Review: Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve

Fast-paced, darkly magical, and full of tension, Spellcaster is the kind of enemies-to-lovers romantasy that grabs you from page one. The world of Weatherstone is moody, dangerous, and steeped in secrets—and I loved every chaotic minute of it.

The tension between Logan and the main character is electric, and the “don’t trust a spellcaster” rule? Yeah, good luck with that. There’s steamy slow burn, ancient magic, and just enough dark academia vibes to keep you guessing.

If you love elemental powers, rival bloodlines, forbidden attraction, and a heroine who refuses to back down, this one delivers.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

Yes! Absolutely yes. It’s edited quite well, and the story flows so perfectly. The story leaves a lot of room for continuation, and I’m excited to see where it goes. Lots of world building, and the magic system is both similar and unique to various other fantasy books. The spice was quite tame, and I found myself really frustrated with the slow burn. So if that is something you’re fine with, you are absolutely going to love it!

Thank you, NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed Spellcaster part one of a duet from Jaymin Eve. This is a Magic Academy MF paranormal romance. With adult age characters. I really appreciate it that in this world the characters come into their what they are later so it's an adult age Academy. This book had all the tropes I really like, enemies to lovers but not too hardcore enemies, slow burn which makes it more earned and worth it. An intriguing plot and world. And a fun dynamic with chemistry between characters. Also the 'who did this to you?' Which is one of my favorites. The book sucks you in from the start with a glimpse/tease of one of the climaxs at the start of book. The only thing is I wish that this book was longer. It is a duet so I look forward to the second one but I do wish that it had just been a combined standalone as this one was under 300 ebook pages. My guess is maybe it would have been like a 500-600 page standalone which would have been thick in paperback/hardcover but I rather have it like that personally. But I really like this story it really hooked me. I'm a fan of Jaymins writing style and her stories and I loved this and look forward to more.

This caught my attention because it is witchy. I liked the fact that the parents were involved and in love and the siblings loved each other. That was great to see in a story. I also liked the many affinities the witches could have. Unfortunately those were the only two things I enjoyed about this book. I should have DNFed this but I was buddy reading it so I pushed through. This first of all isn't a fantasy romance, this is paranormal. When a story is set in the real world like New York and Spokane with real world things mentioned liked Kindle and Pokemon that isn't fantasy. Fantasy is suppose to take you out of the real world. The writing feels like this should be for 12-15 year olds because despite the characters being 22, they act like 16, and they are studying things that the 12 year olds in Harry Potter were learning. Their dialogue was also immature. It felt like the only reason these characters were 22 was so they could say the F-word every paragraph and have sex. Speaking of sex, the smut was boring. These are powerful elementals and they don't have the brains to get creative to deal with their horniness?? The school made no sense. The regular world made no sense. The mac's nickname for the fmc was something you'd call a dog. The enemies to lovers was so forced. The mmc literally does nothing bad to the fmc yet she continously calls him an A-hole and an F-er, why?? That's not banter, that's not wit, that's not tension, that's just being a brat and rude to a character who saves your life over and over. Can you imagine if the mmc just constantly referred to the fmc as a bitch for no reason. Ah romance!!! The plot points were predictable because they exist in every early 2000's ya PARANORMAL. The ending was anticlimactic. I was really hoping the mmc would be the enemy he was professed to be. This was just one of the worst things I've read this year but I guess it's better than all the things I dnf so there's the light at the ending of tunnel. 1 star.

i know this particular space often gets shown to the author and so i don't want to put my full review here. it will live in goodreads where those who want to read it can when they have the mental capacity to do so.

in short, there are a LOT of things that annoyed me, but despite that, i had a time reading it. and a lot of me wants to read more. so that should stand above all the nitpicky shit i talk about in my less than stellar review. and i'm real sorry about that. it just hit some kind of nerve. it's not you, it's me.

This book started off strong and immediately pulled me in…but unfortunately, it lost momentum as the story progressed. Despite being labeled an adult romantasy, it felt surprisingly immature in both tone and execution. The use of modern slang and awkward phrasing made it hard to stay immersed in the world. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this story, but in the end, I had to push myself just to finish it.

Hands down one of the best books I have read this year!!!! Sucked in from page one. The academy setting, the mystery, the tension, the humor. Gah the humor is fantastic. I love the friend group that is created while also still having a strong family bond. That's not something you see a lot. It's one or the other. Which I found refreshing. I cannot wait to see where this story goes. and as always Miss Jaymin always leaves us hanging.

Spellcaster is a take on Harry Potter and Fourth Wing, or at least that's what everyone's been saying. This felt like a book I'd be interested in, and the cover was gorgeous, immediately catching my attention. But as I continued on, I was met with disappointment.

It felt like a YA, and the first 20% was badly placed info dumping. Everything in this book felt mismatched and rushed, even down to the names of the characters. If they are supposed to be witches, shouldn't they have witch-sounding names? Not Paisley and Logan.

I don't know, the pacing was clunky, and it made it hard to stay interested. The world-building was barely there, with only brief descriptions of buildings. It was obvious in the way Jaymin mentioned specific states that she was relying on the reader to imagine them. Not a fan of that. On top of that, there should have been a sensitivity reader. Some things said towards Logan's friend (who is black) should have been taken out. I was no longer interested.

I've been following Jaymin Eve for a while now. I'm a big fan of her shifter series. I would say I know her writing, and for some reason, this didn't feel like her? I think that's where part of the disconnect was. The writing felt YA, and so did the plot, with little explanation of things for the sake of the 'high-paced plot'.

Overall, this book had no true voice at the beginning. It was a mix of tropes and themes (that weren't properly developed).

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

Well... that ending was quite the twist! Our FMC, Paisley, went through quite the ordeal in this books. Many strange events occurred for her. I absolutely loved the side characters. The only thing keeping it from a 5 star was the pacing of the book and things that were unexplained or out or context. However, I am excited for the next book and am hoping it will all click like many fantasies do! Well, done!

“I’ll kill anyone that takes her from me.”

Welcome to Weatherstone College I devoured this book. It’s dark, fun, and a little dangerous. Paisley’s journey into magic is chaotic and unpredictable, much like her new life at Weatherstone, but I was grounded by the family dynamic that was in this read, It’s rare in this genre to see a heroine supported by people who actually show up for her.

I love an academic setting, whispered secrets, monsters in the shadows, and an irresistible enemy-to-lover slow burn. Logan wow mossy green eyes, untouchable power, with a thing for “losing” his hoodies. I really fell in love with the world building, but that ending?! A cliffhanger with just enough cushion to keep your heart intact while still leaving you desperate for book two!

“There’s always only been one game for us. The journey might vary, but the end will never fucking change.”

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★/5
Spice: ♥︎ ♥︎.5/5

I had high hopes for this one…

I was actually enjoying the story and the world that the author set up however that “master” line left a disgusting taste in my mouth, and I wasn’t able to enjoy the story after that. The plot was intriguing but I couldn’t recover after reading that line.

I will not be continuing with the series

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Book one of a new series. This author does no wrong. Dark academia with who hurt you vibes. Left a cliffhanger and I need the next book today. I can’t wait to continue this series.

The book starts off with introduction our MC, Paisley, who is a witch. Born in a family of witches and warlocks, she is the youngest of her siblings. Now of age she is to attend a magic college, Paisley sets off the prestigious school to discover her powers and learn what affinity she has. There are the elementals, the necromancy witches and the spell casters, the title kind of hints at some pieces of the story as we get farther in the novel. But upon arriving to the school, she is told that the son of an old family friend turned enemy is also attending to the school and try to kill her. The plot then starts to thicken to display the chaos that is Paisley’s year within the college which includes monsters, magic, schemes and betrayals, while most importantly TRYING to fight the chemistry she has with her enemy, Logan. Just as much as we are, falling for Logan is a losing fight for Paisley.

I found this book difficult to connect with for the sole purpose of having it seem like it read as early starters YA- naive and young which may not have been appropriate for what I was hoping for in this novel. The book left me with more questions then answers/resolutions. I wanted more actual romance between Paisley and Logan and less time Paisley attempting to build friendships (sorry not sorry). I loved the drama, the protective MMC, and the quirky entourage- which did not need to built up so much in my opinion. It was easy enough to understand and follow, and you kind of get used to the style. This is the first work I've read by this author and I still recommend!

✨Tropes✨
⭐️ Enemies to Lovers
🌙 Fake Engagement
💫 Who Hurt You
⭐️ Dark Academia
🌙 Elemental Magic
💫 Magical College

This is a romantasy that has a feel of Harry Potter with spice for adults. Paisley’s magic manifests just after her 22nd birthday and she is just in time to start magic college. Once there, she learns that the son of a man with a blood oath against her father is transferring in and monsters start attacking at the school. Will Paisley survive the monsters and Logan during freshman year?

I enjoyed the story even though it lagged in a couple of places. The ending has me wanting the second book sooner rather than later.

4 ⭐️ 2 🌶️

Review:

Why are we left with so many questions!? This book isn’t even out yet and I’m wanting the next one now. 😩 To me this is very reminiscent of the Crave series. Chosen girl at a magical college with an attractive broody guy. But I did really like the plot line for this one. Fast paced and full of tension. I just wish there was more. Give us a few more answers instead of dumping it on us in the next one. Regardless I’m excited to read it and can’t wait to buy this when it releases.

Summary:

It’s finally Paisleys turn to have her go at Weatherstone, the most prestigious magical College. All of her siblings are there and her dad is even a professor. As excited as she is, there’s one thing that might ruin her year. Logan, the son of her fathers enemy. He’s the most powerful warlock/Spellcaster in quite some time and he’s been tasked with eliminating her. But he isn’t the only danger to her. There’s something going on at the college and with her magic being finicky, she’s in extra danger. Who will be the one to ruin her?

Favorite Quote:

“Your life has been in my hands for years, and I’m not ready for it to end yet.“

Tropes:
•magical college
•enemies to lovers
•chosen one
•secrets
•witches
•slow burn

This book is so good. It took me a minute to get into it because of life but once I got an evening to read I ate it up. So many secrets and mysteries. I cannot wait for book two. Paisley. Logan. So good.

3 ⭐️
1 🌶️

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishing and Jaymin Eve for the e-ARC

I want to start off by saying I was very intrigued by the synopsis. This book totally fell flat for me though. I like the concept but it was missing so much and mostly confusing. There was a lot of jumping around in the plot I never got the idea of the real conflict because there were so many different things going on. The FMC was incredibly annoying. And it was like reading a YA. The banter and the language and dialogue between COLLEGE students felt very middle school. I also feel like there were a lot of parts that were absolutely filler that just drug the book out longer. The magic system made no sense and there were quite a bit of plot holes that I just could not figure out how we got from one point to another.

Harry Potter and Zodiac Academy tried WAY too hard to have a baby. It didn’t feel original to me 😭😭

#netgalley #darkacademia #jaymineve #spellcaster

Thank you to @NetGalley, @Jaymin Eve and @Harlequin Trade Publishing for an E-Arc to review

22-year-old Paisley can finally join her siblings and her father at the prestigious Weatherstone witch college and discover her hidden powers. However, there are rules to follow: don't walk the halls at night, don't disturb ancient magic and most of all stay away from her parent's enemies the Kingston's.

This seems like an impossible task when Logan Kingston a powerful warlock and spellcaster shows up as one of her mentors and she is eerily drawn to him. His strong and confident control of his power, the tattoos running all over his body and the connection to her childhood are hard to ignore.

Paisley questions whether Logan can be trusted when she starts to have chills down her spine every time magical creature attack her, which is a sharp contrast to the steamy dreams she has been having about the spellcaster.

This is a dark academic story that gives adult Harry Potter vibes. I loved the elemental magic and the slow burn spicy romance. I can't wait for book number two. I would have liked a little more action at the end of the story before the cliffhanger, however the pining and slow burn, elemental magic and animal familiars made up for it.
#netgalley, #jaymineve, #spellcaster