Shoestring Theory is a fantasy book described as a "queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with the future of the world at stake." And this description delivers! First thing's first, though: The comparison to Legends & Lattes is NOT accurate and I would not base the decision to read this book off of that comparison.

Mariana Costa truly delivered with the fast-paced and unique plot, the endearing characters, and the touching romance between Cyril and Eufrates. Their relationship and romance is so well-written and gripping with all the bits we get from their past, present, and future selves. This book is incredibly witty and equally poignant. It is a book that makes you feel deeply and tugs at your heartstrings at the same time that it makes you think about life, love, second chances, and how to show up for those we love.

I highly, highly recommend Shoestring Theory!

Thank you to NetGalley, Angry Robot, and Mariana Costa for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Shoestring Theory was such a fun read, with a mix of magic, time travel, and all the angst and pining you'd expect from a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story. Cyril, our main character, is flawed and messy, and I appreciated that he wasn't written as your typical unbeatable hero. It made his journey even more enjoyable to read. Plus, his relationship with Eufrates was well-written and full of twists—I loved seeing them find their way back to each other.

It took me a little bit to really get into this book, as it starts off very dense and slow, but once the plot gets moving, it’s full of surprises and twists that kept me hooked. The world-building is solid, with court politics and magic, and there’s just the right amount of humor to keep things fun without becoming cringe. This one gave me cozy vibes but also had darker parts, but overall would highly recommend!

Thank you, Angry Robot, for providing me with an ARC. 🖤

I didn’t know what to expect from Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa. The cover (illustrated by Alice Coleman) drew me in immediately and I figured I would give it a shot. Hands down I loved this book, and found myself invested in the small interactions Cyril had with people in his past as a wiser, kinder version of himself. Five Stars. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

this was a DELIGHT. it's exactly the kind of cozy fantasy i enjoy - there are good stakes to keep everything moving forward but nothing ever feels so dire that it gets stressful. i also love some timey wimey adventures and this really delivers on that.
the characters are charming and well developed. the magic system doesn't really make a lot of sense but that actually didn't bother me because i didnt feel like i was SUPPOSED to think about it too hard. the animal companions are *chefs kiss*
i will absolutely be recommending this to people who are looking for low stress stakes fantasy or maybe looking to give the genre a try.

I am sure I would have liked this book more had I not expected a cosy time travel romance fantasy. Yes, there is time travel by magic. Yes, there is a enemies-to-lovers romance. Yes, it is set in a fantasy world. But, *sigh*, this is not cosy, although there are some cosy moments scattered throughout the book.

The relationship between the main character and his beloved is more toxic than healthy for most of the book, and it took away from my enjoyment of the story.

Mariana Costa can write, I liked her prose, I just didn't enjoy the story as much as I had hoped I would.

2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars

4.5 stars This fantasy novel kept surprising me with its twists and turns. Often, the main character's anxiety left me feeling anxious as well, leading to me desiring to read faster and faster and figure out where the story was ultimately heading. The friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-? was an interesting plot, as was figuring out why the first timeline turned out the way it had. I enjoyed all the characters, but Tig was the best in her various incarnations. Although it was a completely satisfying stand-alone with a suitable ending, I would not object to reading another story set in this world.

This book was a lovely cozy fantasy. The world building and mechanisms of magic were interesting (and felt novel) and the love story was very sweet. There were great twists and turns and a found family that just felt right. While I enjoyed the book very much, it was one I had a hard time getting into and I found myself putting it down and not picking it up again for days a couple of times.

3.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cats and time travel—need I say more? This cosy fantasy is exciting with high stakes yet lighthearted, blending dark themes with charm, as it explores grief, guilt, and love, leaving you feeling bittersweet, hopeful, and deeply moved by the journey

Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa is a new queer fantasy romance about a mage who tries to give himself and his kingdom a second chance. It’s fun, unique, and filled with strong characters and a truly captivating relationship dynamic that I think fans of romantasy and cozy fantasy will really enjoy.

The book starts off on a fairly dark note. The first chapter features the death of a beloved cat familiar and a very dark magic spell that Cyril, the main character, uses to send himself back in time. Once he’s back several decades in the past, his goal is to prevent the tragic events that lead his husband to become a tyrant king.

Cyril is a truly delightful main character, He’s always trying his best but he struggles with his self-esteem and mental health. He blames himself for not preventing Eufrates, his husband, from becoming a despot. Eufrates and Cyrill have an incredibly fascinating relationship. They grew up as friends and eventually became lovers. Now, they are bitter enemies scheming against one another while still linked by a magic oath made on their wedding day. One of my most unpopular bookish opinions is that I’m not usually a fan of enemies-to-lovers. However, I really love the relationship between Eufrates/Cyril. They are complicated and passionate. Their feelings for each other are always intense no matter what the current status of their relationship is. Their journey together has some surprising and emotional moments that made the two far more interesting to me than the standard enemies-to-lovers pair. Fans of the trope and those, like me, who don’t usually enjoy that dynamic will both love this juicy and ever-evolving duo.

Along with Cyrill and Eufrates, there is also Tigris who is Eufrates’ older sister. She’s funny, loyal, and tough. I love Achillean romances but they don’t often have many great women characters in them. Shoestring Theory overcomes this flaw with both Tig and Cyrill’s aunt and mentor, Heléne. Both women are among the many highlights of the book - especially Tig!

Though it is described as cozy fantasy, and I can see why it’s being described that way, it does have more stakes and plot than some cozy fantasies do. If you struggle with books with no or little plot, Shoestring Theory might be the perfect cozy fantasy book for you. There’s an action-packed plot alongside the character and relationship growth that moves the story along quickly. There were also some great twists in the story which kept me flipping pages as fast as I could read!

I really enjoyed Shoestring Theory. It’s creative, fun, and heartwarming. It also has a great blend of characters, relationship, and story. I recommend it to both romantasy and cozy fantasy fans especially those who like complicated relationship dynamics and stories with unique and complex characters.

A fabulous mix of alternate universe time travel and magic. Cyril goes back in time to prevent the ruin of the kingdom at the hands of Eufrates… aka his husband, aka the king. An excellent story of redemption and love, with two cunning and ferocious women and two self-sacrificing idiot men. Tigris was truly iconic. 👸 🐈 Cyril and Eufrates are both so flawed, but well intentioned. It broke my heart when Cyril found out why everything had happened. Altogether a fun adventure and a riveting story. 4.5⭐️ rounded up.

A cat and some time travel? I am in! Cyril is living in a horrible time, when there is very little food, extreme weather and he only has his cat, Shoestring, for company. Until Shoestring succumbs to the conditions and curls up under the desk and dies. Cyril decides to go back in time, to when Shoestring is alive, before things start to go wrong, and fix things.

I really enjoyed the writing and the characters in this book, and the story moved fairly quickly. It had a bit of a YA feel to it, which is not a criticism, as I think it broadens the appeal. But it also makes me wonder if a sequel is planned, given that is what is expected these days. I would definitely recommend this title and a looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you are looking for a fun book to read this one is just perfect, I laugh so much while I was reading it.. This is also a second change into love and the best part? Is queer which lately for me has been something that I'm reading a lot more.. I really don't want to spoiler but the story is just good and really, Cyril was absolutely amazing

I picked this one up for the cat. Which is fair, because from a certain perspective, this whole story is, in fact and for real, all about Shoestring the cat. Even though, like Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol, Shoestring is dead, to begin with.

If you’re also here for the cat, I will give you one spoiler, a spoiler that I seriously wished I had at the beginning. Because at the end, Shoestring will be just fine. Really, truly. (Not knowing that gave me some terrible approach/avoidance problems when I began reading the story. I was having as hard a time dealing with Shoestring’s apparent death as Cyril was.)

In a terrible future that should never have been, Cyril has been barely surviving as what used to be the Kingdom of Farsala literally rots all around him. It’s been years with bad air, almost no sun, and a starvation diet for both himself and poor Shoestring.

Cyril’s only reason for continuing this meager, guilt-ridden existence is to catch fish for his familiar, Shoestring. Everyone else he ever cared about is dead. From a certain perspective – namely Cyril’s – it’s all his fault.

But Shoestring’s passing is the cosmic kick in the pants that Cyril needed. Without Shoestring, he’s faced with two choices. He can either wither away into death, as all mages do when their familiars die, or he can get off his magical ass and go back and fix things.

Or at least try, making this whole marvelous story a fix-it fic, set in a magical world that needs a hell of a lot of fixing. The only problem is that Cyril isn’t really the right person to get the job. But he is the right person to keep his loved ones alive – and they absolutely are.

Escape Rating B: I had some mixed feelings about this book, in spite of how much I generally adore fix-it fics. Part of that can be laid at the feets of poor Shoestring, as I was nearly as heartbroken at his early, first-chapter death as Cyril was.

And, I’ll admit, I’m used to the protagonists of fix-it fics – which I usually love – being somewhat more competent hot messes than it seems Cyril could ever possibly be. He does not look before he leaps. It often seems as if he doesn’t even look after he leaps. Or at all. He doesn’t act – he reacts – and generally cluelessly at that.

Which is how his country got in the mess it did in the first place. Because Cyril is the heir to the Grand Mage of the whole entire kingdom and he’s supposed to be a whole lot more capable than he has ever demonstrated being. His great-aunt, Heléne, the current high-court witch, is that great and it seems from Cyril’s barely-adult perspective that she always has been.

But Heléne is slowing down, and Cyril hasn’t been stepping up. Which is why everything went pear-shaped. Because he didn’t see the rot in the kingdom at a point where it could be stopped. This time around, he has to do better, to be better, and at the beginning, he isn’t.

He does, eventually, and with frequent application of several boots to his ass, get better enough to figure out what went wrong the first time around – but he’s a bit slow on the uptake. Frequently. Often.

Which is why the comparisons between Shoestring Theory and Legends & Lattes fall spectacularly apart. They are both cozy fantasies – but they take vastly different approaches to both the coziness and the fantasy.

For one thing, Viv in Legends & Lattes is very competent and gets shit done. It’s just that what she wants to get done is very cozy in that her goal is to open a coffee shop. She has doubts, she has fears, she backslides in her ambition to eschew her old, violent ways as a mercenary – but she gets the job done because of herself.

Cyril gets the job done in spite of himself. In the end he does get there, but he faffs around a LOT. If it wasn’t for his friends he wouldn’t manage to get his head on straight. He IS, actually, quite capable – but he’s never been pushed to apply himself until now and it takes him a LONG time to get out of that mindset.

A lot longer than it took this reader to figure out who the true villain of the piece really was, and that Shoestring’s restoration would be part of Cyril’s reward for finally getting his act together.

In the end, I liked Shoestring Theory, but not nearly as much as I expected to. There just wasn’t enough of Shoestring himself in the story, and Cyril turned out to be a surprisingly incompetent protagonist for a fix-it story.

But I did enjoy the way the story turned itself inside out, that all of Cyril’s intentions and memories of that first, terrible, time around turned out to be not what he thought they were, and that he did manage to get to the truth and the whole truth of what went wrong the first time – and that it wasn’t ALL his fault.

So, in spite of Cyril’s frequent faffing around, the one thing he always was that shone through was that he loved deeply if not always wisely, that he had a huge capacity for trust even if it was sometimes misplaced, and that the story, the kingdom and even Cyril himself are finally saved by the depth of his loyalty to those he loves – and the reciprocation of that love and loyalty in full measure in return.

I really loved this unusual and charming book - there’s lots of humour, some pretty ridiculous plot lines, things go wrong with hilarious consequences, some great themes of found family, and a really interesting concept about what you might do differently if you could have a second chance at being young and in love. Advertised as a cosy fantasy, which ultimately it is, I should point out that the book does deal with some darker themes. I genuinely couldn’t put this one down, a great read!

This was a fun read! That ending?! MY HEART 🥺

I started off a little confused but as more details became unraveled, I was hooked. I loved the characters so much - all of them unique and with the wittiest remarks. I did not suspect the plot twist at all. I am so happy with how the story was resolved.

You should read this if you like:
🐈Mages
🐈Court politics
🐈Animal familiars
🐈Murder mystery
🐈Time travel
🐈Lovers to enemies to lovers
🐈Witty banter
🐈Queer love

This definitely gave more cozy fantasy vibes than high/epic fantasy so if you’re looking for a cozier fantasy read, I would absolutely recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Shoestring Theory is a charming escape into a world of magic, love, and second chances. This queer fantasy tale, with its madcap plot and endearing characters, is sure to captivate readers who enjoy a touch of whimsy in their stories.

Costa's blend humor of heart, and high stakes made this such a quick and enjoyable read. Cyril's journey through time is both hilarious and poignant, as he grapples with his past mistakes and the complexities of love and loyalty. The characters are wonderfully nuanced; Cyril as both cantankerous old man and love-struck youth in one awkward body made for some brilliant moments. The supporting cast, including the formidable Great Aunt and her crow familiar Ganache, add depth and charm to the narrative and if you love a strong female, Queen to be, Tigris is all that and more (even while squashed into the body of a cat).

Fans of Legends and Lattes will appreciate the author's ability to create a world that feels both familiar and fantastical. Shoestring Theory is a refreshing and enjoyable light fantasy read.

Since I saw the cover Shoestring Theory is on my tbr list. I mean there is a cat on the cover, of course, I want to read this book and I need more cosy fantasy in my life. Shoestring Theory is a cozy time-travel fantasy with a darker tone, so make sure to check the content warnings before reading it. The story was truly unique, and I loved the worldbuilding. But for me, the characters stole the show. They were written amazingly. I had a great time and can't wait to read more from Mariana Costa. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy.

Sometimes domestic issues escalate. Sometimes, sometimes you have to travel back in time to kill your husband before he destroys the kingdom, killing many, turning the skies black, and ruining the land for growth. All it takes is a wizard with nothing left to lose in "Shoestring Theory" by Mariana Costa (Out now!).

Cyril is falling apart, his existence for the last decade has been scrapping by fishing for his familiar and hiding from his guilt. See, he married the king and didn't prevent his madness from hurting people. But now he has nothing to lose, his familiar, Shoestring, died; something that isn't supposed to happen. Now he is a reckless wizard with nothing holding him there, obviously he does a blood sacrifice to send himself backwards in time. There he will try to right the wrongs of inaction and hopefully save the people who could have prevented this mess in the first place. Just have to confront his husband back when he hadn't done the whole "killing everyone thing." Or bleed out in his shack and no one will find his bones.

Reasons to read:
-The Aunt, I lost it when she started swinging
-Cyril is honest about his short comings and finds methods to cope/flee magically from situations
-Maybe too many books is something to watch out for
-Catharsis for fixing a mistake in a way I need to work on myself

Cons:
-You didn't want to be rude?!?!

I have been looking for more cozy fantasy to cuddle up with and ones which make me laugh or tug at my heart strings a bit. This one does all of the above and a bit more.

Cyril is desperate to change the past. As a mage in his 50's with no familiar and the love of his life having gone rogue. He knows his life went off track somewhere. With his power, he casts a spell to send him back to his younger form but retaining his memory to try to prevent some of the tragedy which may befall himself and the kingdom if he cannot change the course of fate the second time around.

Even though Cyril is technically, mentally, in his 50's, he is out of his depths when it comes to trying to find a way to change the flow of how things will play out. Without too may spoilers, he will have to divulge his secrets and elicit the help of some of the people around him to see if changes can be made.

I thought this book was so cute and I thought it was incredibly charming. There were times I was on the fence as to whether I really wanted Cyril and his love interest to work things out, but the story plays out the way I think it ultimately should. Once you read it, I think you will understand. If I were to offer one critique; it is a bit longer than I expected it to be so there are some parts which could have been cut and simply just felt wordy. Other than that, it was great and I will look forward to more works by this author in the future.

While starting off a bit darker in tone, this book was everything I ever want from a cozy fantasy book. The magic and world building was perfect - completely new, but introduced slowly and not overdone. Unlike many fantasy books, Costa strikes the perfect balance of explaining the world and magic for it to feel understood without needing to know each minutia. The plot zigzaged so I while I guessed some spoilers early on the path to getting to them was unexpected and kept me enthralled regardless. All the characters are standouts and I cannot pick my favorite (although Eufrates might inch out, because... well just because). This book pulled at all my heartstrings and also made me laugh so many times with the sassy one-liners and Cyril's self deprecation. In another author's hands could have easily slipped into unlikable, but he is maybe the most relatable aspirational flawed character I've read in a long time and I want to hold him (actually all of them) tightly forever.
I desperately need Costa to write more books, and ideally bring me back to this world I am still heartbroken that I had to finish the book and leave. I will be ready to reread this asap.