This one lands in that “liked it, but wanted more” space for me.

I really enjoyed the academic magic setting and the way learning and identity are woven together, especially how different backgrounds shape each character’s experience. There’s also a relatable thread of going from feeling capable to suddenly being out of your depth, and figuring out what actually fits you, which I thought was handled well.

That said, a lot of the ideas feel only lightly explored.

The focus leans more toward the school’s situation rather than fully digging into the characters, and I kept wanting more depth—especially with Luna. The romance, too, felt a bit rushed, which made it harder to fully connect.

Overall, this reads as a softer, lower-stakes fantasy with cozy elements and strong representation. It’s an easy, enjoyable read, but I do wish it had gone a little deeper to really make it stick. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up for NetGalley)

Thank you NetGalley for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I give Spellfire 4.5 stars and happily round up to 5 for a well-crafted world and romance, a pair of sincere characters that felt real close to home, and just an overall warm story that was easy and enjoyable.

This book made me feel nostalgic and warm right from the beginning. Grimoire Academy felt familiar, and the way Bryn lead me as a reader through the halls and through her own point of view on it, it felt both nostalgic and tinged with the kind of emotions the outsider kids feel returning to old haunts - at least based on my personal experience. I felt like the book gave us a good introduction to a much broader world (without overexplaining it all), while keeping focused on the Academy and the situations going on therein.

Bryn and Amelia were really cute, and also rather genre-savvy (though not too much). They still had challenges to their relationship and things going on in their lives and at the Academy that they had to deal with, and honestly it's sometimes refreshing to not read hundreds of pages of will-they-won't-they. (Sometimes it's what you want, sometimes it's not.)

I wouldn't mind more of the world and more with some of the other characters, but I felt very satisfied by the focus on Bryn and Amelia and their story, and it all moved along at a quick pace - not rushed, but the in-story timeline is quick and the story reflects that as well.

I think this is a great book for those looking for a lighthearted and cozy witchy romance, especially for the kids who were the outsiders in school and grew up into more confident (and likely queerer) adults.