A thrilling and engaging adventure. I'm officially a fan of the world building and the magic system with Kieran’s prose and poetry magic. I probably would’ve been more of a fan and some of the context would’ve been clearer if I read the first book—it is on my to read list now! I really loved the characters with their developments and the writing style, and the pacing flowed really well. Kieran is a compelling main character; I loved his voice and his coming of age story was written beautifully. The rest of the ensemble was fun and added so many delicious dynamics, especially Sebastian. Side note: my Critical Role brain did keep thinking of Delilah Briarwood every time I saw Delilah and Briar's names together. What a fun read and if there are more books coming in this series, I look forward to it :)

I read for Netgalley. I’ll be honest— I couldn’t finish it. It has the makings of a good book, but it just isn’t something that I’m interested in.

🪄💙 Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches ARC Review 💙🪄

Thank you so much to Kayla Cottingham and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches is a standalone queer cozy romantic fantasy. Kieran hasn’t had the best luck lately. After an unexpected breakup, he receives a new quest from the Witches Council to complete his magical training. But will he be able to resist his new crewmate Sebastian and stay focused on his journey?

This was such a cute read! I really enjoyed Kieran and his growth in this story. Sebastian was a really engaging character and I loved the development of their relationship throughout this book. I didn’t realize that this book was the second in the series of interconnected standalones, but I was able to follow the story and characters easily without reading the first book. The world building and magic system were really engaging and I enjoyed this read

Overall this was a cute four star read! I enjoyed the characters and this world. This book had some darker moments, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book did have a romantic subplot that was really sweet with YA levels of on-page spice, so overall one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of cozy, magical YA fantasy with interesting world building, strong characters and sweet romance, then absolutely pick this one up!

I thought this book was good but not great. It took me a minute to grasp my attention while reading. I think the plot could’ve been better. I do like the character growth and the representation of characters in this book. Is it a book I would pick up if it wasn’t an arc probably not. I think it has potential but it could’ve been better and not so whiny and potentially just more interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Unfortunately I had to DNF it at 30%. It just couldn’t grab my attention. The pacing was as weak as the main character with a lot of repetition and getting other characters caught up on stuff. The dialogue was clunky and odd, and the characters we knew from the first book felt like cardboard cut outs.

This also felt like a huge drop in audience age, the first book felt solidly YA but this reads almost middle grade especially with the quest for some random objects. And we’re doing almost exactly the same thing with a character wanting to use their calling to fix a curse and going on a little adventure in a plane. The vibes just weren’t there.

Normally I can survive off the romance alone for this but I am INCREDIBLY BITTER that Ash is very obviously not the love interest for this story. I feel like he pretty well established himself as a love interest in the last volume and he’s gone by the first chapter of this one? Wtf? Huge let down.

This book was just nothing I thought it was going to be and severely failed to meet my expectations :(

This was such a cute book! a fantastic continuation from the first, we get to follow Keiran as he learns to harness his magic, deal with heartbreak, find true love, discover his purpose in life, and have an epic quest to save someone he's accidentally cursed! this is a little bit more bloodthirsty, literally, than the first book, but is also somehow so much sweeter as we get to watch Keiran as he falls in love and figures out what he truly wants to do with his life. the descriptions of the locations were breathtaking, and i really wish these places existed in real life, ice caverns full of aurora lights, forests filled with glowing mushrooms, how cool is that?! not to mention the rather harrowing trials and challenges Keiran and his motley crew has to face. following him as he gains confidence, both in person and in magic, was a thrilling read. an absolutely wonderful series for teens and adults alike!


Thank you to Random House Children's | Delacorte Press and Netgalley for this ARC

This was a very cute young adult fantasy novel, perfect for those looking for an easy read with low stakes and a relatively undemanding story. The major downside, honestly, was that there wasn't really a warning that this was a sequel of sorts to Kayla Cottingham's previous book, Practical Rules for Cursed Witches, and while I don't know that it was entirely necessary to read it to understand what was happening here, there were a lot of references made that meant it certainly would have been beneficial!

I do think my students who enjoyed the first book will also enjoy this one, though I will say it does read as younger on the Young Adult scale for all that the characters are 17 and 18 years old. Their actions felt very juvenile and the plot itself was very straightforward and uncomplicated. Overall, this was a solid 3-star read.

Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches follows Kieran Pelumbra as he embarks on his Calling, a coming of age journey for every witch, to find a magical cure-all to break a curse he accidentally put on his ex-boyfriend. Accompanied by friends (both new and old), he races against an evil businessman and his band of mercenaries to accomplish the extraordinary.

I was so excited to hear that the characters from Practical Rules for Cursed Witches would be returning in a Kieran-focused story!! Many aspects of the story and world from the first book are explained again in Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches, but I definitely think reading Practical Rules for Cursed Witches would help to better understand the relationships between the characters. This story follows a character’s journey after the end of their first relationship. With the end of the first book establishing the relationship, I found it refreshing that this book highlighted that relationships don’t always work out in the way we think they will. The highlight of the story is Kieran’s personal journey. Kieran undergoes a lot of personal growth as he completes the different parts of his quest. Seeing his confidence grow with each success made me smile. I liked that the core aspects of friendship, family and love were present in this story as well. It was so nice to see the found family reunite for a new adventure. Kieran and Sebastian were very cute. I loved that they helped each other realize that someone will love them exactly as they are. While I enjoyed the previous book a bit more, this was such a fun read!

Thank you Delacorte Press for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I am not necessarily the intended audience for this book (YA or New Adult), I enjoyed the story. There was good character development and growth. The pacing of the story was okay if a little quick for me. The writing style was easy to read. In addition, In addition, I did not realize that there was a book before this one and I want to read it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

cute and fun romcom with some interesting characters. Kieran is so sweet and cool, and Sebastian is a great LI. Delilah is also great. Would recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

A lighthearted adventure full of magical world building and romance. It's an easy read, sweet and cute and I would recommend it especially if you're looking for a low stakes kind of story. Personally I would have preferred a little more stakes just to add some more urgency to the story, but this is an ideal novel if you just want a fun cozy time. I honestly really enjoyed the world building and the setting I mean there's travel by aeroship and a forest of mirror trees! I would have loved to see even more of it getting fleshed out. The romance is very sweet and I found the characters generally likable though I do think that they fell flat some of the time which I fear is my greatest complaint.
Overall a merry good time and would be a great book to read if you're in the mood for a lighthearted read.

cozy fantasy will always be perfect for getting into the fall spirit and this book is no exception. Kieran is a witch whose past has prevented him from honing his magic. insecure in his magic and his place in the world, he accidentally puts a curse on his ex-boyfriend and must go on an adventure to find the cure and keep his magic.

Kieran and Sebastian were so adorable and even though they both have some things to work through, I enjoyed watching their journey through it all. YA cozy fantasy is really about finding your place and finding yourself and this book takes both of those journeys so well.

This was an incredible sequel practical rules for cursed witches. You don’t necessarily have the read the first to read this one, but you will be spoiled if you read out of order. Our characters are messy, impulsive, and sometimes put all their eggs in one basket, but hey it’s not worth it if you’re not taking risks. I absolutely loved the witchy atmosphere of this world and the new discoveries this book brought. This is a must read on your fall vibes tbr.

At the time of requesting it, I didn't realize it was a sequel to Practical Rules for Cursed Witches.

There is no real indication here or on Amazon that this is part of a series other than a vague reference to a previously broken curse, which doesn't necessarily mean sequel. I think it's Trying to be an interconnected standalone, but there are so many references to characters, events, and settings in previous books to the point Cottingham doesn't even describe Kieran until halfway through, possibly relying on us knowing what he looks like from the first book. The worldbuilding etc were also lacking in some places, which I think stems from this same issue.

All of that affected my reading experience and expectations of the book.

That said, the book started off with me absolutely Sobbing during the first chapter. Kieran, to me, was an extremely relatable character, and I loved his developing relationship with Sebastian. I also really loved all of the magical trials he had to go through in order to complete his quest and how he naturally grew into the person he wanted to be. There were a few points that lulled for me, and I wasn't enamored with the ending, but overall this is a really fun, cute queer adventure.

Just read the other book first.

This is a follow-up story to Practical Rules for Cursed Witches, which I have not read. The author does a good job of filling in the important details from the first book, so you don't feel like you've picked up mid-story.

That being said...

I'm a little confused on the story's setting. So clearly we have magic so it's not like the "real world," and there are modern things like cell phones and skyscrapers. But it's also got a steampunk vibe...they fly in an aeroship, which I'm totally picturing like a wooden sea ship/blimp hybrid.

Kieran is the protagonist, but he doesn't really give main character energy. His character arc is all about him feeling plain, useless, in magical, undeserving at the beginning of the story. He does seem to come into his own a bit, but with a lot of help from his twin sister and friends.

Sebastian is the new love interest. His character just seems like problems were thrown at him: he's been cursed with vampirism (but with a bunch of freaky red eyes and creepy fingers) and he's an ex-assassin. Dude has been unlucky in love at the beginning of our story.

It was still a cute story. No spice, a good YA story that I would recommend for a teen audience.

Thank you NetGalley for a free arc copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was a treat from start to finish. I was completely pulled into the magical world that Cottingham created and truly loved these perfectly imperfect characters. I didn't realize this was a sequel at first and found the beginning felt very jarring because of it. I was confused for a moment but the book quickly found its footing and progressed beautifully.

Was it a bit predictable? Yes. But that's okay! I still enjoyed the heck out of it and would protect Sebastian with my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I appreciated the chance to read this ARC, however I had to DNF it around 30%. There is no clear indication in the synopsis that this book is a sequel/companion novel, which really threw me off as the main character Kieran refers to the previous events pretty often in his narrative. This made me feel like I had missed something as I was reading, since there are character dynamics and plot things already in place that aren't explained, presumably since readers would experience them in the first book. I also found Kieran's narrative voice to be pretty juvenile. I enjoy young adult books, especially romance, even when the characters act or think immaturely at points. But something about Kieran's choices and internal thoughts felt repetitive or didn't make sense with how the plot was moving forward. I do think the world building was very interesting, with magic and technology coexisting, and I think teens who like fantasy stories will enjoy this title! It just didn't click for me.

3.5

Now that his family curse is broken, it's time for Kieran to complete his own Calling. And after a poem gone wrong (it turns out he poured his magic into it and made his beau unable to see him), Kieran wants to find an all-purpose curse breaker. Along the way, he meets Sebastian, a broody man full of secrets, whom he is slowly developing feeling for.

Read if you like:
-YA Queer Romance
-Coming of Age
-Quests
-Magic

I really enjoyed Extraordinary Quests of Amateur Witches. Kieran was immensely relatable. Who hasn't written a bit of emo poetry over a crush gone wrong? There was also something so satisfying about his journey of self-confidence both in life and love. And of course, who can resist a mysterious and brooding man on an aeroship? I know I can't. Plus, the quest was amazing. I really loved how the challenges were set out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! All thoughts are my own.

This totally gave me Howl's Moving Castle vibes + Castle in the Sky??? But make it gay. I loved literally every second of this. I loved all of the characters. I loved the settings. I loved the vibes. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a cozy story with a great plot and amazing characters. And of course a swoon-worthy romance. <3

Kieren's relationship with Ash is undoubtedly in trouble. It started out well, but since autumn -and school - began, they haven't seen each other in a month. Kieren's been busy serving coffees, but Ash has been at the Library.

Kieran: ”Feelings were reserved for the poetry he penned late at night in his poorly insulated, too-cold bedroom, wrapped in layers upon layers of blankets like a fabric cocoon ”

See, Kieran's a witch. Just not a very good one. And he's having trouble finding a Calling, a thesis, that might showcase his abilities, when even he doubts he has any. I mean, his sister and her girlfriend are supportive, but he's floundering. He feels overwhelmed, and weak, and hollow, and useless.

And then, he realizes his poetry is his magic.

By accident, of course. Nothing like casting a powerful curse of your own making on your own boyfriend to jolt your powers into full force. So now, despite having no idea what he's doing, Kieren has a quest, an impossible task to complete his thesis. And worse, it was all his idea. Oh, and his once uber-wealthy and well-known family's reputation aren't helping.

"Maybe my losing it isn't the worst thing in the world."

And before he knows it, he's off on a quest in the wilderness, with a rival and everything (who is also a victim of a Kieran curse). Into the fire, so to speak. What follows is a madcap journey of self-discovery, as Kieran gets the bildungsroman he didn't expect.

I think my favorite character was Verbena, the Witch of the Woods. Love love love her.

And honestly, Sebastian grew on me. (And on Kieran, frankly.)

”All he could think of was that single statement... What if it was my fault?"