"Don't worry about being palatable for other people. Be yourself, Sun, and if that's not enough or too much for someone else, that's their problem, not yours"

Edison Rooker is determined to reconnect wit the magical world after his grandmother's passing. Shunted from the comfort and warmth magic provided, his only problem is... he himself doesn't actually have any magic. Ever the optimist, and a genius to boot, Edison attempts to get a job as an apprentice to one of the most powerful (and intimidating) sorceresses, Antonia Hex. However, this new job doesn't prevent him from secretly working on his own, illegal, spell binder, one that can trace magic lines across the city.

In response to his new role, Edison soon takes up the name of 'Rook', given to him by Antonia herself, and he's over the moon to be given that trust, but a spanner is soon put into his good mood, when he finds himself face to face with grumpy and aloof Sun, apprentice to Antonia's rival colleague, Fable. Sun and Rook get off to an immediate rocky start, but soon the attraction growing between them becomes palpable and harder to ignore. However, when the Magical Consortium get wind of Rook's illegal spellbinder, his boss is abducted, now alone and desperate in a world full of magic that he personally can't harness, Rook reaches out tot he only other magical person he knows, Sun. Now they must put their squabbles aside and work together to save Antonia or face even dire consequences.

This was a charming, and whimsical story, brimming with an intriguing and unique magic system and vibrant and charismatic characters.

Rook is an absolute ray of sunshine, always smilling, and finding ways to put a positive spin on any situation, no matter how dire it appears. Endearing, with a perpetual child like wonder and fascination exuding from him, he will utterly melt your heart. Rook is resilient and intelligent, determined to find his way back to the magic that brought him so much comfort and joy in his youth. He's felt inadequate for so long, especially with his lack of magic flowing through him, he's spent all his time and energy into creating an astounding piece of technology that can show him where the ley lines of magic are, and hopefully help him harness it. Rook is so mischievous and thrives off being able to rebel against the Magic Consortium, alongside his enigmatic, fierce and defiant mentor. I can't get over how charming and ridiculously sweet he is, he's just so gentle-natured, and truly has the kindest heart, forever determined to make others happy whenever possible, he should be protected at all costs.

Sun on the other hand, is Rook's complete opposite. Perpetually grumpy, stoic and aloof to those they meet, finding Rooks constant need for humour and optimism tiring. Sarcastic and sassy, Sun can often appear standoffish despite their longing for companionship and to belong. Apprentice to the enigmatic sorcerer, Fable, Sun has a unique magic that allows them to connect with the magic flowing through the cities. Sun struggles with social interactions and connecting with others, so when they meet Rook, Sun is pleasantly surprised and immediately overwhelmed by this new whirlwind ray of sunshine that's waltzed into their life, and sees them for who they are, and who they want to be. Sun is a romantic at heart, and puts everything into whatever they set their heart to, especially if they feel genuinely invested and accepted, it was truly heart-warming to see Sun being more vulnerable.

Sun and Rook find kindred spirits in each other, both lonely, with only their sorcerer masters for company, they both struggle to create lasting and impactful friendships. Finding someone who truly sees each other for who they really are, and seeing them slowly begin to warm up to each other felt so lush and real. Their banter and the relationship development was incredibly wholesome and beautifully crafted.

I was immediately entranced by this world and the plot, with incredible LGBTQ+ rep, and seamless chemistry between the main characters, this story will have you beaming, on the edge of your seat, and feeling so warm and fuzzy inside. It also has some really poignant and moving messages interwoven throughout about being unapologetically yourself, and remembering that you're always enough, in spite of how others perceive you. A truly beautiful story which shows the quiet impact people can have on each other, and the importance of being compassionate towards yourself.

I'm sad to say that my favourite part of this book is probably the cover.

For a book that's supposedly a YA high-stakes magical adventure, there wasn't a lot to be found that actually fits that description. The characters seem more middle grade than YA, and the action doesn't really get going until over halfway through. And when the action does start, it hits every predictable beat each and every time.

In the end this was just a very generic and bland story, with uninteresting characters, set in a world that just never quite manages to seem believable.

This was super wholesome, I loved the Queer representation, the unique magic system, the cursed angry doormat and the found family. I do also wonder if writing a wizard(ish) book and repeatedly naming the villain as Evanna Lynne is a little bit on the nose, but also that's hilarious. And her surname? Beech.

Rook is sheer chaos, always seeming to be juggling everyone else's problems all at once, whereas Sun brings a calmer energy that perfectly balances him out. I thought the equally chaotic, destroyer of fax and coffee machines, Antonia Hex, was such a fascinating character, and this mentor role so often goes to men so this was really cool to see.

This had a bit of a vibe of a 90s TV show, the campy scenarios, the Big Bad at the end, and the plot was so much fun overall while keeping a good pace. This is a really different book than So This Is Ever After, and I think it's a much stronger story.

Spell Bound is such a lovely and heartwarming story about the importance of belonging and acceptance. I love found family trope, and this has fantastic journey to found family. On top of that, the romance between Rook and Sun is so adorable; a true sunshine/grumpy pairing.

After Rook lost his grandmother, he was deemed nonmagical and he was cut off from the magical community. He's desperate to get back so he creates a device that lets him to see the ley lines - and he seeks a job with Antonia Hex, the most powerful sorcerer of the age. From there begins a heartwarming adventure. Antonia and her rival sorcerer Fable Page argue like a married couple, and Rook and Sun have great banter and so many cute moments. Lukens manages to balance sweet moments of learning magic and having a crush on someone, to more action-packed scenes of magical battles and chases. The world-building is good and the characters are truly fascinating. I loved Antonia, she's such a force of nature!

I enjoyed Spell Bound immensely. It's a captivating story that kept me clued to the pages from the beginning to end. Lukens is very talented author to weave brilliant stories which have great themes.

I recieved an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been putting off writing this review for an age, simply because I really have very little to say about this book. The friends who chatted with me while I was reading it have been regaled with my litany of personal problems with this book- an ability to connect with the characters, an irritation with the worldbuilding that stands up to zero scrutiny (HOW do the magical council not have any non-magical task forces for fugitives hiding away from ley lines?), and a general lack of investment in the plot, but I think those problems are, as I said, personal. To me this felt stiflingly generic and bland, but there are other people that fell head over heels for these characters. I was really excited to see a nonbinary Korean character as a romantic lead, and I really wanted to be invested in the two leads' dynamic, if nothing else, but I was simply so, so bored reading Spell Bound. I would have DNF'd it if I hadn't commited to reviewing it.

In short, I couldn't personally recommend this, and while I do think it's a bit lacklustre in terms of generic prose and awkward pacing, I don't think there's anything egregious about it, so I wouldn't exactly warn someone away- and that's why it's not one-star... But I can honestly say that it did absolutely nothing for me.

I really struggled with my overall rating for this book, and I'm still undecided between a 3 and a 4. I enjoyed parts of it (particularly the beginning), but I wasn't a fan of the second half.

In this one we have Rook and Sun, two apprentices who must team up to save their teachers and protect their magic!

I requested this one because I really enjoyed So This Is Ever After, but during Spellbound I found myself getting a bit bored and I don't even know why. It's well written like STIEA, the world building was fine and the pacing was okay. I just never really connected with the characters or story.

Rook and Sun were both cute main characters and they had an adorable grumpy/sunshine thing going on, but I just wanted more from them both.

Also that ending kind of threw me. It was so rushed and everything just ended up so neatly with no consequences to anything that had happened before. I can't say I was a fan of it,

Basically Spell Bound is a light, quick read with some cute characters...I just wasn't in the right mood for it unfortunately.

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

It's the first book i read by F.T. Lukens and won't surely be the last. A cozy and well plotted story, a cast of fleshed out and realistic characters, a good world building.
It made me smile and kept me turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This book was the cosy fantasy of dreams! Ft Lukens never misses.

I absolutely adored the characters and the found family in this. I would thoroughly recommend!

I absolutely loved this book :) it was exactly the sort of light-hearted yet heartfelt read that I needed. On the surface, it can feel like it's a humourous, supernatural YA read with some very lovable characters and a recognisable grumpy x sunshine romance trope - and it's all those things. However, it's also an exploration of grief, belonging, identity, privilege, and morality.

I felt each of the characters was well-rounded and clear - we see enough through Rook & Sun's eyes to understand Antonia and Fable's overall characters, as well as hints at very interesting backgrounds. Rook of course was a ray of sunshine, and yet such a complex character dealing with many deep questions. As a non-binary Autistic, I really bonded with Sun's character - though their ND traits are not labelled, they are very clear and part of who they are. It was nice in a way not to have a big explainer paragraph detailing out the what and why, and have their needs just accepted as they were :)

It's a queer-normative world, and I liked that even when up against the "villains", no one threw around the wrong pronouns or anything - there was something so validating about that. As far as I can remember anyway - I remember it struck me as different from some of my recent queer-positive reads. I also liked that with any character using they/them pronouns, there was no focus on any specific physical shape or (again, as far as I can remember) because it wasn't relevant to the story and didn't (and shouldn't) matter.

Plot-wise, it was entertaining and sweet. There was quite a lot of gentle feelings and small steps, and sometimes I felt a little old for the romance, but I also loved the genuine, innocent nature of it. I really enjoyed the world-building and magic systems, the way the city coexists with, and is built on, magic, and would love to revisit in more magical adventures some time. The writing was beautiful and believable, and I'd definitely read anything else F. T. Lukens creates :)

Super gorgeous artwork as well of course!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Simon & Schuster UK for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Spell Bound is a lovely, heartwarming queer romance based around the importance of being yourself in a world full of magic. Edison, who was taken from the magical community after his grandmother died because he has no powers, is determined to get back to the world he once knew. To do this, he's built an illegal machine that can detect ley lines but now he needs to test it: by becoming the apprentice to Antonia Hex, the greatest sorcerer of the age. He's hired, but only as office staff and given a new name: Rook. While working in the call centre, Rook meets Sun- the apprentice of Antonia's rival, Fable- who is determined to not have anything distracting them from magic. Sun and Rook are thrown together as their bosses are called to the same magical incidents, becoming friends. However, when Rook's machine is discovered and Antonia is arrested, Rook only has Sun to run to as they try to save their mentors, protect magic and build something new for themselves.

I thought this was a sweet romance with strong worldbuilding and interesting characters. I enjoyed the idea of Rook and Sun connecting over feeling isolated from the world, and I loved the rivalry between Antonia and Fable. There were times when I felt that the characters needed some more depth but I still enjoyed it a lot. Also, the cover is beautiful!

First of all, the cover?! obsessed with the art!

The world building, the magic system, the representation!

Reading this felt like sinking into a warm bed and the found family themes throughout made me so happy. I do wish we had spent more time with Sun which is why my review was reduced to 4.25*

Spell bound was a great read, the characters were well put together and were a joy to read about their journey through the book

4.5 stars. Another super sweet, completely heart warming LGBTQ+ fantasy adventure that I dare you not to fall in love with.

Spell Bound is a super sweet, wholesome YA romance set in a fantasy world where magic is heavily monitored and restricted. Rook and his mentor are dabbling in practices the Magical Consortium would consider illegal. I found the integration of magic into this universe fascinating, even for cleaning your floors or holding your chandelier up, and really enjoyed the world building. Rook and Sun are witty, endearing characters whose relationship is lovely to watch develop.

When the Consortium finally gets wind of what our protagonists are up to, all hell breaks loose and they have to go on the run. Unfortunately, for me this is where I lost interest a bit. Some parts of the story drag a little, and others zoom along with things happening a bit too conveniently and unbelievably, and it just didn't work for me. So although I didn't like the second half of the book as much as the first, it is still an enjoyable story set in an enchanting world.

4.5* for this one! It was incredibly sweet and engaging and I loved both Rook and Sun.

The premise of this story was fascinating and the world-building was perfect. I loved the idea of magic users just being kind of 'fix it's' on call for people who get into magical bother. I sort of just want some short stories of more ridiculous calls that come through to Antonia's office.

The found family element of this novel is everything and I absolutely adored it. I'm a big fan of the bonds between the characters and how they strengthened. Most of the characters individually were also awesome and well-rounded. My only complaint would be Fable, compared to the rest of the characters they felt incredibly underdeveloped and just 'there' most of the time. Even in the climax, it felt like they were an afterthought and didn't have a very clear personality other than 'rule follower'.

The romance element was mind-blowing but it was sweet and the definition of 'sunshine/grumpy and both Sun and Rook were incredibly endearing. Their romance was a very 'young feeling' one which worked perfectly for the ages of the characters and the story itself.

It's well-written and paced well and has just the right amount of subplots. It does take a little while to get to the main 'conflict' of the story but it was very well set up.

This is a pretty low-stakes, low-drama read but it's a lot of fun and very sweet. I really enjoyed it.

I LOVED So This Is Ever After, so I had high expectations for this one. Unfortunately (for me) it didn’t really reach them. Don’t get me wrong, this was not a bad book. It was well written, the pacing was just right, and the premise was interesting. I just found myself getting really bored?

This is definitely targeted more towards teenagers and had I read it when I was that age I would have probably enjoyed it more than I did.

The main characters Rook & Sun were likeable and had some funny moments together, but I didn’t see the chemistry between them, which made the inevitable romance arc less believable. The ending felt very rushed and was tied up with a neat bow without any real consequences or fall out for the characters?

This is a very low stakes book, so if that is your thing or you’re looking for a quick light read after something heavier then you will probably enjoy this.

3 stars

this is similar to FT Lukens' other works so far, a very cute and lovingly characterised romcom with fantasy elements. If you like in deeper water or so this is ever after, you;ll love this one too.

A really feel-good, uplifting fantasy with a touch of romance.
Lots of humour and creative uses of magic. Loved the characters and the grumpy/sunshine romance.
A really joyful read!

I have enjoyed everything F.T Lukens has written so far, meaning I had extremely high expectations for this book. And boy, did it exceed them.

Lukens has crafted yet another exciting, spell-binding (is it cheesy to say that?!) tale, filled with characters who leap off the page. The humour never misses, and there were times I was giggling and kicking my feet, especially when the two main characters were interacting.
The handling of a main nonbinary character is a highlight within the story for me. Sun was a superb character I fell in love with the minute they walked into the scene.
Alongside this, Lukens creates a found family situation so sweet and endearing that it made my heart melt. I'm a sucker for a found family, and this one really hits the spot.

I'm so excited to force all my friends to read this once it comes out, as I have done with all of Lukens' previous works. I can't wait to see what comes next; they're all incredible!

I really loved So This Is Ever After but was disappointed when I then read In Deeper Water, so I wasn't sure what to expect with Spell Bound.

Luckily, I liked it! I wasn't obsessed with it, like I was with So This Is Ever After, but the love story is cute and the world building was so good that honestly I was a little disappointed when we had to follow the plot instead of stopping and learning more about witchy neighbourhoods and witchy businesses.

The story follows Rook, a non-magical person who is no longer allowed around magic since his witchy grandma died. Being exiled from the magical community feels like missing a limb, so he squirrels his way into becoming the assistant/apprentice of Antonia Hex, the world's most powerful sorceress. Antonia is always looking to break the rules, so luckily she takes him on in defiance of the magical community's rules. (I love Antonia and would have read a whole book about her and her adventures.)

Meanwhile Sun is the apprentice of Fable, Antonia's rival/friend. They're a rule-abiding sort and everything about Rook should make them want to run away - but actually draws them closer.

After a brief spell of pretending to be frenemies, Rook and Sun admit they're friends (while both pretending they don't feel anything more) and work together to save their mentors when they're kidnapped.

It's a fun book and I enjoyed FT Lukens' recognisable authorial voice. They have a great style and energy to their writing and I'll definitely check out their next book.