As someone living in a state with one of the highest maternal mortality rates—and in a country where women’s reproductive rights are constantly under threat—I deeply appreciate The Midwizard of Cosconia and the author’s dedication to women’s health.

This high fantasy epic is rich with worldbuilding, diverse species, and compelling characters. Izzie’s role as a midwizard was moving—her compassion and strength in caring for women at their most vulnerable was powerful and inspiring. I also adored the hilarious banter with her snarky, bottomless bag (every girl needs one).

The Midwizard of Cosconia isn’t just a fantasy novel; it’s a love letter to women’s strength, resilience, and the power of compassionate care. The story is original and clearly crafted with love. While it was a bit dialogue-heavy in parts, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zack Schoppen for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I can honestly say I've never read a book quite like The Midwizard of Cosconia. When the author reached out with a brief synopsis and shared his personal motivation for writing it, I knew I had to check it out, and I’m so glad I did.

Our main character, Izzie, is a Midwizard (think: magical midwife) who’s spent years learning about pregnancy and childbirth across twelve different races on the island of Cosconia. From orcs and dwarves to halflings and more, each community offers her unique wisdom as she travels from place to place, trying to uncover the mysterious causes behind a growing fertility crisis affecting the freles (females). But the stakes are even higher than they first seem… war is looming, and something may be tied to the struggles the island's freles are facing.

Along the way, Izzie gathers a ragtag crew of companions. But the real scene-stealer is Baggie Smalls, her sentient, sassy, Mary Poppins-style bag who throws out pop culture references like a magical jukebox (despite literally no one in Cosconia understanding them) and constantly breaks the fourth wall. Honestly? I’d read an entire spin-off just about Baggie. Hilarious and oddly heartwarming.

What truly sets this book apart is its focus. As a mother who has experienced fertility issues, I found this story deeply moving. It’s rare—especially in fantasy—to see pregnancy and fertility take center stage in a way that’s both magical and medically grounded. Schoppen, an actual OBGYN, infuses the story with real insight and care, offering explanations that are accessible, emotional, and impactful without ever feeling like a lecture.

The world-building is rich, the tone balances humor and heartbreak beautifully, and the ending had me going, “Wait, THAT’S where you’re leaving us?!” Needless to say, I’m desperate for a sequel.

If you’re looking for a fantasy story that’s completely different from the norm (funny, emotional, meaningful, and full of heart) The Midwizard of Cosconia absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR.

The book had a lot of strong points. I loved the well-paced story. The world-building was excellent as was the magic system. What I particularly liked was that Zack Schoppen did not attempt to explain magic; to me magic is magic and it doesn’t need an explanation unless it adds to the story. I liked the characters and both the protagonists and antagonists were well developed. There was good banter between the characters and some comic relief, which mostly worked really well, but sometimes fell a little short. I also loved that the book gave insights into women’s health issues; Schoppen, an OB/GYN, relies on his expertise to communicate the emotional and medical sides. I look forward to reading more of the series. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the advance review copy.

What a fantastic book. At times, it was sad but as someone who suffered trauma during birth, it was a wonderful read.

Izzie, a newly graduated mid-wizard, uses blood magic to help creatures give birth- this book is more than entertaining, it’s full of information that only someone well versed in the subject can give, and as a mother it’s beautiful to see someone introducing the intricacies of birth and motherhood into the fantasy realm.

I’m rarely a fantasy girl, but the world and creatures that live in it were beautifully crafted.

Thank you NetGalley for the privilege of reading this book in exchange for an honest review- and thank you to Zack for seeing moms in a way that no one has before and reaching out to me so I could be a part of this beautiful story.

This book was unexpectedly very amusing. I love how the fantasy world brought aspects of the same kind of problems that we go through in our real world. This book was light hearted, yet touches on some serious issues. The ending was a complete cliff hanger and left me absolutely needing to know what happened next.

Ever heard of mid-wizards? Magical healers who help pregnant creatures bring their babies into the world — spellbinding births, one enchantment at a time.
No!
I have perfect Novel for you
The main character is Isadorr, also known as Izzie. She is a midwizard who helps other creatures give birth using her unique blood magic. After years of research, she discovers a powerful ritual that could save others from their birthing struggles. She and her boyfriend perform it together—but it leads to his apparent death.
But is he truly gone?
Izzie longs for peace in society, yet after the ritual, new complications arise. The creatures she once helped now face even greater difficulties with childbirth, and the delicate balance she fought to protect begins to unravel.

I absolutely love this adorable, heartwarming, yet sometimes sad little book. I got something entirely different from what I expected, and it still made me feel all the things. Beautiful.

The Midwizard of Cosconia Book By Zack Schoppen 🤰🏻🪄🥲 - These are my unfiltered thoughts.

Rating 5/5😳:
This is so new and interesting. As someone who has pregnancy/delivery trauma, this was so oddly eye-opening. I say that with the best intention too! A fantasy novel with a twist that I for one never seen coming.

🕯️A little message from me as I stand on my soap box:🕯️
The concept behind this book was SUPER intriguing to me. If you don’t know me personally, I had my little girl 03/31. The process to get her Earth side was treacherous. It was an uphill battle to keep me alive and well from the time the delivery began till around a month ago. Zack bases his platform off the idea that he wants to build on the knowledge surrounding women’s health. He is an OB-GYN himself. The information gathered thus far about women’s health is so thin. As an author, to make it a point to represent mothers as a whole and go even further to donate proceeds to organizations funding research is so refreshing. Okay, Mr. Schoppen!👏🏼👏🏼

🐉My 2 cents and then some:🐉

Medical fantasy meets epic adventure. It centers on childbirth in a high-stakes fantastical world, a concept not often seen in the genre! You’ll get to meet orcs, giants, elves, dwarves, halflings, and supernatural creatures. All of these are presented while navigating the impeding war that is to come. You get every touch of fantasy that you are looking for, all while receiving a whole new take! I throughly enjoyed this book and thanks to Zack for reaching out. I hope your release is everything you could dream of.

The Midwizard of Cosconia is set to release September 7th, 2025! 🤩