading more from this author in the near future.

DNF at 25%. I struggled to get into this. The world is interesting, but the characters were bland, and this is clearly the sort of YA I’m starting to lose interest in.

Thank you so much Simonteen for an early copy!!

Binged this in an evening bc I’m cool like that💅🏻

This book was fantastic! I absolutely adore fantasy world in which mages/magic users are feared by the populous and this book nailed that. Pandora was an intriguing character to follow, a selfish one that by the end of I really enjoyed!

Beacon!! (I did accidentally call him Bacon more than once but whose keeping count?) he felt like a tamer version of Gedion from Heartless Hunter after he was deeply in love with Rune! The mage sympathizer whose a guard of the kingdom who doesn’t like them will do it for me everytime!!

I did totally guess the plot twist of this book about 75 pages in but it didn’t necessarily take away from the story and more or so pushed me to finish the book so I could see it all unfold! The writing was fine, I feel like it could’ve been written with a deeper pov and sometimes felt almost surface level? I just craved a little something more from it all because the premise is really good!

This vibes were amazing though! I’d say it’s like Heartless Hunter meets Divine Rivals meets Scorcery of Thornes! Overall a good book, and the cover is stunning! :)

This was so fun to read! Exactly what you would want in a YA fantasy. The world building, the magic system, the intrigue, the twists, and the budding romance. I loved it so much. The way that Weymouth wrote these characters had me really emotionally invested. I could not put it down and I need to know how it would turn out. So much fun.

✨Steel & Spellfire is a YA Regency fantasy with a murder mystery twist, some interesting characters, and a unique magic system. Pandora Small, though entering court under the illusion of securing a suitor, is actually on a mission to find the secret persona that has been involved in using her magical abilities. If you like the intrigue and gossip of Bridgerton, but also the dark twists of books like Heartless Hunter, I think this one would be for you! Pandora is a sweet character, but the "not like other girls" details made me a bit exhausted. Although I appreciated Pandora's tenacity, and really like Weymouth's writing style, I think the trope feels a bit overdone in the genre.

✨With that said, there was so many things about Steel & Spellfire I adored! The sharp and descriptive writing created great visuals in my head and the action felt that much clearer as a result. I love when I can read action scenes without having to backstep and process too much happening at once. I think the balance and pacing throughout the book stand out to me. Given that the pacing in the earlier portions of the book stood out, the ending felt a bit rushed and not fully fleshed out. The heavier themes throughout of bodily autonomy, the dynamics of power and imbalances, and class inequality needed more impact at the end.

✨The court of secretive characters and desires was so fun, and I think always provides excellent fodder for some blossoming romance and manipulative scheming. This aspect of the book was very fun and one of my favorite parts! The mystery was also fun subplot, and I liked the idea of Pandora having to give a little trust over to Beacon. He served as a great counterpoint to her personality and their dynamic was enjoyable.

✨Loved the chapter titles. Love the cover! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy and see the final design!

Major Tropes & Themes:

- Regency court setting
- fantasy, unique magical elements
- dynamics of power
- bodily autonomy & reclaiming your life story
- found family, sisterhood
- murder mystery
- "not like other girls" FMC

You might like Steel & Spellfire if you like:

- Heartless Hunter - Kristen Ciccarelli
- Divine Rivals/Ruthless Vows - Rebecca Ross
- The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller
- A Study in Drowning - Ava Reid
- Bridgerton

3.6 out of 5 stars!

A big thank you yo Laura E. Weymouth, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Steel & Spellfire. I will share my review to retail sites and Instagram upon release. ✨

This was such a fun and easy read! The magic in this world was something new and kept me interested. The pace of the book was just right and the character development was spot on! Would definitely recommend!!