The book starts off with exactly the kind of grim, immersive setting I was looking for. It strikes a great balance between cozy fantasy and traditional fantasy early on, creating a world that truly pulls you in. However, after a major plot twist, it takes a more juvenile turn that didn’t quite work for me. The introduction of the second romantic love interest was a bit jarring, especially since I was so invested in Eufrates and Cyril’s dynamic. The twist also made things harder to connect with, as Cyril—who is established as the best grand mage of his time—didn’t quite live up to that reputation once he goes back in time. That aspect left me feeling a bit disappointed.

That said, this is far from a bad read! In fact, the first half of the book was so rich and imaginative that it makes the second half feel less impactful by comparison. The court politics, the main couple's dynamic, and the world-building in the early chapters were all a joy to explore.

Mariana Costa has a beautifully unique writing style and brings some really interesting ideas to the table. While this book may not have fully nailed its execution, I'm excited to see what she creates next!

If you're a fan of historical romance manhwas or isekai stories, I’d definitely recommend giving this a try—you might just find it to your liking!

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a cosy fantasy but there was still lots going on and the plot was thought out really well. I loved the aspect of time travel and how Cyril had a personal journey along with the actual journey of time travel. The family aspect of this story was amazing and really gave the book a heart with real emotions that you felt along with the characters, the relationships felt so developed and well thought out with made them seem realistic as a reader. I love how strained Cyril and Eufrates relationship was but there was still so much love between them, doing could stop them from loving each other is even they had grown apart as people. The shocking revelation towards the end of the book was so good it was one of the things that made the book seems so good and stand out because you weren’t expecting to find out and for Cyril to save Tig so successfully. This book was a joy to read and you felt you could really connect with the characters because it was written in such a lovely way even though it felt simple it got across all the hard and complex emotions the characters were feeling while still being able to understand it all. I do feel it would have been better to see Cyril and Eufrates together more to really understand them as a couple but you could still feel their strong love, it just could have been backed up even more.
Overall I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who wants a cozy, easy to read fantasy full of emotion and strong family connections! I’ve already preordered mine don’t forget to preorder yours!

his is a quirky, fun, and heartfelt time travel fantasy that really surprised me. Cyril, the main character, is a former Grand Mage who gets a second chance to fix his broken kingdom and his relationship with his husband, King Eufrates. The mix of magic, humor, and emotional depth kept me hooked throughout.

What stood out most was the balance between lighthearted moments and real stakes. The character development is fantastic, especially between Cyril and Eufrates, whose relationship goes through so many layers of tension, love, and regret. There are also great supporting characters, like Tigris and Cyril’s cat familiar, Shoestring, who add warmth and humor to the story.

If you’re into time-travel romance with a bit of magical mischief and enjoy strong character-driven plots, Shoestring Theory is a must-read! It's a perfect blend of cozy fantasy and high-stakes adventure.

"Shoestring Theory" is a delightful second chance fantasy romance featuring two bitter exes stuck reliving the early parts of their romance in a time travel mix up. That's probably a lot to take in! Don't worry, it's easy to get sucked in to this one - the characters are charming, the romance sucks you in, and I really enjoyed the side-plots. Cyril is a wonderful main character - angry but sympathetic. Even as you want to yell at him, you understand where he's coming from.

Disclaimer: Shoestring Theory is being marketed as a cozy fantasy - and it's not that. It's a wonderful book and I enjoyed it, but it has several trigger warnings readers will need to abide by - wanted to be very clear about that.

Thank you to Net Galley and Angry Robot for the ARC. The concept sounded cool but the execution was a let down. It was difficult to care about the characters and the beginning was surprisingly slow.

Thanks to NetGalley, Angry Robot and Mariana Costa for this ARC.

This book read like a warm hug. It was quite difficult to get into it for me, it being slow paced in the beginning, but once I got into it I could not put it down. I loved the characters, their interactions, the conflict, and the romance is dashing. It is very quirky and a fun read. This book is very cozy, and at the same time it has some plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat, when you get to them. I enjoyed the writing style as well.
That being said, I expected this book to be 5 stars for me, unfortunately it was more like a low 4 star read. Still it was a good experience, and if you're looking for cozy fantasy this one's a good pick.

Also I think this book would be great in audio format (for me personally, I find it more interesting to listen to slow paced stories.)

SHOESTRING THEORY - MARIANA COSTA

It took me a little while to get into this particular story, but once I was in, I was IN. With a set of characters that are loveable and memorable, I think Shoestring Theory is one of those books that gently woos you and then you can't imagine a life where you haven't read this special tale. Here's a synopsis:

The kingdom of Farsala is broken and black clouds hang heavy over the arid lands. Former grand mage Cyril Laverre has spent the last decade hiding himself away in a ramshackle hut by the sea, trying to catch any remaining fish for his cat familiar, Shoestring, and suppressing his guilt over the kingdom’s ruin. When Shoestring wanders away and dies one morning, Cyril knows his days are finally numbered. But are there enough left to have a last go at putting things right?

Time travel, a unique magic system and a very fun take on friends to lovers to enemies to lovers - these are just a few of the elements that make Shoestring Theory such an enjoyable read. One of my other favourite aspects of Mariana Costa's storytelling is that we find out information in real time along with other characters, and this places the reader right in the middle of the action.

Although the book is marketed as being similar to Travis Baldree's Legends and Lattes, and certainly reads like a cosy fantasy in places (especially when it comes to the characters), the stakes feel a lot higher, which makes sense in this context! After all, the fate of a kingdom is at stake - along with a romantic relationship or two.

The storyline often changes direction and takes you to unexpected places, which kept me guessing right until the end (which is SO good). And while all the characters are lovely, I adored Cyril the most. A true underdog hero, he is self-deprecating, anxious and full of doubt, which makes him endearing and oh so relatable. 

I'm not sure if there is a book two on the way, but if there was, I'd jump at the chance to dive back into this world! Thank you to Mariana Costa, NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this ARC.

Release date: 8 October 2024

Review score: 4/5

TWs: Violence, blood, d*ath

3.25 stars

Shoestring Theory was an interesting cosy fantasy and I don't think I could rate it more because while I liked the concept and the characters, the plot was quite slow and this just didn't feel like it needed to be as long as it was. I guess that is why it is a cosy fantasy and not something that can be prolonged the same as the fantasy novel length of pages while maintaining interest and excitement.

Some of my excitement drained the further along I got in the story just because I feel like the characters could have been developed more especially with a cosy fantasy where there is not a high stakes fantasy plot, the characters need to carry the story and while main character Cyril did, Eufrates could have been utilised more because in the moments he did have, he shined!

I wish we saw more of their dynamic and not just little glimpses because they have years of history going further than their marriage we could have seen in flashbacks. This with added moments of Cyril doubting his view of Eufrates and his actions through a rose tinted love lense could have been exciting.

I feel this book lacked some of the moments of shared history which were critical to their story and current tension of Eufrates' path of choosing evil and being a coloniser. If Cyril had doubted his relationship and believing Eufrates was morally grey then it would have made for more drama and complex storytelling before the big reveal. I did like this but was hoping for more bite to enjoy Shoestring Theory.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a time traveling mage story with animal familiars, court politics and found family. It has some strong female characters in Tigris and Aunt Helene. The main character Cyril begins as a guilt ridden mage that determines that he is going to attempt to set the kingdom right by changing the past.

I enjoyed it overall for the interesting magic and familiars but also found it to be somewhat slow and a bit dark at first. It is light on the fantasy and the romance and is more character driven.

I was given a copy by the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!) and all opinions are my own.

Mariana Costa's "Shoestring Theory" is a fun, modern story that mixes science, humour, and heart. Two physicists who couldn't be more different—one realistic and grounded and the other impulsive and spontaneous—are forced to work together on a new research project. As they deal with problems at work and their growing feelings for each other, their different personalities lead to smart banter, tension, and undeniable energy. There are a lot of science references in Costa's smart, slow-burning romance, which makes it a fun and interesting read for people who like stories where opposites meet.

Shoestring Theory begins when former Grand-Mage Cyril decides to go back in time to stop his husband and king, Euphrates, from ascending to the throne. He sends himself back to a time before Euphrate’s coronation or madness and the death of Tigris, Euphrate’s older sister. However, his plans quickly go awry when he discovers the true power of the spell he cast on his vows, tying him and Euphrates together in that life and the next.

This story was a very charming and enjoyable read. This book is marketed as a cozy read, which I do agree with-- the tone of the book leans towards being lighthearted, straightforward, and never takes itself too seriously. That being said, the stakes of the plot are high, making it a really fun reading experience. Where this book really shines is in its character building: Cyril, Tigris, Euphrates, and Cyril’s auntie Helene are all compelling and complex characters, making explorations of the relationships between them really interesting. Their decisions, good and bad, always feel earned, even if you don’t always agree with their choices. While some pieces of the plot are predictable, it’s always fun to read simply because the characters are interesting to read about. Also, I found the simple magic system really refreshing, as it gives the author enough interwoven pieces to build a plot where magic is a key element without ever feeling pedantic or overwhelming.

I would suggest looking at the trigger warnings from other reviewers before reading. The elements listed are not dwelled upon by the book as they are much more plot elements to drive the story forward than they are reflections on these themes themselves.

The one note I would give is that the synopsis markets this as a romance, but the part of the romance that has people truly romantically involved is a small percentage of the book. The characters talk about romance a lot and spend a lot of time reflecting on the relationship between Cyril and Euphrates in a way that worked well for me but that I could see being more disappointing for someone looking for a strict-sense romance. This didn’t detract from the book for me, but I could see the synopsis misleading some readers.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and lighthearted time travel fantasy with romance elements and compelling characters. I enjoyed my experience with Shoestring Theory a ton!

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy of this book! Please note that these are my thoughts on an early version of the book.

The time travel mechanics at the heart of this book have a very clever conceit that makes for an intriguing unfolding of the plot. The title is cute (a pun on one of the character's names) and hints at the many twists and turns this book will take the reader on. Overall, I found the book to be incredibly well-written and liked most of the central characters and how their stories wrap up neatly at the end.

However, looking back at my time with this story as a whole, I have very conflicting feelings and have to say that I did not enjoy most of my reading journey with this one. Light spoilers ahead:

The book is billed as a "time travel romance" and a "charming fantasy tale" when in fact the central relationship at the heart of the book is portrayed as extremely toxic for half of the book with one character literally fearing for their life after every interaction. This left me so on edge that I kept seeing red flags everywhere (which turned out to be validated) and considerably detracted from my enjoyment of the plot. Without giving too much away: The toxicity is explained away in one way or another by the end, and things end on a positive note for everyone, including the main character who finally realizes their self-worth.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and will surely read more of her work in the future, but the ARC version of the book also left somewhat of a bitter aftertaste, unfortunately. I really did want to like this a whole lot more.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

TBH, this isn't the best book. The writing style is humorous (good!) but it's very dialogue heavy, with not enough dialogue tags which makes it confusing to follow, especially when there are multiple characters in conversation (bad!). I also struggled heavily with the pacing. It starts out ok, but towards the middle everything slows down to the point of nothing happening, until it suddenly picks up again, and then it's full speed, non-stop action until the end.

THAT BEING SAID. I had lots of fun reading this! This book fully delivers on the premise. A wizard turns back time to stop the evil king from destroying the kingdom but the king is the wizard's ex-husband and he catches feelings again? Sign me up!!!

Going into this, I was a little worried about the potential age gap between Cyril and Eufrates, given that the Cyril is an older guy going back in time to his younger body, but this was quickly resolved in a way I am quite satisfied with.

There is a sort of love-triangle situation, with Cyril catching feelings for someone else, but I really didn't care for it. I found it entirely unconvincing, like, why are we bothering with this farce when OBVIOUSLY these characters are not ending up together.

I also wished there was more interaction between Cyril and Eufrates, like they actually don't interact that much. Cyril mostly talks to Tigris, whom I love VERY much, so I am completely fine with that, but since this is supposed to be a romance between Cyril and Eufrates I feel like they should have interacted more? Between all the ongoing plotting and scheming, most of their interactions are Intense Charged Moments™️, which is fine, but I want more relationship building stuff.

This book is also pretty light on the world-building. There's nothing wrong with this, as most of the focus is on the plot and the romance anyway, so don't go into this expecting intricate world-building and magic systems.

I know this review sounds negative, like I have a lot of things to criticise, but this book really was a lot of fun! The dynamic between Cyril and the other characters are very entertaining, and I know I criticised the amount of dialogue at the start of this review, but I loved how much time the characters spent just talking to each other. The characters are also really over-the-top and dramatic, in a way that I found silly and endearing.

I noticed that some of the negative reviews for this book bring up that fact that it's marketed as a cozy fantasy, but the plot has action and pretty high stakes. That is true, but this works in my favour as I personally enjoy fantasy with more action anyway. (Although I agree that this book shouldn't have been marketed as cozy fantasy. While the writing style and settings does feel like cozy fantasy, this book has pretty intense moments that are not in line with the genre.)

A few of the other reviews also state that this book should have been marketed as MG. I strongly disagree. While the writing style is simple and humorous in a manner that may appeal to middle graders, a lot of the content is straight-up not appropriate. Like, the first chapter literally has a graphic depiction of suicide.

Anyway, if you're looking for a funny, high stakes adventure with romance, do be sure to check this book out!

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the DRC.

I was really intrigued by the plot summary of this book and was looking forward to an intricately plotted, time travel story. The book summary makes it clear that this will also be a cozy book which I thought was interesting given that the premise sounded less than cozy. What this ultimately translated to for me was a very slow paced, low action, and at times meandering book. I definitely think this book will appeal to people who can get onboard the kind of cozy vibe this author set out to create and just simmer for awhile with the characters. But I personally did not find the writing style engaging enough or the characters interesting enough to not feel this was a bit of a slog to read. However, I really do believe this comes down to personal taste of writing style and mood so I can believe others may love it.

I adored this book! Reading Shoestring Theory gave me the cozy vibes of Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes, but with higher stakes and more romance. I saw myself in the adorably anxious Cyril and spent the story rooting for a second chance for him and Eufrates while LOLing at Cyril’s moments of being completely oblivious. Speaking of those two as a couple, the banter between Cyril and Eufrates was superb and SPOILER ALERT their epic love declarations had me swooning a bit. Also I’ve decided that there need to be more cat companions in fantasy books even if they are the main character’s bestie turned into a cat, because cats just make everything better. Anyway, Shoestring Theory left me feeling warm and fuzzy, I think it’s the perfect book for when you are feeling down or want to escape from reality with an adventure romance. This book definitely made it onto my favs of the year list and I hope that Mariana chooses to re-visit Cyril and Eufie some day.

Read this book now! I mean it it was so good. It is mages and courts, but Mariana did such wonderful world building, it is different too. It’s a second chance romance at its core. But I don’t think I have ever read such a true to life exploration of just being so angry and disappointed by your ex. It was just chef’s kiss to watch Cyril and Eufrates fight and snarl and try to stop their love. But it was also court intrigue and swashbuckling. All of the main characters are queer without judgement , which for me just added to the world the author created. I want to spoil everything so I can really tell you how amazing it all was, but I won’t, I will only insist you read it. I read an ARC.

I'm this was such a unique book! While it had a relatively familiar overarching plot, the other elements made it quite different than anything I've read. I wouldn't necessarily consider this a cozy fantasy due to how dark and severe much of it is, but I will say it has that cozy vibe to it.

I found Cyril to be unlikable, but I loved Tigris and actually liked Eufrates too. And of course Shoestring! This is a very character driven story and I found the world and magic system interesting, would love to read more of it!

For fans of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, The Spellshop, and The Honey Witch!

Lovers to enemies to lovers

This second chance story is beautifully woven throughout time and place.
After his King Husband has brought the kingdom to the brink of doom Cy makes a last ditch attempt to save it by travelling back in time and stop it from ever happening.
Once back in his past body Cy realises he has accidentally also brought back the evil king. In a comedy of errors Cy then manages to turn the future queen into a cat and have himself whisked away to a foreign kingdom.

This story delicately shows the power of manipulation and its far reaching consequences. How self-worth can save a kingdom and true love can surpass many trials.

2,75⭐️

I recognize Mariana Costa by their art on social media, ones that I enjoy both visually and through the lore they post snippets of. To say I was curious about her writing debut would be correct.

From the blurb we can imagine a rather grand story, full of intrigues, plot twists (it is, in the end, a story about time traveling) and complicated characters' relationships. But what is worth acknowledging is the recommendation for cozy fantasy readers. Because <i>Shoestring Theory</i> is a slow, low action tale. And i believe tale is a key word, as the world-building is just enough, not too little information, yet not to much, to not take the attention from the main thing.

The main thing being, I believe, characters. Through the text it is visible that the author is also a visual artist, descriptions of certain looks are detailed. Sometimes it felt like comic-to-text movement, which isn't a disadvantage, just a peculiar and certainly original feature of this title. However, sometimes the pacing feels unfinished – the first half wonders around exposition, backstory, setting the basic plot points for the future, but lacks interactions between main characters. Yes, Cyril and Tigres have plenty of conversations, but between the mage and his husband is only (greatly written, may I add) conflict balancing between love and hate. But later, as they discover more, its base becomes long-winded. There were moments with too little or too muhh dialogue, making the story quite uneven.

I may not be the fan of the pacing, either, yet for completely different reason. The blurb suggests a lot, while all promised aspects have their place, the overall story appears rather... slow. Fantasy aspects, like magic, were not explored enough for me – I must admit, Costa has many great ideas, ones that work and charm the reader, but it's further developed into character based book. Some resolutions I found good, some were lacking the spark.

Overall, I feel like <i>Shoestring Theory </i>represents a unique thing in literature, presenting narration that is rather absent. The author is not a classical debut writer, she does not use typical language nor frames of action. I found that intriguing, refreshing even. Besides the fact I expected to be slightly more engaged in the story, I think it will be a good title for many readers

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.75 rounded to 5
I’ll be the first to admit that it was better than I was expecting it to be! I’m not a huuuge fantasy reader (as in complex magic systems, etc) so this one was right up my alley.
There is just ‘something’ I can’t quite pin down atm of why I’m not giving it a full 5 (I just finished it at 1:47am lol so I’ll prob come back)
It sorta reminded me of Emily Wilde (which is one of my fav books) in the sense that it’s cute, cozy adjacent (mostly due to some topics) and has magic without me feeling overwhelmed.

Would def recommend and I’m kinda shocked a sun box hasn’t picked it up! I feel like it’d make a great book box pick. I got an ARC but I’m really excited to purchase