I'm not seeing too much of a "dark and twisted retelling" here with The Magicless Mage.

There's certainly several "a-ha" moments when I spot something familiar, or do the Leo DiCaprio finger pointing meme, but if you're advertising this as a retelling, please give me a little more.

The other parts of the book came off as confusing to me. It's full of miscommunication between the MCs who refuse to listen to each other and instead resort to snippy comments and insults, mixed with a lot of last minute twists and hidden backstories being revealed to keep the plot going, and by the end the story feels incomplete despite everything that has happened. I know there's a sequel planned, but to me, the ending doesn't fit with the whirlwind of events that preceded it.

I do like how fast-paced the book felt, which made it easier to zoom by parts I were annoyed by. The little bits of The Wizard of Oz references were creatively done and fit with the story.

Won't seek out the sequel, but if it comes my way, I would give it a chance to see if the author improves the flow of the story and the interactions between the MCs.

Grab your broomsticks because this story will take you on a ride! It is a dark retelling of The Wizard of Oz with other tales sprinkled in like breadcrumbs.

Winter, the librarian, is the main character who is definitely not an innocent, virginal character but a dark, morally grey character. Usually the dark, morally grey character traits are reserved for the male love interest (don’t worry the male lead does still have these traits as well). Winter is complex and to whom I grew attached to as the story unfolded. It made her journey that much more satisfying to read. Her journey is also filled with so much slow burn sexual tension.

B.L. Lewis creates her own world and mythology. She takes the time to explain why magic and the beings are the way they are which is not only important to the storyline but it really helps immerse you in the world.

The writing engages in you the story, the world and the characters. A few sentences were written so beautifully I had to reread them a few times to let the words soak in.

I did not know what would happen next. There were a number of literal eyebrow raising and jaw dropping moments. I can’t wait for book #2!

RAAAAHHH I LOVED THIS

Winter and Wes are so goddamn UNNGH CHEFS KISS with their slow burn, tension, reluctant flirting, and overall horny violence towards each other. I’m so happy I get another 2 books with them because YES.

The pacing in this book, especially considering it’s the first in its series, is stunning. At !no point! was I pushing myself past a lull period because things had been calm for too long. Lewis balanced the quieter scenes out with suspense and anticipation so beautifully that I couldn’t put it down until I was physically unable to stay awake any longer.

I feel like *I* went in prepared for it, but this is a slow burn ACROSS the series. And while I was fed more than enough chemistry and tension (10/10) between the two MC’s in this book, I don’t want anyone reading this review to expect full-blown spice directly between W + W, YET. However, we all read acotar etc., so have some patience my heathens 💅🏻🫶🏻

Also hold onto your butts for the cliffhanger here—I loooove a good life-threatening dangle over the edge in my books, but I know some of us are not of my mindset with that lmao you will survive! Be strong! This book is WORTH IT.

Mages, Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Wolves … pretty much an automatic yes pls for me. This book has a way of including all these supernatural elements without it feeling all “packed in” for no reason. As far as the romance goes the MC def are a whole vibe of sass with some unsettling elements and the yearning is impeccable.

If you’re looking for an unhinged, chaotic, wtf is happening right now type of story that moves quickly and sets up well for book 2 then this one is for you!!

A witch in the year 2617 working in a library of secret and well-guarded tomes accidentally goes back in time 700 years where she meets a grumpy alpha werewolf who absolutely hates witches and is 100% certain that they can't be trusted. The two of them must travel together to see the witch queen - she needs help getting back to her timeline and he needs help protecting the werewolves of his clan. But this witch queen is straight up psyco and they have their work cut out for them.

I really, really enjoyed this one. First the chapter titles are delightful - I haven't enjoyed chapter titles like this since i read Percy Jackson. The characters' internal monologues are fabulous and the tension between the FMC and the MMC is delicious. This is a sloooow burn for sure. The world building was easy to follow along with (although the author does include a glossary - I found I didn't really need it at all) and the time-travel elements were very well done.

Overall a five-star romantasy read for anyone who likes slow burn romance, great banter and a grumpy MMC.

BUY THIS BOOK NOW. I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved The Magicless Mage! It is a super unique and dark Wizard of Oz retelling featuring allll of my favorite magical beings: wizards/witches, werewolves, and vampires.

Winter LeRoux is a vibe. She’s feisty, loves to eat, appreciates the art of a legging, and has VERY specific opinions on the color red. Westley Sterling is also a vibe. He has a hard exterior and comes off as a grump, but the façade is real. Of course, our MCs are hot af and that is what we love in our books. The side characters were intriguing and I can’t wait to learn more about them!

The tropes? Could not get enough. We’ve got forced proximity, time traveling, and YEARNING via the slowest of slow burns. AND?! There’s a magical library. Some microtropes I loved were he falls first (swoon), wound tending (gets me every time), and OF COURSE, good girl/boy (brb salivating).

World building was on point. I was able to vividly see the environment and everything just made sense. And, the plot be plottin bc Y’ALL, THERE IS A HELLA GOOD TWIST. Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and B,L. Lewis for an ARC of this book! I canNOT wait for book two!!

Okay, listen. I don’t say this lightly, but The Magicless Mage is unhinged in the absolute best way. Like, I went in thinking, “Oh, a magical librarian in the future? Cute!” and came out on the other side of a feral reading binge wondering how I can sell my soul to get book two faster. The next big magical romantic fantasy book, mark my words.

Winter is a sharp, snarky witch librarian in the year 2617 who accidentally activates a forbidden spell while fighting off a vampire (as one does) and yeets herself 700 years into the past. Classic Tuesday. Oh, and her familiar cat Shisoba? Icon. MVP. 10/10 would travel through time with again.

Then there is Westley, a brooding, grumpy alpha werewolf who is NOT emotionally prepared for the chaotic little librarian who crash lands in his forest. They’re enemies, except… they’re not? Because the yearning, the tension, the he kneels moment? I screamed. I paused reading to scream. Out loud.

Let’s break down the vibes.
✨ Tropes that own me:
Witch x Shifter? Check.
Touch her & die? Absolutely.
He falls first? With his whole chest.
She uses blood as lipstick? I need this woman’s confidence.
Slowest slow burn? IT. HURTS. SO. GOOD.
Cinnamon roll MMC with a growl? Yes sir, I’ll take 10.
Unhinged FMC who doesn’t ask for permission, only forgiveness (maybe)? Inject it into my veins.

The banter was truly top tier. I’d pay to sit in on a full day of West and Winter roasting each other while secretly falling harder every second. The language barrier early on was comedic gold. And yet, amid the sass, there’s this beautiful emotional undercurrent as both characters slowly unpack their trauma, their identities, and their purpose.

And can we talk about the worldbuilding? We’ve got:
📚 A magical library with secrets and sentient spells
🐺 A shifter pack with major loyalty (and drama)
🕰️ A unique time travel system that doesn't over explain but still makes sense
👑 A Witch Queen who I’m both scared of and kind of obsessed with
🌪️ Subtle Wizard of Oz nods that made my nerdy heart so happy

Also… y’all. The romantic tension is so thick you could cut it with a spoon. Not a knife. A spoon. It’s teasing, it’s emotional, it’s hot when it wants to be, but it never overtakes the plot, and somehow that makes it even hotter. It’s a touch starved, enemies to lovers masterpiece with unspoken declarations and literal groveling.

🔥 When it comes to steam? Yes. It’s there. But it’s more "scorching glances and meaningful brushes" than constant spice, which makes those open door scenes hit harder when they do arrive. It’s worth the payoff. It builds. And then it burns.

🧙‍♀️ Winter is the kind of FMC I’d 100% follow into battle or brunch. Clever, feral, deeply loyal, and a little unhinged.
🐺 Westley? My beloved disaster wolf. A mix of protective alpha, deep thinker, and grumbly softie who very clearly falls first and just... spirals about it for 300 pages. I am obsessed with him!

The ending was CLIFFHANGER CENTRAL. I stared at the last page like it betrayed me personally and spiritually. And yet, I loved it. It felt earned and now I’m simply not okay until book two shows up.

The Magicless Mage is wild, witty, and wickedly original. Think Wizard of Oz meets Outlander with a dash of ACOTAR level slow burn and Ruin of Roses style chaos. You’ll laugh, blush, shout at the page, and possibly try to crawl inside the book. I’m not judging.

If you like:
chaotic witchy FMCs
morally gray shifters with soft centers
feral enemies to lovers with insane banter
magical libraries + time travel
dark, twisty, sexy fantasy retellings

Then please. For your own wellbeing. Read this book.

Now excuse me while I go scream into the void until the next book drops. 🐺❤️📚

Thank you to NetGalley and B.L. Lewis for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this book because I was very interested as soon as I read the blurb, but unfortunately, this just missed the mark for me. It is promoted as a Wizard of Oz retelling but besides a few similarities (like a character called The Wizard, red slippers, and some quirky chapter titles, to name a few…) I wouldn’t consider this to be a retelling. The story was fast-paced and had a lot of twists and turns, but I started getting bored 30% in and had to make myself finish it.

There is a lot of vulgarity in this book, but honestly, it did not flow well. It felt like it was spicy just to be spicy since it’s so “trendy” right now, but it was not well executed, in my opinion. It felt unnecessary and took away from the story. Aside from the book being face-paced, it also felt like it was rushed because there were so many revelations and random twists that happened seemingly out of nowhere that did not help the plot. The two MC’s also irritated me because they hated each other just to hate each other but everything was just a miscommunication and their refusal to listen to the other. I find that I really don’t like the miscommunication trope.

Overall, I doubt I will continue this series unless the next book has some serious improvement because this was a struggle.

witch x shifter
good girl/good boy
hidden identity
touch her & die
He Kneels
slowest burn
yearning & tension
He falls first
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Unhinged FMC
Time Travel
Magical Library

We follow Winter on her journey of being a librarian in a magical library. Her job, magical contract that requires her to protect the books inside. Her world is torn open and flipped upside down in one swift mood on the night of her anniversary. A vampire breaks in and tries to get a specific book and between her and the library's familiar cat Shisoba that book remains safe! Surprise though when her boyfriend shows up as a surprise for dinner (in more than one way) and it ends with Winter and Kaden having to fight off the vampire again. In her escape with the book she trips over Shisoba and launches herself into the past with a forbidden spell.... If that weren't enough? She now has to deal with a werewolf named Westley who's stubborn and definitely doesn't seem to understand what she's saying to him. Their banter is amazing and top tier, the yearning and tension are there and make me need so much more of these two. The journey of discovery about themselves, each other and the world both past and future is one that I will live beside them on again, and again. I won't be able to recommend this book enough! It's a must read. I've already gotten 3 of my friends onto the band wagon with this one, and they don't regret it. You're going to shout, laugh, cry, and wonder how you ever got through life without it and probably question what you will do with yourself once it's done. I didn't want this book to end though. I consumed this book, but I took it leisurely. I didn't want to devour it to fast as this was a book worth savoring.

I thank the author so much for the amazing opportunity to read this as an eARC!

I received this book as an arc reader. Don’t worry, I’m not paid to leave a review. Generally I can fly through books, but this one I definitely wanted to slow down and take my time. The writing is absolutely flawless. And the world building is next level. You honestly feel like you were transported into the book. The FMC is the perfect amount feisty and caring. While she may not want to have personal growth. There is tons of it throughout the book. I honestly cannot believe that this doesn’t come out until October. Because that means I have to wait even longer for the second book to come out. I have to say I give this a full five stars.

What an amazing story! If you like wizard of oz vibes but with major twist this is for you! The slow burn is so delicious and heart breaking. The plot twists especially at the end leaving us with a major cliffhanger just holds you in the books thralls such a great read!

If you're a fan of futuristic retellings and don't mind overlooking some problematic elements, this might be worth a read. There were so many moments where I literally laughed out loud at the sheer absurdity of it all. It's like the author knew exactly how close to the edge she was walking, creating something so juvenile, and ridiculous, but somehow, it works?

I'm just going to leave this here: kinky.

I really struggled with the relationships between the main characters, I'm not going to lie, I found it deeply unsettling. Though, despite all my criticisms, I was completely immersed in the story. I was annoyed half the time, but I couldn't put it down. And the ending? Super fast-paced.

The Magicless Mage was simply magical! Yes... I went there. Don't judge lol.

Here's what you can expect:

💥 Magic
🧙‍♀️ Witches
🧙‍♂️ Wizards
🐺 Shifters
⌚ Time Travel
🔥 Slow Burn
☠ Enemies to...
📚 Magical Library
🌪 Wizard of Oz Vibes

From the first page, I was captivated by Winter’s world and didn't want to leave. The fast-paced action immediately drew me in, especially when Winter is thrown 700 years into the past—turning magical moments into mind-blowing events.

The dynamic between Winter and Westley is electric. Their sharp banter and sizzling tension kept me hooked, along with the intrigue around their matching eyes, Winter’s lack of magic, and her wild blood lust. Despite occasional frustration with Westley's horrible character judgment and stubbornness, the twists kept me engaged.

Overall, Magicless Mage delivers fun, magic, and irresistible mayhem, making each page more enchanting than the last.

This book is such a breath of fresh air

It’s a perfect urban fantasy, and I can’t get enough of West and Winter!
I adored the writing, the banter, the humor - and the more serious notes within the story!

I’m so thrilled this is a series, cause there’s no way I wouldn’t read more!

Wow, this book was such a ride! There’s a ton of action from the very beginning, and the momentum just kept building from there. I absolutely loved the time traveling theme, and the confusion it brought to our characters from the past was comical at times. Winter’s character was full of sass & independence, while Westley was a grumpy alpha with conflicting emotions and a fierce, protective side. The tension between the two seemed to build with every page, and I loved how Winter taunted him relentlessly. This was such a fun, dark twist on The Wizard of Oz, and I can’t wait to get more of this story in book two!

Favorite Quote: “I love a good red lip, but not every shade is the same, y’know? Crimson is rich and robust, just like your eyes were, which may appeal to some, but nope, not me."

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Magicless Mage is a dark, twisted, and unhinged re-telling of the Wizard of Oz. This story was completely unique, I love a slow burn, enemies to lovers books and this DELIVERED, however this book is 18+. This book has everything from Mages, Witches, Werewolves, Vampires, Wizards, and Familiars.

The book was a page turner with twists, turns, betrayal, and friendships, I did not want to put it down, the world building painted you a vision along with the characters you either love or hate. The magic system is was unique, I never read something like this before between time periods, with interspecies bloodlines.

Thank you to the B.L. Lewis and Netgalley for providing me with this ebook ARC.

Tropes I loved:
Enemies to lovers
Shifter x Witch
Magic Library
Time Travel

The Magicless Mage is a dark and twisted Wizard of Oz retelling, involving a grumpy cinnamon roll MMC and a wickedly, cunning FMC. The start of the retelling takes place in the future, with contemporary notes of pop culture linked in the book (e.g. Willy Wonka movie reference, etc.). The real journey begins when the FMC travels seven hundred years in the past from a time traveling “mishap”.

Winter, the FMC, is charismatic and easily relatable. She is wickedly cunning, and not to be underestimated (although other character seem to even if they are leery of her). She truly shines with her knowledge and quick quips, easing tensions while playing right into politics (which makes sense once her true nature is revealed).

Westley, the MMC, is a grumpy cinnamon role alpha. He tends to make mistakes (pretty grave in some cases) and is quite harsh on himself. It’s nice seeing Winter and the other support characters try to build West back up, encouraging his personal development, which for sure is not over.

Magical libraries, various magical species, seasonal landscapes and a Witch Queen’s lair of pleasurable torture make up the dynamics of the Mortal Realm. The magic system is quite interesting between time periods, with interspecies bloodlines causing magic dilution explored.

Their romance is fast paced. Although they start off as enemies, it felt as though that wore off quickly, especially given the heinous acts they took against each other. I appreciated West also helping Winter through her identity crisis, like a good little MMC! Spice is open door and sprinkled throughout the book.

I will note that some of the side characters storylines (like West’s sister) were a bit conflicting and hopefully will have a good resolution in future books.

Overall, I thought The Magicless Mage is something I have not read before, new and fresh. I can’t wait to continue reading about Winter and West’s journey in the next book!

I enjoy retellings of the old fairy tales, and this did not disappoint.
Twist turns galore throughout the entire story. Another book that I was able to read in one day. I could not put the book down because I wanted to see what happened next.
I love B.L.'s writing style. Can not wait for the next book!
I received an advance review copy at no cost and am leaving this review voluntarily.
🖤 Slow Burn
🖤 Dual POV
🖤 Time Travel
♨️Steam: Open door scenes
👻 Wizard of Oz retelling with time travel
👻 Witches - Vampires - Werewolves
👻 Omegaverse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The year is 2617, Winter is a 23 year old witch working at the Caldwell archives. She used her magic to defend the inventory from thieves, and one night while rushing to protect an ancient book, she accidentally activates a spell. Sending her 700 years into the past where she stumbles upon Westley, an alpha werewolf with pack to protect. Winter needs to find a way home and Westley wants her dead. After discovering a dark secret in his forest, they go to see the witch queen. Tensions rise and fates unravel the longer they interact, will Winter make it back home?

A dark and unhinged retelling of the Wizard of Oz featuring: werewolves, witches, vampires, an evil witch queen, and a magical library.

A fast pace that doesn’t drag at all. The dialogue and character dynamics were good and engaging. I audibly laughed a few times because of the way some things were worded. It gets kinda weird and freaky the deeper you go. It had a couple of twists I wasn’t expecting at all.
I really liked the ending.
I am looking forward to reading the next book.

I really really badly didn't want this to end. This book was incredible and it's very unique. If you liked the craziness of Ruin of Roses by KF Breene and if you love witches and wolf shifters... and you love excellent writing and a book that will have you glued to it.... this is for you.

The entire time reading I couldn't believe how good this book was. There is literal magic inside of this book. It was addictive and I loved scene after scene. It is one of those books you can really see everything play out. I'll remember multiple scenes forever because they were written so well and were simply good scenes.

It is a little weird in a wild kind of way when you get about half way but I absolutely ate it up. I loved it because it fit the story.

I adored the FMC. She was one of my favorite main characters in forever. I also loved the enemy to lovers vibe and the hatemance vibe between mmc and her.

It has dual POV which was a lot of fun.

It never dragged. I didn't skim anything because it all was fantastic.