Spellcaster sweeps you straight into the gothic halls of Weatherstone College, where dark academia meets paranormal romance. From the very first chapter, the blend of family rivalries, dangerous magic, and forbidden attraction sets the stage for a story that is equal parts cosy and sinister.

Paisley is an immediately likable protagonist. Her magic may be unpredictable, but her determination to prove herself makes her easy to root for. I really enjoyed the way the family dynamics were written, giving the book a surprising warmth amidst the shadows. Logan, on the other hand, is the perfect brooding foil, carrying all the intensity you would expect from the son of her father’s enemy. While the romance leans more toward reluctant allies than true enemies to lovers, their tension keeps the pages turning.

The worldbuilding is where the book shines. The college atmosphere is steeped in mystery, and the lurking monsters and hints of old necromancer magic make Weatherstone feel dangerous and alive. The pacing is quick at the start, slows slightly in the middle, and then ramps up again with twists that left me both satisfied and hungry for more answers.

If you are after a romantasy with dark academia vibes, secret legacies, and just enough steam to keep things interesting, Spellcaster will be right up your alley. It is less brutal and more cosy paranormal than books like Fourth Wing or Zodiac Academy, but that worked in its favour, giving it a unique identity. I will definitely be picking up the sequel to see where Paisley and Logan’s story goes.

Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve (out
Sept 23, 2025)

I honestly devoured this book. Like, once I started, there was no way I was putting it down. It gave me total Harry Potter mixed with Zodiac Academy vibes and I was hooked straight away.
What I loved most was Paisley herself. Finally a main character who actually has a supportive, loving family around her. It felt so refreshing and wholesome, and then on top of that she's got her best friends who are the definition of ride-or-die. It made me care about her even more.
Then there's Logan... the whole "childhood friends turned enemies turned ???" thing had me absolutely living. He's broody, probably a little bit dangerous, and the chemistry between him and Paisley was just chef's kiss. I was smiling, kicking my feet, rolling my eyes at them in the best way.
The magic, the mystery, the monsters, the little twists-it just worked! The pacing was quick without feeling rushed, and the worldbuilding gave me enough to feel grounded without overloading me. And then that cliffhanger... I swear, my jaw actually dropped. I need book two like yesterday.
This was such a fun, addictive read and an easy from me.

2.5 ⭐️

~Paisley Hallister is accepted into the Weatherstone College for witches and warlocks, however, she hasn't grasped control of her powers just yet.

On her first day of college, Paisley comes face to face with the son of her father's greatest enemy, Logan Kingston, and feels oddly drawn towards him.

During Paisley's freshman year of College she's left to face challenges, finding her powers, making friends, uncovering secrets and finds herself haunted and stalked by terrifying monsters.

She has no other choice than to turn to the most powerful spellcaster in Weatherstone, her enemy, Logan Kingston, for help. ~

I really enjoyed this book at the start. The Hallister family are very close knit, very bonded and will protect each other at all costs. She makes a few girl friends at Weatherstone. The MMC, Logan, was a mysterious character. I wasn't really connected to any of these characters for their lack of written descriptions or personalities.

This books writing style is very similar to the Zodiac Academy, it's written casually and witty in Paisley's perspective. I really struggled with the dialogue in this book. I found it very immature and unnatural for an adult book, for girls the age of 22+ they spoke like 16 year old teenagers. It was very robotic and hard to read. I also struggled with the siblings calling each other 'brother' and 'sister' and 'little sister' because it seemed so unnaturally formal considering the writing style. If it were an old timely book like Bridgeton, i wouldn't even think twice about it, but it didn't fit and it bothered me every time.

I liked Logan's character but when he called Paisley 'Precious' i didn't know how i felt about it, i tried so hard to love it but i just couldn't get past it. They lacked the yearning i crave, they were very sudden and unexplained. There was definitely slow burn and i'm very interested in where the sequel takes them.

The plot was interesting, i loved the mystery aspect of the unexpected monster attacks and Paisleys journey to find her magic. I found that the plot was 40% unimportant dialogue between the friends. I became very disinterested from about 50% throughout the story. Pacing was fast, but not alot happens considering it's a whole year of College.

I think i'll still read the second book because the cliffhanger definitely brought be back to life. I think with some less immature and unimportant dialogue and more world building this series could be great!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!!!!!!!!

I AM SO MAD!

WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE ME ON A CLIFFHANGER LIKE THAT????

The ending has left me with complete and utter emotional turmoil, I couldn't put this book down, from the start to the end. You completely captivated me with Paisley and Logans story. I need more, so much more.