Sorcery and Small Magics ended up being one of my favourite reads of 2024 - apologies for taking so long before posting a review for it!
I found the novel thoroughly entertaining and loved the dynamic between the two rivals, who are forced on a quest to break the spell binding them together. I also enjoyed the duality of the magic in this system and loved the idea of the spellsongs.
This is the first in a trilogy and the romance is still in the works - it's a glacially slow slow-burn, but I'll definitely be here for the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Orbit for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: body manipulation, injury, alcoholism, violence, blood, grief

Leovander Loveage might be a member of the magical gentry, but his magic isn’t great. He specialises in writing small spells- like summoning butterflies or changing people’s hair colour on a whim- because anything larger will literally blow up in his face. Nothing he does is ever impressive enough for his father or the other sorcerers but Leo is happy as long as he has his violin, he swore years ago that writing powerful magic was out of the question. His biggest rival is Sebastian Grimm, a brilliant, deeply respected, solemn magician from a farming family who has none of Leo’s privileges. When they’re forced to work together with Leo writing the spells and Sebastian casting them, Leo is thrilled to have an excuse to rile Sebastian further. However, when a forbidden spell is accidentally mixed in and they cast it, Leo is entirely under Sebastian’s command and ends up in agony if Sebastian is too far away. Knowing that being caught will mean the end of their careers, Leo and Sebastian have to find a great sorcerer who can undo the curse. Following the rumours of a rogue sorcerer with a gift for this in the Unquiet Wood, Sebastian and Leo enter a forest filled with monsters and outlaws that soon forces Leo to consider the depths of his power. As they journey through the Wood seeking a cure, their long standing rivalry soon becomes something else.

I really enjoyed this book from page one. Leo is such a fun and likeable main character even if he is a complete disaster. I loved the world that’s built here, the way that magic is supposed to be done a certain way and because he does simple things, Leo is looked down on. He truly had some embarrassing moments in this book but I think that made him more loveable, you want him to do well. His desire to be kind and to help were lovely. I enjoyed his internal monologue a lot, especially when he’s riling Sebastian, and I adored his relationship with his best friend Agnes (even as she despairs at him). Sebastian is very different to Leo but I had a very soft spot for him, he's responsible and serious because he's had to work so hard for his chance in the Fount. Their adventures through the deadly forests were well written, the action in this part of the book brought Sebastian and Leo closer together- even if Leo didn't fully like his changing feelings. The humour was excellent and really added to the cosy feeling. There's parts where I wished more happened or the pace was faster but ultimately I loved this book, especially because Leo and Grimm's magic together is just absolutely gorgeous.

Sorcery and Small Magics, is a fun light-hearted read. The story is well paced, however the romance portion is a slow burn. The characters are lovely, the story well written, nothing too heavy. Perfect as a palette cleanser, a break from my usual genre.
Really enjoyed this one and I look forward to more of this author in the future.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
I would & will, recommend this book.

Things with this book started amazingly well. I was enthralled by it and it was pretty hard to put down. Leo is a great narrator, and the magic in this world is fascinating. I was happy with how things were going but slowly the magic of it all started to fade. I think that my main problem was that we get only Leo’s POV, and this made the book unbalanced because Sebastian is an MC here, or he should be one, but since we don’t get his POV it’s like he is always on the background, somehow. And this is a shame because he has such potential as MC too!
Even more so because Leo becomes tiring after a point. I mean, I like him, and I see where is coming from, so his actions make sense, but he is still annoying because he is trapped in an endless circle of “nobody listens” – “lashes out” – “drama ensue” and so on and so on. It becomes tiring pretty fast. And the fact that he is impulsive and drags everyone with him without thinking about the consequences does not help.
He is not bad, really, and he has a strong charm to him, but still… he is constantly jumping from one disaster to another, without stopping for a second, and he drags people along. And then he complains because people are mad at him, don’t listen to him, you get the gist.
And what’s more, is that I started to see Grimm more and more like the victim here (and that’s another big reason I wanted his POVs too), because if it’s true that Leo didn’t do anything on purpose, and he is the victim of the curse, it is also true that Sebastian is behaving like a Saint with it all. And I literally mean a Saint.
The more time I spent with these two and more these dynamics became stronger, at least for me, and at the end of all, I wasn’t so happy with it all.

That said, I loved that Leo is a musician and that he managed to find a way to mix magic and music. It was delightful and it shows how smart he is. Because he has a lot of faults (see the paragraph above) but he is also brilliant and I love to see his brain put to work. And we get to meet some interesting characters too, and visit some fascinating places. The tower was so magical! Sure, the woods were creepy and pretty frightening, but the tower was well worth a stroll into the woods (if you manage to come out alive, obviously).
And the ending was great. The last 20% or so of the book is pretty solid and it show some potential for growth. I have to admit that it made me curious about the sequels so… who knows? Maybe I will continue this one. Maybe.

I was hoping to enjoy this one more because the potential was there, but in the end, I was mostly irritated with our MC. I simply don’t have the patience for so many tantrums and teen behaviors, especially when the person is no longer a teen.

The romance is incredibly slow burn, and I would have liked it to have progressed a little further by the end, but that also just means I'm in for a treat in the next installments. Which I will be impatiently awaiting!

Everything about this book was so FUN and hilarious and comforting, and it has excellent rereading potential. This is definitely a new favorite for me!

I had a really enjoyable time with Sorcery and Small Magics. This book is the perfect mix of light-hearted fun and a bit of fantasy flair, with enough charm and wit to keep me turning the pages. It’s the kind of cozy read that’s easy to sink into without feeling weighed down, but still delivers on character depth and magic.
Leo is the kind of protagonist I find myself rooting for, even when he’s making questionable decisions. He has a self-awareness about his flaws that makes him feel real and relatable. His journey is full of ups and downs, and I really appreciated how his character grows through his actions, even when those actions don’t always go according to plan. Then there’s Grimm—she’s a wonderful foil to Leo’s more chaotic energy, and their dynamic adds a great layer of tension and humor to the story, I really like a grumpy sunshine dynamic, so the two of them really appealed to me.
The magic system in this book is simple, but I found it really effective in the context of the story. The idea of spell-casters and spell-writers is a unique twist that added a nice layer of complexity to the world, even if I did want to know a bit more about how the magic itself works behind the scenes. It’s not an overly detailed world-building experience, but I appreciated the focus on the characters and their personal stakes.
Sorcery and Small Magics is a fun, cozy fantasy and a nice read for those who enjoy character-driven fantasy with a slow burn romance and a touch of whimsy. I’m definitely interested to read the next book.

I've recently read Sorcery and Small Magics and enjoyed it! I was a bit afraid in the very beginning as the main character was a bit too much for me, but honestly, it became more understandable with the character's backstory. So if you're looking for a book with curses, banter and quests, I recommend it. The second half was amazing, and honestly, it has some horror elements to it too with the imagery.

I gave it 4 stars and I'll read from this author again!

Fun, cozy and magic. Sorcery and small magics is a slow burn enemies to lovers with forced proximity and great characters. It took me a little while to get in the right mood to read this to be honest as I’m kind of sick of enemies to lovers and the start of this book is very much enemies to lovers. But after I got through the beginning the magic of the book immediately pulled me back in with music and magical forest adventures.

Whimsical, queer, slow burn - if that delightful combination of words isn’t enough to make you want to read this then I don’t know what will.

Sorcery and Small Magics follows Sebastian Grimm and Leovander Loveage after a mistaken spell binds these two much closer than they would ever have expected. Their dynamic is so much fun and I adored the tension between the two. I loved the magic system with the idea of a scriver and a caster. I hope we will learn more about the magic system as the Wildersongs trilogy progresses.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and need more from Grimm and Leo immediately.

Such a brilliant fantasy debut I can’t recommend this enough to readers who love independent and quirky characters, slow burn romance and I can’t wait for the next instalment of this fantastic story

Despite the horrifically ugly cover (I have no idea what Orbit was thinking, my sympathies to poor Doocy) this was a lot of fun! Leo is a snarky character who is well aware of his own flaws, which is a combination I enjoy very much, and although the worldbuilding is a bit simple for my taste, a) there’s more than enough story to compensate, and b) there are hints that things (such as the way magic really works) are a lot more complicated than Leo thinks.

The magic system…is also pretty simple, but it fit the story really well: there are sorcerers who can cast spells, and sorcerers who can write spells, and no one can do both. Spells are (usually) written, and once cast, you need a spell-writer to write it for you again if you want to cast it again. Somehow this has not resulted in the veneration of spell-writers, which I found quite odd.

But that really didn’t matter, because I had so much FUN reading this! It’s immersive, super readable, and just the right blend of escapist+serious. The stakes are high for the characters – the spell that forces Leo to obey any order of Sebastian’s is seriously screwed-up, and also gets worse the longer it’s in effect, and that keeps both the characters and the story moving along at a great pace. And everything that goes down in the Unquiet Wood? *chef’s kiss*

When I first got my arc, there was no mention of this being the start of a series, which made the ending (not a cliffhanger, but leaving some important things unresolved!) a surprise. I am MUCH relieved that the story’s not over, although I have no idea where the rest of the series (trilogy?) is going – we weren’t presented with any kind of Big Bad, so Sorcery ends without clearly aiming the characters at the Next Thing. We’ll just have to find out with the next book! (Which I am ABSOLUTELY going to be reading!)

3.75 stars
I enjoyed this immensely! The concept was so fresh and unique and it had a great cast of characters. I am so looking forward to the next book.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I had a great time with this book. It was super entertaining, cozy, and easy to dive into. The magic system is refreshingly unique: magic requires two parts, a spell-writer and a caster. And let's not forget the lovable, quirky monsters that add so much charm!

The main character, Leo, is a bit of a lovable disaster, funny yet sometimes frustrating, but his actions have a deeper meaning, which makes him so endearing. Then there’s Grimm, with all his grumpiness. And when they say this is a slow burn, they mean sloooooow burn! I love a slow burn romance, but this one took it to another level, leaving me eagerly awaiting the next book for more!

As for the plot, I found myself wanting a bit more depth. At times, it felt like things were moving slowly or that certain aspects—like some characters, the magic system, or political elements—were left unexplored. I hope the next book dives deeper into the world and answers some of those lingering questions.

Overall, this was a cozy, fun, and utterly charming read that left me smiling.

Leo is a scriver and he is always getting into scrapes. He could be better if he took the bother to pay attention. He is partnered with Grimm who is his opposite and he is a caster.
Leo writes spells to be cast in class but accidentally gets one he didn't write mixed up with his. Grimm casts and Leo ends up under a spell which means he can't do without seeing Grimm.
We follow their story trying to undo this.
Grimm reminded me of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock in some respects.
This book is different definitely different.
Thanks to publisher and Netgalley.

Firstly, I have to say that I love this cover, it's clearly inspired by The Marvellous Light (like most current queer fantasy books) but it fits the book so well and looks gorgeous.

As for the book, I had a lot of fun reading it. And a lot of trouble putting it down. I was actually surprised that in print it has 400 pages. Usually it takes me longer to read a book this size.

This story is a real slow burn, not only because of the romance, but also, the beginning of the story is quite slow. There's a lot of world building in it (which is fascinating), so if you're in the mood for a slow, cozy fantasy book, then this is it. The stakes are a little higher since our characters keep getting into trouble, but there's still nothing world changing.

And for me, the characters are the highlight of this book. Yes, they are quite stereotypical grumpy/sunshine with tragic backstories, but I grew to really like them. The whole book has only one pov from Leo. It's okay, but sometimes he gets annoying, so I think that a double pov would be more interesting. Especially at the end, when we can clearly see that Sebastian really changed during their journey.

I will definitely pick up the second book in the series.

Sorcery and Small Magics is a fun and easy to read book. It follows a unique magic system as our main characters Leo has to work with his 'enemy/academic rival' type character Grimm after a spell goes wrong. There are lots of twists and more plot development that I was initially expecting from this book and it does set up for the continuation of the story in further books in the series. Overall this is a whimsical, cosy magical story which I really enjoyed.

It just didn't work for me

Sorcery and Small Magics is set in a magical world and, more specifically in a school of magic, where Leo and Grimm - opposites in all the ways, it seems - go to. However, Leo is really a master of small magics because he says that, every time he tries anything more complex than that, it splatters in his face (sometimes literally). They are partnered in one of their classes and, due to a mix-up with a forbidden spell, Leo ends up spellbound to Grimm, his longtime nemesis. We readers follow their journey as they try to discover a way to undo the spell, and the ongoing tension between the two, which sometimes is not as oppositional as it might appear...

I had such high hopes for this one, but, in the end, it just wasn't for me. I didn't think the magic system/world was developed enough, and also the characters' chemistry just wasn't there for me.

Thank you very much to Orbit UK and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Magic and grumpy/sunshine, sign me right up. This book was so cosy and I loved every moment. I feel like Doocy is an auto-buy author for me now.

This was such an endearing and cute read! The dynamic between chaotic but loveable Leo and stern but kind Sebastian was a pleasure to read about. I'm looking forward to the sequel

This was a fun, quick read with a super interesting magic system and a cozy, yet exciting world 🏞️

In the beginning I wasn't so sure about the story and the main characters, because Leo was a little annoying and the conflict seemed a bit trivial, but he grew on me and towards the end the plot was a lot more engaging than I expected. I still think the book would have profited from having Grimm's perspective as well, I definitely would have loved that because he is more my type of character. I really liked the character growths Leo underwent in the course of the book and the changes that invoked in his behaviour (less lashing out, more calm reflection and awesome magic), as I think that's realistic.

We don't really get to see a lot of the world (yet), but the woodland setting was super cool and I loved all the fun and eerie monsters 😁 The magical school somehow reminded me of The Name of the Wind and its academy, but as only about half of the book takes place there, we don’t really learn a lot about it. I wouldn’t have minded getting more information about the magical world and its political system and workings, but I’m curious what other parts of the world will be shown in the next book(s), for which I will keep an eye out 👀

For me the most interesting feature was the magic system which was pretty unique. Some aspects were a bit vague (what is special about Scrives that can't be done by casters if they also know the words for example), but I really liked the enhancement of magic through music and song and the idea of magic having its own mind and acting out sometimes 😊

I definitely recommend this book for everyone looking for a whimsical fantasy world, some action, no spice (so far), queer mcs and a lot of banter and quirky magic 😊✨